Faith (pt. 21)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 21)

V. FAITH WITHOUT CHARITY IS NOT FAITH,
AND CHARITY WITHOUT FAITH IS NOT CHARITY,
AND NEITHER HAS LIFE EXCEPT FROM THE LORD.

(3) Man may also acquire for himself the life of faith and charity.
Here again it is the same. For man acquires for himself this life when he goes to the Lord who is Life itself; and access to Him is closed to no man, for the Lord continually invites every man to come to Him; for He says:

He that cometh to Me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:35, 37).

Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink (John 7:37).

And again:

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man, a king, who made a marriage for his son, and sent his servants to call them that were bidden; and finally, he said, Go ye therefore into the partings of the ways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage (Matt. 22:1-9).

Who does not know that the invitation or call is universal, and also the grace of reception? Man obtains life by going to the Lord because the Lord is Life itself, not only the life of faith but also the life of charity. That the Lord is that life, and that man has it from the Lord, is evident from the following passages:

In the beginning was the Word; in Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:1, 4).

As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will (John 5:21).

As the Father hath life in Himself, even so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself  (John 5:26).

The bread of God is that He cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world (John 6:33).

The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life (John 6:63).

Jesus said, He that followeth Me shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly (John 10:10).

He that believeth in Me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25).

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

Because I live, ye shall live also (John 14:19).

These are written, that ye may have life in His name (John 20:31).

He is eternal life (1 John 5:20).

By the life in faith and charity is meant spiritual life, which is given by the Lord to man in his natural life.

(True Christian Religion 358)

To be continued...