Article August 29, 1959 Issue

"CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING"

LUTHER J. KINNARD

It was near the close of Christ Jesus' earthly ministry that he said to his disciples, "These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:17, 18).

In following their Master's example and in obeying his commands to cast out devils and heal the sick, the disciples showed that their acceptance of his teachings was more than mere belief. Their willingness to believe had already grown into abiding faith and understanding and, to a marked degree, into proof of the efficacy of divine power. During their privileged companionship with Jesus, they had learned to accept the spiritual relationship between God as Father and man as His son, His image and likeness. This enabled them to go forth and heal disease, restore deformed humanity, and even raise the dead, as their great Teacher and Exemplar had done.

In our day the divine Science of Jesus' teachings has been discovered by Mary Baker Eddy, and as the Founder of Christian Science, she has given her discovery to the world. Following in the footsteps of the master Christian, our Leader has also taught her followers to elevate their own spiritual standards and open their consciousness to the influx of Truth and Love and thus, like the disciples of Jesus, to prepare for and dedicate themselves to the healing ministry of Christian Science. As in the early days of Christianity, so today these signs—healings—do not precede, they follow the practice of humble, spiritual knowing of the truth.

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