Article June 13, 1942 Issue

Progress through Spiritual Understanding

ARTHUR A. CROSBY

Every sincere Christian Scientist desires to progress. However secure he may seem at the moment, he knows that true health, peace, happiness, and prosperity are the result of spiritual understanding. They are consciously maintained through uninterrupted, faithful communion with God. They can be lastingly established in our consciousness only through a progressive understanding and utilization of the power of God, whereby their apparent opposites are wiped out. We shall be satisfied, or made whole, proportionately as we gain the spiritual understanding which demonstrates our sonship with God.

Lest anyone seem to feel the futility of attempting such an all-embracing endeavor, let us remember that when the Apostle Paul admonished the Roman brethren, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good ... for there is no power but of God," he was not only emphasizing the omnipotence of good, but pointing out the Christian's ability, through reliance on the power of God, good, to rise above all belief in evil, and so progressively to destroy it. Thus, there is no reason for hesitation or fear. Progress demands only genuine faithfulness in doing our daily work.

While the Christian ability to "overcome evil with good" was largely lost to human sight for many centuries, it was rediscovered during the latter half of the last century by a consecrated follower of Christ, Mary Baker Eddy. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science discerned and declared, on page 14 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth." On the basis of Life's separateness from material belief she was able to overcome evil with good, healing the sick, and raising the dying to life and health.

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