Article April 18, 1925 Issue

Grace

CHARLES F. HACKETT

EVERY student of Christian Science will be amply repaid by a careful study of Mrs. Eddy's use in her various writings of the word "grace." She uses it in some of her most beautiful passages; and always she lifts it above the merely ecclesiastical meaning of unmerited favor or free gift into its higher meaning of the spontaneous action of divine Love. This meaning includes, yet transcends, all that has been implied by the word; just as Jesus' teaching, coming with "grace and truth," transcended, yet included, all that Moses had taught in the law.

God's grace is the tender expression of His love extended even to the undeserving or guilty. The publican, recognizing and repenting of his sins, however grievous they may have been, must have experienced God's grace. This grace was hidden from the self-righteous Pharisee; but sooner or later he, too, would have some experience that would awaken him out of the dream of self; then, with the destruction of sin, would come the joy that the grace of God holds for all. Those of us who have known the saving power of Christian Science, who have been healed of our diseases and been forgiven our iniquities, realize how abundant is God's love, how much His grace exceeds anything that we as mortals deserve. Thought is filled with adoration when we thus realize the affluence of Love's blessings.

Divine grace was shown in a superlative degree by Christ Jesus, through whom the truth about God and man was expressed in its completeness even to the destruction, not only of sin and sickness, but of the last enemy—death. In his resurrection and ascension Jesus completed his mission as Way-shower for all men for all time. In as sublime words as ever were uttered, he reflected God's grace to sinful humanity when he prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Christ Jesus solved the entire problem of being. He told his followers, however, that he had many things to say which they could not then understand, but that the Comforter would be sent to make plain what he had demonstrated. This promise has been fulfilled. Mrs. Eddy, because of her pure nature, was God's messenger, through whom His grace was expressed in a final revelation of the healing and saving truth, available to all men, extended to saints and sinners alike, just as the sun shines and the rain falls "on the just and on the unjust."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Grace

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access