Article July 28, 1951 Issue

THE MISSION OF THE CHRIST

HOWARD J. CHAMBERS

A Right understanding of the term Christ is extremely important to one who would make the power of God consistently practical in human experience. Christ is God's immortal ideal, defined by Mary Baker Eddy on page 583 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," as "the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error." From this definition it is seen that Christ cannot properly be used as a synonym for Jesus.

In many places in Science and Health appears the expression "Christ, Truth," meaning not that Christ is synonymous with God, or Truth, but that Christ is the divine Truth emanating from God, as is indicated in the following passage (ibid., p. 473): "Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning and destroying the power of death." It is because Christ is "the true idea of God" that it is so meaningful and practical to the Christian Scientist. Being the true idea of God, Christ presents the true idea of man, since man is God's image and likeness. And the true idea of man as spiritual, replacing the false concept of man as material, is a basic factor in the practice of Christian Science.

The question may arise, How does Christ, or "the divine manifestation of God," come to the flesh, as our Leader says it does in the foregoing definition? Simply through one's knowing the truth. The spiritual truth one knows evidences the Christ-consciousness, and the very knowing of it brings it to the flesh, or material body, since, as Christian Science reveals, mortal mind and body are one. This shows the great importance of self-discipline in order that thought may become more and more conscious of the nature and presence of God. The purification which comes to us through the clarifying perception and acceptance of the Christ-consciousness enables us to experience in increasing measure our true selfhood. To what does this Christ-consciousness bear witness? To God, infinite Mind, as All. Mind creates only ideas. Each of these ideas perfectly and eternally expresses Mind, or God, in its individual way. Each idea is in right relation to all other ideas, and this relationship is forever maintained by spiritual law.

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