In the Christian Science Bible Lesson July 23, 2012 Issue

Finding our God-given freedom

For the lesson titled "Spirit" from July 30 - August 5, 2012

Ann Edwards—Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This week’s Bible Lesson, titled “Spirit,” points out that no power can enslave us and prevent us from demonstrating our God-given freedom. In the Golden Text we read that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17). Mary Baker Eddy saw sin and disease as a form of mental slavery. She believed that we can find our freedom through the laws of God.

In describing her own journey to health and freedom Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “I pressed on through faith in God, trusting Truth, the strong deliverer, to guide me into the land of Christian Science, where fetters fall and the rights of man are fully known and acknowledged” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 226, citation 4). Wanting to help others find the same freedom she found, Mary Baker Eddy would then write her textbook Science and Health.  

In the Old Testament Isaiah prophesied that Christ’s mission would bring a liberation from sin and sickness through the Spirit of God. In the synagogue Jesus read aloud from Isaiah 61:1, 2 (Section VI): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” From the very beginning of his career, Jesus knew that his healing ministry was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. He wasn’t afraid to say to all the men in the synagogue there that day that “this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18, 19, 21, cit. 21). Section VI includes Jesus’ specific healing of the leper, as well as mentioning that there were people out of whom he “cast out devils” (see Mark 1:39–42, cit. 22). 