Faith (pt. 22)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 22)

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

(4) Yet nothing of faith or of charity, or of the life of either, is from man, but from the Lord alone.
For we read,

That a man can receive nothing except it have been given him from heaven (John 3:27).

And Jesus said:

He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for apart from Me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

But this is to be understood thus, that man of himself is unable to acquire for himself any but natural faith, which is a persuasion that a thing is so because some man of authority has said so; or any but natural charity, which is an endeavor to gain favor with a view to some recompense. In such faith and charity there is what is man's own, and as yet no life from the Lord.

Nevertheless, by means of such faith and charity man prepares himself to be a receptacle of the Lord; and so far as he prepares himself, the Lord enters, and causes his natural faith to become spiritual, likewise his charity, and thus makes both to be alive; and this is done when man goes to the Lord as the God of heaven and earth. Because man was created an image of God, he was created an abode of God; therefore the Lord says:

He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me and I will love him, and I will come unto him and make an abode with him (John 14:21, 23).

Again:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me (Apoc. 3:20).

From all this comes the conclusion, that as man prepares himself naturally to receive the Lord, so the Lord enters and makes all that is within man inwardly spiritual, and thus alive. But on the other hand, so far as man does not prepare himself he removes the Lord from him and does everything from his own self; and what man himself does from himself has no real life in it.

(True Christian Religion 359)

To be continued...

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...

Faith (pt. 20)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 20)

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

(2) Man can acquire for himself charity.
It is the same here as with faith. For what does the Word teach but faith and charity, since these two are the essentials of salvation? For we read:

Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself (Matt. 22:34-39).

Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. From this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, that you love one another (John 13:34, 35 15:9; 16:27).

It teaches also that man ought to bear fruit like a good tree; that he who does good shall be rewarded in the resurrection; besides other like things.

What would be the use of all this if man were unable of himself to exercise charity, or acquire it for himself in any way? Cannot man give alms, can he not aid the needy, can he not do good in his own house and in his employment? Can he not live according to the commandments of the Decalogue? Has he not a soul from which he can do these things, and a rational mind whereby he can lead himself to act for this or that end? Can he not think that he ought to do these things because they are commanded in the Word, thus by God?

No man lacks this power, and for the reason that the Lord gives it to everyone; and He gives it as something that is the man's own; for who, in exercising charity, knows otherwise than that he does it from himself?

(True Christian Religion 357)

To be continued...