Article December 7, 1940 Issue

"Progress is the law of God"

LEE DARE YOUNG

Someone may ask, Why is it that, having received, through Christian Science, healing and joy, one will sometimes be beset by other trials which seem to be less easily disposed of than one's first troubles? Do we forget that our healing came through obedience to Christ Jesus' demand to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, whereupon, as he said, "all these things" would be added? To keep on gaining more understanding of God, we must keep on applying His laws. The overcoming of evil through the power of Spirit accompanies progress in spiritual understanding, and is the way to keep our experience in conformity with Truth.

"Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power. These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them. This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil." In these words, which are to be found in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 233), Mary Baker Eddy points out the law to which we must conform our lives. Since "progress is the law of God," definite progress in good works will appear through spiritual understanding. We are greatly pleased when we see that divine law gives assurance of our advancing dominion; but do we as alertly remember that our progress is as surely our task as it is our blessing?

The eighth chapter of Deuteronomy gives illumination on this problem. Moses said to the children of Israel: "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God . . . lest when thou hast eaten and art full . . . and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." This instruction is for us today. We must find our joy and rest in living the Godlikeness which expresses all good.

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