Christian Science teaches that obedience to God is the only possible way to heaven, harmony. Disobedience to Truth, to Life, and to Love automatically stops mankind from receiving Love's healing waters—those inexhaustible founts to which God is forever calling us in the words of Isaiah, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters."

So-called mortal mind offers many temptations to make the Christian Scientist leave his work of demonstrating good. The demands of present-day living are legion; and to be able to divide between those things which are necessary "to be so now," to "render ... unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's" and at the same time to refuse allegiance to those phase of mortal existence which are but the masquerading of evil in the name of good, Christian Scientists must indeed be alert, "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." It is not the purpose of Christian Science to overthrow anything that is good; indeed, that is impossible, for God is good, and of necessity good partakes of God's own immortal nature. But the wolf in sheep's clothing,—the erroneous attempting to hide behind the true,—that is what must be uncovered and destroyed.

There is a rule for obedience which never fails: to measure what we are about to do or to say, in order to see if it glorifies God or if in any way it detracts from His honor. This may not be easy; and it sometimes takes much mental work to do it faithfully. But the satisfaction that comes from refuting evil and allowing good to dominate far outweighs any material and temporary gain that might have accrued from yielding to mortal mind. However subtle the claim may be, however hidden or well concealed in beautiful phrases, if when under the searchlight of Truth it does not stand out as true, it must be let alone.

When demonstrations in Christian Science seem long in coming, it is well to see to whom obedience is being rendered. Dependence may have been placed on environment or on lack of it, on old familiar arguments, or on all of them together, perhaps along such lines as the following: If we were in more harmonious surroundings; if we could only attend the church services; if only the antagonistic members of the family would become interested; if our work but allowed us more time for study! If, if, if! What a blinding, deterring word may the little two-lettered word "if" be! But God is present wherever we are. Out of mortal mind alone come evil thoughts; and it is by recognizing true consciousness and being guided by divine Mind, with hearts overflowing with love, that we can refuse to accept these erroneous beliefs and make our demonstrations. When we are obedient to God's Word, it matters not where we are or what may be aimed at us. So long as we are obedient, the penalties for disobedience can in no wise be affixed to us.

There are beautiful passages in Isaiah that elucidate this thought, as for example, "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God." When it is stated of God in such unmistakable language that there is no savior but Himself, it behooves us to listen to Him and to be obedient. As we look back over our lives since the light of Christian Science came into them to illumine and enrich them, it can indeed be seen how God has declared His healing power, and has saved, and has showed His omnipotence, "when there was no strange god" among us. "When there was no strange god"—that is the crux of the statement! Declarations without end may be made by us about God and His allness; but if we do not prove the declarations, if we entertain a strange god, a reliance on some material remedy, a yearning for other places or other persons, a yielding to doubt or discouragement, a fear, a pride, a wish for place or power—then is disobedience, not obedience, manifest, and there cannot be the reward for well-doing. To be a witness for God is a precious and glorious privilege; but great consecration is needed, that there may accrue the results of which the Bible speaks when it declares that "by their fruits ye shall know them."

A weary world is waiting to know God. By their lives the followers of Christian Science have the opportunity of showing it what God can do. A woman once watched for two years to see what Christian Science did for a neighbor before she decided that she wanted it for herself. By her increasing kindness and love, her changed and healthy mode of living, the Christian Science neighbor proved her religion. Because of a faithful witness, another of God's little ones was drawn away from the "strange gods" that had held her, back to her rightful place of knowing her heavenly Father.

It may be asked how results can appear materially if God and God's creation are wholly spiritual, as Christian Science teaches. As long as a material world claims to be in evidence there is the opportunity for God to be made manifest in a way that mortals may understand. To state that God is Spirit and man is spiritual and wholly good, but that mankind must wait resignedly till so-called matter disappears, must wait till all thought is spiritualized, before proof can be had of this truth, is not much different from the old scholastic belief of a far-off paradise after death.

Christian Science is very practical. It brings to view in a logical way the fact of God's perfection and the normal, healthy, perfect state of His child, the spiritual man. How else could proof be given, save in improved conditions here and now, that divine Love is always available to save and heal? Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 486), "Earth's preparatory school must be improved to the utmost." Here and now divine Spirit should be demonstrated as the only power for good; and eventually thought will become wholly spiritualized.

In another place Mrs. Eddy states (ibid., p. 329): "In Science we can use only what we understand. We must prove our faith by demonstration." Men must prove their real selves to be spiritual by replacing the thoughts making for materiality with pure, spiritual ideas. In reality, there never was anything but Spirit and spiritual ideas. Because a boasting, false matter-world urges hourly its claims, this does not make the claims real. Error is always error. And to improve "earth's preparatory school," error must be rebuked in whatever guise it appears. The "strange god" which the living and true God, our glorious Father-Mother God, never made and hence never owns, shrinks and fades away when seen to be without entity and not indulged. It is indeed deplorable that a "strange god" should be considered real for a moment, since it is unknown to God.

Obedience is manifest as we follow our Leader's wise words on page 467 of Science and Health: "Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ." The First Commandment unequivocally reads, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."