Session Ten
Charity is in good works and is united in faith.
The 'second' of charity is to do goods because they are uses. (Charity II, 13)
Charity is in good works and is united in faith.
The 'second' of charity is to do goods because they are uses. (Charity II, 13)
Every one who says he is a Christian knows that he is to love his neighbor as himself. He knows this is from the two great commandments taught by the Lord when He was on earth. In truth, every religion teaches that man should treat others well. Yet, there is misunderstanding as to how charity it is to be applied and its use. On the one hand there are those who think that their doing charity cancels out evil and on the other there are those who think doing charity is trying to merit salvation and therefore say only faith alone saves and as a result does not do any charity, nor has love for others. Still, they and everyone sees that charity does not do evil to the neighbor, but is love towards the neighbor. If one loves someone, he is afraid to do evil to him. In fact, he very often wishes to do good to the neighbor and there is a conjunction of their minds. Example: can you do evil to your children, your married partner, or a friend?
Loving the neighbor is of charity. Doing evil to the neighbor is to hate and to act against another with hostility and animosity. It is where one has revenge and even desires his death. To the Christian, he sees these things are what he is to shun and that he is to not wish to do evil to the neighbor. Paul in Romans 13: 8-10 speaks about not wishing evil to the neighbor and says "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
So, we see that not wishing to do evil to the neighbor is of charity and wishing to do good is of charity. Yet, we see that there is misunderstanding as to doing good to neighbor. All will agree that giving to the poor, contributing to hospitals, churches, is of charity and many other things such as clothing the naked, visiting the sick are also charitable acts. But we must know that we unless we have shunned evil in ourselves then what appears to be charity i.e. giving to needy, etc., is not and in fact, it may be merit-seeking and such is of our external will. It is from an impure fountain in which man and the world is in them.
You can see that a man can do every good of charity while not be shunning evil. In fact, to shun evil and to do Christian good is two distinct things. One can do every good of charity from piety and from thinking about eternal life while at the same time not know that hating, bearing false witness, and other things are to be shunned. As example there are judges who live piously, but who make judgments based on friendship. This can be applied to other professions as well. So, shunning evils as sins does Christian goods, but those who do good and do not shun evils as sins do not do Christian good; for evil is contrary to charity. No one can do good and at the same time do evil. One cannot will good and also evil.
We spoke of our exterior will, but we also have an interior will. Now, man will, both the interior and exterior are evil because of the fall from grace having rejected the Lord's love, thus His wisdom. Now, it was stated in an earlier talk that evil is removed by repentance, for man is born into evil and, so, evil resides in a man's interior. That is why he has the tendency to sin. Therefore, an unrepentant man's good proceeds from his exterior will because his interior will is perverted, while a repentant man's interior will has removed evil and the good that he does is from a cleansed fountain 'as it were'. To this the Lord has said, "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter" (Matthew 23: 26). In truth, the exterior good does not remove the evil of lusting or evil's root.
Man today lives under some kind of government and so lives in accordance with some sort of civil and moral laws. Thus, he may do civil and even moral good and not shun sins as evils. So, there is civil good and moral good, but there is also spiritual good and a man who does not do spiritual good may do civil and moral good, but that is not true good or charity. Let us see this in illustration so we understand clearly. From the interior will a person lusts and in the exterior is the delight. Thus, when a man thinks from lusting and its delight, he either confirms evil and believes that it is allowed and, so, is in evil; or he does not think about evil with himself and, therefore believes he is sound when he is not, since the evils are still in him. Let a man know that he ought to confess to being a sinner from his head to his sole of his feet and is a sinner and that there is on soundness in him.
Nonetheless, we know man can say this and even say it from knowledge, but still he may not inwardly believe it. Though he can, if he has investigated, and when he does he knows he is a sinner. Let's look at this as a healing - a curing. Unless evils are opened and revealed as an ulcer is opened and healed any cure is only palliative. In truth, the Lord, the disciples, and John the Baptist preach repentance. Isaiah says the first thing is to cease doing evils and then learn to do well. "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well (good)" (1: 16, 17). Again, the truth is that no one knows what is good or what quality good is when he is in evil; however, one who has repented is good and knows from good what is good and knows what is evil. The unrepentant thinks he is good when he is evil.
If we know the evil in us, then we can see that it must be put away. We first know this from the Decalogue, for it was the 'first' of the Word and is in the whole of the Christian Church and is its doctrine, and in fact, those that come into the Church are initiated through knowing evil, that evil is against God, and that it is not to be done. Now, before the Lord came on earth this 'first', the Decalogue was so holy, that no one was able to do Christian good, but only external or civil and moral good. Else, why was the Lord to come? Wasn't it to save man?
What is seen here is that faith is first and good follows, but faith, the believing and knowing the Ten Commandments, are first in life, not in essence. Here are some examples of this: When judgment is not passed from evil, but justly, he does well. When a farmer says he intends to do his work justly and faithfully, he does good work and, so, with a thousand other instances not doing evil does a man do good. Basically, this is saying to shun evil is to do good.
Thus, what the recognition of evil is, and its consequent putting away by repentance, such is the good which is of charity. Aren't we told to put off the old man and put on the new? Aren't we to crucify the flesh and to live in the spirit? Did not the Lord say the spirit is welling, but the flesh weak, and that no one can serve two masters at the same time? We are to recognize what is true and what is false; these are to be known, and we are to put away what is evil from us. Putting away is of the will. Both the recognition and the putting away are of life.
Thus it follows that the 'first' of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils since they are sins; and that the 'second' of charity is to do goods. Both an evil man and a good man can do good. They can help someone in need; they can be kind, and a friend, even a companion. Nevertheless, the evil man's goodness are not of charity, as we have shown, because, it is the one to whom the charity is exercised, not the one who does them. Yet, we know that the appearance is otherwise, both to the one doing the good and to others. This is because the one who shuns evils as sins after several times sees only the good he is doing and these two are together with him. The one who has not shunned his sins has together good and evil and the evil in him corrupts the good he things he is doing.
Loving the neighbor is of charity. Doing evil to the neighbor is to hate and to act against another with hostility and animosity. It is where one has revenge and even desires his death. To the Christian, he sees these things are what he is to shun and that he is to not wish to do evil to the neighbor. Paul in Romans 13: 8-10 speaks about not wishing evil to the neighbor and says "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
So, we see that not wishing to do evil to the neighbor is of charity and wishing to do good is of charity. Yet, we see that there is misunderstanding as to doing good to neighbor. All will agree that giving to the poor, contributing to hospitals, churches, is of charity and many other things such as clothing the naked, visiting the sick are also charitable acts. But we must know that we unless we have shunned evil in ourselves then what appears to be charity i.e. giving to needy, etc., is not and in fact, it may be merit-seeking and such is of our external will. It is from an impure fountain in which man and the world is in them.
You can see that a man can do every good of charity while not be shunning evil. In fact, to shun evil and to do Christian good is two distinct things. One can do every good of charity from piety and from thinking about eternal life while at the same time not know that hating, bearing false witness, and other things are to be shunned. As example there are judges who live piously, but who make judgments based on friendship. This can be applied to other professions as well. So, shunning evils as sins does Christian goods, but those who do good and do not shun evils as sins do not do Christian good; for evil is contrary to charity. No one can do good and at the same time do evil. One cannot will good and also evil.
We spoke of our exterior will, but we also have an interior will. Now, man will, both the interior and exterior are evil because of the fall from grace having rejected the Lord's love, thus His wisdom. Now, it was stated in an earlier talk that evil is removed by repentance, for man is born into evil and, so, evil resides in a man's interior. That is why he has the tendency to sin. Therefore, an unrepentant man's good proceeds from his exterior will because his interior will is perverted, while a repentant man's interior will has removed evil and the good that he does is from a cleansed fountain 'as it were'. To this the Lord has said, "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter" (Matthew 23: 26). In truth, the exterior good does not remove the evil of lusting or evil's root.
Man today lives under some kind of government and so lives in accordance with some sort of civil and moral laws. Thus, he may do civil and even moral good and not shun sins as evils. So, there is civil good and moral good, but there is also spiritual good and a man who does not do spiritual good may do civil and moral good, but that is not true good or charity. Let us see this in illustration so we understand clearly. From the interior will a person lusts and in the exterior is the delight. Thus, when a man thinks from lusting and its delight, he either confirms evil and believes that it is allowed and, so, is in evil; or he does not think about evil with himself and, therefore believes he is sound when he is not, since the evils are still in him. Let a man know that he ought to confess to being a sinner from his head to his sole of his feet and is a sinner and that there is on soundness in him.
Nonetheless, we know man can say this and even say it from knowledge, but still he may not inwardly believe it. Though he can, if he has investigated, and when he does he knows he is a sinner. Let's look at this as a healing - a curing. Unless evils are opened and revealed as an ulcer is opened and healed any cure is only palliative. In truth, the Lord, the disciples, and John the Baptist preach repentance. Isaiah says the first thing is to cease doing evils and then learn to do well. "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well (good)" (1: 16, 17). Again, the truth is that no one knows what is good or what quality good is when he is in evil; however, one who has repented is good and knows from good what is good and knows what is evil. The unrepentant thinks he is good when he is evil.
If we know the evil in us, then we can see that it must be put away. We first know this from the Decalogue, for it was the 'first' of the Word and is in the whole of the Christian Church and is its doctrine, and in fact, those that come into the Church are initiated through knowing evil, that evil is against God, and that it is not to be done. Now, before the Lord came on earth this 'first', the Decalogue was so holy, that no one was able to do Christian good, but only external or civil and moral good. Else, why was the Lord to come? Wasn't it to save man?
What is seen here is that faith is first and good follows, but faith, the believing and knowing the Ten Commandments, are first in life, not in essence. Here are some examples of this: When judgment is not passed from evil, but justly, he does well. When a farmer says he intends to do his work justly and faithfully, he does good work and, so, with a thousand other instances not doing evil does a man do good. Basically, this is saying to shun evil is to do good.
Thus, what the recognition of evil is, and its consequent putting away by repentance, such is the good which is of charity. Aren't we told to put off the old man and put on the new? Aren't we to crucify the flesh and to live in the spirit? Did not the Lord say the spirit is welling, but the flesh weak, and that no one can serve two masters at the same time? We are to recognize what is true and what is false; these are to be known, and we are to put away what is evil from us. Putting away is of the will. Both the recognition and the putting away are of life.
Thus it follows that the 'first' of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils since they are sins; and that the 'second' of charity is to do goods. Both an evil man and a good man can do good. They can help someone in need; they can be kind, and a friend, even a companion. Nevertheless, the evil man's goodness are not of charity, as we have shown, because, it is the one to whom the charity is exercised, not the one who does them. Yet, we know that the appearance is otherwise, both to the one doing the good and to others. This is because the one who shuns evils as sins after several times sees only the good he is doing and these two are together with him. The one who has not shunned his sins has together good and evil and the evil in him corrupts the good he things he is doing.
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