Part 2 (1/2)
Man inclines to the nature he derives hereditarily, and lapses into it. Thus he strengthens any evil in it, and also adds others of himself. These evils are quite opposed to the spiritual life. They destroy it. Unless, therefore, a man receives new life from the Lord, which is spiritual life, he is condemned; for he wills nothing else and thinks nothing else than concerns him and the world.
--_Heavenly Doctrine, n._ 176
LOVES OF SELF AND THE WORLD
The reason why the love of self and the love of the world are infernal loves, and yet man has been able to come into them, and thus to ruin will and understanding in him, is as follows: By creation the love of self and the love of the world are heavenly loves; for they are loves of the natural man serving his spiritual loves, as a foundation does a house. From the love of self and the world, a man wishes well by his body, desires food, clothing and habitation, takes thought for his household, seeks occupation to be useful, wishes also for obedience's sake to be honored according to the dignity of the thing he does, and to be delighted and recreated by the pleasures of the world;--yet all this for the sake of the end, which must be use. By this a man is in position to serve the Lord and to serve the neighbor. But when there is no love of serving the Lord and the neighbor, but only a love of serving oneself at the world's hands, then from being heavenly that love becomes infernal, for it causes a man to sink mind and character in his _proprium_, or what is his own, which in itself is the whole of evil.
--_Divine Love and Wisdom, n._ 396
THE NEED FOR SELF-ACTION
No one can cleanse himself of evils by his own power and abilities; but neither can this be done without the power and abilities of the man, used as his own. If this strength were not to all appearance his own, no one would be able to fight against the flesh and its l.u.s.ts, which, nevertheless, is enjoined upon all men. He would not think of combat. Because man is a rational being, he must resist evils from the power and the abilities given him by the Lord, which appear to him as his own; an appearance that is granted for the sake of regeneration, imputation, conjunction, and salvation.
--_True Christian Religion, n._ 438
THE WARFARE OF REGENERATION
”Blessed be the Lord my strength, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; My high tower and my deliverer; My s.h.i.+eld, and He in whom I trust; Who subdueth my people under me.”
--_Psalm,_ CXLIV, 1, 2
”TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH”
Because man is reformed by conflicts with the evils of his flesh and by victories over them, the Son of Man says to each of the seven Churches, that He will give gifts ”to him that overcometh.”
--_True Christian Religion, n._ 610
Without moral struggle no one is regenerated, and many spiritual wrestlings succeed one after another. For, inasmuch as regeneration has for its end that the life of the old man may die and the new and heavenly life be implanted, there will unfailingly be combat. The life of the old man resists and is unwilling to be extinguished, and the life of the new man cannot enter, except where the life of the old has been extinguished. From this it is plain that there is combat, and ardent combat, because for life.
--_Arcana Coelestia, n._ 8403
REPENTANCE AND THE REMISSION OF SINS
He who would be saved, must confess his sins, and do repentance. _To confess sins_ is to know evils, to see them in oneself, to acknowledge them, to make oneself guilty and condemn oneself on account of them.
Done before G.o.d, this is to confess sins. _To do repentance_ is to desist from sins after one has thus confessed them and from a humble heart has besought forgiveness, and then to live a new life according to the precepts of charity and faith.
He who merely acknowledges generally that he is a sinner, making himself guilty of all evils, without examining himself,--that is, without seeing his sins,--makes a confession but not the confession of repentance. Inasmuch as he does not know his evils, he lives as before.
One who lives the life of charity and faith does repentance daily. He reflects upon the evils in him, acknowledges them, guards against them, and beseeches the Lord for help. For of oneself one continually lapses toward evil; but he is continually raised up by the Lord and led to good.
Repentance of the mouth and not of the life is not repentance. Nor are sins pardoned on repentance of the mouth, but on repentance of the life. Sins are constantly pardoned man by the Lord, for He is mercy itself; but still they adhere to man, however he supposes they have been remitted. Nor are they removed from him save by a life according to the precepts of true faith. So far as he lives according to these precepts, sins are removed; and so far as they are removed, so far they are remitted.
--_Heavenly Doctrine, nn._ 159-165