A reader, via email, asked for a clarification on a determined matter. This gave place to the following article on the subject, to a lecture as well, and to the book God - Does He exist? Where is He? What and where are the Laws of God?

The reader's question arose after he read a small text of mine, and in which I emphasized the importance of acting in accordance with the Law of God. At first, I was startled by his question. I was surprised and asked myself how could there still exist someone who did not know what are the divine laws and where can we find them.

Then, after some thinking, I realized that it was an important question, because many of you are young and recent in your contact with the greatness of Spiritism and what we can see in modern society is a total alienation regarding the great truths of life, clearly presented by the Divine Laws.

I thought for a while about this question, answered his email, and decided to start talking about the Divine Laws. 

The Divine Law is not limited to moral issues 

Many people think that the Divine Laws have to do exclusively with moral issues, therefore, restricting them to this area. However, the Laws of God are everywhere, including physical issues because they are laws that coordinate and conduct life. Therefore, they are in the Nature.

The law of gravity is a Divine Law, applied to the reality of the planet. Human reproduction is a Divine Law, therefore, from God. The different stages of life from childhood to old age, followed by biological death, also obey to a Law of God. The planetary balance, the physical and chemical laws are equally Divine Laws.

This leads us to the simplicity of The Spirits' Book, in its Third Book - Moral Laws, that originated The Gospel according to Spiritism.

There are 12 Chapters and 306 Questions, didactically presented for us to study and understand the Divine Laws.

The most interesting is that when I read the mentioned question, my thoughts immediately took me to issue 621 of The Spirits' Book, which says that the Law of God is in consciousness. Almost immediately a leap or a trip through History made me recall that in early time we searched God by means of rituals - dances, drums, fire, and so on - honoring the different gods that were in our minds. How could we be aware of the Law, if we still had a dull consciousness, and were undeveloped, as the primitive beings?

Time had to go by for us to become aware of consciousness. We did not have even a proper language, nor did we know how to speak. This development came gradually. As time went by, we developed a language, created languages and communication systems. 

Moses 

However, the Divine Providence provided one of the strongest Spirits linked to the evolution of the planet to come and assist us in the development of consciousness, still in its childhood. Moses, then, is summoned to this task.

Moses appeared at this time of ignorance, however showing already a slight development. He legislated to contain ignorant, even fierce, and primitive human beings. At the same time he was very strict, he, however, presented the first lessons on the Laws of God, through the Ten Commandments, which present the first notions and duties required by fraternity and respect for others.

Besides the strictness, however, he presented the first lessons of the Laws of God, through the Ten Commandments, which presented the first ideas and duties required by fraternity and respect for others. Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, among others, already indicate the importance of respecting others.

Although they are all preceded by "not," it already leads to a new position in a time of latent and exposed aggressiveness. It is like driving children through dangers and drawbacks, which need no's.

In fact, we were spiritual children. We needed to be guided under a severe discipline.

After these first notions, others came to give this teaching a sequence, through the awakening and development. Among them was the great Socrates, who had revolutionary ideas for his time. He was misunderstood, of course, since he also arrived at a time of great ignorance. He was pursued, and convicted, but his ideas remained. Although he left nothing in writing, his faithful disciple Plato recorded his ideas and thus gave us the treasure of his knowledge. And Socrates was considered by Kardec as the precursor of the Christian ideology and of Spiritism - that would come later, in a more advanced age. He spoke of immortality, reincarnation, communication with the Spirits, although using other words.

Allan Kardec recorded this in The Gospel according to Spiritism. We invite you to read this book.

The summary of Socrates' doctrine can be found in the Introduction of the above-mentioned book, and in Chapter I, you will find the Ten Commandments brought by Moses.

It is of utmost importance to study with care and attention the Introduction and the First Chapter of the book to achieve a broader understanding of what we are stating here. We should never fail to read the introduction of books, which are always valuable tools for the chaining of ideas. 

Jesus 

After these stages of development, with Moses and Socrates changing the prior ideas, crystallized in fierce selfishness, Christ embodied among us, now He Himself bringing the Good News, the Gospel, to teach us about Love. It was still a stage of ignorance, but the coming of Christ changed the History of the planet. He lived Love intensely, through examples, showing all its greatness and fullness.

The concept of History was changed into before and after Him. He now presented a God of Mercy, Kindness, and Justice. He rejected the idea, previously necessary, of a vengeful God, who punished generations due to the single fault of someone. 

Finally, He presented the figure of a Father and Humanity has never been the same.

After him, many others came at all times to assist in the process of awakening and development of consciousness. Among them, Francis of Assisi, Vincent de Paul and most recently, Sister Dulce, Mother Teresa, Chico Xavier, among many other examples that could be listed, famous, known or anonymous. They are beings touched by Christ and have become living examples.

Stephen, Paul and so many martyrs set in the human heart the sublime lessons of Jesus.

And after the outbreaks of progress brought by the French Revolution, at a time of a more developed mentality, the Spiritist Codification, organized by Allan Kardec, appears with the publication of The Spirits' Book on April 18, 1857.

This work that unfolded in other works originated followers and inspired the founding of the Spiritist institutions. It is the granite base of all the doctrinal framework of Spiritism.

And it is in this remarkable work that the Encoder presents the Moral Laws in the Third Book.  

Spiritism 

And without going deeper into each issue, a brief analysis of the Index already shows a didactic aspect that allows us to understand the extent of what the Divine Laws are.

And most extraordinary is to verify the perfect connection of the Ten Commandments with the Gospel of Jesus, and the laws presented by Spiritism.

It can clearly be seen that the law is the same. What changes is the way it was presented considering the stages through which Humanity went through.

At a time of complete ignorance, the iron discipline of Moses was necessary. Then Jesus comes with His gentleness to touch our hearts. And, now with a more developed mentality, Spiritism appears with its plainness, not deceiving, but explaining our origin, nature, and destination, as subject we are to the Divine Laws, which are essentially laws of love to conduct life.

I suggest, therefore, that the reader opens the Index of the mentioned work to check this didactic presentation of the Divine Laws, a work of wisdom and justice of the Goodness of God.

We can no longer plead ignorance. We are now aware of the Law.

Let us follow, in the next chapters, the comments on these laws, one by one.