Editorial April 18, 1925 Issue

God's Work is Done

Albert F. Gilmore

THE temptation often comes to mortals to believe that God's work is yet incomplete, and that by petition or supplication divine purpose and action may be changed, the better to fulfill human desire in the supplying of what seems to be a human need. The situation is not doubt. The Scriptural account is definite. "God ended his work," we read; and also that "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Mrs. Eddy emphasizes this fact on page 3 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" in these words: "His work is done, and we have only to avail ourselves of God's rule in order to receive His blessing, which enables us to work out our own salvation."

If we could bring ourselves to realize that God's work is in reality complete, that nothing can by any means be added to it or taken from it, would not this greatly increase our present ability to prove the ever-presence of good and the consequent unreality of evil? God's work is done. His creation is perfect and complete now; and while it unfolds eternally, this unfoldment is not a new creation, but multiplied manifestation of that which has always been. Mrs. Eddy makes this perfectly clear in her characteristic way on page 507 of Science and Health: "Creation is ever appearing, and must ever continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source." Christian Scientists are aware of the importance of the assurance that God's creation, including spiritual man, is perfect now. They strive to speak to error with finality, realizing the perfection of all that exists. Such realization adds much to the efficacy of Christian Science treatment. To speak with authority, one must be assured that God's work is done; that His creation is complete and perfect; that by no claim to the contrary can one fact of that creation ever be changed from perfection to imperfection. The degree of this realization will determine the success of one's efforts in destroying erroneous beliefs.

Expectancy of complete and immediate success is also an important factor in the successful outcome of the spiritual treatment of disease. Hesitancy, doubt, uncertainty, are the enemy's means of delaying the manifestation of good in human experience. Too often, it seems, evil succeeds in having its protestations accepted as true.

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