Why did Mary Baker Eddy see redemption as a long and demanding process?

Mary Baker Eddy viewed redemption as a long and demanding process because she believed that overcoming the limitations of the mortal state requires a fundamental shift in perception. In Christian Science, the ordinary materialist view of the world is considered a false sense of reality resulting from inadequate human perception.1

Eddy argued that sin is a denial of God’s sovereignty, rooted in the erroneous belief that life and mind evolve from matter rather than from spirit. Consequently, achieving redemption involves gaining "the mind of Christ"—an understanding of humanity’s true spiritual status—which necessitates looking beyond material appearances to a demonstrable spiritual reality. Because this process requires individuals to actively cultivate Christian virtues such as patience, humility, repentance, and cross-bearing, Eddy characterized it as a rigorous and ongoing journey rather than an instantaneous event.1