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...

Faith (pt. 19)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 19)

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

(1) Man can acquire for himself faith.
... faith in its essence is truth, ... anyone is able to acquire truths from the Word, ... so far as anyone does acquire them for himself, and loves them, he implants in himself the beginnings of faith. To which shall be added, that-

unless man were able to acquire faith for himself, all that is commanded in the Word respecting faith would be useless.

... it is the will of the Father that men should believe in the Son, and that whosoever believes in Him has eternal life, and he who does not believe shall not see life. We read also that Jesus was to send the Paraclete, who would convince the world respecting sin because it believed not on Him; furthermore, that all the apostles preached faith, a faith in the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ.

What meaning would there be in all this, if a man were to stand with hanging hands like a sculptured statue with movable joints, and await influx, and meanwhile the joints (being able only to adapt themselves to receive faith) were inwardly moved toward something that has no relation to faith?

For modern orthodoxy, in that part of the Christian world that is separate from Roman Catholicism, teaches as follows: Man is so utterly corrupt and dead to good that until he is regenerated there does not abide in man's nature, or continue in it since the fall, even a spark of spiritual strength by which he is capable from or by himself of being prepared for God's grace, or of apprehending it when offered, or of retaining it; nor is he able for himself, in things spiritual, to understand, believe, embrace, think, will, commence, carry out, act, operate, co-operate, or apply or adapt himself to grace, or do anything toward his own conversion, wholly, or by halves, or in the smallest measure; also that in spiritual things, which regard the salvation of the soul, he is like the statue of salt of Lot's wife, or like a stock or a stone destitute of life, having no use of eyes, or mouth, or any other sense. Nevertheless he has the power to move from place to place, to direct his external members, to go to public meetings, and to hear the Word and the Gospel.

This doctrine is set forth in the book of the Evangelical churches called the Formula Concordiæ, the Leipsic edition of 1766 (pp. 656, 658; 661-663; 671-673); to which book, consequently to which faith, the priests take oath at their inauguration.

The Reformed churches profess a like faith. But who that has reason and religion would not hiss at these things as absurd and ridiculous? Would he not say to himself, If this were so, what would the Word amount to, or religion, or the priesthood, or preaching, but mere emptiness, or sound about nothing? Tell some pagan who has any judgment and whom you wish to convert, that he is such in respect to conversion and faith, and would he not look upon Christianity as one would look upon an empty vessel? For take from man all power of believing as of himself, and what else is he? But this will be placed in clearer light in the chapter on *Freedom of Choice (ch 8).

(True Christian Religion 356)
* True Christian Religion, Author Emanuel Swedenborg is available online or in bookstores.

To be continued...

Love (and The Faith Derived From It)

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Love (and the faith derived from it) are the internal of the church

No other faith is meant as being the internal of the church than that which is of love or charity, that is, which is from love or charity.

Faith, in a general sense, is all the doctrinal teaching of the church. But doctrine [doctrinale] separated from love or charity, by no means makes the internal of the church-

for doctrine is only knowledge which is of the memory, and this exists also with the worst men, and even with infernals.

But the doctrine that is from charity, or that is of charity, does make the internal of the church, for this is of the life. The life itself is the internal of all worship; and so is all doctrine that flows from the life of charity and it is this doctrine that is of faith.... That it is this faith which is the internal of the church, may be seen from this consideration alone, that-

he who has the life of charity is acquainted with all things of faith.

If you will, just examine all doctrinal things, and see what and of what quality they are; do they not all pertain to charity, and consequently to the faith that is from charity?

Take only the Precepts of the Decalogue:

• The first of these is to worship the Lord God. He who has the life of love or of charity worships the Lord God, because this is his life.

• Another precept is to keep the Sabbath. He who is in the life of love, or in charity, keeps the Sabbath holy, for nothing is more sweet to him than to worship the Lord, and to glorify Him every day.

• The precept, "Thou shalt not kill," is altogether of charity. He who loves his neighbor as himself, shudders at doing anything that injures him, still more at killing him.

• So too the precept, "Thou shalt not steal;" for he who has the life of charity would rather give of his own to his neighbor, than take anything away from him.

• And so with the precept, "Thou shalt not commit adultery;" he who is in the life of charity the rather guards his neighbor's wife, lest anyone should offer her such injury, and regards adultery as a crime against conscience, and such as destroys conjugial love and its duties.

• To covet the things that are the neighbor's is also contrary to those who are in the life of charity; for it is of charity to desire good to others from one's self and one's own; such therefore by no means covet the things which are another's.

These are the precepts of the Decalogue which are more external doctrinal things of faith; and these are not only known in the memory by him who is in charity and its life, but are in his heart; and he has them inscribed upon himself, because they are in his charity, and thus in his very life; besides other things of a dogmatic nature which he in like manner knows from charity alone; for he lives according to a conscience of what is right. The right and the truth which he cannot thus understand and explore, he believes simply or from simplicity of heart to be so because the Lord has said so; and he who so believes does not do wrong, even though what he thus accepts is not true in itself, but apparent truth.

As for example, if anyone believes that the Lord is angry, punishes, tempts, and the like. Or if he holds that the bread and wine in the Holy Supper are significative, or that the flesh and blood are present in some way in which they explain it-it is of no consequence whether they say the one thing or the other, although there are few who think about this matter, or even if they do think about it, provided this is done from a simple heart, because they have been so instructed, and nevertheless live in charity:

these, when they hear that the bread and wine in the internal sense signify the Lord's love toward the whole human race, and the things which are of this love, and man's reciprocal love to the Lord and the neighbor, they forthwith believe and rejoice that it is so.

Not so they who are in doctrinal things and not in charity; these contend about everything, and condemn all whoever they may be that do not say (they call it "believe") as they do.

From all this everyone can see that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor are the internal of the church.

(Arcana Coelestia 1798)

Faith (pt. 18)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 18)

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

It is very evident from their Epistles that it never entered the mind of any of the apostles that the church of this day would separate faith from charity by teaching that faith alone justifies and saves apart from the works of the law, and that charity therefore cannot be conjoined with faith, since faith is from God, and charity, so far as it is expressed in works, is from man. But this separation and division were introduced into the Christian church when it divided God into three persons, and ascribed to each equal Divinity. But that there is no faith apart from charity, nor any charity apart from faith, and that neither has life except from the Lord, will be made clear in the following chapter.

At present, to prepare the way, it shall be shown (in the upcoming articles):

(1) That man can acquire for himself faith.
(2) And also charity.
(3) And also the life of both.
(4) And yet that nothing of faith, of charity, or of the life of either, is from man, but from the Lord alone.

(True Christian Religion 355)

To be continued...

Faith (pt. 17)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 17)

An abundance of truths cohering, as in a bundle, exalts and perfects faith

(4) However numerous the truths of faith are, and however diverse they appear, they make one from the Lord, who is the Word, the God of heaven and earth, the God of all flesh, the God of the vineyard or church, the God of faith, light itself, the truth, and life eternal.

The truths of faith are various, and to man they seem diverse; some, for example, have relation to God the Creator, others to the Lord the Redeemer, others to the Holy Spirit and the Divine Operation, others to faith and charity, others to freedom of choice, repentance, reformation and regeneration, imputation, and so on; still in the Lord and in man from the Lord they make one, like many branches on one vine (John 15:1, seq.).

For the Lord unites scattered and separate truths into one form, as it were, in which they present one aspect and exhibit one action.

This may be illustrated by a comparison with the members, viscera and organs in one body; which although various, and in man's sight diverse, are nevertheless felt by man, who is their general form, to be one, and when he is acting from them all he acts as if from one. It is the same with heaven, which, although divided into innumerable societies, still in the Lord's sight appears as a one. (That heaven appears as one Man has been shown above (previous chapters in work entitled True Christian Religion*). It is the same again with a kingdom, which although divided into several governments, and also into provinces and cities, still makes one under a king who governs with justice and judgment. So do the truths of faith from which the church is a church make one from the Lord, because -

the Lord is the Word, the God of heaven and earth, the God of all flesh, the God of the vineyard or church, the God of faith, light itself, the truth, and life eternal.

That the Lord is the Word, and therefore all truth of heaven and the church, is evident from John:
The Word was with God, and God was the Word, and the Word became flesh (1:1, 14).

That the Lord is the God of heaven and earth is evident from Matthew:
Jesus said, All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (28:18).

That the Lord is the God of all flesh, can be seen from John
The Father gave to the Son power over all flesh (17:2).

That the Lord is the God of the vineyard or church, in Isaiah:
My well-beloved hath a vineyard (5:1);

and in John:
I am the Vine, ye are the branches (15:5).

That the Lord is the God of faith, Paul teaches:
Having the righteousness, which is from the faith of Christ, from the God of faith (Phil. 3:9).

That the Lord is light itself, appears from John:
There was the true Light, which lighteth every man coming into the world (1:9).

And elsewhere:
Jesus said, I come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in darkness (John 12:46).

That the Lord is the truth itself, appears from John:
Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6).

That the Lord is life eternal, in John:
We know that the Son of God is come that we may know Him that is True, even His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

To this must be added, that owing to his worldly occupations man can acquire for himself only a few of the truths of faith; nevertheless if he goes to the Lord and worships Him alone, he acquires the power to gain a knowledge of all truths. Therefore every true worshiper of God, as soon as he hears any truth of faith which he has not known before, at once sees, acknowledges, and accepts it; and for the reason that the Lord is in him, and he in the Lord; and consequently the light of truth is in him, and he is in the light of truth; for as before said, the Lord is light itself, and truth itself.

This may be corroborated by the following experience:

A spirit appeared to me, who in the company of some others seemed simple, because he had acknowledged the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, and had strengthened this his faith by certain truths from the Word; this spirit was taken up into heaven among the wiser angels; and it was told me that there he was as wise as they; and that altogether as if from himself he spoke truths in great abundance, of which he had before known nothing.

In a like state will those be who come into the Lord's New Church. This is the state that is described in Jeremiah:
This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days I will put my law in their inward parts, and upon their hearts I will write it and they shall teach no more every man his fellow, or every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them (31:33, 34).

It is such a state that is described in Isaiah:
There shall go forth a Shoot out of the stem of Jesse; truth shall be the girdle of His thighs. There the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. The suckling shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk's den; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. In that day the nations shall seek a Root of Jesse, to it shall the Gentiles seek; and His rest shall be glory (11:1, 5, 6, 8, 10).

(True Christian Religion 354)

To be continued...

* True Christian Religion, Author Emanuel Swedenborg is available online or in bookstores.

Faith (pt. 16)

Selection from True Christian Religion ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
(Continued pt. 16)

An abundance of truths cohering, as in a bundle, exalts and perfects faith

(3) According to the Abundance and Coherence of Truths — Faith is perfected.
This follows from the preceding statements (in previous articles), and is evident to everyone who collects reasons, and observes carefully what multiplied series of them effect when they cohere as a unit; for then one series strengthens and confirms another, and together they constitute a form which when put in action is manifested as a single act. Since then faith in its essence is truth, it follows, that according to the abundance and coherence of truths it becomes more and more perfectly spiritual, therefore less and less sensual-natural; for it is raised up into a higher region of the mind, from which it sees beneath it troops of confirmations or itself in the nature of the world.

True faith by an abundance of truths cohering as if in a bundle also becomes more lustrous, more perceptible, more evident, and clearer; and, becomes also more capable of conjunction with the goods of charity, consequently more capable of alienation from evils, and gradually more removed from the allurements of the eye and the lusts of the flesh, therefore in itself happier. Especially does it become more powerful against evils and falsities, and thus more and more living and saving.

It has been said above, that-

in heaven every truth gives forth light, and therefore that faith in its essence is truth giving forth light

consequently the beauty and comeliness of faith caused by that glow, when truths of faith are multiplied, may be compared to various forms, objects, and pictures, formed by different colors harmoniously combined; also to the precious stones of various colors in the breastplate of Aaron, which together were called the Urim and Thummim; in like manner to the precious stones of which the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem are to be built (see Rev. 21). It may also be compared to the precious stones of many colors in a king's crown. Indeed, precious stones signify truths of faith. It may also be compared to the beauty of the rainbow, of a field of flowers, or of a blooming garden in early spring.

The light and glory of faith from an abundance of concordant truths fitly arranged in it may be compared to the illumination of churches by numerous candelabra, or of houses by chandeliers, or of streets by lamps.

The exaltation of faith by an abundance of truths, may be illustrated by comparison with the increase of sound and also of melody, arising from many musical instruments played in concert; and with the increase of fragrance arising from a collection of sweetly-exhaling flowers; and so on.

The power of a faith formed from a multiplicity of truths, as opposed to falsities and evils, may be compared to the firmness of a church built of stones properly laid, with columns built into its walls, and under its fretted ceiling; it may also be compared to a battalion formed in square, where the soldiers stand side by side, and thus form and act as one force; it may also be compared to the muscles of which the whole body is interwoven, which although so numerous and so differently located, still in action constitute one power; and so on.

(True Christian Religion 352 -353)

To be continued...