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PSST: Live your Christlike identity today!
Possible Sunday School Topics for the Christian Science Bible Lesson on
“Adam and Fallen Man”
for May 8, 2021
by Lindsey Biggs, C.S of Maryland Heights, MO
540 460 3515 biggs.lindsey@gmail.com
P.S.S.T. for Golden Text
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” – Romans 8:16
God’s spirit – the Holy Ghost or Christ – is always bearing witness to our true identity. This witnessing enforces health, holiness, beauty, purpose, satisfaction, etc. We are the reflection of God. This is the underlying fact of our being. And God knows it.
God sent Christ Jesus to reveal who we really are as the image and likeness of God. God doesn’t accept limitation, failure, a flawed creation. God’s spirit enforces what God knows – our beautiful, perfect identity.
Imagine the strength that comes from God always witnessing who we truly are! So, even if we have days where we are not seeing it fully about ourselves, God IS witnessing what we are. And what God sees and knows is more powerful than any limitation we could think about ourselves.
P.S.S.T. for Responsive Reading – Live your Christly nature here and now
“ . . . The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. [Christ Jesus] – I Cor 14:45
Hence the absolute essential nature of Christ Jesus! Without him we wouldn’t know who and what we truly are! We wouldn’t be awake to the blessings that God has given us as children of God.
And we don’t have to wait. “Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God…” (I John 1:2)
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children] of God…Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (I John 1:1, 2)
It doesn’t give glory to God to accept anything else. Now we give glory to God by knowing and accepting that we are the spiritual image and likeness of God – capable, enabled, empowered by God and His Christ.
Then we have the call to what we can do here and now:
- Purify our thoughts and deeds
(And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. –I John 1:3) - Be righteous (have a consciousness that is right and good – aligned with God)
(he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.– I John 1:7) - Is not deceived (by the serpent) and does not commit sin (strives not to “miss the mark”) (I John 1:7, 9)
- Overcomes the world (is in the world but not of the world; overcomes all carnal/animality mindedness with spiritual mindedness; overcomes hate, fear, greed, etc.) (I John 5:4)
P.S.S.T. for Section 1 — Genesis 1: Perfect God, perfect man
We start out with a perfect view of creation – a perfect God and a perfect universe.
God creates light – so we can see clearly who and what we truly are and the Truth of being! (Notice how this contrasts with the mist in the next section).
God creates men and women in His own image and likeness – to be spiritual!
God endows them with the gift of dominion, not subjection.
This creation is very good, it is fruitful, and it manifests the spiritual power of God.
This is the ideal – the true model – we want to hold to mentally! We want to counteract anything that would tell us otherwise because the only authority it derives from are the physical senses, which is a house shifting on the sand; not a house built on the rock.
This is the universe as God sees it – spiritual, whole, and complete.
You may enjoy pointing out to your students that there is an exegesis on the book of Genesis that Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.
An exegesis is an: “exposition; explanation; interpretation; a discourse intended to explain or illustrate a subject.” (1828 Webster’s Dictionary)
In fact, it is one of the earliest pieces that she wrote. It explains Genesis 1 and 2 in greater detail and gives the reader an uplifted sense of the beautiful creation that God made. Many of the Science and Health citations in Section 1 are quotes from this exegesis!
P.S.S.T. for Section 2 – You are made by God, worthy and good
What role does mist play in Genesis 2? Are there times when there has been a “mist” mentally that has prevented your students from seeing their pure, spiritual nature clearly? How do we clear out the mist? With the sunlight of Truth!
Which account of creation do your students agree with? What are some things that try to make us go along with Genesis 2? What are some clear distinctions between Genesis 1 and 2? What about the “resources” God uses to create man and the way Eve is evolved?
“The second chapter of Genesis contains a statement of this material view of God and the universe, a statement which is the exact opposite of scientific truth as before recorded.” (cit. S8/ SH p. 521)
Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 were written by two different authors at two different time periods. So, even though they are compiled to seem like one linear story, Genesis 1 clearly stands out as distinct.
Genesis 1 also goes along with Isaiah’s vision for peace:
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind…be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”
(Isaiah 65:17, 18, 23–25)
“Everything good or worthy, God made.” (S13, SH p. 525) That includes both sons and daughters of God. We are all worthy of God’s love and tender, healing care.
P.S.S.T. for Section 3 – God blesses Her offspring
Does God curse Her creation for being misguided and making a mistake? No!
God always offers space for repentance. Repentance and reformation is always what God wants. Christ Jesus’ ministry most clearly shows us the nature of God. Christ Jesus always allowed for restoration, reformation, transformation, and healing! Think about the woman taken in adultery, or Zacchaeus climbing down from the tree with a nature transformed, or saying to the man who was unwell “your sins are forgiven.”
We see a merciful God, a kind and loving God, who always wants to restore Her children to wholeness.
If anyone gets the blame – it’s the serpent! Those subtle, sneaky thoughts that try to creep in. We want to watch and stand guard for those!
“Seeing this, we should have faith to fight all claims of evil, because we know that they are worthless and unreal.” (cit. S16/SH p. 529)
“Man is not made to till the soil. His birthright is dominion, not subjection. He is lord of the belief in earth and heaven, — himself subordinate alone to his Maker. This is the Science of being.” (cit. S17/SH p. 517)
From the video archives on ChristianScience.com, here is a video for all ages Creation Mythbusters.
P.S.S.T. for Section 4 – Childlikeness and humility show us the way
From the moment Christ Jesus steps onto the scene, we see this is an important figure that we are going to want to listen to. Immediately the spirit of God descends on him after he is baptized (see definition for baptism in the Glossary of Science and Health). We know that God’s power is with him and is going to be working through him to show all of us the Kingdom of Heaven and nature of our Father-Mother God.
“Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (cit. B9/ Mark 9:11) Isn’t this what God is saying to each of us? Yes, this is the true pronouncement on the children of God’s creating.
Jesus sits and eats with “publicans and sinners”. If he is so good and wonderful and such a great prophet, how could he do such a thing – wonders the Pharisees? Jesus replies, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) What more evidence do we need that God blesses Her children?
Jesus loved childlikeness, humbleness, and meekness. This shows the delight he took in such beautiful qualities. His Sermon on the Mount points to qualities such as purity, humility, and peacefulness. And he points us to the flowers and birds to show us how God cares for all.
Perhaps your class would enjoy a fresh look at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 – 7).
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” (Matthew 19:13, 14 NIV)
P.S.S.T. for Section 5 – Live the life that God gave you!
“‘As in Adam [error] all die, even so in Christ [Truth] shall all be made alive.’ The mortality of man is a myth, for man is immortal.” (cit. 26/SH p. 545)
Jesus proves the immortality of man in this healing – or in this case, girlhood and womanhood! I love these two back to back healings of girls and women (the women healed of the issue of blood). It’s like a rebuke to the Eve model – of woman as fallen away and separate from God or inferior. Jesus showed that God’s creation is a spiritual creation, so all ideas are loved, worthy, and valuable to God.
The book Stories of Healing has a great account of this healing with many inspirational ideas and historical context. You can find this book in your local Christian Science Reading Room!
Mary Baker Eddy tells us “Whatever indicates the fall of man or the opposite of God or God’s absence, is the Adam-dream…” (cit 28/SH p. 282). No wonder Christ came to wake us up from this belief and dream!
Your students may enjoy looking up the definition of serpent in the Glossary of Science and Health. There are also helpful definitions for Adam and Eve, too.
One part of this definition of serpent is the “the first lie of limitation” (Science and Health, p. 594)
No one wants to be limited! No limits!
Mary Baker Eddy tells us how: “The admission to one’s self that man is God’s own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea.” (cit. 29/ SH p. 90)
P.S.S.T. for Section 6 – Look to those spiritual and perfect models!
“Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.” Psalms 37:37 NLT
The KJV and NRSV use the term “mark the perfect man” (cit. B18). This word means observe, take heed, watch, etc.
Some of your students may be training to become leaders though programs such as the National Leadership Council or school affiliated programs. Their peers or other students may be looking up to them to see how to act and behave, and the good that happens as a result. They can be a model for others as well as having good role models for them.
“We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives….and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence…Let the ‘male and female’ of God’s creating appear.” (cit. S31/SH, p. 248)
This might spark a great discussion about who are their role models, and why do they look up to them? What are the qualities that they hope to emulate?
How does this relate back to Genesis? We want to have Genesis 1 as the model for thinking, and kick Genesis 2 out!
“The great truth in the Science of being, that the real man was, is, and ever shall be perfect, is incontrovertible;..”
Incontrovertible means: Indisputable; too clear or certain to admit of dispute. (1828 Webster’s Dictionary)
So, spiritually perfect is all that we can be! It’s all that we ever were! And it’s all that we ever will be. That is how Jesus healed instantly. He knew there was no man that needed to work out of a dream, but that the sons of daughters of God are now, whole and free.
Here is a healing after a baseball injury from TeenConnect that your students may enjoy
Batting down fear:
“I understood that as a spiritual idea of God, an expression of Love, I can experience joy and freedom because God is the source of those qualities. The injury healed quickly, and I was soon able to go back to practice and have a great season.”
Enjoy your classes!
