Spiritual Freedom

 


XVI. Freedom of Choice
(Spiritual equilibrium as the condition of human responsibility and regeneration)

1. Doctrinal Core
Human beings possess freedom of choice in spiritual matters, and that this freedom is maintained by the Lord through a state of equilibrium between heaven and hell. Without this freedom, there could be no repentance, no faith, no charity, no imputation, and no conjunction with the Lord.
True doctrine teaches that:

  • people are not life, but recipients of life from God,
  • freedom exists because people are held midway between good and evil,
  • freedom is preserved even though evil is restrained by laws,
  • and anything not received in freedom does not remain.

Therefore, freedom of choice is the indispensable foundation of all spiritual life.

2. The Literal Message of the Word
True doctrine teaches:

  • People must be free to choose good or evil.
  • God does not force belief, goodness, or repentance.
  • Spiritual freedom exists because influences from heaven and hell are balanced.
  • If people were forced to believe or do good, nothing spiritual would last.

In short:
Without freedom of choice, there could be no real faith, no real love, and no salvation.

3. Spiritual Message of the Word
Spiritually, true doctrine reveals that:

  • the Lord continually maintains a balance between heavenly and infernal influences,
  • this balance protects human individuality and responsibility,
  • and it allows people to turn freely toward heaven or hell.

Freedom does not mean absence of influence; it means balanced influence.
In heaven, freedom is the joy of loving what is good. In hell, freedom is the compulsion to love what is evil.
On earth, freedom exists because neither side is allowed to dominate.

4. Psychological Meaning
Psychologically, freedom of choice corresponds to:

  • the ability to reflect on motives,
  • the capacity to resist impulses,
  • and the experience of deliberation.

When freedom is denied:

  • responsibility collapses,
  • guilt becomes meaningless,
  • and growth is impossible.

When freedom is recognized:

  • conscience develops,
  • self-examination becomes possible,
  • and moral identity can form.

Freedom is not ease - it is the condition for change.

5. Regenerative Process
(What changes in a person over time)
In regeneration, freedom of choice operates by:

  • Putting off:
    • fatalistic beliefs (“I can’t change”),
    • coercive religion,
    • passivity disguised as humility.
  • Putting on:
    • responsibility for one’s choices,
    • cooperation with Divine help,
    • deliberate resistance to known evils.

This process is gradual because:

  • habits resist interruption,
  • freedom must be exercised repeatedly,
  • and regeneration requires sustained choice.

The Lord provides power; the person provides consent.

6. Daily Life Application
(How true doctrine lives in practice)
In daily life, true doctrine teaches a person to:

  • stop blaming nature, fate, or God for moral failure,
  • recognize moments of genuine choice,
  • resist evils because they are sins,
  • and accept responsibility for spiritual direction.

It supports:

  • accountability,
  • moral seriousness,
  • and confidence that change is possible.

7. Common Misunderstandings Corrected
(What true doctrine is NOT saying)
Being a Christian does not mean:

  • that people save themselves,
  • that Divine help is absent,
  • that freedom is independence from God,
  • or that all choices are equally good.

It explicitly rejects:

  • predestination,
  • irresistible grace,
  • denial of human responsibility,
  • and deterministic theology.

8. Doctrinal Connections
True doctrine governs:

  • Repentance - impossible without freedom
  • Faith - belief must be chosen
  • Charity - love must be voluntary
  • Regeneration - change through cooperation
  • Imputation - responsibility requires freedom
  • Providence - order without compulsion

Without freedom of choice, salvation becomes either mechanical or unjust.

9. In Short:
Freedom of choice in spiritual matters is essential to human life and salvation. The Lord preserves this freedom by holding people in equilibrium between heaven and hell, so that faith, repentance, charity, and regeneration may be freely chosen and truly lived.




BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS


©2026 TrueChristianity.AI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

johntkreitzer.html