January 28, 2018

Spiritual Love or Charity Defined

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
Charity, itself, viewed in itself, is the affection of truth and good, and where that affection is, there is a life according to truths and goods — for there is no affection without a life according to the truths and goods for which there is affection. If such affection is thought to be possible and to be present, it is a natural not a spiritual affection. These two kinds of affection differ in this:—
natural affection has self and the world for an end; thus the truths and goods by which it is affected are loved for the sake of reputation, that honors and wealth may be acquired, and then a life according to the doctrinals that have been learned is put on merely from self for the sake of appearance, which is thus a feigned life and inwardly hypocritical
spiritual affection has the Lord, heaven, and eternal life for an end, and has regard to these in truths and goods; thus it loves truths and goods spiritually.
When this affection [spiritual] is with man he loves to think and to will these truths and goods, and consequently to live according to them. To live according to truths and goods is what is meant in the Word by "doing," and the life itself is meant by "deeds" and "works" which are so often mentioned in the Word....
(from Apocalypse Explained 444a)