Article April 5, 1930 Issue

The Real Man

HELEN WARD BANKS

From the time she was a little girl Mrs. Eddy loved and studied the Bible, and when in later years she discerned in the Bible the truth about God and man, the revelation of Christian Science came to her and she wrote her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." With Jesus' words before her that "God is a Spirit," and the declaration about man as given in the first chapter of Genesis, she wrote in her textbook (p. 468) the beautiful and life-giving words which she called "the scientific statement of being," beginning, "There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter," and ending, "Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual."

God, Spirit, is Mind, Love, Life, infinite good. So man, made in God's likeness, must be intelligent, loving, and active. As matter has no life, no truth, no intelligence, the man God made can have nothing to do with matter; he must be wholly spiritual. And there can be only that one kind of man, for God alone created man. Therefore, there is in reality no material man.

But sometimes it seems as if there were two men, one spiritual and one material. When we see a sick person or a selfish boy or girl and know that God made only good, we may wonder what to call the one who seems material.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Poem
God Meets Our Needs
April 5, 1930
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit