The GOOD of FAITH Becoming The GOOD of CHARITY

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
WHAT THE GOOD OF FAITH IS, AND WHAT THE TRUTH OF FAITH

Everything of the church is called the "good of faith," that has to do with life and use from what the doctrine of faith of the church teaches; in a word everything that has to do with willing it and doing it from obedience; for the truths of faith of the church become goods by willing and doing them.

But everything is called the "truth of faith," which as yet has not any use as its end, or which as yet is not for the sake of life, consequently which is merely known and kept in the memory, and from this is laid hold of by the understanding, and is taught from it. For so long as the truths of the church go no further, they are merely knowledges, and relatively to goods are outside the man himself — for man's memory and understanding are like entries, and his will is like an inner chamber, because the will is the man himself.

This shows what the truth of faith is, and what the good of faith.

But the good which a man does in his first state during his regeneration is called the "good of faith," whereas the good which he does in the second state, namely, after he has been regenerated, is called the "good of charity." And therefore when a man does good from the good of faith, he does good from obedience; but when he does good from the good of charity, he does good from affection.

(from Arcana Coelestia 9230:2)

Judged All According to Their Works

Selection from Divine Providence ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

THE OPERATION OF THE LORD'S DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN CONJOINING MAN WITH THE LORD, AND THE LORD WITH MAN.

This operation is not upon any particular of man by itself, except as it is simultaneously upon all things of man; and this is done from his inmost and from his outmosts simultaneously.

• The inmost of man is his life's love

• his outmosts are the things that are in the external of his thought

• his intermediates are the things that are in the internal of his thought.

From this again it is clear that the Lord cannot act from inmosts and outmosts simultaneously except in connection with man, for in outmosts man and the Lord are together, consequently as man acts in outmosts, which are under his control, being within the realm of his freedom, so the Lord acts from man's inmosts and upon the unbroken series to outmosts. The things that are in man's inmosts and in the series from inmosts to outmosts are wholly unknown to man; and therefore he knows nothing whatever of the way in which the Lord works there or what He does; but as these things are so closely connected as to be a one with outmosts it is unnecessary for man to know more than that he must shun evils as sins and look to the Lord. In this and in no other way can his life's love, which from birth is infernal, be put away by the Lord, and a heavenly life's love be implanted in its place.

WHEN A HEAVENLY LIFE'S LOVE HAS BEEN IMPLANTED BY THE LORD

When a heavenly life's love has been implanted by the Lord in place of an infernal life's love, affections for good and truth are implanted in place of the lusts of evil and falsity; and the enjoyments of affections for good are implanted in place of the enjoyments of the lusts of evil and falsity; and the goods of heavenly love are implanted in place of the evils of infernal love. Then prudence is implanted in place of cunning, and wise thoughts in place of crafty thoughts. Thus man is born again and becomes a new man. 

It has been shown above from the exhortations read in all Christian churches before the Holy Communion that the common religion of the whole Christian world teaches that -

• man must examine himself

• see his sins

• acknowledge them

• confess them before God

• refrain from them

and that this is repentance, remission of sins, and consequently salvation.

This can be seen also from THE FAITH THAT TAKES ITS NAME FROM ATHANASIUS, and that has been accepted in the whole Christian world: at the end of which are these words:-

The Lord will come to judge the living and dead; at whose coming those that have done good shall enter into life eternal, and those that have done evil into eternal fire.

Who does not know from the Word that a life after death is allotted to every one according to his deeds? Open the Word, read it, and you will see this clearly; but while doing this, exclude from your thoughts faith and justification by it alone. As evidence that the Lord teaches this everywhere in His Word, take these few examples:-

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matt. 7:19, 20)

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and in Thy name done many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I do not know you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:22, 23)

Every one that heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock; and every one that heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the ground without a foundation (Matt. 7:24, 26; Luke 6:46-49).

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, and then He shall render unto every man according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27).

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matt. 21:43).

Jesus said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God and do it (Luke 8:21).

Then shall ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us; but He shall answer and say to them, I know ye not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:25-27).

They that have done good shall go forth unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment (John 5:29).

We know that God heareth not sinners; but if anyone worship God and do His will, him He heareth (John 9:31).

If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them (John 13:17).

He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and I will love him and will come to him, and make My abode with him (John 14:15, 21-24)

Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. I have chosen you that ye may bring forth fruit, and that your fruit may abide (John 15:14, 16).

The Lord said to John, To the angel of the Ephesian church write, I know thy works; I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity. Repent, and do the first works; if not I will remove thy lampstand out of its place (Rev. 2:1, 2, 4, 5).

To the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write, I know thy works (Rev. 2:8, 9).

To the angel of the church at Pergamum write, I know thy works, repent (Rev. 2:12, 13, 16).

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, I know thy works and charity, and thy last works to be more than the first (Rev. 2:18, 19).

To the angel of the church in Sardis write, I know thy works, that thou hast a name and that thou livest, and art dead. I have not found thy works perfect before God; repent (Rev. 3:1-3).

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, I know thy works (Rev. 3:7, 8).

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, I know thy works; repent (Rev. 3:14, 15, 19).

I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; their works do follow them (Rev. 14:13).

A book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged, all according to their works (Rev. 20:12, 13).

Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his work (Rev. 22:12).

Thus far the New Testament.

Still more numerous are the evidences in the Old Testament, from which I will quote this one only:

Stand in the gate of Jehovah, and proclaim there this word, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings; trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah are these. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and then come and stand before Me in this house, upon which My name is named, and say, We are delivered, while ye do these abominations? Is this house become a den of robbers? Behold I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah (Jer. 7:2-4, 9-11).

(from Divine Providence 125-128)

Truths of Faith Lead to Good which is of Charity

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
TRUTHS WHICH ARE OF FAITH LEAD TO GOOD WHICH IS OF CHARITY

Who hath wrought and done it , calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD , the first, and with the last; I am he. (Isaiah 41:4)

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. (Isaiah 48:12)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.; I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.; And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (Revelation 1:8; 11; 17)

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; (Revelation 2:8)

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:13)

All things both in general and in particular have relation to an end, and look to it, and those which do not look to an end cannot subsist. For the Lord has created nothing whatever except for the sake of an end; in so much that it may be said that the end is the all in all things that have been created; and all things that have been created are in such an order that as the end from the First through the intermediates looks to the last or ultimate, so the end within the last or ultimate has regard to the end in the First. Hence comes the connection of things.

In its first origin the end itself is nothing but the Divine good of the Divine love; thus it is the Lord Himself. Wherefore also in the Word He is called the "First and the Last," the "Alpha and Omega". This being the case, it is necessary that each and all things which pertain to the life with man should have relation to an end and should look to it.

He who has any rational ability can see that the memory-knowledges with a man look to truths as their end, and that the truths look to goods, and that the goods look to the Lord as the last and the first end; as the last end when they look at Him from truths, and as the first end when they look at Him from good. Such is the case with the truths of the church that they lead to good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 6044)