Probation After Death

Section 1

The Bible

1Psalms 51:10–12

10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

2Psalms 70:4

4Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

3Psalms 118:17

17I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

4II Corinthians 3:17 where

17where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy

1291:12–13, 23–25 (to 1^st .)

Universal salvation rests on progression and probation, and is unattainable without them.

As death findeth mortal man, so shall he be after death, until probation and growth shall effect the needed change.

2167:17

To have one God and avail yourself of the power of Spirit, you must love God supremely.

3225:21

Love is the liberator.

Section 2

The Bible

5Ecclesiastes 7:29

29Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

6I Corinthians 15:53 this, 54, 57 thanks

53this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

57thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Science and Health

4229:15–16

By universal consent, mortal belief has constituted itself a law to bind mortals to sickness, sin, and death.

5290:16

Future
purification

If the change called death destroyed the belief in sin, sickness, and death, happiness would be won at the moment of dissolution, and be forever permanent; but this is not so. Perfection is gained only by perfection. They who are unrighteous shall be unrighteous still, until in divine Science Christ, Truth, removes all ignorance and sin.

691:5

Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth.

Section 3

The Bible

7Romans 6:1 Shall we continue, 2

1Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

8II Samuel 11:2–4 (to 1^st ;), 5, 6, 14, 15, 27 But

2And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4And David sent messengers, and took her;

5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

27But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

9II Samuel 12:1 (to 1^st .), 13 (to 1^st .)

1And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.

13And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.

10Psalms 51:0–3

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath–sheba.

1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

11Romans 6:16

16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Science and Health

7407:6–9, 17

Universal
panacea

Man’s enslavement to the most relentless masters — passion, selfishness, envy, hatred, and revenge — is conquered only by a mighty struggle. Every hour of delay makes the struggle more severe.

Let the slave of wrong desire learn the lessons of Christian Science, and he will get the better of that desire, and ascend a degree in the scale of health, happiness, and existence.

876:32–1

The recognition of Spirit and of infinity comes not suddenly here or hereafter.

977:5–11

Second
death

Existence continues to be a belief of corporeal sense until the Science of being is reached. Error brings its own self-destruction both here and hereafter, for mortal mind creates its own physical conditions. Death will occur on the next plane of existence as on this, until the spiritual understanding of Life is reached.

10241:1

“Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.” He, who knows God’s will or the demands of divine Science and obeys them, incurs the hostility of envy; and he who refuses obedience to God, is chastened by Love.

114:17–22

Watchfulness
requisite

Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness.

12324:4–5

The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress.

Section 4

The Bible

12Psalms 36:7

7How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

13John 11:1, 3–5, 17, 32–34, 38–46 It, 53

1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

38It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

14John 12:1, 9–11

1Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

9Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

10But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

11Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Science and Health

1375:13

Raising
the dead

Jesus restored Lazarus by the understanding that Lazarus had never died, not by an admission that his body had died and then lived again. Had Jesus believed that Lazarus had lived or died in his body, the Master would have stood on the same plane of belief as those who buried the body, and he could not have resuscitated it.

14493:28–30

If Jesus awakened Lazarus from the dream, illusion, of death, this proved that the Christ could improve on a false sense.

15323:24

The true idea of God gives the true understanding of Life and Love, robs the grave of victory, takes away all sin and the delusion that there are other minds, and destroys mortality.

16487:3–6

Exercise
of Mind-
faculties

Life is deathless. Life is the origin and ultimate of man, never attainable through death, but gained by walking in the pathway of Truth both before and after that which is called death.

17324:13

Be watchful, sober, and vigilant. The way is straight and narrow, which leads to the understanding that God is the only Life. It is a warfare with the flesh, in which we must conquer sin, sickness, and death, either here or hereafter, — certainly before we can reach the goal of Spirit, or life in God.

Section 5

The Bible

15Matthew 20:17–19 Jesus

17Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

18Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

19And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

16Matthew 27:1 all, 2, 11 (to :), 13–17, 20 the, 22, 23, 35 (to :)

1all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

2And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

11And Jesus stood before the governor:

13Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

14And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

15Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

16And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

17Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

20the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

22Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots:

17Matthew 28:1, 2, 5–7 (to 1^st ;), 9 (to 1^st .), 16, 18

1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;

9And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.

16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

18Mark 16:19

19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Science and Health

1846:20–24

Spiritual
ascension

Jesus’ unchanged physical condition after what seemed to be death was followed by his exaltation above all material conditions; and this exaltation explained his ascension, and revealed unmistakably a probationary and progressive state beyond the grave.

19332:19

Holy Ghost
or Comforter

Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ is the divine idea of God — the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth.

2039:1

Mockery
of truth

Meekly our Master met the mockery of his unrecognized grandeur. Such indignities as he received, his followers will endure until Christianity’s last triumph. He won eternal honors. He overcame the world, the flesh, and all error, thus proving their nothingness. He wrought a full salvation from sin, sickness, and death. We need “Christ, and him crucified.” We must have trials and self-denials, as well as joys and victories, until all error is destroyed.

2166:10, 30–1

Trials are proofs of God’s care. Spiritual development germinates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.

The gold
and dross

Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us. The furnace separates the gold from the dross that the precious metal may be graven with the image of God.

22410:14–17

Love casteth
out fear

Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love.

2310:1, 12–16

Prayer means that we desire to walk and will walk in the light so far as we receive it, even though with bleeding footsteps, and that waiting patiently on the Lord, we will leave our real desires to be rewarded by Him.

Christian Science reveals a necessity for overcoming the world, the flesh, and evil, and thus destroying all error.

Seeking is not sufficient. It is striving that enables us to enter. Spiritual attainments open the door to a higher understanding of the divine Life.

Section 6

The Bible

19Philippians 3:13–15

13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

20John 3:16

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

21Revelation 12:10 Now (to :)

10Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:

Science and Health

24409:28

Death no
benefactor

We cannot spend our days here in ignorance of the Science of Life, and expect to find beyond the grave a reward for this ignorance. Death will not make us harmonious and immortal as a recompense for ignorance. If here we give no heed to Christian Science, which is spiritual and eternal, we shall not be ready for spiritual Life hereafter.

2538:24–26

Jesus mapped out the path for others. He unveiled the Christ, the spiritual idea of divine Love.

2654:8–10 All

All must sooner or later plant themselves in Christ, the true idea of God.

27248:29

Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.