Article June 28, 1924 Issue

"Judge righteous judgment"

LILLIAN P. EDWARDS

The Bible, in the light of the teachings of Christian Science, contains spiritual rules or laws, which, if obeyed, will establish freedom and harmony, joy and peace, and reveal the kingdom of God, good, here on earth. Prominent among these life-giving, health-giving, joy-inspiring rules is this one from Jesus: "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." The appearance of all things around us, so far as mankind is concerned, is material evidence. This is what we must guard against in forming our judgments as to what is and what is not. Mrs. Eddy, seeing the importance of obedience to this rule, tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 288), "The suppositional warfare between truth and error is only the mental conflict between the evidence of the spiritual senses and the testimony of the material senses, and this warfare between the Spirit and flesh will settle all questions through faith in and the understanding of divine Love."

Our daily effort, then, is to "judge righteous judgment" instead of judging by the evidence presented by false material sense. What is it always to judge righteous judgment? Again we find the answer in Science and Health, where Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 259, "The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,—perfect God and perfect man,—as the basis of thought and demonstration." Then, to follow the Biblical rule to "judge righteous judgment" is unfailingly and lovingly to see man from the one basis of perfect God and perfect man,—man that is spiritual, upright, honest, just, noble, pure, unfettered, the image and likeness of his Maker, God. The healing, uplifting, and inspiring result of judging from this spiritual basis is plainly told us in II Corinthians, where we read, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Then looking through the lens of Spirit, we shall behold ourselves and others as the image of God.

Spiritual ideas are the only realities; and in Science and Health (p. 269) we read, "Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul." Holding to the basis of perfect God and perfect man, we find we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory;" and we, as well as others, begin to express God's glory and perfection in increased health, freedom, vitality, strength, joy, and harmony; while the temptations of the serpent—material sense—become lessened, and through steadfastly holding to the rule to "judge righteous judgment," we can claim as real and as alone existing the spiritual, the pure, the good, the Godlike. A correlative rebuke is also found in James: "If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." Are we not having respect to persons if we are seeing man as material, even though he appears to be so? Are we not transgressing the healing, life-giving law of Spirit if we are seeing, judging, and holding to man as material and physical, instead of as God's spiritual idea? The call of Truth is constantly whispering to the earnest thought, "Let there be light,"—let us see man as God made him, spiritual and perfect. Oh, that we, in the spirit of humility, may listen to this "still small voice," and daily allow the appearing of the spiritual idea to dwell in our thought. It is this sweet consciousness of the truth about God and man that heals the sick and reforms the sinner. Then let us always obey the Scriptural command to "judge righteous judgment."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"Judge righteous judgment"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access