2024/11/25

171. One's Own Will

"The Evil of Self-will", the second theme of Admonitions, attributed to St Francis of Assisi, is as follows.

"The Lord God said to Adam: 'Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat.' Adam therefore might eat of every tree of paradise and so long as he did not offend against obedience he did not sin. For one eats of the tree of knowledge of good who appropriates to himself his own will and prides himself upon the goods which the Lord publishes and works in him and thus, through the suggestion of the devil and transgression of the commandment, he finds the apple of the knowledge of evil; wherefore, it behooves that he suffer punishment."¹ 

To create man after His likeness, God gave him a will. He breathed into him the "breath of life" and caused the "tree of life" to grow in the middle of the Garden. That is what Francis wrote: "Adam therefore might eat of every tree of paradise and so long as he did not offend against obedience he did not sin." However, "information" had already been developed between two people, and they understood what God had commanded falsely. They understood that they "shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden" (Genesis 3:3). Therefore, they did not eat from the "tree of life", then the "breath of life" and the "tree of life" were never united, resulting in them not being able to make the God-given will their own. Instead, by eating from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil", man's knowledge, which evolves through "human information", was linked to the "breath of life", and they obtained their "own will". That knowledge certainly belongs to the person, but the spontaneity belongs to God. 

On the other hand, the Holy Spirit is constantly working on the believer to collaborate. Among believers touched by His power, there will be someone who "prides himself upon the goods which the Lord publishes and works in him". That is because he "appropriates to himself his own will". The fruit of such a person, even if a believer, becomes "the apple of the knowledge of evil". Thus, he is to receive punishment. But God, the Saviour of all, has nothing to do with sin or punishment. Social ethics, rules, etc., namely, man's knowledge, punish him. 

God guarantees the freedom of man's "own will", having created him after His likeness. But that does not mean that God bestowed man with free will. God bestowed man with the "divine spontaneity" appropriate to him. It was the "breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). By having it breathed into him by God, and by this spontaneity being united with the "tree of life", man comes to live in the likeness of God. Freedom originates in divine spontaneity. The "will" is a kind of compound, so to speak, of God-given spontaneity and knowledge. So, for the freedom of God-given spontaneity to be exhibited in one's "will", it must be united with the knowledge suitable for it. It can be no other than divine revelation. 

Francis knew that the knowledge of man is good and evil because he saw that the "human information" expressed between people can be good or evil, depending on the recipient. Even if this "human information" is tied to God-given spontaneity, it is still bound to good and evil and never generates free will. Divine revelation is divine knowledge, the Word of Jesus Christ and the truth. That is why Jesus said: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). 

The Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13), who guides the faithful to all the truth so that they may abide in the words of Jesus, is always with them. Therefore, we can say that the very moment the believer works with the Holy Spirit, his free will is exhibited. Distinguishing between divine revelation and "human information", i.e. between the work of the Holy Spirit and "human information", which Francis practised, as we saw in the previous discussion, is a prerequisite for this. For this purpose, the Book of Revelation is in the New Testament. 

To be continued.

Maria K. M. 

1. St Francis of Assisi, Admonitions, "The Evil of Self-will",  https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/assisi-the-writings-of-saint-francis-of-assisi.