J Heinrich Arnold-Freedom from sinful thoughts.pdf

FREEDOM FROM SINFUL THOUGHTS -P U R I F I C A T I O Nitself for God’s sake and leaves all things, then it finds itselfagain in God because God dawns upon it – and only then doesthe soul know itself and all things in God…Anyone who lets go of things in their trivial and incidentalnature will possess them in their pure, eternal nature. Whoeverhas let go of them in their lower nature, in which they areperishable, will receive them again in God, in whom they havetheir true being…It is an unmistakable sign of the light of grace when someoneturns of his free will away from the transitory toward thehighest good – God. Such a soul does not seek outside itself, butin the school of the heart, for it knows that there the Holy Spiritteaches it the things that lead to its blessedness…It tries to do all its works as perfectly as possible in accordancewith God’s will…and strives always to have a clear conscience bydisdaining worldly doings and loving suffering, so that gracemay increase in it and the evil desire of the flesh may decrease.When people hear the word “flesh,” they tend to thinkright away of their sexuality, or perhaps excessive foodand drink. But that is not the only meaning of the word.Certainly, sexual immorality and gluttony are “of theflesh,” but so is self-righteousness, hypocrisy, andeverything else in us that is of the ego – everything thatis not of Christ. Purification means asking God againand again for help in overcoming the flesh – in particular,our spiritual pride. Pride is the worst form of theflesh, because it leaves no room in the heart for God.67