Removing the Fantasy About Merit

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

In the exercises of charity, man does not place merit in works so long as he believes that all good is from the Lord.

To ascribe merit to works that are done for the sake of salvation is harmful because evils lie concealed in so doing of which the doer is wholly ignorant. There also lies hid in it:

a denial of God's influx and operation in man

a confidence in one's own power in matters of salvation

faith in oneself and not in God

self-justification

salvation by one's own abilities

a reducing of Divine grace and mercy to nought

a rejection of reformation and regeneration by Divine means

especially a limitation of the merit and righteousness of the Lord God the Savior, which such claim for themselves

together with a continual looking for reward, which they regard as the first and last end

a submersion and extinction of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor

a total ignorance and lack of perception of the delight of heavenly love as being without merit

a sense only of self-love.

For those who put rewards in the first place and salvation in the second, and who value salvation for the sake of the reward, invert order and immerse the interior desires of the mind in what is their own [proprium], and defile them in the body with the evils of the flesh. This is why the good that claims merit appears to the angels as rust, and the good that does not claim merit as purple. That good ought not to be done for the sake of reward, the Lord teaches in Luke:

If ye do good to them who do good to you, what thank have ye? But rather love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and then your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High for He is kind unto the unthankful and the evil (Luke 6:33-35).

And that man cannot do good that in itself is good, except from the Lord, He teaches in John:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, so neither can ye except ye abide in Me; for apart from Me ye can do nothing (15:4, 5).

And again,

A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven (John 3:27).

But to think about getting into heaven, and that good ought to be done for that reason — is not to regard reward as an end and to ascribe merit to works; for thus do those also think who love the neighbor as themselves and God above all things; so thinking from faith in the Lord's words,

That their reward should be great in the heavens (Matt. 5:11, 12; 6:1; 10:41, 42; Luke 6:23, 35; 14:12-14; John 4:36)

That those who have done good shall possess as an inheritance a kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34)

That everyone is rewarded according to his works (Matt. 16:27; John 5:29; Rev. 14:13; 20:12, 13; Jer. 25:14; 32:19; Hosea 4:9; Zech. 1:6 and elsewhere).

Such do not trust to reward on the ground of their merit, but have faith in the promise from grace. With such the delight of doing good to the neighbor is their reward. This is the delight of the angels in heaven, and it is a spiritual delight which is eternal, and immeasurably exceeds all natural delight. Those who are in this delight are unwilling to hear of merit, for they love to do, and in doing they perceive blessedness. They are sad when it is believed that they work for the sake of recompense. They are like those who do good:

to friends for the sake of friendship

to brethren for the sake of brotherhood

to wife and children for the sake of wife and children

to their country for their country's sake

thus from friendship and love.

Those who do acts of kindness also say and give evidence that they are doing this not on their own behalf, but on behalf of the others.

It is wholly different with those who regard reward as the essential end in their works. These are like such as:

form friendships for the sake of gain, and who make presents, perform services, and profess love seemingly from the heart, but when they fail to obtain what they hoped for, they turn about, renounce their friendship, and devote themselves to the enemies of their former friends and to those who hate them.

They are also like nurses who suckle infants merely for wages, and in presence of their parents kiss and fondle them; but as soon as they cease to be fed with delicacies and rewarded just as they wish, they turn against the infants, treat them harshly, beat them, and laugh at their cries.

They are also like those whose regard for their country springs from love of self and the world, and who say that they are willing to give their property and their lives for it; and yet, if they do not acquire honors and riches as rewards, they speak ill of their country, and connect themselves with its enemies.

They are also like shepherds who care for sheep merely for hire, and if the hire is not given when they wish it, drive the sheep with their crook from the pasture to the desert.

Like these again are priests who discharge the duties of their office solely for the sake of the emoluments attached to them, and who, evidently, regard as of little account the salvation of the souls over whom they have been placed as guides.

It is the same with magistrates who look only to the dignity of their office and its revenues; and when they do right, it is not for the sake of the public good, but for the sake of the delight in the love of self and the world, which delight they breathe in as the only good.

It is the same with all the rest

The end in view carries every point, and the mediate causes pertaining to the function are renounced if they do not promote the end.

And the same is true of those who demand reward on the ground of merit in matters of salvation. Such after death confidently demand heaven; but when it has been found that they have no love to God or love towards the neighbor, they are sent back to those who can instruct them concerning charity and faith; and if they repudiate their instructions, they are sent away to their like, among whom are some who are enraged against God because they do not obtain rewards, and who call faith a mere figment of reason. Such are meant in the Word by "hirelings," who were allotted service of the lowest kind in the outer courts of the temple. At a distance they appear to be splitting wood.

It must be well understood that charity and faith in the Lord are closely conjoined, consequently, such as the faith is such is the charity. That the Lord, charity, and faith make one, like life, will, and understanding [in man], and if they are divided each perishes like a pearl reduced to powder.

Charity and faith are together in good works.

From this it follows that such as faith is, such is charity, and that such as charity and faith are together, such are works. If then there is a faith that all the good that a man does as if of himself is from the Lord, man is the instrumental cause of that good, and the Lord the principal cause, which two causes appear to man to be one, and yet the principal cause is the all in all of the instrumental cause.

From this it follows that when a man believes that all good that is good in itself is from the Lord, he does not ascribe merit to works; and in the degree in which this faith is perfected in man, the fantasy about merit is taken away from him by the Lord. In this state man enters fully into the exercise of charity with no anxiety about merit, and at length perceives the spiritual delight of charity, and then begins to be averse to merit as a something harmful to his life.

The sense of merit is easily washed away by the Lord with those who become imbued with charity by acting justly and faithfully in the work, business, or function in which they are engaged, and towards all with whom they have any dealings.

But the sense of merit is removed with difficulty from those who believe that charity is acquired by giving alms and relieving the needy; for when they do these things, in their minds they desire reward, at first openly and then secretly, and draw to themselves merit.

(from True Christian Religion 439-442)

Distinguishing Between Celestial and Worldly Things

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

IN AN OBSCURE STATE IN REGARD TO KNOWLEDGES OF CELESTIAL AND SPIRITUAL THINGS

Having Bethel toward the sea, and Ai on the East, signifies that the Lord's state was still obscure, that is to say, in regard to the knowledges of celestial and spiritual things; for it is one thing to be in celestial things, and another to be in the knowledges of celestial things. Infants and children are in celestial things more than adults, because they are in love toward their parents, and in mutual love, and also in innocence; but adults are in the knowledges of celestial things more than infants and children, while very many of them are not in the celestial things of love.

Before man is instructed in the things of love and faith, he is in an obscure state, that is, in regard to knowledges; which state is here described by having Bethel toward the sea, that is ON THE WEST, and Ai ON THE EAST.

By "Bethel," as has been said, is signified the knowledges of celestial things; but by "Ai" the knowledges of worldly things.

The knowledges of celestial things are said to be "on the west" when they are in obscurity, for in the Word "the west" signifies what is obscure; and the knowledges of worldly things are said to be "on the east" when they are in clearness, for relatively to the west, the east is clearness. That the west and the east have this signification needs no confirmation, for it is evident to everyone without confirmation.

And that "Bethel" signifies the knowledges of celestial things, may be seen from other passages in the Word where Bethel is named; as in the next chapter, where it is said that

Abram went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent was in the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he made there (Gen. 13:3-4);

where "on his journeys from the south to Bethel," signifies progression into the light of knowledges, on which account it is not here said that Bethel was on the west and Ai on the east. When Jacob saw the ladder, he said:

This is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven; and he called the name of that place Bethel (Gen. 28:17, 19);

where the knowledge of celestial things is in like manner signified by "Bethel;" for man is a Bethel, that is a House of God, and also a gate of heaven, when he is in the celestial things of knowledges. When a man is being regenerated, he is introduced by means of the knowledges of spiritual and celestial things; but when he has been regenerated, he has then been introduced, and is in the celestial and spiritual things of the knowledges.

Afterwards:

God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; make there an altar to God who appeared unto thee (Gen. 35:1, 6-7);

where in like manner "Bethel" signifies knowledges.

That the ark of Jehovah was in Bethel, and that the sons of Israel came thither and inquired of Jehovah (Judges 20:18, 26, 27; 1 Sam. 7:16, 10:3) signify similar things; also that the king of Assyria sent one of the priests whom he had brought from Samaria, and he dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah (2 Kings 17:27, 28).

In Amos:

Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and there shalt thou prophesy; but prophesy not again any more at Bethel, for this is the king's sanctuary, and this is the house of the kingdom (Amos 7:12-13).

After Jeroboam had profaned Bethel (1 Kings 12:32; 13:1-8; 2 Kings 23:15) it had an opposite representation (see Hosea 10:15; Amos 3:14-15; 4:5-7).

But that "Ai" signifies the knowledges of worldly things, may also be confirmed from the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word (see Josh. 7:2; 8:1-28; Jer. 49:3-4).

BETWEEN BETHEL AND AI — THE CELESTIAL THINGS OF KNOWLEDGES AND WORLDLY THINGS

Between Bethel and Ai. That this signifies the celestial things of knowledges, and worldly things, is evident from the signification of "Bethel," which is the light of wisdom by means of knowledges; and from the signification of "Ai," which is the light from worldly things. From what is there said, it may be seen what the Lord's state then was, namely, that it was childlike; and the state of a child is such that worldly things are present; for worldly things cannot be dispersed until truth and good are implanted in celestial things by means of knowledges; for a man cannot distinguish between celestial and worldly things until he knows what the celestial is, and what the worldly.

Knowledges make a general and obscure idea distinct; and the more distinct the idea is made by means of knowledges, the more can the worldly things be separated.

But still that childlike state is holy, because it is innocent.

Ignorance by no means precludes holiness, when there is innocence in it; for holiness dwells in ignorance that is innocent.

With all men, except with the Lord, holiness can dwell solely in ignorance; and if not in ignorance, they have no holiness.

With the angels themselves, who are in the highest light of intelligence and wisdom, holiness also dwells in ignorance; for they know and acknowledge that of themselves they know nothing, but that whatever they know is from the Lord. They also know and acknowledge that all their memory-knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, is as nothing in comparison with the infinite knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom of the Lord; thus that it is ignorance.

He who does not acknowledge that there are infinite things with which he is not acquainted, beyond those with which he is acquainted, cannot be in the holiness of ignorance in which are the angels.

The holiness of ignorance does not consist in being more ignorant than others; but in the acknowledgment that of himself a man knows nothing, and that the things he does not know are infinite in comparison with those he does know; and especially does it consist in his regarding the things of the memory and of the understanding as being of but little moment in comparison with celestial things; that is, the things of the understanding in comparison with the things of the life.

As regards the Lord, as He was conjoining things human with things Divine, He advanced according to order; and He now for the first time arrived at the celestial state such as He had had when a child; in which state worldly things also were present. By advancing from this into a state still more celestial, He at length came into the celestial state of infancy, and in this He fully conjoined the Human Essence with the Divine Essence.

(from Arcana Coelestia 1453; 1557)

Looking Inward or Outward

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

What it is to look inward, and to look outward, shall be briefly told. Man has been so created that he can look above himself to heaven, even to the Divine, and can also look below himself to the world and the earth. In this, man is distinguished from the brute animals; and a man looks above himself, or to heaven, even to the Divine, when he has as the end his neighbor, his country, the church, heaven, especially the Lord; and he looks below himself when he has self and the world as the end. To have as the end is to love, for that which is loved is as the end, and that which is loved reigns universally, that is, in every detail of the thought and of the will. While a man looks one way, he does not look the other; that is to say, while he looks to the world and to self, he does not look to heaven and to the Lord; and the reverse; for the determinations are opposite.

From the fact that man can look above himself, that is, can think of the Divine, and be conjoined with the Divine by love, it is very evident that there is an elevation of the mind by the Divine; for no one can look above himself except by means of an elevation by Him who is above; whence it is also evident that all the good and truth with a man are the Lord's. From this it is also evident that when a man looks below himself, he separates himself from the Divine, and determines his interiors to self and to the world, in like manner as they have been determined with brute animals, and that he then so far puts off humanity. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by looking inward or above himself, and what by looking outward or below himself.

(from Arcana Coelestia 7607)