Just because you’re suffering, doesn’t mean you are guilty of doing something wrong.
Many people are taught that man is a sinner, and therefore always guilty, and subject to on-going suffering for that guilt. And the effect can be a person automatically assuming they are guilty in cases where they are not guilty.
For instance, a wife physically abused by a cruel husband is not the cause of her suffering. An employee attacked by a heartless boss is not the cause of the attack. A person imprisoned as a slave is not the cause of their imprisonment.
Jesus Christ was unfairly persecuted and crucified by the cruelty and evil of others. It wasn’t his fault that he suffered. However, the good part of Jesus’ unjust experience was that he taught us how to break free of evil treatment. He allowed the crucifixion to occur to show us that the power of God is greater than any evil we face and is present to save us from it, which is what he proved when he walked out of the tomb alive.
To triumph over the crucifixion, Jesus had to know his innocence. When nailed to the cross he didn’t fall into a guilt-complex of, “What did I do wrong to get myself into this horrible situation?” He knew he had done nothing wrong. He forgave his enemies, loved himself as a child of God, and demonstrated divine Love’s ability to deliver him from the hands of his enemies, which is what happened.
Yes, we need to admit sin when we sin. But there are times that we feel suffering and it’s not because we’re erring, but because a belief of an evil power is trying to wedge its way into our life and take over. These are times when we must stand up for our spiritual rights to be free, know our innocence, go on the offensive with Truth, and look for the open doors divine Love has provided to exit that suffering and be free.
We all have a divine right to live free of all suffering! That’s God’s plan for us. A frequent part of living pain-free is to know one’s innocence.
“Innocence and Truth overcome guilt and error.”
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 568.
I am going to hug this Spirit View … then wrap myself up in it and have a lovely rest in my God given innocence and purity tonight.
Wow Diane! That’s wonderful. I want to do that too. ♡
thank you Diane, really wonderful – I too ! 🙂
What a sweet and refreshing foto on top, thanks Evan!
I once wrote to a CS Practitioner in the US (I am in the UK) with a tale of woe about ‘my’ problems,
and had a very swift air-letter back with only three words, “YOU ARE INNOCENT!!!” And so I very much appreciate the reminder in today’s SpititView, Evan. I love the last line declaring the truth that ‘we all have a divine right to live free of suffering’ because that is God’s plan for us.
Oh dear – that should have read SPIRIT (not spitit!!)
Perfect and important to understand spiritually our innocents. Thank you, Evan.
Fabulous thoughts. Thank you,Evan. I needed this reminder about my innocence and being alerted to not be taken in by a false sense of guilt. Love that last line you added from Science and Health.
Wonderful for all of us, for the whole world.
Good week to re-read Adam Dickey’s timeless and powerful article, Wiser Than Serpents! (Go to Jsh-online.com, or a Reading Room to find it.)
We can handle the belief (b-e-l-i-e-f) in any and all power(s) apart or other than God! We can and… MUST!
With love and joy,
Sue
I believe Wiser Than Serpents is by Dr. John Tutt, from March 1925 Christian Science Journal.
YES! YES! Thank you for reminding us of this truth and also the task of forgiving others, cleansing ourselves of any evil beliefs and moving forward in love, knowing we can reflect God’s innocence and have that heritage.
Thank you for reminding us about John Tutt’s article “Wiser Than Serpents.” Bev
Wow, such a good topic, Evan! I was raised with a mother in C.S. who felt guilty any time she had a “physical problem” and that guilt rubbed off on us kids when we were “not feeling well.” I learned to feel ashamed and guilty for getting sick and then for not getting healed in C.S, like I had done something wrong to get sick in the first place. Yuk! I have learned that there is “appropriate guilt” when we have truly done something wrong and need to make amends to someone and then there is “false guilt” which stems from unhealed shame we have internalized as a result of being raised in a “shame-based” family. Also, to Annepat UK – I actually liked your misspelling of the word “Spirit” – as “Spitit”, in relation to Guilt, as it could mean to just “Spit it” Out! This is such a Terrific Subject for a lot of CSers and one that has caused a lot of confusion and problems in the C.S. Religion and in its ability to Heal! Thanks for uncovering it, Evan!
Thanks for bringing this up Bevi. I also was raised in CS and led to believe that if I was having a problem I was guilty of not thinking correctly (among other things). I know this happened to many others also. This is something that needs to be addressed head on in CS. So thank you to Evan for making this clear – WE ARE INNOCENT!
I’d just like to point out that blaming people that the cause of their problems is some sin on their part (i.e. not thinking correctly) did not originate with the Christian Science religion. Many of the healings Jesus performed as recorded in the Bible were accomplished by Jesus refuting the belief that sin by the person or their parents was the cause of some ailment (see John 9:2 for example). These stories imply to me that Jesus was able to convey an understanding of God as the only true cause and that eliminated the belief in the person’s thought that sin was a cause and once the cause for the ailment in the person’s thinking was eliminated, the ailment was eliminated.
When I took Christian Science class instruction it was pointed out to me all of the beliefs prevalent in the world because of what is termed Scholastic Theology and how these beliefs are definitely not in agreement with the theology as revealed to Mrs. Eddy and given the name Christian Science.
Thank you Evan. And Thank you Brian. Those feelings of guilt for mistakes unintentional — or intentional– can and must be absolutely erased for oneself and for the “others” This blog by Evan strongly offers help. And makes it more possible to “Judge NOT.” And we need to learn to forgive ourselves for ‘knowing not what they (we) do”
A healing thought
WE ARE INNOCENT as God’s children!
Here’s a link to the “Wiser Than Serpents” article by John Tutt from the Christian Science Journal that Sue K. and Bev mentioned in their comments.
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/166wo5des3i?s=e
And Thank You Evan for another great blog today!
Thanks so much for these wonderful words. When a burden seems too heavy to carry it is easy to say “Where did I go wrong?” Instead we should be saying “Where did God get it right.”
Wonderful post on false sense of guilt. Interestingly, though this post is perfect for me today and deep in my heart I know I’m innocent, the evil sense of guilt is still trying to wedge its way in, “yes, but maybe you really are guilty in this instance.” It’s clear I need to go deeper. With a grateful heart I will re-read this post and look at the article mentioned above. Thank you Father-Mother God, Evan, and dear Spiritview readers and commenters.
Progress is the law of God! We all live in the kingdom of Love, right now. ♡
Apologies for mis-guiding you re the article, Wiser Than Serpents. It is by Dr. John Tutt,
not Adam Dickey (who wrote another one of my favorites, God’s Law of Adjustment)
:< )
Just the clarification I needed Evan. Divine Love always does meet our needs. Thank you all commenters and especially Brian, who always provides links to articles. A gift to me each time. Thank you.
Good point, Brian, re. Sin as the cause of Sickness NOT being a part of the C.S. theology. And yet……I do believe Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health that the 3 main causes of Disease are Fear, Ignorance and Sin. This is Confusing! Any Comments….?? Also, what often happens in the C.S. Religion, as well as in many other Religions, is that people are Human and if they haven’t worked out their childhood experiences of shame and guilt, it can often get carried over into their Religious Beliefs.
…..Or what about this quote from Science and Health: “The healthy sinner is the hardened sinner.”…???
Hi Bevi, The point I was trying to make in my comment is that your childhood experience (and that of Bonnie) could have been very similar had you been raised by parents who went to the Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, etc. churches, or the Jewish Synagogue, or the Islamic Mosque, or the Buddhist temple, etc. In other words, many religions teach that God is somewhat like a Santa Claus character that keeps track of who is naughty and nice and punishes those that sin. And those beliefs can influence someone that is practicing Christian Science if they don’t guard their thought from accepting those beliefs. Christian Science instead teaches that God is Love and that as we awake to that fact we will experience God’s love. So I agree that sinning does hide our ability to experience (realize) God’s love for us in some cases. But in other cases (like the ones Evan mentioned in his blog) evil appears real to us and it’s not due to some sin we have committed.
Thank you Evan for this so important topic today and thank you all commenters for your interesting comments.
One might feel guilty when one suffers of something. Yes, we know that that does not at all belong to God´s child, that we a l l are. But we can turn from being guilty to being utmost grateful for what Christian Science teaches – that God is Love, that God i s and that man (we all) a r e – and man is always in God´s perfect, caring, loving and healing presence. That´s the great Truth no matter what. I think we all know our CS Hymn nr. 3 “A grateful heart a garden is…”. that hymn is comforting and healing. I am really grateful that God put me into Christian Science and lead me to understand the Truth that makes us free – naturally also from guilt – more and more! But yes we have to pray and work it out oftentimes, but with God´s help.
Some very good comments…and love what you wrote Uta.
The belief of a cause,..be it fear, ignorance, or sin…..are still only beliefs. God is the only Cause….and Effect. In CS we speak in the relative when nec. But Truth is absolute. The only thing condemned is the belief…never the person. Many times it is the “world belief “ we need to handle..pray specifically about …and not necessarily is it a personal belief.
Anyway….God is good and so is His creation…Man.
Thank you.
Thank you Kathyw, love your truth thoughts in your comment, too!
But what do you mean with the word “nec”? Would be grateful for your reply!
Sorry….an abbreviation for necessary.
thanks very much, Kathy ! 🙂
Suffering from a night of drunkenness. Great fear overcame me. The event of vertigo began as one that was over come before. I humbly begged God for forgiveness and promised never to indulge in consuming alcohol ever again. I crawled into bed feeling loved and forgiven. After a few hours of feeling cared for like a child in the arms of Mother, the inability left me and has never returned.
After that experience reading the daily lesson sermon from the full text edition of the Christian Science Quarterly early every morning as I have never studied it before. Then reading and studying the entire book by Robert Peel, “Years of Discovery”. Now reading,
” Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Healer”.
New objective is to become a healer as was many of Mrs Eddy’s students. Am in serious need of extending the truth to all those in my experience.
I’m very grateful to my practitioner for extending this JSH message to me and to introduce me to it’s teaching by the inspired teacher and practitioner, Mr. Evan Mehlenbacher.
Error trying to wedge into our thoughts and take over the mental realm for evil, but understood to have no power over God’s man or God’s creation As error has no power or existence.
Thank you for your timely message of deliverance from guilt. Forgiven!
Hi David,
Welcome to the Love of God! It is indeed precious, and always forgiving. Thanks for sharing.
A practitioner friend of my mother’s used to claim “I am innocent of the great transgression of believing in any power greater or other than divine Truth and Love”.
[Possibly a reference to Psalm 19:13.]