Utterly new and unexpected, new life pervades the believers as Jesus’ words are fulfilled: to give up oneself means to win life. A new life, God’s true life, replaces the former selfish and ungenuine life. Those who love their life lose it; those who hate their life receive true life.

- Eberhard Arnold, 1918

We take for granted the full forgiveness of sin, which is given to us in our unworthiness. We do not need to keep affirming it; it is made sure in our hearts through the Holy Spirit; through Him we are born anew to the justice of God’s Kingdom. Not our inadequacy, but God’s perfect will is what fills our life and thinking now. Therefore, from now on our entire interest goes away from ourselves toward all peoples of the earth and toward all worlds of God, toward near and far creatures of God, toward those who have died and those yet unborn.

- Eberhard Arnold, July 1934

Woe to a community if it tries from gloomy depression of soul to rise up to the Spirit! All our own cramped efforts to reach the heights end in downfall! Only the liberating Spirit coming down from above is able to lead the inner life of a community to health, to unity, and to the achievement of God’s work, free from all our own efforts.

- Eberhard Arnold, January 1934