The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-28
Florence Midddugh of
Los angeles, Speaker
Topic Of Visitors Lecture IL Christian
Science: The Way OF Salvation"

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greater CONSERVATION which fol-
lowed this announcement. In one
brief moment Nicodemus probably
reviewed the history OF his human
birth. growth. development. and
maturity, and il, no doubt, seemed
to hum a most preposterous thing
that this should be done all over
again. But Jesus was not speak
ing of his human origin and birth.
He knew that the only true growth
and lasting development is the I'M
foldment Of spiritual ideas. He
spoke of the renewing OF the mind,
a change in the basis Of thinking,
which was difficult for Nicodemus
TO comprehend. Jesus saw and
recognized but one God, and one
man, the man OF Gods creating.
not struggling and working out of
materially, harsssed and dis
turbed by its problems, but exist
ing at the standpoint OF Wilderness
and completeness. II was this true
view of man as the son of God
that enabled him to heal the sick,
cast out devils, and raise the dead.
1t was to God that Jesus always
turned for wisdom and strength. for
it was his mission TO prove Gods
allness and mans oneness with
Him. Christian Science teaches
this same God. In giving the
platform upon which the teachings
of Christian Science stand, Mrs
Eddy writes on page $50 Of the
textbook: God is what the Scrip
/ lures declare Him to be,-Life,
Truth. Love" II is the spiritual
import of the Scriptures. and
practical application TO daily life
that Christian Science is teaching
us-how to make these truths live
and move in us.
Creation
There are two divergent &C
counts of creation in the Bible
There is record of both a spir-
itual and a material birth OF man,
with two different creators. We
cannot consistently believe or ac-
cept both Of them, for each denies
the validity of the other, and both,
therefore, cannot be real and true.
The account of creation in the first
chapter of Genesis is the one which
Christian Science reveals to be the
true record.
Following the record of the spir-
itual creation, in which God pro-
nounces everything He has made
to be perfect and intact, and very
good. is a second record beginning
with the statement, But there
went up a mist from the earth"
after which appeared material
sense of creation, with the Lord
God as the creator Of it. Through
this suppositional mist one is led
to believe there arises a counter
felt creation, counterfeit man
and universe, and in 1t he sees
sin, sickness, and death. Not one
of these conditions is any more
real than the mist itself. They
are not included in Gods creation,
and He made everything that was
made. In Gods perfect universe
there is light, and there was no
mention of the possibility of mist
that might arise and obscure or
dim that light. But so long as
mortals believe in the mist of ma
teriality, which obscures the true
creation. they will argue and suf-
fer accordingly.
Christian Science assures us that
we have the power to refuse to ac-
cept this counterfeit creation. It
supplies us with the spiritual en-
lightenment which dispels the mist
- materially and reveals God
inverse and man as perfect as they
were created. II answers the ques-
ton, What am / to God? as well
as, What is God to me? In other
words, what Is mans relationship
to God ? II reminds US, as Jesus did
Nieodemus, that in order to gain
this enlightenment We must be
born again, and further teaches US
how this can be done. Nicodemus.
no doubt. knew these two records
the same as Jesus did. but we find
Jesus serene, confident. undistufb-
ed in the strength OF spiritual un-
derstanding We find Nicodemus
doubtful, limited and uncertain.
Finding God
It is safe to say that practically
everyone believes in a supreme be-
ing. a power greater than himself.
Because Che individual concepts Of
the creator may differ, some may
say. There is no God, but by this
they generally mean that they do
not believe the concept Of God
which has been presented 10 them,
or which they have formed In their
own consciousness. OF course, the
widely diverging theories concern
ing God could not change His ma
ture or being. nor would II be pos
sible for Him TO coincide with all
the differing concepts. Then we
must rightfully conclude that only
one concept can be true, and it Is
necessary for US TO find out which
one IL true and conform our lives
in accordance with II.