Editorial August 10, 1935 Issue

Fulfilling God's Demands

Duncan Sinclair

"Truth, Life, and Love are the only legitimate and eternal demands on man, and they are spiritual lawgivers, enforcing obedience through divine statutes." These words of Mrs. Eddy, to be found on page 184 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," lift thought into the spiritual realm, where God reigns supreme; for God, Spirit, is understood in Christian Science as infinite, as existing without an opposite. They are arresting words, since ordinarily men do not think of Truth, Life, and Love as the only legitimate demands upon them; they are prone to believe that while divine law may demand a measure of obedience, material law, so called, likewise demands their allegiance.

Since God—Truth, Life, and Love—is infinite, in reality there is nothing outside of Himself to demand our obedience. Whenever God is understood to be infinite, what are called matter and evil are acknowledged to have no real existence, and therefore to have no legitimate demands upon us. This understanding is most important, for the error that matter and evil are real grievously oppresses mankind. The belief that there is substance or power apart from God; that matter and evil are substantial and possess real power, this belief binds mankind in every direction. It limits them spiritually; it causes them to be sick and sinful; it gives rise to lack or poverty; it is responsible, indeed, for all the suffering, sin, and sorrow in the world.

What, then, does it mean to be obedient to God—Truth, Life, and Love? It means that God alone shall be real to us: that we shall be obedient only to Truth, have faith only in Life, express only Love. It means also that we shall deny reality to God's supposititious opposites, matter and evil, and cease to be obedient to material or evil suggestions. That is a high ideal. But how can we hope to gain the victory over materiality, with its accompanying evil effects, unless by allegiance to the ideal? How can we hope to overcome the sickness, sin, sorrow, and suffering which afflict mankind, save by faithful adherence to the truth of God's allness, steadfast obedience to Truth, Life, and Love?

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