It is essential in Christian Science to separate the concept of man as he really is—spiritual, made in Spirit's image—from the misleading belief in a mortal who suffers and sins, and whose life is of unpredictable duration.

Christian Science follows the teachings and example of Jesus in its acknowledgment of God as the Supreme Being, the Father, whose constant, loving care is bestowed on all His children—in truth, all of us. A knowledge and understanding of Him is the means by which we can learn to distinguish between what this all-knowing God is telling us of ourselves and what the deceptive material senses are incorrectly telling us.

People appear to be frail creatures, subject to disaster, unable to control their destiny to any large degree. So it is necessary, if one is to have peace of mind, to learn to separate this depressing misconception from the true man, who is intact, safe, complete. How can we make this distinction between what man really is and what the mortal picture of ourselves often seems to be? By understanding that whatever is good is of God and express our true, spiritual selfhood, while anything discordant or evil is the result of false belief and is no part of our true being.

We have divine authority to declare ourselves set apart from whatever would seem to connect us to evil—to crime, war, sickness, poverty, loneliness, grief. These errors are no part of God's creation, and since we are really His offspring and reflect Him, they are no part of us. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes: "Everything good or worthy, God made. Whatever is valueless or baneful, He did not make,—hence its unreality." ^{Science and Health, p. 525;}

Christ Jesus proved what Christian Science teaches: the complete separation of man's perfect, real selfhood from the discordant mortal who appeared as an invalid or a sinner. When two blind men begged his assistance, he asked what they wanted. Matthew records: "They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." ^{Matt. 20:33, 34;} And when he entered the room of a young girl who had died, he said to her simply, "Maid, arise." ^{Luke 8:54;} She was restored to life and recovered consciousness at once. The ability to divide the true from the untrue, and to abolish error with truth, was natural for Christ Jesus.

We too need to consistently keep our awareness of the God-created man who is no part of the falsity of material evidence. We can't be successful healers if we customarily accept a limited belief of frail, mortal selfhood and then, when a problem arises, suddenly opt for the true view of man. But if we strive to be ever aware of our separateness from the lies of the corporeal senses, we are prepared to meet every challenge.

Only ignorance of the truth of our separateness from evil—of evil's nonexistence—can make us fear any phase of evil. If we clearly know this there is nothing to fear and nothing to suffer. In Science and Health we read: "God is not the author of mortal discords. Therefore we accept the conclusion that discords have only a fabulous existence, are mortal beliefs which divine Truth and Love destroy." ^{Science and Health, p. 231.}

The freedom one gets from catching a glimpse that discords are unreal and that he is separated from the harassments of materiality is truly wonderful. And this marvelous freedom is actually ours now. We don't need to fight for it; we need only accept it, maintain it as our own, and rejoice in the understanding of our separation from everything except God and what He creates. In Science, indeed, nothing exists but God and His ideal creation.