fr-Chapter 40 - The Forces of Good and Evil

The Origin of Good and Evil

1. When the Father created you, He placed you on the first rung of the heavenly ladder so that you might have the opportunity to truly know and understand your Creator as you travel this path. But how few began the upward path of development upon leaving the first rung of the ladder! Most joined together in their disobedience and rebelliousness, made poor use of the gift of freedom, and did not heed the voice of conscience; they allowed themselves to be dominated by matter and thus, through their emanations, created a power—that of evil—and dug an abyss into which, through their influence, they were compelled to drag their brothers and sisters, who began a bloody struggle between their weaknesses and depravities and their longing for elevation and purity. (35, 38)

2. Original sin does not stem from the union of man and woman. I, the Creator, ordained this union when I said to both of them: "Be fruitful and multiply." This was the first law. The sin lay in the misuse that humans made of the gift of free will. (99, 62)

3. The "flesh" fears the struggle with the soul and seeks a way to tempt it through the pleasures of the world, in order to prevent its liberation or at least to delay it. Behold how man has his own tempter within himself! That is why I have said that if he conquers himself, he has won the battle. (97, 37)

4. In this time, when even the air, the soil, and the water are poisoned by the evil deeds of men—how few are those who do not allow themselves to be infected by evil or by darkness! (144, 44)

5. The lament of humanity reaches Me; the anguish of children, youths, men and women of mature age, and the elderly rises up. It is the cry demanding justice, a supplication for peace and mercy that emanates from the spirit. For the seed of love in this world has been corrupted, and do you know where love is now? In the innermost depths of the human heart, so deep within that man cannot discover it, because hatred, the lust for power, science, and vanity have crushed the seed, and there is neither spirituality nor mercy. The cup of suffering grows ever fuller, and the world drinks it to the dregs. (218, 12)

6. From altar to altar, from rite to rite, and from sect to sect, people wander in their longing for the bread of life, without finding it, and out of disappointment they become blasphemers, take aimless paths, and live without God and without law.

7. But consider, O people, that among them are the great souls, that I discover among them the prophets and disciples of the Holy Spirit! (217, 49)

8. Within the denominations, people acknowledge the power of evil and have personified it in human form. They attribute a mighty kingdom to it and have given it various names. People are afraid when they believe it is near, without understanding that the temptation is rooted in the passions, in weaknesses, that both good and evil stir within the human heart.

9. Evil prevails in the world at this time and has created a force, a power, that manifests itself in everything. And in the spiritual realm there are legions of imperfect, confused souls inclined toward evil and vengeance, whose power unites with human wickedness to form the realm of evil.

10. That power opposed Jesus in the "Second Era" and showed Him its kingdom. My "flesh," sensitive to all things, was tempted, but my spiritual strength overcame the temptation; for I had to be the Conqueror of the world, of the "flesh," of temptation, and of death, because I was the Master who came down to humanity to set an example of strength. (182, 42-43)

11. By the peace you feel in your soul, you can recognize My presence. No one but Me can give you true peace. A spiritual being from the darkness could not bestow it upon you. I tell you this because many hearts fear the snares of a seductive being to whom people have given life and form according to their imagination.

12. How wrongly has the existence of the Prince of Darkness been interpreted! How many have ultimately believed more in his power than in Mine, and how far from the truth have people been in doing so!

13. Evil exists; from it all vices and sins have arisen; that is to say: those who do evil have always existed, both on Earth and in other abodes or worlds. But why do you personify all existing evil in a single being, and why do you set it against the Deity? I ask you: What is an impure being before My absolute and infinite power, and what does your sin even mean in the face of My perfection?

14. Sin did not originate in the world. When the spirits emerged from God, some remained in goodness, while others, having strayed from this path, created a different one—that of evil.

15. The words and parables that were given to you in earlier times as a revelation in symbols have been misinterpreted by humanity. The intuitive knowledge that people had of the supernatural was influenced by their imagination, and so, little by little, they built up around the power of evil sciences, cults, superstitions, and myths that persist to this day.

16. No devils can come from God; you have conceived them with your minds. The idea you have of that being whom you constantly set against Me as an adversary is false.

17. I have taught you to watch and pray so that you may free yourselves from temptations and evil influences, which may come from both human beings and spiritual beings.

18. I have told you that you must place the soul above the "flesh," for the flesh is a weak creature that is constantly in danger of falling if you do not watch over it. The heart, the mind, and the senses are open doors through which the passions of the world scourge the soul.

19. If you have imagined the beings of darkness to be like monsters, I see them only as imperfect creatures to whom I extend My hand to save them, for they too are My children. (114, 54-62)

20. Whenever you do something good, you say, "I am noble, I am generous, I am charitable; that is why I do this." I tell you: If you were to do those works in the name of your Lord, you would be humble, for goodness comes from God, and I have bestowed it upon your soul.

21. Therefore, whoever attributes his good deeds to his human heart denies his soul and the One who endowed it with these virtues.

22. When, on the other hand, you do something evil, you wash your hands like Pilate, and you shift the blame for that deed onto the Father, saying: "It was God's will, it was written; God wanted it, it is fate."

23. You say that nothing happens without God's will, to absolve yourselves of your faults. But truly, I tell you, you are mistaken, for your faults, your wretchedness, occur without God's will.

24. Recognize that the Almighty never compels you by force or through His power. You do this to your weaker brothers and sisters.

25. Truly, I tell you, evil, dishonesty, and lack of harmony are your own; love, patience, and peace of mind come from God.

26. Whenever you love, it is the Creator of your soul who inspires you. When you hate, however, it is you—it is your weakness—that drives you and brings you down. Whenever something evil happens in your life, you can be sure that it is your own doing.

27. Yet then you ask yourselves: Why does God allow this? Does He not suffer because of our sins? Does He not weep when He sees us weeping? What would it cost Him to spare us these downfalls?

28. I tell you: As long as you do not love, God will be something to you that you cannot comprehend, because the magnanimity of your Creator lies beyond your understanding.

29. Become strong, great, wise; learn to love. When you love, you will no longer have the childish desire to fathom God, for then you will see Him and feel Him, and this will be enough for you. (248, 29-32)

Pride and Humility

30. Make humility one of your best allies in order to achieve spiritual ascent. For the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the realm of the Spirit, are completely closed to the proud. He has never passed through them, nor will he ever succeed in doing so. But if he becomes humble, I will be the first to praise him, and it will be My mercy that opens the door to eternity for him. (89, 45)

31. Now follows another of My teachings, disciples: Truly, I tell you, when you feel strong, great, or superior, you distance yourselves from Me, for your pride stifles the feeling of humility. But when you feel small, when you realize that you are like atoms in the midst of My creation, then you draw near to Me; for because of your humility, you admire Me, you love Me, and you feel Me close to you. Then you think of all that is great and unfathomable that God holds within Himself and that you would gladly know and experience. It seems to you as if you were hearing the echo of a divine whisper in your soul. (248, 22)

32. Disciple: When a person possesses true knowledge of the works he has done, he does not allow himself to be blinded by vanity. He knows that—should this base feeling penetrate his being—his intelligence would be clouded and he would no longer be able to progress on the path of development; he would come to a standstill and sink into lethargy.

33. Vanity has ruined many people, destroyed many flourishing nations, and brought your cultures to ruin.

34. As long as nations held energy, competence, and progress as ideals, they experienced abundance, splendor, and prosperity. But when pride made them feel superior, when their ideal of upward development was replaced by insatiable ambition to possess everything for themselves, they began, step by step, without realizing it and without intending to, to destroy everything they had built, and finally plunged into the abyss.

35. The history of humanity is full of such experiences. Therefore, I tell you that it is right for a people with great ideals to arise in the world—one that, though always conscious of its good works, does not take pride in them. In this way, its progress will not be hindered, and the splendor achieved thus far will be surpassed tomorrow and increased again later.

36. When I speak to you in this way, I am not merely trying to inspire you with material goals: I want my words to be interpreted correctly so that you may know how to apply them to the spiritual as well as to the material.

37. Vanity can afflict people not only in their material lives, and as proof of what I am telling you, consider the downfalls and failures of the great denominations, whose very foundations have been gnawed away by vanity, pride, and their false splendor. Whenever they believed themselves to be at the height of their power, someone came and shook them awake from their dreams, revealing to them their errors, their deviations, and their straying from the law and from the truth.

38. Only through the true knowledge and fulfillment of My Law in the light of conscience will this humanity be able to ascend to a higher life; for the conscience, which is My light, is perfect, is unclouded, is just—it will never be vain or take crooked paths. (295, 18–24)

The Good, the Person of Good Will

39. Let all of you come to know Me, so that no one may deny Me—recognize Me, so that your conception of God may be based on truth and you may know that where the Good manifests itself, there I am.

40. The Good does not mix with anything. The Good is truth, is love, is mercy, is understanding. The Good is clearly recognizable and unmistakable. Recognize it, so that you may not err.

41. Every person may follow a different path; but when they all converge at a single point, which is the good, they will eventually recognize one another and unite.

42. Not so if they stubbornly deceive themselves by giving the good the appearance of evil and masking evil as good, as is the case with the people of this time. (329, 45–47)

43. For nearly 2,000 years you have repeated that phrase which the shepherds of Bethlehem heard: "Peace on earth to people of good will"; yet when have you put good will into practice to earn a right to peace? Truly, I tell you, you have done rather the opposite.

44. You have lost the right to repeat this phrase; therefore, I come today with new words and teachings, so that it is not phrases and expressions that are imprinted on your minds, but the meaning of My teaching, which is to penetrate your hearts and your spirits.

45. If you wish to repeat My words just as I give them to you, do so; yet know this: as long as you do not feel them, they will have no power whatsoever. Speak them with deep feeling and humility, feel them resonate within your hearts, and then I will answer you in such a way that I will cause your entire being to tremble. (24, 33-34)

46. I say to you once more: Peace to people of good will who love the truth, for they are doing something to submit to the divine will. And those who place themselves under My protection must inevitably feel My presence—both in their souls and in their human lives, in their struggles, in their needs, in their trials.

47. People of good will are children who obey their Father's law. They walk the right path, and when they suffer greatly, they lift their souls to Me in longing for forgiveness and peace.

48. They know that pain is often necessary, and therefore they endure it with patience. Only when it becomes unbearable do they ask that the burden of their cross be lightened. "Lord," they say to Me, "I know that my soul needs purification and suffering in order to develop upward. You know better than I do what I need. You cannot give me anything I do not need. Therefore, let Your will be done in me."

49. Blessed are those who think and pray in this way, for they seek the example of their Master to apply it to the trials of their lives. (258, 52-53)

Evil, the human being fallen to evil

50. In this age, the influence of evil is greater than that of good. Therefore, the force that prevails in humanity is that of evil, from which spring selfishness, lies, immorality, pride, schadenfreude, destruction, and all base passions. From this disturbed moral equilibrium arise the diseases that torment humanity.

51. People have no weapons to fight against these forces. They have been defeated and taken captive into the abyss of a life without spiritual light, without healthy joy, without a striving for the good.

52. Just now, when man believes he stands at the pinnacle of knowledge, he does not know that he is in the abyss.

53. I, who know your beginning and your future in eternity, gave humanity weapons from the earliest times with which they could fight against the forces of evil. But they despised them and preferred the battle of evil against evil, in which no one wins, for all will emerge defeated.

54. It is written that evil will not retain its dominance, which means that at the end of time, it will be good that triumphs.

55. If you ask Me what the weapons were with which I equipped humanity to fight against the forces or influences of evil, I tell you that they were prayer, perseverance in the Law, faith in My Word, and love for one another. (40, 65-70)

56. Evil has grown among men, My people. Goodness, virtue, and love have been weak in the face of the invasion of evil, of diseases, plagues, epidemics, and misfortunes. All that which is the seed of the corrupt has infected the hearts of the good, has caused many to stumble, has decimated the ranks of the faithful, because evil has exercised great power over humanity.

57. I have allowed this to happen for the sake of the free will granted to you. For behind all the corruption, all the darkness, and the blindness of humanity, there is a divine light—the Spirit—which does not fade and will never fade. There is an original essence, which is the soul of light, that preserves unblemished the kiss the Father gave it—which is the divine seal with which I have sent all my children out on the path of struggle. Through this mark, none of these souls will be lost. (345, 11–12)

The Struggle Between Good and Evil

58. You have also been astonished at the violence that men and women have displayed in their wickedness throughout all the ages of your human existence. The book of your history has recorded their names. In the book of remembrance of your existence, in the book in which God records and preserves all your deeds and all your works, their names are likewise contained, and you have marveled that a soul, a human heart, can harbor so much power for evil, can maintain so much courage as not to shudder at its own deeds; that it can silence the voice of its conscience so as not to hear God's demand for accountability, which He requires of all His children through that very conscience. And how often has the life journey of those souls on this planet been long and enduring.

59. These people, who have opposed My love and My justice by virtue of their free will, I have used and made use of their very disobedience to make them My servants. Believing they were acting freely, all their thoughts, words, and deeds were an instrument of My justice—both in regard to themselves and to others.

60. But when will that dominion end? — The Father tells you: The dominion of evil has never (completely) ruled over humanity, for even in times of greatest depravity there were people faithful to Me who were obedient to My teaching, and apostles of My Law. But the struggle has always existed from the very beginning.

61. Which of those two forces has been superior in the struggle so far? That of evil! Therefore, I had to make Myself physically audible among you to assist you , to revive your hope and your faith in Me, to give warmth to your hearts, and to tell you: You are not alone on the path; I have never lied to you. You must never alter the principles I have placed within you. This is the path of goodness and love. (345, 48-49)

62. Behold how My light dispels the mists of your world. I do fight against people, but only to eradicate all the evil that dwells in their hearts. I will place the light and the power of My love within those who faithfully follow Me, and they will then say: "Let us seek the dragon that lies in wait for us—the beast that leads us to sin and to offend the Lord." They will seek it on the seas, in the desert, on the mountains, and in the forests, in the unseen, and will not find it, for it lives in the heart of man. Only this has begotten it, and there it has grown until it has come to rule the earth.

63. When the flash of my light sword pierces the heart of every person, the power emanating from evil will grow ever weaker until it fades away. Then you will say: "Lord, with the divine power of Your mercy, I have defeated the dragon whom I believed was lurking from the unseen, without realizing that I carried him within my own heart."

64. When wisdom shines forth in all people—who will then dare to distort good into evil? Who will then exchange the eternal for the transitory? Truly, I tell you: no one; for you will all be strong in divine wisdom. Sin is merely the result of ignorance and weakness. (160, 51–54)

Temptations and Seductions

65. Humanity tends to many kinds of "trees"; the hunger and misery of people lead them to seek shade and fruit from these trees, which offer them salvation, justice, or peace. These trees are the teachings of men, which are often inspired by hatred, selfishness, the lust for power, and megalomania. Their fruits are death, blood, destruction, and the desecration of the most sacred aspect of human life, which is the freedom of faith, thought, and speech—in a word: the theft of one's spiritual freedom. It is the dark powers that rise up to fight against the light. (113, 52–53)

66. I have told you, beloved Israel, that the time will come when evil mouthpieces will rise up to grant access to a false Jesus, and in their materialistic pursuits they will deceive and claim that the Master speaks through them. False "leaders" and false "prophets," false "soldiers," will arise who, with their words and material ambitions, will seek to lead you astray from the path of light and truth. (346, 38)

67. Pray, and recognize that now is the time when My justice and My light have stirred up all the dark powers. This is a difficult and perilous time, for even the beings who dwell in darkness will present themselves among you as beings of light in order to seduce you and confuse you. I give you my light so that you may not stray from the path, nor allow yourselves to be deceived by those who misuse my name.

68. The deceivers are not only invisible beings; you will also find them incarnated in people who speak to you of teachings that feign light but are in contradiction to My teachings. You must not give them any heed. (132, 7-8)

69. My Kingdom is strong and mighty, and if I have permitted another power—that of evil—to rise up before My strength and My power, it is to prove Mine; so that in the face of deception and darkness, you may experience and see the power of My light and My truth. It happens so that you may recognize that that kingdom of the dark shadows of delusions and temptations, though it possesses great power, is My instrument, and that in reality I make use of it.

70. When I test you, it is not to hold you back on your path of development, for I await your arrival in My Kingdom. But I want you to come to Me victorious after the battles, to be strong after the struggle, filled with the light of spiritual experience after the long pilgrimage, full of merits in the Spirit, so that you may humbly lift your face and behold the Father at the moment when He draws near to give you His divine kiss — a kiss that contains all happiness and all perfection for your soul. (327, 8-9)

Moral Crimes

71. People, people, all of you who clash with one another! I have found you denying your wickedness and boasting of what you consider greatness, while you hide your blemishes. Yet I tell you that the person who considers himself praiseworthy in his apparent greatness is spiritually poor. And to those who, for lack of virtue, slander the faults of others and judge the transgressions of strangers, I must say that they are hypocrites and are very far from justice and truth.

72. Not only do those murder who take the life of the body, but also those who tear the heart apart through slander. Those who kill the feelings of the heart, faith, and the ideal are murderers of the soul. And how many of them live freely, without prison and without chains.

73. Do not be surprised that I speak to you thus, for I see among you broken homes, because, neglecting your duties, you have taken on new commitments outside of them, without caring for the pain and abandonment of your loved ones. Look around you: how many broken homes are there, how many women in vice, and how many children without a father. How could tenderness and love exist in those hearts? Do you not think that the one who has destroyed the happiness of those people and shattered what was sacred is a criminal?

74. You have become so accustomed to evil that you even call those who invent these new weapons of death "great," because they can destroy millions of human lives in an instant. And you even call them scholars. Where is your reason in all this? One can be great only through the spirit, and learned only those who walk the path of truth. (235, 36-39)

The Powerlessness and Transience of Evil

75. Great, very great is human depravity in your eyes; the power and might of evil that people wield seem terrible to you; and yet I tell you that it is weak in the face of the power of My justice, in the face of My divinity, which is Lord of destiny, of life, of death, and of all creation. (54, 70)

76. Only a being who were almighty like Me could fight against Me. But do you believe that if a deity were to emerge from Me, it would be against Me? Or do you perhaps believe that it can arise from nothing? Nothing can come forth from nothing.

77. I am All and was never born. I am the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega of all creation.

78. Can you imagine that one of the beings I have created could rise up to become God? All creatures have limits, and to be God, it is necessary to have no limits. Whoever has harbored those dreams of power and greatness has fallen into the darkness of his own pride. (73, 34-35)

79. Truly, I tell you, there is no power you can set against My love. The enemies prove to be pitiful, the opposing forces are weak, and the weapons that have sought to fight against truth and justice have always been fragile.

80. The battle waged by the forces of evil against Divine Justice has seemed to you an endless conflict. And yet—in the face of eternity, it will be like a moment, and the transgressions committed during the time of your soul's imperfection will be like a small stain that your virtue and My loving justice will erase forever. (179, 12–13)

The Power of Forgiveness

81. All of you, I ask you, and in doing so I regard this people here as your representatives: When will you rise up within yourselves, love one another, and forgive one another's offenses? When will there finally be peace on your planet?

82. Forgiveness, which springs from love, is taught solely by My doctrine, and it possesses a mighty power to transform evil into good, to convert the sinner into a virtuous person, and to transform him.

83. Learn to forgive, and you will have the beginning of peace in your world. If it were necessary to forgive a thousand times, you should do so a thousand times. Are you not aware that reconciliation at the right time spares you from drinking a cup of suffering? (238, 12-14)

84. As long as you are human, remember Me on that cross, how I forgave My executioners, blessed them, and healed them, so that throughout your entire difficult journey through life, you may likewise bless those who wrong you and do all possible good to those who have done you harm. Whoever acts in this way is My disciple, and truly, I tell him that his pain will always be but brief, for I will let him feel My strength in the moments of his trial. (263, 56)

85. Forgive one another, and in doing so you will find relief for yourselves and for the one who has wronged you. Do not carry the burden of hatred or resentment in your soul; be pure of heart, and you will have discovered the secret of peace and will live as apostles of My truth. (243, 63)