INDIVIDUAL RESURRECTION

STELLA M. SIEVERT

The resurrection of Christ Jesus revealed the perfection, indestructibility, and eternality of Life, God, and man's inseparability from God, the source of his being. The Christ, Truth, which reveals the true idea of God, was manifested by Jesus in his demonstration of God's love to man, the beloved offspring of God.

Jesus unfolded to human consciousness the spiritual idea of man's sonship with God, the Father. Through his healing works and especially through his resurrection and ascension, he proved that man is not corporeal but incorporeal, not material but spiritual and indestructible.

Jesus' understanding of his mission on earth as God's divinely appointed messenger to mankind enabled him to say (John 5:20), "The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." The healing power of the Christ, so long dormant, is presented anew to this age in the discovery of Christian Science, as given in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy.

This Science reveals the perfection of man, God's own likeness. It also teaches that human consciousness needs to be resurrected from the mortal belief of existence as material, as starting with birth and ending in death, to the understanding of the ever-presence of the kingdom of God, the reign of harmony within man.

In the Glossary of Science and Health (p. 593) "resurrection" is defined as, "Spiritualization of thought; a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence; material belief yielding to spiritual understanding."

Individual resurrection takes place in human consciousness through the purification of thought, through the denial and relinquishment of erroneous, mortal beliefs, such as lack, ill-health, and imperfection, and through the acknowledgment and reflection of the purity and harmony of God, Soul.

In Science and Health we read (p. 34): "Through all the disciples experienced, they became more spiritual and understood better what the Master had taught. His resurrection was also their resurrection. It helped them to raise themselves and others from spiritual dulness and blind belief in God into the perception of infinite possibilities." This "perception of infinite possibilities" liberates mankind from the limiting beliefs of fear, hate, sickness, and death and lets in the light of ever-present, all-redeeming Love.

One who while still a child had lost both parents entertained through the following years the limiting beliefs of being unloved, misplaced, and unwanted. It was not until she had gained through the study of Christian Science the understanding of her true relationship with the Father-Mother God that she overcame these corroding beliefs. In this resurrection of thought, she learned how to express her true selfhood and to reflect Love to her fellow men. She was thus enabled to bring the blessing and joy of spiritual love to others.

As our thought is lifted to greater spiritual understanding, we gain a new humility, a willingness to put aside self-will and to bring all our aims and desires into submission to the will of the Father. We learn how to listen for His voice and obey His guidance. This victory over self spiritualizes thought and reveals our sonship with the Father.

At the close of every Sunday service in Churches of Christ, Scientist, these words are read from the desk (I John 3:2, 3): "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

Resurrection is an individual experience. As each one individually purifies and spiritualizes his thought and life, eventually all mankind will be free. This resurrective triumph is the joyful hope and aim of every earnest Christian Scientist.

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