Faith (pt. 23)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 23)

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

It has been said above that-

faith in its beginning in man is natural, and that as man draws near to the Lord it becomes spiritual; so also with charity.

But no one has known, as yet, the distinction that exists between natural and spiritual faith and charity. This great arcanum must therefore be disclosed.

There are two worlds - a natural and a spiritual.  In each world there is a sun, and from each sun heat and light go forth; but the heat and light from the sun of the spiritual world have life within them; this life is from the Lord who is the midst of that sun; while the heat and light from the sun of the natural world have nothing of life in them; they simply serve the former heat and light as receptacles for the conveying of these to man, as instrumental causes always subserve their principal causes. It must be understood, therefore, that all things spiritual are from the heat and light of the sun of the spiritual world. These are spiritual because they contain in them spirit and life; while all things natural are from the heat and light of the sun of the natural world, which viewed in themselves are without spirit and life.

Since then faith is a matter of light, and charity of heat, it is plain that so far as a man is in the heat and light that go forth from the sun of the spiritual world, he is in spiritual faith and charity; while so far as he is in the light and heat that go forth from the sun of the natural world, he is in natural faith and charity.

Evidently, therefore, as spiritual light is inwardly in natural light as in its receptacle or casket, and spiritual heat in like manner within natural heat, so also is spiritual faith inwardly in natural faith, and spiritual charity inwardly in natural charity; and this is effected in the degree that man advances from the natural to the spiritual world; and this he does so far as he believes in the Lord who is light itself, the way, the truth, and the life, as He Himself teaches.

This being so, it is clear that when man is in spiritual faith, he is also in natural faith. For as just said-

spiritual faith is inwardly in natural faith

and as faith is a matter of light, it follows that by that implanting of spiritual faith man's natural becomes, as it were, transparent, and according to the nature of its conjunction with charity, beautifully colored. This is because charity is ruddy and faith shining white; charity is ruddy from the flame of spiritual fire, and faith shining white from the splendor of the light therefrom. The contrary happens when the spiritual is not inwardly in the natural, but the natural inwardly in the spiritual; which is the case with men who reject faith and charity. With such the internal of their mind, in which they are when left to their own thoughts, is infernal, and they think from hell, although they do not know it; while the external of the mind of such, from which they converse with their companions in the world, is in a manner spiritual, but it is filled full of such unclean things as are in hell; consequently they are in hell, for compared with the former class they are in an inverted state.

(True Christian Religion 360)

To be continued...

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...