Man is not made up. Man is made! This is what stood out to me recently as I read the following words of Mary Baker Eddy in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health: "Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements. The Scriptures inform us that man is made in the image and likeness of God. Matter is not that likeness. The likeness of Spirit cannot be so unlike Spirit."Science and Health, p. 475
Man's true identity, then, is spiritual, perfect, eternal. Material personality is mortal, imperfect, temporal. It's not our real selfhood. Like a skilled makeup artist, the carnal, mortal mind, claiming that life and intelligence are separate from God, would conceal the reality of man and have us believe that we're mortals, made up of fleshly elements, subject to sin, disease, and death. But Christ Jesus' teachings and works alert us not to be fooled by appearances. The Master knew and irrefutably proved that man's identity is forever sustained by God in perfect harmony. And he cautioned us, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."John 7:24
Righteous judgment requires that we exercise our inherent spiritual sense, which looks beyond matter and perceives spiritual reality. Jesus proved that a correct sense of being heals the sick and sinning. And he clearly indicated that each of us can cultivate this spiritual sense and follow his example.
