1. Date of Lesson

2. Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

3. Lesson Sermon — The Bible

4. Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

5. The Daily Duties

6. About the preparation of this lesson

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Subject — Love

GOLDEN TEXT: I John 3 : 1

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

RESPONSIVE READING: I John 3 : 7 • I John 4 : 6-11

7.     Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

6.     We are of God.

7.     Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8.     He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9.     In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10.     Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11.     Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Lesson Sermon

The Bible

1. I John 4 : 16, 17, 19-21

16     And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17     Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

19     We love him, because he first loved us.

20     If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21     And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

2. Matthew 22 : 37 (to said), 37 (Thou)-40

37     Jesus said ... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38     This is the first and great commandment.

39     And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40     On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

3. Matthew 5 : 1, 2, 43-48

1     And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2     And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

43     Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44     But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45     That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46     For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47     And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48     Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

4. Acts 10 : 1-5, 7-15, 19, 20, 23, 24 (to 1st .), 25, 26, 28, 34, 35

1     There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

2     A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

3     He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4     And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

5     And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

7     And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

8     And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

9     On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10     And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11     And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12     Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13     And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14     But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15     And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

19     While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20     Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

23     Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24     And the morrow after they entered into Cæsarea.

25     And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

26     But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

28     And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

34     Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35     But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

5. I John 5 : 2-4 (to :)

2     By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3     For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4     For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:

6. Romans 8 : 28, 31, 35, 37-39

28     And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

31     What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

35     Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

37     Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38     For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39     Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Science and Health

1. 572 : 6-8, 12 (to ,)

"Love one another" (I John, iii. 23), is the most simple and profound counsel of the inspired writer.

Love fulfils the law of Christian Science,

2. 6 : 17-18

"God is Love." More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go.

3. 19 : 6-11

Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine Principle of Jesus' teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit, — the law of divine Love.

4. 516 : 9-13

God fashions all things, after His own likeness. Life is reflected in existence, Truth in truthfulness, God in goodness, which impart their own peace and permanence. Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light.

5. 112 : 32 (As)-8

As there is but one God, there can be but one divine Principle of all Science; and there must be fixed rules for the demonstration of this divine Principle. The letter of Science plentifully reaches humanity to-day, but its spirit comes only in small degrees. The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love. Without this, the letter is but the dead body of Science, — pulseless, cold, inanimate.

6. 454 : 10 only, 17-24

Love is enthroned.

Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must "have her perfect work."

7. 57 : 22-30

Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affection, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven.

8. 266 : 6-19

Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love. When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth. Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for "man's extremity is God's opportunity." The author has experienced the foregoing prophecy and its blessings. Thus He teaches mortals to lay down their fleshliness and gain spirituality. This is done through self-abnegation. Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.

9. 242 : 15-20

Self-love is more opaque than a solid body. In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error, — self-will, self-justification, and self-love, — which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death.

10. 234 : 4-16

Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love — be it song, sermon, or Science — blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ's table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty.

We should become more familiar with good than with evil, and guard against false beliefs as watchfully as we bar our doors against the approach of thieves and murderers. We should love our enemies and help them on the basis of the Golden Rule; but avoid casting pearls before those who trample them under foot, thereby robbing both themselves and others.

11. 326 : 8-14

All nature teaches God's love to man, but man cannot love God supremely and set his whole affections on spiritual things, while loving the material or trusting in it more than in the spiritual.

We must forsake the foundation of material systems, however time-honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only Saviour.

12. 88 : 18-20

To love one's neighbor as one's self, is a divine idea; but this idea can never be seen, felt, nor understood through the physical senses.

13. 239 : 5-10, 16-22

Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.

To ascertain our progress, we must learn where our affections are placed and whom we acknowledge and obey as God. If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit. The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning.

14. 518 : 13-23

God gives the lesser idea of Himself for a link to the greater, and in return, the higher always protects the lower. The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good. Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud. All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality — infinite Life, Truth, and Love.

15. 45 : 16-21

Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.

The Daily Duties

by Mary Baker Eddy

Daily Prayer

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to pray each day: "Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 4

A Rule for Motives and Acts

Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 1

Alertness to Duty

It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged, — and justified or condemned.

Church Manual, Article VIII, Sect. 6

Take Notice

To Christian Scientists: — See Science and Health, page 442, line 30, and give daily attention thereto.

from Miscellany, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 237

“Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake.”

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 422

This Bible Lesson was prepared by Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent. It is composed of Scriptural Quotations from the King James Bible and Correlative Passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 1910 Edition, by Mary Baker Eddy.

Copyright 2024 Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent

Table of Contents

Sunday, February 4th, 2024 — Subject: Love

Date of Lesson

Subject, Golden Text, and Responsive Reading

Lesson Sermon — The Bible

Lesson Sermon — Science and Health

The Daily Duties

About the preparation of this lesson