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.

Ideas are always perfectly, harmoniously, and lovingly active, and the infinitude of these perfectly active, perfectly related ideas constitutes all there is to man and the universe. Being spiritual, incorporeal, these ideas cannot be broken, inflamed, swollen, inactive, painful, diseased, infected, or less than perfect. Being ideas of divine Love, they always manifest without interruption all the qualities of Love and have no ability to do otherwise.

The recognition of such truths and multitudes of others which unfold as inspired thought expands to perceive them, constitutes prayer, or Christian Science treatment. And since the material body is only the grosser substratum of mortal mind, it is plain to see that such spiritual truths, recognized, reach and heal the body.

As one grows in his understanding of Christian Science, its simplicity becomes more apparent to him. He finds that his great need is an increasingly clearer perception of the simple fundamental truths of being. He discovers that what might have seemed complex, elusive, or hidden to the human intellect is clear to spiritual sense, which is quickened by his increasing consecration and growing love for God and man. Prefacing his remarks with the all-important, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed," Christ Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32). This truth is the revelation of the Christ, the true idea of God, which, as Mrs. Eddy says, "comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error."

The Master did not counsel mere humanly intellectual attainment, but he did counsel the highest spiritualization of thought. He knew that our greatest need is to be purified of the false sense of self and of all the errors which are the outgrowth of this false sense. "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7) was his blunt reply to the astonished Nicodemus.

The only genuine employment of the Christian Scientist is to reeducate himself from the basis that Spirit, not matter, is the only creator of man and the universe. As he pursues this course, he finds that communion with divine Mind in quietness and meekness is absolutely necessary to the perception of basic spiritual truths. And he learns, also, that sober watchfulness must follow such perception in order that these truths may be properly assimilated and retained. He sees that his consciousness of God is his true selfhood.

The Christ knows nothing of the flesh or of any sickness which may be manifested. Sickness is an objectification of false belief, some phase of fear, ignorance, or sin held in human consciousness. As the Christ appears to this consciousness, the false belief necessarily disappears, and with it goes its objectification, the sickness. Herein are illustrated both the purely mental nature and the simplicity of Christian Science treatment. Once one sees that any erroneous condition which seems to be external to thought is really but the objectification of erroneous thought, he sees that its correction, though not always easy, is nevertheless simple. Mrs. Eddy points out the right procedure when she writes (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 34), "The mortal body being but the objective state of the mortal mind, this mind must be renovated to improve the body."

Sooner or later and by degrees every Christian Scientist finally becomes convinced that only through the highest Christianization of thought can he demonstrate consistently man's oneness, or unity, with God, which means perfect freedom and peace.