Article May 13, 1916 Issue

"The valley of decision"

CLARENCE W. CHADWICK

Mention is made in the third chapter of Joel of the valley of Jehoshaphat, or "the valley of decision," and Bible interpreters are quite agreed that these terms are only symbolic. To the student of Christian Science, however, who thinks more of mental and less of material conditions, this whole chapter is most interesting and instructive.

In the first place it is noted that all nations are to be gathered together in the valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of God's judgment, and that God will plead with them there. Later on we learn that there He will assemble and "judge all the heathen round about;" so literalists have interpreted this as significant of the probable scene of the final day of judgment. This view however makes no practical appeal to the student of Christian Science, knowing as he does that the calendar of time will never record a final judgment-day, but that this day of judgment is ever present and continuous so long as there remains any false sense of sin or evil to be destroyed. On page 291 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says: "No final judgment awaits mortals, for the judgment-day of wisdom comes hourly and continually, even the judgment by which mortal man is divested of all material error. As for spiritual error there is none."

When to human sense does God's law become operative for the individual? The moment he enters "the valley of decision" and resolves to take his stand on the side of right and to let God's will be done. One whose only desire is to serve the living God is glad to enter this mental state, wherein he is enabled to distinguish between right and wrong and to serve good with his whole heart. Until he reaches this point of decision he will not be separating the tares from the wheat, but will unknowingly be calling evil good and good evil.

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