“The demands of God appeal to thought only.” (S&H) This is a radical departure from religious mores which would condemn or praise the act with no regard for the thought. As always, Jesus overturned the religious status quo. Following are two of many examples from the Sermon on the Mount: 1.) He expanded “Thou shalt not commit adultery” to include the lustful thought: “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” 2.) Jesus warned that the self-conscious act of giving alms may bring the praise of men, but loses the benediction of the Father.
Regarding adultery, the thought always precedes the act, so the real battleground as to do or don’t is in thought. Acknowledging the wrong thought as a broken moral law, one is less likely to indulge and nurture it, more likely to turn to the Father for help prior to any act. Having faced one’s depravity, one should be less likely to condemn another who has “fallen.” Surely this was the lesson taught by Jesus when he refused to support the stoning of a woman caught in the act of adultery and instead challenged her accusers: “He that is without sin cast the first stone.” Having their self-righteousness shattered, they all refrained and left the woman alone.
Regarding the giving of alms, the thought preceding the act determines whether it is a righteous act or a fundamentally self-serving one. The deed done so that others may praise the giver provides its own reward. But the deed done for God’s sake is in secret - “thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” The former strengthens worldly shackles, the latter strengthens one’s relationship with the Father and the spiritual freedom that accompanies it.
The professing Christian who ignores God’s appeal to thought might take notice of Jesus scathing rebuke to the respected scribes and Pharisees: “Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” Dead men’s bones and all uncleanness?? What a picture of unholy thoughts!
To discover the state of our own mental household, this will provide guidance for a lifetime: “Dost thou 'love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind'? This command includes much, even the surrender of all merely material sensation, affection, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master and material sense and human will have no place.“ (S&H - Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy)