The commandments of God are not a diktat but great and precious promises, words of life which enable us to become partakers of the divine nature (cf. 2. Peter 1:4). If God had not wanted man to be free to choose, we would not be more responsible for our actions than animals. If all the events of our life were predetermined, we would only be puppets; joys and sufferings, which result from our actions, would be arbitrary, and life would be meaningless. Now we have the right to choose what we want to do, either just or evil. We can choose to imitate either Jeroboam, who sacrificed the calf of gold and divided Israel, or Jesus Christ who chose to do the will of his Father.
