Under God's law
A Christian Science perspective.
In order to live in a just society, we need laws that help us live in harmony with one another and that base our communities on respect and equity.
Even more central to the well-being and safety of mankind are the laws of God, which have existed forever. Christ Jesus proved God’s laws to be applicable to every human need by healing and saving mortals from sickness and sin. He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).
Jesus came to show us how God governs His spiritual universe through laws of harmony, grace, patience, and love. As we let these laws take charge of our thoughts and actions, we can see evidence of God directing our lives.
I experienced divine law in action a few years ago when I started to study Christian Science. I was struggling with many addictions, a disease, and a long court case for driving under the influence of alcohol (see “A case of divine law,” “The Christian Science Journal,” July 2013). While healing of the addictions came within a few weeks of reading “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy, the healing of the disease required a deeper, consecrated effort to live according to the teachings of Christian Science. During this time I had many moral choices to make in my life, including how I handled my court case.
I realized that even though my lawyer was winning every legal battle, I had based my plea on a false premise. As the final court date drew near, it was clear that I could not continue to base my life – and this case – on what I felt was a broken spiritual law, that of honesty (see Exodus 20:16).
I decided to ask my lawyer to change my plea, and I prepared to deal with the consequences. He thought I was crazy, but as I explained the transformation that was happening in my life, he reluctantly agreed to do what I asked.
As the court date got closer, I became fearful of the result, as I thought it could mean prison time. I reached out to a dear family member, who is a Christian Scientist, to pray with me. She shared just one line from Science and Health that elucidated divine law for me: “reformation cancels the crime” (p. 404). Once I realized that Love had already reformed me, I could go into court and trust that whatever the outcome, it would be in line with God’s law.
When my lawyer and I attended the long-awaited final court date, I learned that all charges against me had been dropped – a plea was not even necessary. God had canceled the crime, and, as progress continued in my understanding of morality and metaphysics, physical healing came as well.
In Christian Science, the laws of God are always in operation through the office of the Christ, the manifestation, evidence, and action of God. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this newspaper and the discoverer of Christian Science, defined the Christ as “The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error” (Science and Health, p. 583). Through her understanding of the Christ, Mrs. Eddy was able to apply divine law to human circumstances the same way Christ Jesus did – by healing the sick and overcoming sin. Christian Science shifts human consciousness from a material to a spiritual basis and frees mankind from suggestions of error, which helps us see our thoughts and actions as governed by the Divine.
In the Gospel of John we read that Christ Jesus was not sent to “condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). Global and individual salvation rests on a spiritual basis. As we embrace divine government in our lives, we prove that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).