Article October 21, 1911 Issue

THE CHRIST-APPEARING

WILLIAM H. ECTON

In the first epistle of John we read : "When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." This text was pondered much by the writer, prior to his acceptance of Christian Science; and while seeking to analyze the statement as to why the simple act of seeing God would make us like Him, Truth's reply was, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God;" in other words, until we become pure in heart we are unable to take cognizance of the divine manifestation.

A few illustrations may serve to broaden the scope and enlarge the significance of this truth, namely, the impossibility of the presence of both light and darkness at the same time, also the futility of attempting to bring darkness into light, being always the displacer of darkness. We have further the self-evident fact that no two things can occupy any one space at the same time. The apostle John gives us several absolute and definite statements about the impossibility of anything opposed to God's likeness being conscious of God's existence, namely, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all;" another, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

From these premises we may readily see the absolute and positive demands made upon every one who claims to be a Christian. Christ Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Paul's exhortation to the Philippians, "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." In other words, it is a demand for perfection on the part of every one of us, if we claim to live the truth we know today and each succeeding day. By so doing, where can we stop short of at-one-ment with infinite perfection, and thus to know God even as also we are known of Him.

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