Demonstration

AUGUST 29, 2018
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The Bible and Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

PSALMS

26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
11 … as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

LUKE

4:14 ¶ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
7:11 ¶ And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

SH 473:26-28
Jesus established what he said by demonstration, thus making his acts of higher importance than his words. He proved what he taught.

SH 233:1
Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power. These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them. This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil.

SH 329:7
Because you cannot walk on the water and raise the dead, you have no right to question the great might of divine Science in these directions. Be thankful that Jesus, who was the true demonstrator of Science, did these things, and left his example for us. In Science we can use only what we understand. We must prove our faith by demonstration.

AGAIN FROM LUKE

6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

SH 51:28, 19-24
Jesus was unselfish. His spirituality separated him from sensuousness, and caused the selfish materialist to hate him; but it was this spirituality which enabled Jesus to heal the sick, cast out evil, and raise the dead.

His consummate example was for the salvation of us all, but only through doing the works which he did and taught others to do. His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle. He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in all that he said and did.

MARK

10:35 … James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

SH 473:29
Jesus proved the Principle, which heals the sick and casts out error, to be divine. Few, however, except his students understood in the least his teachings and their glorious proofs, — namely, that Life, Truth, and Love (the Principle of this unacknowledged Science) destroy all error, evil, disease, and death.

SH 141:3
More than profession is requisite for Christian demonstration. Few understand or adhere to Jesus’ divine precepts for living and healing. Why? Because his precepts require the disciple to…set aside even the most cherished beliefs and practices, to leave all for Christ.

JOHN

7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

SH 131:26-29, 30-4 (to :)
The mission of Jesus confirmed prophecy, and explained the so-called miracles of olden time as natural demonstrations of the divine power, demonstrations which were not understood.
In reply to John’s inquiry, “Art thou he that should come,” Jesus returned an affirmative reply, recounting his works instead of referring to his doctrine, confident that this exhibition of the divine power to heal would fully answer the question. Hence his reply:

SH 27:3 Go
“Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” In other words: Tell John what the demonstration of divine power is, and he will at once perceive that God is the power in the Messianic work.

AGAIN FROM JOHN

18:33 … Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

SH 48:25
Pale in the presence of his own momentous question, “What is Truth,” Pilate was drawn into acquiescence with the demands of Jesus’ enemies. Pilate was ignorant of the consequences of his awful decision against human rights and divine Love, knowing not that he was hastening the final demonstration of what life is and of what the true knowledge of God can do for man.

SH viii:12-15
The question, What is Truth, is answered by demonstration, — by healing both disease and sin; and this demonstration shows that Christian healing confers the most health and makes the best men.

GENESIS

5:22 … Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

HEBREWS

11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

SH 214:5
If Enoch’s perception had been confined to the evidence before his material senses, he could never have “walked with God,” nor been guided into the demonstration of life eternal.

SH 246:27-28
Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof.

GALATIANS

5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
6:4 … let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

I CORINTHIANS

2:5 … your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
16 But we have the mind of Christ.

MATTHEW

5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

SH 37:16-17, 22
When will Jesus’ professed followers learn to emulate him in all his ways and to imitate his mighty works?

It is possible, — yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman, — to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness. Christians claim to be his followers, but do they follow him in the way that he commanded? Hear these imperative commands: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect!” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature!” “Heal the sick!”

SH 254:10
When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path. Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much.

MALACHI

3:10 … prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

SH 98:15
Beyond the frail premises of human beliefs, above the loosening grasp of creeds, the demonstration of Christian Mind-healing stands a revealed and practical Science. It is imperious throughout all ages as Christ’s revelation of Truth, of Life, and of Love, which remains inviolate for every man to understand and to practise.

Publications Quotation
“Demonstration”
By George Shaw Cook
Christian Science Sentinel
April 19, 1941

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The things to which Jesus referred are not necessarily “riches, and honour,” but those things which appear to be needful in daily human experience.
Christian Scientists are striving to gain spiritual understanding, rather than to acquire material possessions. They do not attempt to “demonstrate” things, but to demonstrate the truth; and in this way they find that, in accordance with the promise of the Master, the needful things are added.
So Christian Scientists do not, as some persons have mistakenly believed, undertake to “demonstrate” houses, furniture, clothes, automobiles, position, worldly honors, material advancement or advantage, but their desire is to gain the wisdom, understanding, intelligence, and love which enable them to prove from day to day that their legitimate human needs are met.
Christian Scientists do not even seek, primarily, to gain what is ordinarily regarded as health. They recognize normal physical conditions to be desirable, but they seek first to establish the consciousness of real health as spiritual wholeness or perfection. They find, through realizing that health or wholeness is an ever-present quality of divine Mind which spiritual man reflects and enjoys at all times, an improved belief of health is made manifest in their human experience. This is in accordance with Paul’s admonition, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
What actually happens when a demonstration is made through Christian Science treatment is that Spirit, Mind, Soul, demonstrates its omnipresence and omnipotence. Divine Mind, declaring and demonstrating its harmonious and health-bestowing activity, brings to pass in human experience an improved condition; but nothing in reality is changed, because man, as God’s idea, continues to exist at the standpoint of absolute perfection.
The wholeness, allness, completeness, harmony, eternality, and goodness of divine Mind, Spirit, God, do not have to be demonstrated in human experience in order to be true. They are self-evident facts

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