God's Kingdom of Spiritual Ideas

ALBERT C. MOON

The study of Christian Science awakens one to see that salvation from everything unlike good is a present possibility. It reiterates the words with which, according to Matthew's Gospel, both John the Baptist and Christ Jesus began their preaching, namely, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

It reveals this kingdom, not as a material place for men to enter into or be excluded from, but rather as the consciousness of the presence of God's creation of spiritual ideas. This consciousness is attainable through the scientific understanding of Christ, Truth, as Jesus understood it.

Jesus' teachings were positive and constructive, denying the erroneous beliefs of mortal mind specifically and in toto, and releasing those who sought him from the tired, negative, condemning sense of existence. His condemnation of error was based on the spiritual fact which was and is so potent, so restorative, that right where disease had appeared to mortal sense health became apparent, supply displaced poverty, and Life overcame "the last enemy," death. Jesus' vanquishment of erroneous mental concepts rested on his positive understanding and active obedience to God. When tempted by Satan, his reply was, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

The Israelites of Jesus' time looked for the reappearing of the great prophet Elias to restore their lost glory. Mrs. Eddy, recognizing the same human longing today for that which heals and satisfies, saw that mankind still looks for an Elias to "come, and restore all things." However, perceiving that in spirituality only can this desideratum be realized, she saw that it was the true understanding of God and man, and not a human personality, which overcomes evil. Thus she gives on page 585 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" the correct sense of that divinely mental quality which Elias exemplified, and which is available to all mankind: "Elias. Prophecy; spiritual evidence opposed to material sense; Christian Science, with which can be discerned the spiritual fact of whatever the material senses behold; the basis of immortality."

God needs no process to keep the kingdom of heaven intact, but mortals need to discover this spiritual realm, and by reflecting divine Mind correct the beliefs of so-called mortal mind, which are based on a mistaken view of God, man, and the universe. Sin, sickness, poverty, and death are phases of human belief and disappear in the proportion that mankind recognizes God and His ideas as the only reality.

Paul saw in godly thinking the solution of all fleshly problems. In his letter to the Romans he said, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." Christian Science brings to mankind the truth of being, and as spiritual facts are consistently and conscientiously maintained, healing, both physical and mental, appears, and harmony is restored to different situations.

It is impossible for hate, despair, dejection, dishonesty, impurity, or any of their kindred to stand before the recognition of the presence of Mind and its ideas. One may feel that he has very definitely refused to acquiesce with the false mortal suggestions about the nature of man, but still seems to be their unwilling servant. Doubtless he has seen that evil belongs to neither God nor His image and likeness, man; but to be free from them he must understand that which does belong to his real selfhood. Inspiration, spontaneity, honesty, wholeness, a pure spiritual sense of existence, freedom, joy, peace, and satisfaction—these are ever present, ever bringing good to all who from the basis of Christian Science claim their true sonship with God.

Our Leader writes (No and Yes, p. 31): "Jesus cast out evils, mediating between what is and is not, until a perfect consciousness is attained. He healed disease as he healed sin; but he treated them both, not as in or of matter, but as mortal beliefs to be exterminated." While a false belief may be denied, as having no relationship to reality, it is truly exterminated as it is displaced by the spiritual fact. Thus one finds freedom from misconceptions of God and man by which he has hitherto been deceived.

The true nature of God and man, as His idea, is given to the world in the demonstrable religion of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy's writings show how to apply to every problem the fact of God's allness. They bring to light the realm of divine ideas and man's present possession, by reflection, of all good, of sinless, healthy, happy, abundant harmony. Truly has our Leader written (Science and Health, p. 517), "Divine Love blesses its own ideas, and causes them to multiply,—to manifest His power."

"Heaven is at hand," wherever the presence of God is recognized. Divine Mind is manifested in perfect man, His pure and changeless idea, and the presence of the ideas of God is heaven. Man could no more be ejected from this holy habitation than he could be separated from his true selfhood. As one learns of and consistently utilizes this truth about himself and others, he finds that this desirable kingdom is omnipresent.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit