Work In Christian Science

Some think it unnecessary to study in order to understand and demonstrate the Principle and rule of Christian Science. They complain when told that Science and Health and the Bible must be made constant companions and the subject of all thought and meditation. They sometimes reply: “Why, if that is the only way of reaching heaven, they will be few who reach there.” From the mortal standpoint these murmurings are not to be wondered at.

But “Progress is born of experience; it is the ripening of mortal man, that drops the mortal for the immortal.” * They who covet health, the-at-one-ment, the understanding of Principle, will count the cost and be willing to pay the price demanded. Consider the time and the efforts expended in acquiring education in what the world calls knowledge,—the hard study and close confinement that often defeat the hopes that have inspired them. Most of this knowledge has to be unlearned in order to gain the true understanding. All knowledge gained through beliefs of matter must be destroyed to make room for Intelligence, understanding of the Christ, Truth.

“New wine cannot be put into old bottles,” neither can Christian Science be understood or demonstrated, while there is unwillingness to part with educated beliefs in matter. “If any one is for coming unto me and hates not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters,—further, also, even his own soul—he cannot be my disciple. And, whosoever is not bearing his cross, and coming after me, cannot be my disciple.”

It is not study of the formations of matter and their laws of belief that will enable us to heal the sick and sinful. Science and Health says: “In proportion as matter, to human sense, loses all entity as matter, in that proportion does man become its master.” “We are Christian Scientists only so far as we quit our hold upon the material, and grasp the Spiritual, as we leave all for Christ.” Consider this shadow-land, and think of the many magnificent buildings erected as schools of “Materia Medica,” theological universities, institutes, colleges, and seminaries; all to perpetuate the knowledge of physics in its many branches. Then we realize the insignificance and nothingness of it all, in Divine Science. It is unknown to God, and to the student of God, Good, is worthless, because based upon ignorance of Good, as the Divine Principle of all. We turn away from all this to contemplation of the ever-conscious, supreme Being, whose presence fills immensity,— “The animating Principle of all that is real and good, who made all that was made, and could not create an atom or an element that was the opposite of Himself.”

Our nature is in reality spiritual and our home is in Spirit, but growth in the understanding of Christian Science, means what mortal mind calls “work.” “There are no idlers in God’s vineyard,” “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,” said the Divine but, judged by the so-called wisdom of his own and our day, most unscholarly man. But he proved himself to be the best scholar the world has ever known, and stands as the teacher of Life, Truth, and Love. There are more verses in the Bible containing the word “work ” than any other one word of note. This emphasizes the deep and hidden meaning back of the word. “Work: effort directed to an end”—is one of many definitions. We must be willing to work for eternal Life as we have never worked before. We are in belief of material origin and shall have to work harder than did Jesus, the offspring of purity, who knew no sin. He passed through Gethsemane; the human yielded to the divine. We shall have to do likewise. He overcame the world, the flesh, and the devil. The same is required of us.

We have got to work up to our true self which is all good; to its real manifestation through destruction of the belief of Life, Substance, and Intelligence in matter. Thus will be revealed the infinite idea of Divine principle, man; our ideal and model being Jesus the Christ. Our only occupation is to work out in our own consciousness our true identity and the universe of Spirit, until that becomes a reality, and the universe of matter fades out of sight. We gain glimmerings of the light at first far off, but if we hold steadfast in thought, this ray of light (consciousness of Spirit) shines brighter and more bright. We can rejoice that we are to “occupy till I come,” that we not only have time to work in, but all eternity—the great forever,—to learn our Infinite Father and Mother, Good. Then all will be realized as Love, and we shall have one God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Seeking is not sufficient. It is striving that enables us to enter. “And every one that has this hope on him, purifies himself according as he is pure.” “He that conquers shall inherit these things: and I will be to him a God and he shall be to me a son.”

* Science and Health, 40th ed., page 179