21. “Man always suffers the consequences of his errors. There is no infraction of God's laws which does not have its punishment.
“The severity of the penalty is proportional to the gravity of the offence.
“The duration of the penalty for an error is indeterminate, being subordinate to the repentance of the culprit and his return to goodness; the penalty lasts as long as the evil. It will be perpetual if the persistence in doing evil is also perpetual; it is of short duration if repentance comes quickly.
“From the moment the culprit cries for mercy God listens and sends hope. But the simple fact of remorse for the evil done is not enough; it is necessary that reparation be made. This then is why the guilty party is submitted to new tests wherein he can, by his own will, do good in reparation for the evil that was done.
“In this manner Man constantly chooses his own destiny. He may shorten his anguish, or prolong it indefinitely. His happiness or unhappiness depends on his will to do good.”
This is the law; the immutable law which conforms to the goodness and justice of God.
In this manner the guilty and unhappy Spirit can always save himself, because God's law establishes the condition by which this becomes possible. What the Spirit is lacking in most cases is the will-power, the strength and the courage. If by our prayers we can inspire this will-power; if we uphold the sufferer and encourage him; if by our counsel we give him the enlightenment he lacks, instead of asking God to annul His law, we turn ourselves into instruments for the execution of His law of love and charity in which He allows us to participate, so giving us proof of His charity (See HEAVEN & HELL, 1st part, chapters: 4, 7 & 8).
