Article April 3, 1948 Issue

WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR SUBSTANCE?

HELEN POTTERF

One of the many instructive Biblical accounts of spiritual healing occurs in the story of Peter and John, who were approaching the temple at the hour of prayer. They were accosted at one of the gates by a lame beggar who, it may be supposed, made his living there, since it is recorded that he was there daily. Although he had no money to give, Peter's spiritual insight enabled him to meet the beggar's need in a more constructive and permanent way than could have been achieved by a gift of money.

Peter's words reflected his realization of the nature of true substance, for he said (Acts 3:6), "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." The apostle understood in some measure the great spiritual fact that God is the substance of man's real being and used this understanding to reverse the material lie that man is an afflictable mortal.

Many experiences of the prophets and apostles recorded in the Bible show that discernment of true substance as Spirit, God, lifted their thought above material needs, no matter how urgent these needs seemed, into that faith described by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews (11:1) as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Such faith, which evidences spiritual substance, acts as a law of annihilation to the false belief that man's substance can be inharmonious, inadequate, or misplaced.

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