Article August 21, 1989 Issue

Believe the words for the works' sake

What we understand about the nature of matter and materiality is essential to the work of Christian healing.

Jennifer Hall Tefaaora

If you're a Christian Scientist, do you ever find yourself wondering whether you've gone over the edge in embracing a religion whose bottom line is that matter is unreal? If you're not a Christian Scientist, perhaps you wonder the same thing about those who are?

If you think Christian Science is the first to make such seemingly outlandish claims, look again. Though Christ Jesus chose to speak mostly in simple parables, he startled many with his more forthright declarations. Nicodemus was astonished when Jesus told him that in order to see the kingdom of God, he had to be born again.^{See John 3:1–7 .} Clarifying this statement, Jesus continued: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus was already saying that the flesh has nothing to do with the spiritual.

Paul speaks in his epistles of the carnal mind, the flesh, the corrupt, the mortal lusts, and other material conditions as being wholly the opposite of Spirit. In fact, he urges the reader to put aside anything having to do with materiality, if he would be spiritual. He reiterates Christ Jesus' teaching that it is impossible to have any earthly tendencies and inherit the kingdom of God.

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