The Divine Law

Perhaps no other phrase is used as much in the books of the Fraternitas Rosæ
Crucis as the Divine Law.

There is nothing particularly mysterious about the Divine Law. It is simply the
Universal Operating Law of Creation. It is a Law of Universal Balance, a Law of
Equal Exchange. Each great spiritual teacher of humanity has taught its basic
principles and adapted them to the people of the time. While each of these
interpretations may seem to vary since they were conceived for a specific time
and group of people, the underlying Law does not, and cannot, change. Divine
Law is unchangeable because it is the only Law that allows the present state
of Creation to exist. There is nothing arbitrary about the Divine Law, since all
existence is completely dependent upon its absolute perfection of operation.

There is order in all creation. For such order to exist, there must be a
balancing Law of exact debits and credits in all facets of our Universe. We are
all “reimbursed,” be it good or not so good, for every thought, desire and
deed. This reimbursement will usually be in kind, although not necessarily so.

This Law is simple, but infinitely complex in its execution. It leaves nothing to
chance. If we all understood and accepted the fact that we are all under the
Law of Equal Compensation, a man or woman would have to be insane to do
ill to themselves or others.

This Law is found in business and science. In accounting we have the balance
of debits and credits; we also have the expected compensation for every
honest task performed. In science, we find even more exemplification of the
Law of Equal Exchange. For every action there is an equal but opposite
reaction. Matter cannot be destroyed or created (except by a nuclear
reaction), only transformed. Each side of every chemical or mathematical
equation must be equal.

The Divine Law is not an arbitrary Law. It is not just God's idea of how a
Creation should be run. Rather, it was the only Law and set of rules and
regulations that could create a Universe out of undefined matter. Take away
the Divine Law, and you immediately return Creation to Chaos and
consideration of humanity to only a vague memory.

This set of principles that God found to be essential to establish the Universe and
to prevent it from immediately returning to Chaos is what we now call the Divine
Law.

This Law is not arbitrary. It is simply the only functioning mechanism that is
sufficiently balanced and powerful to sustain matter in its various organized
forms to produce the Universe we now know and love. As such, it should be
obvious that the Divine Law can show no partiality. It is, and must remain,
completely neutral. It is for this reason that the Bible informs us:

“God (insert Divine Law) is no respecter of persons.”

(Acts 10:34)

God does not punish! No, like the Nazarene and other Master Teachers before
him, God weeps to see the suffering of those who, out of ignorance or desire,
attempt to defy the Divine Law and thereby bring upon themselves the
reaction of this exact Law.

The Divine Law is not a capricious edict of the Creator. It is simply the only
functioning mechanism under which our Universe can exist. When the various
spiritual texts of each authentic religion admonished humanity to "obey" the
will of God, they used language they felt the common people could
understand and apply, but which, in fact, is not the full explanation. What
they would have said if the people had ears to hear was:

“Learn to understand the Divine Law, and live in harmony with it. Since this is
the basic Law of your existence, any attempt to defy God’s Law will always
create an undesirable reaction for you.”

How the Divine Law Impacts Each Life

The Divine Law is nothing more or less than the functioning mechanism of our
existence. It manifests in every conceivable manner, since there is nothing in
all of life, human and otherwise, that can function in any way without
interfacing with this Law. If our actions are in harmony with its principles, we
prosper and gain all that is good and useful in life- both spiritually and
worldly. If, on the other hand, we attempt to work counter to the principles of
this functioning mechanism, we will suffer the consequences of our ignorance
or defiance. Neither people nor God can set aside the reaction of this
mechanism.

There is one thing that distinguishes humans from all other creatures that
function under the Divine Law. We have a reasoning mind that allows us to
decide, first, what is the Law and, second, whether we choose to follow the
Divine Laws governing our existence. Unlike animals, we are not required by
instinct or by external forces (like the stars and planets) to follow the Divine
Law. We have been given a choice, and this Divine gift of free will introduces
into Creation the factor of drama. Will we or will we not follow the Divine
Law? Once we learn to do so, we will, as promised, become like the gods,
knowing good and evil?

This is the great secret of all action and reaction in our world. No one sits in
judgment on our actions; no one punishes us because we break some arbitrary
rules set up by a jealous and vengeful God long ago. We create reactions only
from the actions we perform of our own free will. If these actions are in
harmony with the functioning mechanism of our existence (the Divine Law),
the resulting reactions will be what we generally call “good.” If our actions are
not in harmony with this functioning mechanism, they will be what we call
“bad” or unpleasant.

Regardless of what others do, you can live in harmony with the Divine Law
and reap the beneficial reaction of the good thoughts, desires and actions
that you alone have created. The Nazarene stated this teaching point as,
“what difference does that make to you? You follow me.”
John 21:22

“Follow me” means follow the Divine Law no matter what others do. What
matters most is that your good thoughts and actions return to you with more
good. This is one of the most reassuring facets of the Divine Law.

The Law of Exchange: The Golden Rule

One of the most important principles of the Divine Law is its absolute reliance
on balance and equal exchange. It is this principle that allowed the Creator to
make Order out of Chaos. For this reason we have the assurance that “Order
is Heaven's first Law,” and such order can only be obtained, and equally
importantly, maintained by the reliance on balance and equal exchange.

We find that the Mystery Schools and Master Teachers throughout the ages,
including the Master from Galilee, taught the Law of balance and
compensation in different words, so that the Law would be adapted to those
to whom they spoke. However, in all instances the message was the same:

There is an exact balance to the Divine Law. You will be treated by the Law in
exact proportion to the way you treat the Law and thereby others. Whatever
actions you take will create an equal reaction that will, in time, return to you
with interest, be that good or ill.

It is just for this reason that the Golden Rule exists as one of the main tenets
of the world’s oldest religions:

Christian:

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this
sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Luke 6:31
Judaism:

“What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law;
all the rest is commentary. Talmud, Shaddab 3id

Islam:

“No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he
desires for himself. Sunnah

Confucianism:

“Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no
resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.” Analects 12:2
Buddhism:

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Unana-Varga
5,1
Hinduism:

“This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have
them do unto you.” Mahabharata 5,1517

Taoism:

“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your
own loss.” Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

Zoroastrianism:

“That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another whatsoever
is not good for itself.” Dadisten-I-dinik,94,5

Egyptian:

“He sought for others the good he desired for himself. Let him pass on.”

The Divine Law is not only the Law of balance and equal compensation; it is
also the Law of power. It is the Law of all positive and negative energy. It is the
Law of Yin and Yang; male and female; day and night; Summer and Winter;
growth and death and, then, rebirth once again. It is the Law of motion and
action, for motion is life and there can be no life without motion and there
can be no motion without such opposites.

Cause, Effect and Consequences

God does not, and would not, attempt to circumvent the Divine Law. The rest
of Nature (animal, vegetable and mineral) cannot circumvent the Divine Law.
Only humans, possessing both a mind and free will, have the ability to
attempt to circumvent the Divine Law. The Bible describes the attempt to
defy Divine Law as “sin” and the resultant consequence as “punishment.”

At the beginning of Creation God set the Divine Law into motion as the only
possible way of maintaining order in the Universe. God well knew that not
even God could alter this Law once it was set into motion without destroying
the entire Creation. This Law, this Divine Law, is self- perpetuating and self-
maintaining. It does not, cannot, show favorites; to do so would be to destroy
the balance of the Law and this, as discussed, would instantly destroy the Law
itself and with it all of God's Creation.

We do not find the scientific nature of this “cause and effect” reaction of
Divine Law explained in Scripture because the people were not yet that far
advanced. However, it is easily explained today. Under the Divine Law all must
remain in balance, or the entire system will return to Chaos; there is no
middle ground. To maintain this essential exact order, the Divine Law must be
self-maintaining. That is, the action of the Law must be such that any
movement in one direction must at the same time be compensated by a
reactive motion in the opposite direction.

Thus evil, sin, wrongdoing, misfortune, catastrophe, call it what you will, is
the result of our attempted defiance of the Divine Law. God will not (and the
rest of existence cannot) attempt to defy God’s own Divine Law. We, not God,
not other individuals, and not fate are responsible for the good and adverse
reactions that come to us. We have been the creators of all the good and bad
reactions we find in our world. Furthermore, if the bad is to be corrected and
changed, it is we and we alone who must do the correcting and changing,
because the balanced reactive nature of the Divine Law will allow for no other
corrective measures.

Equal exchange has to be one of the obvious principles of a just and orderly
Law. The Divine Law is just that. For whatever we receive in this life we must
be willing, even eager, to make full and just compensation. This is essential to
maintain the necessary balance required by the Divine Law. As we become
more and more acquainted with the Divine Law, we come to understand that
all so called “sin” is nothing more or less than an attempt to take that which
we do not deserve, because under the Divine Law we have not yet paid the
price. That is, we were not willing to make the proper compensation to the
Divine Law so as to allow it to preserve its required balance. Since the Divine
Law cannot become unbalanced, whenever we attempt to take that which we
have not earned, the Law must take from us that which we have earned
previously to compensate it for the loss. This is a hard concept to accept at
first, but it is the only way the Divine Law can maintain the required Universal
Order.

Since there is always a certain amount of interest to be extracted by the

Divine Law so that its “books” are balanced in regard to the time interval
between the attempted “stealing” and the “payback,” there is always a steady
loss to all those who insist on “stealing” from the Law. Some may take
exception to the word “stealing” and yet there is none better, for that is
exactly what transpires. When you attempt to take that which you have not
yet earned, you must, under the reaction of the Law, attempt to take from
someone who has earned it. All that exists belongs to someone or something,
and you cannot legitimately attempt to take it unless you give just
compensation in return. To do otherwise is to set into motion an adverse
reaction of the Divine Law to the perpetrator.

Perhaps the best example of this principle of cause and effect of Divine Law is
the exercise of the sexual nature of men and women. God’s Divine Law
arranged the sexual nature of men and women to provide all good things for
them and the world we know as Earth. God carefully designed things so that
this sexual function, like everything else in life, provided both privileges and
responsibilities. The privileges are the undeniable pleasures of the sexual
embrace. The responsibilities, on the part of the husband is the care and
protection of his wife and family, and on the part of the wife is the trials and
dangers of bearing children as well as the required dedication to raising them.
Under these circumstances, we should not be surprised to discover that one of
man's and woman’s first efforts to circumvent the Divine Law was an attempt
to enjoy the pleasures of sexual congress without accepting the natural
consequences of such acts.

Moses details this “original sin,” our first attempt to circumvent the Divine
Law, in his story of Adam, Eve and the serpent. This initial act of humans
trying to defy Divine Law is expressed as Adam and Eve experiencing their new
sense of “nakedness” (Genesis 3:7). Moses used the story of Adam and Eve to
explain the consequences of our actions under Divine Law.

Adam and Eve symbolize the beginning of human desire to transgress the
Divine Law by attempting to “steal” sexual pleasure while refusing to accept
the responsibilities for their actions. In fact, such desires and resultant actions
are the root of nearly all the “sin,” disease and suffering in the world today. It
does seem that many continue to follow in the footsteps of Adam and Eve.
Such actions create the same debt that forced Adam and Eve out of the
Garden of Eden, the same debt that brought about the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah, the same debt that produced the downfall of Greece and
Rome. It was, and is, our greatest obstacle to finding true health and
happiness on this planet.

Our Creator set into motion a great law to give all of us humans the best of
everything. This Divine Law assures us that if we are willing to do our part we
can always count on it to do its part. It shows no favorites, it is no respecter of
persons; it treats rich and poor alike. It has neither creed, nor color, nor
gender bias. Its basic principle is simple:

Whatever you give to me, I will give back to you in kind. If you bring me love, I
will return to you love in abundance. If you bring me hate, it is hate that you
shall receive until it is overflowing. You make the choice. I only reflect your
choice-with interest.
Biblical Teachings Concerning The Divine Law

There is nothing arbitrary about the Divine Law, since all existence is
completely dependent upon its absolute perfection of operation. The
Nazarene intimated the degree of this perfection when he stated,

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall on
the ground without your Father’s will. But so far as you are concerned, even
the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
(Matthew 10:29-30)

If we substitute “the Divine Law” for “your Father’s will” this statement is in
full harmony with all that has been taught in the “Mysteries.” The Nazarene
did not mean that God went around counting hairs of people’s heads. The
Nazarene is teaching us that the Divine Law of God is omnipresence and
omnipotence. The Divine Law is so inclusive in its monitoring of Creation that
no detail, no matter how minuscule, could be overlooked by it in its efforts to
maintain order and prevent a return to Chaos.

This same inference (that of the Father being a synonym for the Divine Law) is
given in the statement,

“Therefore, you become perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

(Matthew 5:48)

What the Nazarene is telling his listeners is, “Learn to function in harmony
with the Divine Law which, by its very nature, must be perfect or the world as
you know it would immediately return to Chaos.”

Moses taught this Divine Law as,

“Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning
for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
(Exodus 21:23-25)

While most think of these verses only as the command for punishment, it is
actually a statement of the Law of Equal Exchange. Moses meant his people
to understand that not only were they to extract such punishment, but that
under the Law of Exchange, such punishment would be visited on them if they
broke the Law.

In the Gospel of St. Matthew we find the same Law but in different words
from the mouth of the Teacher from Galilee,

“For with the same judgment that you judge, you will be judged, and with the
same measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you.”
(Matthew 7:2)

Saint Paul restated the Divine Law when he assured his listeners:

“But let every man examine his own work, and then may he glory within
himself alone and not among others. For every man shall bear his own
burden. Let him who is taught the word become a partaker with him who
teaches all good things. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever
a man sows, that shall he also reap. He who sows things of the flesh, from the
flesh shall reap corruption; he who sows things of the Spirit, from the Spirit
shall reap life everlasting.”
(Galatians 6:4-8)

To show the fineness of the Law we have more words from the Nazarene,

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

(Matthew 10:30)

This verse from Matthew tells us that there is no detail so seemingly

insignificant that it does not come under the Law of Equal Exchange and
Balance. Every single hair (every thought, word and deed) is counted under
Divine Law.

Lastly, the Nazarene tells us that we are not free of the consequences of our
attempts to defy Divine Law until we, by our own efforts, make exact
compensation for them:

“Try to get reconciled with your accuser promptly, while you are going on the
road with him; for your accuser might surrender you to the judge, and the
judge would commit you to the jailer, and you will be cast into prison.

Truly I say to you, that you would never come out thence until you had paid
the last cent.”

(Matthew 5:25-26)

If you break the Divine Law of Equal Exchange you will not be free of the
reaction of your initial act until you have paid all back to the smallest possible
fraction, a “cent” as it were.

Conclusion

The Divine Law is the functioning Law of Creation. It is not a capricious

creation of God or people. The Divine Law is the only functioning mechanism
that can hold the Creative material of Chaos together to form the Universe.
Humans are unique in that we have the ability to work in harmony with the
Divine Law OR attempt to circumvent it. We have this ability because we were
given the gift of free will.

When we attempt to circumvent Divine Law, we always bring reactions that

are in direct proportion to the extent of the attempted circumventions. The
Law is utterly impartial. It returns whatever is sent forth on its “waters.” Send
all things good and positive and they shall return to you in abundance. Send
those things that hurt and destroy and these too will be returned by the
Divine Law with equal enthusiasm.

The Divine Law is with us to stay. We can either live a life that is at odds with
the Law in almost everything we do and consequently reap the husks and
noxious weeds of existence or we can learn to work in harmony with it and
prosper in every possible way. The choice is ours. The greatest gift we have
from our Creator is the ability to make this choice.

Go to the next section: "The Great Work"