Article August 15, 1931 Issue

Salvation

ALFRED MARSHALL VAUGHN

There is a story told of a lady who, beginning the study of Christian Science, went to a practitioner. He asked her about her previous religious experience. In answering this question she said that she was saved. He then asked her if she was immune to sickness. The lady replied that she had not been saved from sickness, for she had been ill many times. When asked whether she was immune to sin, unhappiness, lack, she replied that she had not been saved from them. He then asked her from what she had been saved, and she had to admit that she had not been saved from any of these things, the proof of this being that she was compelled to turn to Christian Science for help.

Christ Jesus said, "The Son of man is come to save that which was lost." He pointed out the way of salvation in his words, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." For himself and others he demonstrated salvation as defined by Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 593): "Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed." A definition of "save" is to "rescue, as from injury or evil." Rescue from a situation brought about by a lie is to know the truth about it. Sin, sickness—in fact, all discordant conditions—are the result of a lie, a false belief. The material body and material conditions generally are the expression of thought; and sickness and other inharmonious conditions are due to wrong thinking, occasioned by false beliefs about God and man. The truth about God, man, and man's relationship to God, understood, is what will save us from discord of every kind.

The Christ, the spiritual idea—the savior of the world—was fully demonstrated by the Master, for he destroyed all manner of discord, including death. But those of his time were not ready to be taught the truth of being in all its fullness. To his disciples he said: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." Through the consecrated, unselfish thought of Mary Baker Eddy has been revealed "the Spirit of truth," the Comforter promised by the Master. She called this revelation "Christian Science;" and in Christian Science we can learn the spiritual fact with which to deny and cast out every intruding material belief.

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