Editorial August 1, 1908 Issue

HOW IS ETERNAL LIFE GAINED?

Annie M. Knott

OCCASIONALLY we hear some one express surprise that students of Christian Science should ever fail to complete their demonstrations of spiritual law, operative in the healing of disease or other discords. This may recall the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus and asked how he could attain to eternal life. The Master answered him by saying, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments;" and in response to his further inquiry, outlined the prohibitions of impurity, and false witness, concluding with, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." The young man said that he had kept these commandments from his youth up, and then he asked, "What lack I yet?" Jesus' response to this undoubtedly sincere inquiry was deeply significant. He said, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, . . . and come and follow me." And we are told that the young man then "went away sorrowful."

This story naturally leads one to inquire whether, if the young man had given all that he had to the poor, he would have gained eternal life. Paul says, "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, . . . it profiteth me nothing." It also recalls the Master's later statement, recorded by John: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." From this statement we are led to conclude that only the one who has this knowledge can keep the commandments. Jesus had implied that perfection is that which links man to eternal life, and that perfection is gained only through entire obedience to God's law, which may remind us of the psalmist's fervent prayer, "Give me understanding, and I shall live."

Mrs. Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 12), "The most just man can neither defend the innocent nor detect the guilty, unless he knows how to be just; and this knowledge demands our time and attention." In other words, nothing less than the Christly understanding of God can enable one to do right, and if this is true we need not be surprised at the many unfinished problems of students and workers in Christian Science; nevertheless, the divine demand is perfection and no less, and God supplies all the strength and wisdom needed to meet this demand.

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