Article July 5, 1941 Issue

Freedom to Do the Will of God

ELLEN MOREHOUSE

In a well-known quotation from Romans, the great Apostle Paul says, "The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." This statement, together with the verses following it, furnishes much food for thought. So often we find ourselves being thoughtless, selfish, or uncharitable, speaking too sharply, thinking critically of another, carelessly doing some little unkindness. There are also the sins of omission. In many ways we find that we are not living up to our true selves; there are thoughts which slip by our mental guard, and neglected opportunities to do good. Regret often comes too late, and we long to know how to prevent these errors.

All who are studying Christian Science can see how to prevent such occurrences. As we try to make Christian Science practical in our lives, we find many false traits of character which have to be faced, and then effaced by the truth, which shows us our true selfhood as God's children. When we once recognize the fact that the evil which we "would not" does not belong to us at all, and therefore cannot be in control of our actions, two thirds of the error is overcome. We can at the same time realize that the good that we "would," we can do by knowing that there is nothing separating us from our divine Principle, God. We do not have to submit to the influence of mortal mind, which would make us do the opposite of what we should do. We can declare and prove that we are free to do the will of God, good.

The Scripture quoted above should not be considered as an excuse for those actions which are the very reverse of what is right and in accord with God's demands. St. Paul does not try to excuse himself when he says, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." No, he is not justifying his errors, but he is facing the situation, analyzing this seeming condition with clear thinking, and recognizing the spurious source of this so-called law, which is contrary to the law of God, good. Then Paul, rejecting the desire to indulge in a common form of error, namely, self-pity, lifts his thought above the belief in the power of evil to dominate his actions, and comes to the realization that he is free to do the will of God. And with Christian Science to show us the way, that is what each one of us can do: we can claim our God-given freedom to do the will of God, good.

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