Sunday, December 28, 2008

AC 10143 - genuine Divine worship

AC 10143 [portions of 3-6]
[3] . . . purification from evils and falsities consists in desisting from them,
and in shunning and turning away from them;
and the implantation of good and of truth
consists in thinking and willing what is good and what is true,
and in speaking and doing them;
and the conjunction of both consists in living from them;
for when good and truth have been conjoined with a person,
he then has a new will and a new understanding, consequently a new life.
When a person is of this character,
there is Divine worship in every work he does,
for he then looks to the Divine in everything;
he venerates it, and he loves it; consequently he worships it.

[4] That this is genuine Divine worship
is unknown to those who make worship consist in adoration and prayers,
thus in such things as are of the mouth and thought,
and not in such as are of work from the good of love and the good of faith;
when yet the Lord regards nothing else in the person
who is in adoration and in prayers than his heart . . ..

[5] In a word,
to do according to the precepts of the Lord is truly to worship Him,
nay, it is truly love and truly faith,
as also can be seen by everyone who considers the matter;
for nothing is more pleasing to one who loves anyone,
and who believes anyone, than to will and do what the other wills and thinks,
for it is his sole desire to know his will and thought, thus his good pleasure.
It is otherwise with one who does not love and believe.
Such also is the case with love to God,
as also the Lord teaches in John:

He that has My commandments,
and does them,
he it is who loves Me;
but he that loves Me not,
keeps not My words.

(John 14:21, 24)

Shall I come before Jehovah with burnt-offerings?
Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams?
He has showed you what is good,
and what does Jehovah require of you,
but to do judgment,
and to love mercy,
and to humble yourself in walking with your God?

(Micah 6:6-8)

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