Standing for God

Men have always agreed that to stand for anything has meant to remain fixed and steadfast in loyalty thereto; that whatever the opposition or resistance might be, to stand must imply an immovable maintenance of allegiance. In his epistle to the Philippians Paul wrote, “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” And when testifying his love for the Thessalonians he declared, “Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.”

Paul understood full well that there is only one safe place to stand, and that is “in the Lord;” and how impossible it would be to “stand fast in the Lord” if the desire were for any but the unselfish and unselfed purpose of standing for God! No selfish aim could be sufficient to hold one firmly in such a stand, since selfishness always gives way under stress of temptation and trial. No one has ever stood firmly and effectively against evil unless actuated by the purest, holiest motive, the love of God, good. To consider what standing for God includes one must of necessity first of all understand something of God Himself; and Christian Science is here revealing the entire truth about Him. It is therefore through its teaching that we are to gain that comprehension of God which will enable us to express unfaltering devotion to Him.

Christian Science reveals the truth that God is infinite divine Mind—is all-intelligence; that He is all-pervading Spirit; that He is all Soul, including all spiritual sense; that He is all Life, Truth, Love. We therefore see definitely that if we are to stand for God we can admit no other intelligence, presence, and consciousness but that which is the all-living, the all-real, the all-loving.

In “Miscellaneous Writings” (p. 206) Mrs. Eddy also speaks of God as “the active, all-wise, law-creating, law-disciplining, law-abiding Principle.” And then she goes on to say, “The real Christian Scientist is constantly accentuating harmony in word and deed, mentally and orally, perpetually repeating this diapason of heaven: ‘Good is my God, and my God is good. Love is my God, and my God is Love.'” From all this the Christian Scientist recognizes that to stand for God he must acknowledge Him and Him only. And how can one ever desire anything less than such loyalty? Standing for God as Christian Science instructs us to do, is not only the way whereby we fulfill our duty to God, but it is the way to deliver ourselves and others from all that is false and undesirable.

If, for instance, ignorance with its attendant results of sin and sickness claim to be present, we have but to stand for the ever-presence and all-power of divine Mind in order to enjoy its liberating intelligence. Does matter claim to occupy thought and attention, we have but to stand for omnipresent Spirit, and its perfect government and control will be made manifest. Does corporeal sense testify of discord and distress, how wonderful to be able to stand unmoved because the ever present evidences of Soul and its perfections are at hand! And these are all expressions of all-satisfying Life, Truth, Love. More than this, they are always educating with “the active, all-wise, law-creating, law-disciplining, law-abiding Principle” the mortal who is thus standing for God. It is not, therefore, strange that one thus steadfastly allegiant to good should continually unfold into a larger, fuller, more perfectly demonstrated understanding of God and unity with Him. How easy, then, to declare and prove perpetually that our God is good, and good is our God! That Love is our God, and our God is Love!

What wondrous wealth, what boundless bounty, what peace and joy must come to all those who thus learn to stand for God, as He is revealed in Christian Science! What Christian Scientist, then, would not take this stand and never waver in his steadfast adherence to all that God is, refusing to admit or acknowledge any other presence or power, entity or law, life or being, in spite of any or all the supposititious arguments of a suppositional material sense? To stand thus is constantly and continually to express the perfect government of divine Principle, Love, wherein and whereby all good is unfolded.