Editorial October 3, 1931 Issue

"Follow after righteousness"

Duncan Sinclair

Paul's regard for Timothy is strikingly shown in the words of the eleventh verse of the sixth chapter of the apostle's first epistle to his "own son in the faith": "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." At the same time they indicate the high Christian standard which the apostle held for himself, and to which he expected all the followers of Christ Jesus to adhere. And it is significant that while righteousness is ranked along with godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness, these six characteristics are indissociable in the life of the Christian.

Righteousness — right thinking and right acting, purity of motive and deed — is essentially Christian. The word "Christian" embraces the highest morality — all the virtues; and in so far as the latter are present or absent one may be said to be more or less Christian. An unrighteous Christian would be an anomaly — no Christian. Certainly no one is worthy the name unless his life shows forth the graces of Spirit which Paul admonished Timothy to follow after. It is true, however, that Christianization of thought is progressive, being the result of growth in spiritual understanding; for from the moment one turns from matter to Spirit, from evil to good, he has begun the Christian life.

Christian Science is the essence of Christianity, and it insists on the cultivation of every moral virtue, of every spiritual grace. It upholds righteous living along every line of human endeavor. It teaches that without righteousness nothing worth while can be accomplished for the salvation of the individual or the race, but that with righteousness and love nothing in the way of spiritual achievement is impossible. Our Leader writes (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 292): "What cannot love and righteousness achieve for the race? All that can be accomplished, and more than history has yet recorded."

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