One of the incredibly freeing truths I’ve learned in Christian Science is that, no matter how bad of a mistake you make, God has no memory of it.
God is a Mind of pure Love that sees all the good in everyone. God does not inventory evil acts and cruel words. He is not like Santa Claus who “checks his list twice to see who has been naughty and nice.”
The one Mind of Love is capable only of knowing the presence of good, seeing good and beholding good.
When we make a mistake there are consequences to our actions. Suffering occurs until the error is corrected. But the suffering is not coming from God. It’s the effect of not acting right in the first place. As soon as we act right the outcome is good, and the suffering vanishes.
But it’s freeing, when in the middle of taking reformatory steps, to understand that God is not holding our mistake against us. The memory of divine Mind is capable only of knowing and remembering what is good and true about us from a spiritual point of view.
You were created good! Everything about you, made in the image of God, is wholly good. This is your true individuality forever, and you never lose it. This is what God knows about you and will always know about you.
So, if your overwhelmed with guilt about something you did in the past, and feel condemned by what you did, you can move past that event to what God knows about you today. God has no memory of that act. God only knows what you’re capable of being as a child of God.
Assuming you see the error of what you did, you can forgive yourself, let it go, and move on with what God knows about you this moment. Your goodness is all that registers in the eternal memory of Mind, which is the only memory that matters. The human so-called memory becomes as nothing.
It’s sometimes hard to move on when you are constantly beating yourself up over past mistakes, but this message today is incredibly freeing. God has no memory of these things so how can we! Evan I am so grateful for this thought which I feel is a breakthrough. Many thanks!
God has no memory because I AM THAT I AM, – there is only the present perfection of NOW, infinite good, infinite Love of which we are the full and glorious manifestation. In the same way there is nothing to fear, because fear is a false belief of a future in which God is no longer infinite. Similarly, there can be no consequences from past acts when we realise that I AM is always based on present good. As Evan says so beautifully “The one Mind of Love is capable only of knowing the presence of good, seeing good and beholding good.”
May I share https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2013/11/115-45/i-am-that-i-am the Word of God to ALL.
sorry unable to open the link to the full – I am not able to get JSH subscription online at this time – I desire to but unable.
Dear Nancy,
Here is a link that should work:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/mt0w1t4hhe?s=e
Thank you Ken for that so beautiful and true poem!
thank you Béatrice for your link, it is working well!
Today`s SpiritView, so so wonderful, dear Evan, it is really freeing – thanks so very much!
And today the comments are so inspiring, thank you all so much, too! With these lovely thoughts we will all have a very blessed day!
Thank you for better link, – will remember now!
Thank you Ken.
Thank you Evan and Commenters! This is exactly what I need for myself and for others who need the inspiration of Truth and Love as we understand God in Christian Science, especially those I visit in jail.
Truth has no memory of error for what purpose would that be? Great lesson today. Sometimes no always easy to understand, especially when we hold on to our false beliefs thinking that they might hold some element of truth.
I laughed out loud when I saw the picture – never has a gray rectangle seemed so inspiring! Thank you, Evan!
A great reminder, perfect for today and every day, all there is – is Love!
I realized this truth after having gone through a prodigal experience in my younger days , and looking back, it came to me that the sinful self was never any part of my true identity as a child of God. It was a false sense about myself that I had seem to live out but it was never really who I was. My innocence and childlike purity were intact and always my real being. This was so freeing! God sees us as we are!- innocent and pure forever!
Thank you Evan. The truths you have shared with us today also apply to those that are suffering from memories of sins others have committed against them. In those cases too isn’t freedom gained by understanding the truth about ourselves? By knowing ourselves as God knows us? Untouched in Truth and known as pure in Mind, Love.
A few days ago the exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 came to mind in which Jesus talks about being “born again”. Isn’t being born again the solution to healing past sins that we have either committed or endured? Being born of the Spirit washes away those memories when we give up the belief that we are material and living in a discordant material world and instead reason out from an understanding of God and how God knows us. We learn that those memories are not true about us but are just illusions that if accepted would hide the truth of our being as God knows us. As you proved in the radio interview story you shared with us a few days ago, when you realized a mistake was no part of your true being, “history” was literally re-written (i.e. the mistake filled interview was lost and you were called to re-do the interview), As we accept the truth about ourselves and others as God knows us we understand we are 100% spiritual, we can only act out or experience God’s goodness, and that frees us from the claims of a material, discordant existence. It’s literally like those memories get “washed away” (history is re-written) and once that is done we no longer have to suffer the consequences. Being “born again” means “starting new from a different viewpoint of reality” and that is tangible in our present experience.
Thank you Brian, that`s a very good idea: Being born anew but this time of Spirit, whashes away all erroneous memories and all what we seemingly did wrong – as really, God is and knows and created only g o o d, as also the Bible states so clearly! And what Evan says is all so wonderfully and absolutely correct. Am grateful for this blessing SpiritView! Have you all a blessed weekend! 🙂
This week’s lesson has the story of Nicodemus, – see /listen to https://youtu.be/yxFsPEg29GQ
Love this Topic….such an important one in enabling us to Move Forward in our Lives! For those of us who can’t always, at this point in their lives, lift our thought to such a high place of spiritual understanding, I have found that acknowledging to myself, to God and to another Human Being, the wrongs that have been uncovered in myself really helps me to feel forgiven and free so I can move on. Also, if I’ve done a wrong to another Human Being, having the courage to make direct Amends to them (in person, by phone or letter) also helps to cleanse the guilty feelings and allows me to move on. There’s nothing like telling the Truth about what’s there…..you can’t heal something you don’t Acknowledge! Feel, Deal and Heal!
P.S. I just wanted to add something: Sometimes the Absolute in Christian Science becomes a convenient means with which to cover up the Relative. By this I mean that many Human Christian Scientists have not yet reached the level of Absolute Spiritual Understanding and it can be so tempting to use the Absolute of “God doesn’t know anything about this” to cover up or deny wrong doing and therefore feel they haven’t Really done anything wrong. This can be a dangerous pitfall and temptation for those who are already so filled with guilt from not being able to live up to the high standards of Christian Science, that they can fool themselves into thinking they didn’t Really do anything wrong. It brings into play the difference between Psychological Denial and Spiritual Denial. Big difference between the two!
It’s all about
finding God…
within….
Many ways
and methods
succeed…
Christian Science
certainly does….
Because it’s
all about finding
God…..
About returning
to a place
you have always
been……
Maximo, once again you say so much with only the necessary words. The brevity sharpens the message, clarifies the beauty. With such appreciation.
Bevi, thank you for your common sense vs theories. It is definitely a needed commodity. in Christian Science.
Today’s Spiritview confirmed for me a healing of hurtful memories from an earlier time in my experience. Years of haunting memories just disappeared after a night when I was awakened from sleep almost like Jacob, struggling with memories and I clung to God, Truth and Love with all my heart. In the many months since I’ve felt Love’s presence, my innocence and the innocence of the other individual. Perfect peace, complete healing, forgiveness. Amen
Thank you, Evan. This is exactly what a dear one in our family needs to know. Much appreciation for you diligence in listening to God for the inspiration you share.
Thanks, Evan, for a wake-up call. And to Brian for your comment. We need not only to forgive ourselves but anyone else that may have caused us pain and unhappiness. Both can be a challenge.
I loved your poem, Ken, thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Evan and all. So good. And thank you, Ken….love in particular the statement you made about fear…. “fear is a false belief of a future in which God is no longer infinite.” Helps in realizing a healing.
I do know that it’s the absolute statements of Truth heals. But I , too, know and learned long ago…that in particular when dealing with others…especially non-Scientists and sometimes with CS ‘s as well…that we “think in the absolute and speak in the relative.”
I love this….but I kind of feel it could lead some people astray as they would cling to it and then “get themselves off the hook” so to speak. It just seems a little easy…I mean, looking up at the comments I guess I kind of agree with Bevi’s PS!!!! The spiritual truth of this blog post IS true…but I kind of feel there is a real purpose for guilt and sadness over wrong doing and that we should suffer a bit..I know you DO say this!…I guess Im just not sure about: “As soon as we act right the outcome is good, and the suffering vanishes”….SHOULD it immediately vanish? Doesn’t that seem kind of unfair to the abused one who was the victim of your actions?
There is no was
I found this SO helpful – thank you Evan
For many years I’ve had deep remorse for unkind and thoughtless words and actions I have committed, often to those who have passed on, so unable to ask forgiveness. Evan’s insights – today’s and others- have enabled me to come to terms and “begin anew” with a sincere desire to atone.
I’d say to Tricia that this has not been immediate, but the work of years, as understanding, and change in behaviour has come about
So, sincere thanks Evan
P.S. Can I just add that Evan does state “…it is freeing when, IN THE MIDDLE OF TAKING REFORMATORY STEPS, God is not holding the mistake against us”
Surely we cannot progress if we cover up or deny sin….that has certainly been my experience.