Article April 16, 1938 Issue

"Destroying the foundations of death"

MARJORIE N. BUFFUM

Many have pondered Paul's words in his letter to the Romans, "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace," with a desire to fathom their meaning and put them into practice. Many also have studied the words and acts of the Master, Christ Jesus, longing to have "more abundantly" the life which he came to give us, and marveling at the power he displayed in raising others, and finally himself, from the grave. But until the discovery by Mary Baker Eddy, in 1866, of the exact Science of Christianity, which shows the precise method underlying these mighty works, there seemed scant possibility of achieving similar results. With the restoration of primitive Christianity and the healing of so-called incurable diseases, the hope of more abundant life and the overcoming of death was revived.

Speaking of the fundamental point of the all-power of Mind, our Leader says on page 171 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Mind's control over the universe, including man, is no longer an open question, but is demonstrable Science. Jesus illustrated the divine Principle and the power of immortal Mind by healing sickness and sin and destroying the foundations of death." The revelation that man, in His image and likeness, is God's idea, the exact reflection of infinite Mind or Spirit, shows that the real man is spiritual. How could he be otherwise, since he reflects the Mind which is Spirit? Through this revelation we learn that we are not obliged to be carnally minded; in other words, obliged to believe in a fleshly mind, or a mind in matter. Thus, the meaning of Paul's words becomes clear, and we are in a position to set about "destroying the foundations of death" in thought and experience, both for ourselves and for others.

The foundations of death, so called, have to be destroyed in one's consciousness; and this is done by establishing there the understanding of Life, God, thereby healing sickness and sin. As one's consciousness becomes permeated with the understanding of Life, those beliefs which make up the claim of death fade out, and with them disappear the mortal fears and physical ills which have followed in their train. In this way thought is constantly increasing in spirituality. We must definitely understand that man, the real man, exists now and always at the point of perfection. He needs no ascension, because he is eternally experiencing the bliss and freedom of infinite Life, in which he has his being. But this fact must be applied in human experience, and to do this intelligently is the aim of every honest student of Christian Science.

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