Free Will, Consequence, and the Divine Play
I. The Question of Freedom
I have been studying Spinoza recently. He was a brilliant philosopher, though perhaps he published some of his ideas before they were fully developed. What strikes me most about him is how he blurs the lines between free will and cause.
I, however, believe in free will. Yet I also see that free will operates within a larger law of consequence — a universal order so consistent that it cannot be ignored. Getting what you want will not always make you happy; sometimes, your choices plant seeds that bloom into sorrow. You can choose to steal, for example, but you cannot choose the ultimate outcome of that act.
II. The Universal Law of Consequence
Why is it that every hidden act eventually brings its result into the light? Because the universe is wired for this.
In the fourth chapter of Genesis, Cain kills his brother Abel. When God asks, “Cain, what did you do?” the answer is already written into the act itself. Cain is not prevented from committing the murder — his free will is intact — but the consequences are inescapable.
This principle is universal. You can call it karma, divine justice, or simply the moral fabric of the cosmos. The truth remains: every cause carries its effect. Even if no human ever sees what you did, the universe itself has already seen, and balance will be restored.
As Jesus said,
“For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.”
— Mark 4:22 (KJV)
Even the smallest act, like taking a pill in secret, reveals itself through its effects. The same is true of moral actions. What we do in secret eventually speaks for itself.
III. The Overseer and the Order
All of this points toward the existence of an Overseer — a consciousness through which this moral order exists. If you were to steal money from someone, you might think they’ll never notice. But eventually, you lose something even more valuable — peace, joy, integrity. The balance corrects itself, not through punishment, but through the nature of reality.
This is not superstition; it is mathematics of the soul. Every action generates a corresponding result. You can test it in your own life — but I do not recommend learning it the hard way.
IV. The Divine Expression
From this, I have come to believe something larger: you and I are expressions of God. As divine expressions, we are having personal experiences. When our experience is loving, it endures. When it is not, it dissolves.
This dissolution is what people often call hell — not a physical place of torment, but the vanishing of anything unloving, unreal, or selfish. What remains is love, because only love has eternal substance.
Ultimately, there is only one Actor playing every part. When the play is over and the stage is cleared, the Actor will remain — joyful, whole, and wiser for every role He has played.
V. The Enduring Joy
In that final scene, all the false things — greed, hatred, violence, even money — will be swept away and burned like stage props after a play. What endures is Joy. Love. Connection.
This is why Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and “The least shall be the greatest.” When we act from love — when we lend a hand, forgive, or give freely — those moments become eternal. When we turn away, those moments fade.
Joy endures because it aligns with the nature of God. To act with love is to participate in eternity.
VI. My Father’s Wisdom
Sixteen years ago, as my father was dying, he said something that changed my life:
“Mark, we are here for God’s pleasure; and everything else is for our pleasure.”
At the time, I didn’t fully understand it. But I have spent years unpacking its meaning.
God’s pleasure is in living through us. He is not a distant observer scanning the universe; He is the universe — living, breathing, and feeling through every being. That means even the dark and difficult parts of existence are roles within His divine drama.
As it is written:
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.”
— Isaiah 45:7 (KJV)
There is none beside Him. Every action, every life, every lesson is part of one unfolding story — God’s story — the story of Love discovering itself through experience.
VII. The Curtain Call
In the end, there will be only one thing worth achieving: Joy. And Joy will endure.
Our task is simple: act in Love, even in the smallest ways. Each loving act adds to the eternal, to God’s own pleasure, and therefore to our own.
We are the characters, but He is the Actor. And when the curtain finally falls, He will smile — for the Joy created in His play will never fade.
Final Reflection
Free will is real. Consequences are real. And the greatest truth of all is this: every act of Love is eternal.
Live accordingly — for you are God’s expression, here for His pleasure, and everything else is for yours.
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