COMMITMENT TO CHURCH

THE BIBLE

 

PSALMS

 

25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

 

PROVERBS

 

9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

 

II TIMOTHY

 

2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

22 … follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

DEUTERONOMY

 

1:1 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness,…

4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, …

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

 

ISAIAH

 

2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 … come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

 

MATTHEW

 

16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

 

ACTS

2:1 …when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

41 ¶Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 … and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

47 … And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

JOHN

 

5:39 ¶ Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:

6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

EPHESIANS

 

3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

SCIENCE & HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES

BY MARY BAKER EDDY.

 

SH 583:12-19

Church. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle.

The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.

 

SH 35:19-25 Our church

Our church is built on the divine Principle, Love. We can unite with this church only as we are new-born of Spirit, as we reach the Life which is Truth and the Truth which is Life by bringing forth the fruits of Love, — casting out error and healing the sick.

 

SH 235:7-10, 12-13 it

The teachers of schools and the readers in churches should be selected with as direct reference to their morals as to their learning or their correct reading.

… it is not so much academic education, as a moral and spiritual culture, which lifts one higher.

 

SH 455:20-27

God selects for the highest service one who has grown into such a fitness for it as renders any abuse of the mission an impossibility. The All-wise does not bestow His highest trusts upon the unworthy. When He commissions a messenger, it is one who is spiritually near Himself. No person can misuse this mental power, if he is taught of God to discern it.

 

SH 547:23-25

The Scriptures are very sacred. Our aim must be to have them understood spiritually, for only by this understanding can truth be gained.

 

SH 84:28-30

All we correctly know of Spirit comes from God, divine Principle, and is learned through Christ and Christian Science.

 

SH 109:11-22

For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind-healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energies to discovering a positive rule. The search was sweet, calm, and buoyant with hope, not selfish nor depressing.   I knew the Principle of all harmonious Mind-action to be God, and that cures were produced in primitive Christian healing by holy, uplifting faith; but I must know the Science of this healing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions through divine revelation, reason, and demonstration.

 

SH 110:13-20

In following these leadings of scientific revelation, the Bible was my only textbook. The Scriptures were illumined; reason and revelation were reconciled, and afterwards the truth of Christian Science was demonstrated. No human pen nor tongue taught me the Science contained in this book, SCIENCE AND HEALTH; and neither tongue nor pen can overthrow it.

 

SH 138:27-2

Our Master said to every follower: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature! . . . Heal the sick! . . . Love thy neighbor as thyself!”  It was this theology of Jesus which healed the sick and the sinning.  It is his theology in this book and the spiritual meaning of this theology, which heals the sick and causes the wicked to “forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.”

 

SH 147:14-20

Although this volume contains the complete Science of Mind-healing, never believe that you can absorb the whole meaning of the Science by a simple perusal of this book. The book needs to be studied, and the demonstration of the rules of scientific healing will plant you firmly on the spiritual groundwork of Christian Science.

 

SH x:11-32

The author has not compromised conscience to suit the general drift of thought, but has bluntly and honestly given the text of Truth. She has made no effort to embellish, elaborate, or treat in full detail so infinite a theme. By thousands of well-authenticated cases of healing, she and her students have proved the worth of her teachings. These cases for the most part have been abandoned as hopeless by regular medical attendants. Few invalids will turn to God till all physical supports have failed, because there is so little faith in His disposition and power to heal disease.

 

SH358:9-13

Christian Science, understood, coincides with the Scriptures, and sustains logically and demonstratively every point it presents. Otherwise it would not be Science, and could not present its proofs.

 

SH 274:23-25

Divine Science is absolute, and permits no half-way position in learning its Principle and rule–establishing it by demonstration.

 

SH 407:22 In

In Science, all being is eternal, spiritual, perfect, harmonious in every action. Let the perfect model be present in your thoughts instead of its demoralized opposite. This spiritualization of thought lets in the light, and brings the divine Mind, Life not death, into your consciousness.

 

SH 496:3-5 there

…there is but one Mind, and this ever-present omnipotent Mind is reflected by man and governs the entire universe.

 

SH 264:28

When we learn the way in Christian Science and recognize man’s spiritual being, we shall behold and understand God’s creation,–all the glories of earth and heaven and man.

 

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PUBLICATIONS QUOTATION

“Reading And Listening”

By Kate Holland Patton

Christian Science Journal

January 1957

 

The office of Reader in a Church of Christ, Scientist, is a sacred trust and requires consecration, unselfed love, wisdom, and, above all, an understanding of the words of Christ Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John: “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” As a servant of God and under His orders, the Reader should aim first of all to please Him; then to bring out the words of Truth so clearly and joyfully that the message rather than the one giving the message stands out to the thought of the listener.

 

The appointment or election of a member to the position of Reader will not be the result of personal popularity when the church members are loyal to the Cause of Christian Science and to its Discoverer and Founder, Mary Baker Eddy.

 

The loyal church member, who has taken the name of Christian Scientist, is ready to serve in whatever capacity he is placed through the operation of Truth, whether as Reader, Sunday School teacher or usher, and he serves in his appointed place with joy.

 

When all who have accepted Christian Science as their guide and goal express divine Love, our churches will be filled with sincere seekers for Truth. The honest efforts of those called upon to read in our churches will be sustained, and those groping for light within the doors of our churches will be drawn to that place where they may gain fresh hope, health, and happiness.