Purity
September 2, 1999
The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
We sort of skidded into our topic last week to avoid investigating "Chastity", as requested by a member, but surprisingly managed to get quite a lot of insight and healing in the area. Here's a summary of what was shared:
1) Purity seems to be an important part of all religious practice. In our own Judeo-Christian tradition, cleansings, washings and baptisms — even sacrifices and circumcisions — mark the approach to Deity. In Eastern and other cultures, meditation and extreme physical ordeals prepare mind and body for reception of the divine. Even today's popular religions, like industrial and medical work, require the most stringent standards of purity and sterilization. Metaphysically this all seems to imply a reorientation of thought from the gross material to more ethereal realms, i. e., "God".
2) In Christian Science, purity is seen as the atmosphere in which the divine idea can be discerned and demonstrated in the divine-human coincidence. Here is part of Mary Baker Eddy's definition of Wilderness in the Glossary of Science and Health: "Loneliness; doubt; darkness. Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence," (p. 597:16).
3) The symbol of the virgin birth of Christ Jesus is important in Christianity and in Christian Science. In the latter, its merely historical import fades before its present metaphoric application to the mind-body experience of its adherents. "How am I living the Mary and Christ Jesus experience? How am I purified, attentive thought allowing the Noumenon be the only phenomena?"
4) Puritanism is a terrible problem among religious folk. It seems to us to be a reification and worship of purity per se. The purity becomes an end in itself and contact with God is sacrificed. Impression management, focus on appearances and attendant judgmentalism come to the fore and demonstration ceases.
5) Phobias seem to be the advanced stage of Puritanism but will yield to the facts of Science on the basis that "... God is the source and condition of all existence," (see Science and Health, p. 181: 1-2). There is nothing to fear when Heaven is seen as the only earth.
6) Sexual organs are also elimination organs. In the absolute, they represent Love and purity — the cornerstone of all relationships, including church.
7) The following is a quote from Meister Eckhart, the great Dominican mystic, recorded in 1326: "The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me: my eye and God's eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing and one love".
8) Prayer in Christian Science is potentially the most powerful force in the universe, but it has its gradations, much as does homeopathy, from which Mrs. Eddy derived many of her ideas. The least powerful level of human activity is a physical action. Next in ascending order would be saying or publishing the truth. Then comes scientific thinking. Finally, the pure reflective knowing which is God being the only I of all is the true power.
9) Belief in matter or dualistic power is the major impurity to be eliminated in approaching the absolute. This includes personal sense or the belief in many mortal minds operative in human circumstances. We can focus on the Fact just where the dualistic belief seems to be. The impurities will drop away as the presence and power of God are demonstrated.
10) All dualistic beliefs — we mentioned genetics, diagnoses, and pharmaceuticals — can be seen as metaphors for the underlying fact of perfection. The Scientist will live the pure reality of them, not their matter representation.
11) The statement, "Love the sinner, but not the sin," was brought up. This looks like an impossible task, however well-meaning the intent. Science has a solution: "Understand that the so called sinner is in reality the image and likeness of God, even as we all are, where no sin exists."
A couple of healings were reported:
1) Growing out of last week's work on questioning authority, one member had a very unexpected demonstration. He found himself able to accept instruction from his gym trainer and from his body-work therapist in ways he had never found possible before. Instead of becoming more feisty and resistant — as he might have expected — he became less so and was able to profit from their interaction at very deep levels.
2) Two members worked together on relationship problems arising from attempts to open up new, scary areas of sharing with others. Both had seen their attempts backfire and felt wounded. As they worked to identify early antecedents for the pain and finally to let it go, they were able to let divine Mind assume its rightful control. Quite amazingly, both were rather permissive and unconcerned as to how the situations might be rectified on the human belief level. They were standing with the facts of Being but were flexible as to appearances. A few days thereafter, both had resolutions of their relationships that hold solid potential for continued growth.
For next week we'll look at Labor in honor of the holiday here in the States. As we closed several different meanings of the word came up and we decided to allow them all.
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
XXVI. Christian Science demonstrates that none but the pure in heart can see God, as the gospel teaches. In proportion to his purity is man perfect; and perfection is the order of celestial being which demonstrates Life in Christ, Life's spiritual ideal.
Let Christian Science, instead of corporeal sense, support your understanding of being, and this understanding will supplant error with Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence discord with harmony.
The impersonation of the spiritual idea had a brief history in the earthly life of our Master; but "of his kingdom there shall be no end," for Christ, God's idea, will eventually rule all nations and peoples—imperatively, absolutely, finally—with divine Science. This immaculate idea, represented first by man and, according to the Revelator, last by woman, will baptize with fire; and the fiery baptism will burn up the chaff of error with the fervent heat of Truth and Love, melting and purifying even the gold of human character. After the stars sang together and all was primeval harmony, the material lie made war upon the spiritual idea; but this only impelled the idea to rise to the zenith of demonstration, destroying sin, sickness, and death, and to be caught up unto God,—to be found in its divine Principle.
The seed within itself is the pure thought emanating from divine Mind.
Having no other gods, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide him, man is the likeness of God, pure and eternal, having that Mind which was also in Christ.
The Christianly scientific man reflects the divine law, thus becoming a law unto himself.
Thought imbued with purity, Truth, and Love, instructed in the Science of metaphysical healing, is the most potent and desirable remedial agent on the earth.