Article December 4, 1943 Issue

Instantaneous Healing

IVA B. LINEBARGER

Christian Science heals instantaneously. Not all healings in Christian Science are so accomplished, but in each instance an instantaneous healing is possible. This is the prerogative of Christian Science—whatever be the nature of the trouble. Organic diseases as well as functional and mental—of however long duration—may be instantly eradicated. Such a claim for Christian Science may seem preposterous to the materialist. His skepticism is due to humanity's belief in materiality, and the inability of the human mind to grasp the method of Christian Science healing. The same skepticism was encountered in Jesus' time and accounted for by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians when he said, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

To comprehend how Christian Science heals involves spiritual discernment, an understanding of God and of man's true being as God's likeness, and of materiality and mortality as unreal. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy states (p. 259), "The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,—perfect God and perfect man,—as the basis of thought and demonstration." Christian Science turns thought away from matter and mortality to Spirit—to perfect God and the perfect spiritual man in God's likeness. And it is from this basis of Spirit's supremacy that it heals the sick.

When we reason from the basis of man's true being as the likeness of God, only one conclusion can be deduced, namely, that since there is no evil or matter in infinite Spirit, Principle, good, there can be no evil or materiality in Spirit's idea or reflection, man. Thus is the claim of a sick or discordant mortal proved to be but a false conclusion, a mistaken belief about man, which ceases to be believed or feared in proportion as one knows the truth. In this way the experience called sickness fades into nothingness. This is called healing in Christian Science. But more accurately speaking it is ceasing to believe in sickness as real. Is it not discernible how such a healing may be accomplished instantaneously since there is nothing involved but the changing of one's thought, the ceasing to believe in and to fear something that never existed?

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