AR 678 [1, 2]
. . . an evil and noxious sore
symbolizes interior evils and
falsities
destructive of every good and truth
in the church.
Its being noxious symbolizes its
destructiveness,
and evil cannot but destroy
goodness, and falsity truth.
. . . Every evil that a person perceives
in himself
exists in its outmost expressions.
Consequently, when a person rejects
evil,
he at the same time rejects also its
lusts,
though he still does not do this on
his own,
but from the Lord.
A person can indeed on his own
reject evil,
but not its lusts.
Therefore, when he wishes to reject
some evil
and is fighting against it,
he must look to the Lord,
since the Lord operates
from inmost elements to outmost
ones.
For He enters through a person's
soul and purifies him.
We have said this much to make
known
that a sore symbolizes evil
appearing in its outmost or final
expressions,
arising from an internal
malignancy.
This is the case with all people
who persuade themselves that faith
alone saves,
and for that reason
do not reflect upon any evil in
themselves
or look to the Lord.
AR 679
To live in accordance with faith
alone
and to accept its doctrine
means to attach no importance
to living for the sake of
salvation,
and to attach no importance to the
truth,
believing that if people only pray
to God the Father
to have pity for the sake of the
Son,
they are saved.
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