Article April 24, 1909 Issue

"THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT"

ARTHUR E. JENNINGS.

Erroneous charges of inconsistency in the Bible narratives and sayings of our Lord, are fast melting away through Christian Science. As the errors of sense in mortal thought are uncovered and destroyed, and self-righteousness gives place to humility, the sublimity and completeness of the Word of God becomes understood. This is due in a very large measure to the study of the Bible with Science and Health, as set forth in the Lesson-Sermons of the Christian Science Quarterly. There is an understanding gained from this study which we are able to make our own, and yet we get this spiritual insight only as we apply the Christ-Science to our needs.

To the student, the link between Principle and these two books is a revelation, but it takes time to define and express it. The student, then, should not be discouraged because he finds many things "hard to be understood." This simply means that he has farther to go in his own demonstration. In Science and Health there is an answer to every question, and if he will only search he will find it out. The action of truth is "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword," but there are very few who at first understand that it is a help to see and experience more of the difference between Truth and error. True, the two never really meet because of their oppositeness, and yet when error is destroyed, that is, when wrong thinking and wrong actions are changed, we know that Christ, Truth, has made the correction.

In many parts of the Bible we learn much that is beautiful about the Saviour,—his appearing, his life and example, and much also that seems very like harsh treatment of those who opposed him. Isaiah cried, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." Jesus did this, and then declared, "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant." His life and teaching here reveal the most loving condition of thought. It is recorded that "he healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet." Now note the effect of the Truth-healing. We find Principle at work as follows: "When he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." For a while it is difficult to reconcile these seeming differences in the nature and offices of the Saviour, and it is only through experiences as well as an understanding of Christian Science that we are able to love the Principle which corrects our errors. This is indeed "the sword of the Spirit,"—the sword of love; not the "flaming sword" which we in infancy pictured as traveling round the garden of Eden, but the knowledge of Truth and its operations.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access