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Thank you for your good letter. I’m glad to hear that you are doing well. I have read your article about bondage and freedom. Br. Thorleif Hansen wrote to me about the lack of clarity that prevails among the friends in Kristiania concerning bondage and freedom. I have sent him an answer regarding this, and tomorrow I’m sending a short article to Skjulte Skatter on this topic. Otherwise, I see that you have clarity in this area, which every spiritual person ought to have. But it is true, as you wrote, that if a person wants to leave because it becomes too difficult, they will always find some pretext for leaving. The important thing for us in all this is to stand together, with one heart, one mind, and one vision, focused on the same goal.

You don’t gain anything by dressing up beyond what is appropriate, nor is there any value in dressing so poorly that you draw attention to yourself. To disappear unnoticed in the crowd is undoubtedly the greatest cross for the flesh, which seeks gratification either from dressing up or dressing poorly. Questions like this come up mostly among women, and they are also the ones who speak about bondage. I believe that the doctrines, which God by His grace has given us to preach, are able to save us both from bondage according to the flesh as well as from freedom for the flesh, because everything we preach has to do with suffering and death. So I have not paid much attention to all the futile moaning and groaning that is going on about the issue of bondage. All of it is most likely coming from some vain women who think it is bondage to repent and be modest. Such people shouldn’t be supported but rather chastised. Perhaps then they will be able to come to their senses. They want to draw attention to themselves either in the one way or the other in order to satisfy their flesh. I have attempted to explain some of this in my article to Skjulte Skatter.

Warm greetings.

Your brother,