Editorial January 22, 1927 Issue

Pardon Through Reform

Albert F. Gilmore

Christian Science makes it quite clear that salvation from sin and all phases of evil may be attained only through reform, that is, through regeneration. Love of sin must be destroyed and its indulgence abandoned before divine pardon is won. Regarding this, Mrs. Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 285), "By interpreting God as a corporeal Saviour but not as the saving Principle, or divine Love, we shall continue to seek salvation through pardon and not through reform, and resort to matter instead of Spirit for the cure of the sick." Our Leader significantly links the seeking of pardon without the desire for reformation with the use of material means for healing disease, while she holds that true reform, which is accomplished through regeneration, results alone from the understanding of Spirit. Reformation is thus attributed wholly to spiritual enlightenment, by which material belief regarding Life is superseded by understanding of the facts about God and His creation, the universe, including the real man.

Mortals commonly seek pardon without the desire for reformation. Their first aim is to be free from that which restricts their activities; and, freedom gained, they return to their accustomed ways. This, however, frequently leaves the sinner with the same sinful desires, unregenerated, and perhaps with no ambition to leave his unrighteous ways. How different is the pardon divinely bestowed! Transformation which regenerates while transforming, floods consciousness with spiritual light. This is the only true reform, and pardon invariably follows its attainment. Moreover, when one has gained spiritual freedom, discordant material conditions will be accordingly corrected. These conditions, which are but objectified material sense, disappear with the change wrought when belief merges into spiritual understanding.

Of the fact that divine law demands the destruction of sin as a step preliminary to the gaining of pardon, Mrs. Eddy writes on page 40 of Science and Health: "Science removes the penalty only by first removing the sin which incurs the penalty. This is my sense of divine pardon, which I understand to mean God's method of destroying sin." Since reformation is the condition of its attainment, pardon so won means spiritual progress. The gaining of freedom from any erroneous belief or sinful practice is a step toward the destruction of all evil. Full pardon will follow the divine commendation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

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