AE 774 - Christian dogma

AE 774 [3]
. . . as the dogmas they confirm
by the ultimate sense of the Word,
which is the sense of the letter of the Word,
are falsities,
they must needs take their reasonings from the natural person,
for without these it would not be possible to make falsities appear as truths.
But this shall be illustrated by an example.
That life or charity may be separated from faith, they contend
(1) That by Adam's fall a person lost all freedom to do good from himself; and
(2) for this reason a person is in no wise able to fulfill the law; and
(3) without the fulfilling of the law there is no salvation; and
(4) that the Lord came into the world that He might fulfill the law,
and thus His righteousness and merit might be imputed to a person,
and by that imputation a person might be loosed from the yoke of the law
even to the extent that nothing condemns him; and
(5) that a person accepts the imputation of the Lord's merit by faith alone,
and not at all by works.

Tenet (4) is especially dangerous.

AE 769 - different types of faith

AE 769
Who keep the commandments of God,
(Revelation 12:17)
signifies with those who live the life of faith, which is charity.

[2] From this it can be seen
that all those who separate faith from charity
know not what faith is or what charity is,
for they have no other idea of faith
than as being everything of the memory
that is believed because they have heard it from learned men;
and yet such faith is historical faith,
for they do not see whether a thing is so,
except because someone else has said it;
and what is seen from another can be confirmed
both by the sense of the letter of the Word misunderstood
and by reasonings from appearances and knowledges [scientifica],
although it may be a falsity directly opposed to the truth.
When this is confirmed it becomes a persuasive faith;
but neither this faith nor historical faith is a spiritual faith,
thus not a saving faith,
for such faith has as yet no life from the Lord in it.
That a person may receive that life
he must live according to the Lord's commandments in the Word,
for living according to these commandments
is the same as living from the Lord,
because the Lord is the Word and is in the Word.
Such a life is the life of faith, which is charity;
and then its affection becomes charity,
and thought from that affection becomes faith . . ..

AE 768a - loving one's neighbor

AE 768a [2]
. . . in the Word [it says] that the neighbor must be loved as one loves himself,
but in the spiritual sense this does not mean
that the neighbor is thus to be loved in respect to person,
but those things are to be loved
which are from the Lord with the person;
for a person is not actually loved because of his being a person or a man,
but because of his being such as he is;
thus the person is loved because of his quality . . ..

AE 763, 765 - dragons

AE 763 [2]
But let it be known that only he who is in enlightenment from the Lord,
and consequently in the spiritual affection of truth,
thinks and reasons spiritually,
for these are in the light of truth,
and the light of truth is the light of heaven
from which the angels have intelligence and wisdom;
that light is what is called spiritual light,
and consequently those who are in that light are spiritual.
But those who are in falsities,
however keenly they may think and reason,
are not spiritual, but natural, yea, sensual,
for their thoughts and reasonings therefrom
are for the most part from the fallacies of the senses,
which some adorn with eloquence
and embellish with the flowers of rhetoric,
and confirm by appearances from nature alone,
while others add knowledges and adapt them to their reasonings,
and these they proclaim from the fire of self-love
and the pride of self-intelligence therefrom
that sounds like the affection of truth.
In such things their craftiness consists . . ..

AE 765
. . . the church that is called the New Jerusalem
is to tarry among those who are in the doctrine of faith separate
while it grows to fullness,
until provision is made for it among many.
But in that church there are dragons
who separate faith from good works not only in doctrine but also in life;
but the others in the same church who live the life of faith,
which is charity,
are not dragons, although they are among them,
for they do not know otherwise
than that it is according to doctrine
that faith produces fruits,
which are good works,
and that the faith that justifies and saves
is believing what is in the Word, and doing it.

AE 759 - two wings of an eagle

AE 759 [Verse 14.]
And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle,
(Revelation 12:14)
. . . the signification of "the woman,"
as being the church that is called the New Jerusalem,
consequently the people of that church;
also from the signification of "wings,"
as being things spiritual;
also from the signification of an "eagle,"
as being intelligence and circumspection.
From this it follows that
"there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle"
signifies the spiritual intelligence and circumspection
that the Lord gives to those who are of that church.

[2] What this means shall now be told.
. . . it is granted to the people of the New Church
that is called the Holy Jerusalem
to behold the Divine truths that are in the Word,
not sensually, that is, according to appearances,
but spiritually, that is, according to their essences;
for this reason the internal sense of the Word,
which is spiritual and is solely for those who will be of that church,
has been disclosed.
From that sense Divine truth is seen such as it is in its own spiritual light,
and from that light such as it is in its own natural light.
Divine truth is the Word,
and those who are of that church
are enlightened by the spiritual light of the Word
by influx from the Lord out of heaven,
for the reason that they acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human,
and are in the spiritual affection of truth from Him.
They and no others receive spiritual light,
which is continually flowing in from the Lord through heaven
with all who read the Word.
From this they have enlightenment.

[3] How enlightenment is effected shall also be told.
Every person in respect to his thoughts and affections is in the spiritual world,
consequently he is there in respect to his spirit,
for it is the spirit of a person that thinks and that is affected.
The person who becomes spiritual by being regenerated by the Lord
is in respect to his spirit in a heavenly society,
the natural person, that is, one who is not regenerated,
is in respect to his spirit in an infernal society;
with the latter evils flow in continually from hell,
and are also received with delight;
but with the former goods flow in continually from heaven,
and are also received;
and as goods flow into his affection,
and through the affection into his thought,
from that he has enlightenment.
This enlightenment is what is meant by
the spiritual intelligence and circumspection that are signified by
"the wings of an eagle" given to the woman,
with which she flew into the wilderness.
The spiritual also are comparatively like eagles flying on high;
while those who are merely natural
are comparatively like serpents who creep on the ground,
and see the eagles above them.
For this reason the dragon is called a "serpent" in the next verse.

[4] Furthermore, "the wings of an eagle" that were given to the woman
signify the understanding of truth;
for all who are of that church have the understanding enlightened
and from this they are able to see truth from the light of truth,
that is, whether a thing be true or not true.
Because they see truth in this way they acknowledge it,
and receive it with the affection which is of the will.
By this the truths they have are made spiritual;
and in consequence the spiritual mind,
which is above the natural mind,
is opened with them;
and when this is opened it receives angelic sight,
which is the sight of truth itself from its own light.
On the other hand, those who are not of that church,
who are they who do not acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human,
and who do not love truth because it is truth, that is, spiritually,
cannot have the understanding so enlightened
as to be able to see whether a thing be true or not;
but they see appearances of truth as genuine truths,
and confirm them as genuine truths from the sense of the letter of the Word;
and yet most things in that sense of the Word are appearances of truth;
and if these are confirmed as genuine truths
they are falsified, and falsified truths are falsities.
Because they are unable to see truths from the light of truth,
and thus apprehend them in the understanding,
they are in an obscure, yea, in a blind faith about what is to be believed;
and a blind faith is like an eye that sees little or nothing.
Yea a blind faith is not faith, but only a persuasion . . ..

AE 751, 753 - communication with the Lord and the heavens

AE 751
For every person with whom the interior mind,
which is called the spiritual mind,
has been opened,
is in the heavens,
yea, sometimes he even appears among the angels in the heavens.
That this is so has not been known heretofore in the world;
let it be known, therefore,
that a person in respect to his spirit is among spirits and angels,
and even in that society of them into which he is to come after death.
This is because the spiritual mind of a person
is formed wholly to the image of heaven,
even so that it is a heaven in least form;
consequently that mind, although it is still in the body,
must nevertheless be where its form is.

AE 753
. . . for when a person becomes spiritual
he has communion with the heavens,
and receives goods therefrom,
and goods
received from the Lord through heaven
remove evils,
which is effected solely by means of a life
according to the commandments from the Word.

AE 750 - our soul

AE 750a
. . . those who are in the combats of temptation
regard the life of the world as of no account
in comparison with the life of heaven,
and consequently regard the death of their body
as of no account in comparison with the life of the soul . . ..
The reason is, that they know that life in the world,
which is only for some years,
is as nothing compared with the life in heaven, which is eternal life;
yea, there is no ratio between the time of a person's life in the world
and the life in heaven that will continue to eternity.

AE 750e[6 & 16]
Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart,
with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
(Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16).

Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul
and with all thy might.
(Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27).

"To love Jehovah God with all the heart and all the soul"
means with all the will and all the understanding,
also with all the love and all the faith,
for "heart" signifies the love and the will,
and "soul" signifies the faith and the understanding . . .
"With all the might and with all the mind"
signifies above all things.

Be ye not anxious for your soul what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink,
nor for your body what ye shall put on;
is not the soul more than nourishment,
and the body more than the raiment?
(Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22, 23)
Although this is said of the life of the body,
still it signifies such things as pertain to the life of the spirit,
for all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural,
contain within them an internal sense which is spiritual;
in this sense "to eat," "to drink," and "food" signify spiritual nourishment,
which is the nourishment of faith together
with the nourishment of the understanding,
from which comes intelligence in spiritual things;
therefore it is said,
"Be not ye anxious for your soul what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink;
is not the soul more than nourishment?"
"To eat" means to perceive good intellectually and thus spiritually;
"to drink" means to perceive truth intellectually and thus spiritually;
and "nourishment" means good and truth from which is nutrition.
"To clothe the body" and "raiment"
signify truth investing the good of love and of the will;
"raiment" signifies such truth,
and the "body" the good of love which is the good of the will.

AE 746e - Teacher and Father

AE 746e [13]
And call no man your father upon earth,
for one is your Father who is in the heavens.
(Matthew 23:9)
In the natural sense men may be called teachers and fathers,
but representatively; that is to say,
teachers in the world teach truths indeed,
but from the Lord, not from themselves,
and fathers in the world are good,
and lead their children to good,
but from the Lord, not from themselves.
From this it follows that although they are called teachers and fathers
still they are not teachers and fathers,
but the Lord alone is Teacher and Father.

AE 745 = "but born of God"

AE 745 [4]
. . . "but born of God"
signifies those who have been regenerated by truths from the Word
and by a life according to them.
From this it can be seen
that those who are not willing to be reformed and regenerated by the Lord,
which is effected by the reception of Divine truth in faith and life,
cannot be saved.

AE 741d - good is the essential of the church, but not by itself

AE 741d [27]
. . . for good is the essential of the church;
therefore where there is good there is also truth,
for every good desires truth and wishes to be conjoined to truth
and to be spiritually nourished by it,
thus also reciprocally.

AE 741b - night and morning

AE 741b [6]
"Night" signifies a state in which there is no light of truth,
and "morning" a state in which there is the light of truth;
the latter state is from love,
but the former is when there is as yet no love.

AE 741a - doing good

AE 741a [2-4]
He that keeps My word,
I will come unto him and will make My abode with him.
(John 14:23)

This is why the Lord so often commands
that His words and commandments must be done;
and that those who do them shall have eternal life;
so also that everyone will be judged according to his works.
From this it then follows
that those who do good from the Word do good from the Lord,
and good from the Lord is truly good,
and so far as it is from the Lord
there is no merit in it.

That good from the Word, thus from the Lord, is truly good,

I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hear My voice and open the door,
I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me.
(Revelation 3:20)

This shows that the Lord is always and continually present
and bestows the effort to do good,
but that a person must open the door, that is, must receive the Lord;
and he receives Him when he does good from His Word.
Although this appears to a person to be done as of himself,
yet it is not of the person but of the Lord in him.
It so appears to a person
because he has no other feeling
than that he thinks from himself and acts from himself;
and yet when he thinks and acts from the Word
he does it as if of himself,
therefore he then also believes that he does it of the Lord.

From this it can be seen that the good that a person does from the Word
is spiritual good,
and that this conjoins a person to the Lord and to heaven.
But the good that a person does
for the world's sake and for the sake of the communities in the world,
which is called civil and moral good,
conjoins him to the world and not to heaven.

AE 739b - the knowledges of good and evil

AE 739b [8,10]
The knowledges of good and evil from the Lord from which is wisdom,
and the knowledges of good and evil from the world from which is science,
were represented by "the tree of lives"
and by "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"
in the midst of the garden.
That they were permitted to appropriate to themselves
knowledges from every source,
not only from heaven but also from the world,
provided they did not proceed in the inverted order,
by reasoning about heavenly things from worldly knowledges,
instead of thinking about worldly things from heavenly things . . .

. . . the sensual person believes that he knows all things,
and that nothing is concealed from him;
but not so the celestial person,
who knows that he knows nothing from himself but only from the Lord,
and that what he does know is so little
as to be scarcely anything as compared with what he does not know.

AE 737 - spiritual life

AE 737
. . . spiritual faith is acquired by a life according to the truths of the Word,
which life is called charity.

Too Many Bookmarks or Reading in Circles (AE 716 & Deuteronomy 29:18-19)

I have not been able to figure out why the Lord has been repeating Himself even more than usual as I read. Really? I know I need to get this drilled into my being, but really? I was feeling utterly bogged down. And this morning, I opened AE to a marked spot, one that had that a "pay attention!" feel to it. I thought, "Hasn't this been sent out?" So I looked over what has gone out this week and realized that I've been reading in circles. No wonder! I also remember that there was a similar verse in Deuteronomy, read about the same time, and I had been checking that to pair the two. So, since that wasn't done before, it seems to be necessary that it is done today - keeping in mind that whatever in the Lord's Word was said to folks long ago, it is just as important to us - as individuals - today:

AE 716 [2]
. . . at the end of the church
every one wishes to live for himself,
for the world,
and according to his own bent,
and few wish to live for the Lord,
for heaven and eternal life . . .

Deuteronomy 29:18-19
Make sure there is no man or woman,
clan or tribe among you today
whose heart turns away from the Lord our God
to go and worship the gods of those nations;
make sure there is no root among you
that produces such bitter poison.
When such a person hears the words of this oath,
he invokes a blessing on himself
and therefore thinks,
"I will be safe,
even though I persist in going my own way."
This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.

AE 721b - those who will be of the New Church

AE 721b [10]
... "the woman with child"
those who receive truths,
and "she who is bringing forth"
those who do them.
(from Jeremiah 31:8)

[11]
That those who will be of that church will acknowledge the Lord,
and will receive love to Him and consequently wisdom,
is signified by
"her wilderness shall be made like Eden,
and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah",
"Eden" signifying love to the Lord,
and "the garden of Jehovah" wisdom therefrom.

The Lord's Commands to Joshua (Joshua 1:5-9)

Joshua 1:5-9
"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you;
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and courageous,
because you will lead these people to inherit the land
I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you;
do not turn from it to the right or to the left,
that you may be successful wherever you go.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips;
meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

AE 717 - "the dragon"

AE 717
. . ."the dragon" means in general
all who acknowledge the Word
and read it
and yet do not live according to it,
and this because they separate life,
which is charity,
from faith,
and believe that it is sufficient
merely to think those things that are in the Word,
and to persuade themselves
that they are saved
by thinking and talking about certain things from the Word
with trust and confidence,
and that faith alone justifies and saves,
and not anything of life or work.

AE 717d - intelligence

AE 717d [17]
. . . "light" signifies intelligence,
and those who are in charity,
which is the life of faith,
have the light of intelligence from the Word.

AE 717c - "Eden the Garden of God" (Ezekiel 28:12-14)

AE 717c [9]
"Eden the garden of God"
signifying intelligence from the Lord through the Word,
for "Eden" as the "east," means the Lord,
and "the garden of God" is intelligence from Him;
and . . . true intelligence is acquired, that is, given,
solely through the knowledges of truth and good from the Word
understood according to its genuine sense . . .

. . . all beauty in the heavens is according to intelligence.