Spiritual Faith
by Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Jeremiah 31: 31, Matthew 7:15-24 26
The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem
Concerning Faith 5
by Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Jeremiah 31: 31, Matthew 7:15-24 26
The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem
Concerning Faith 5
To believe those things which The Word; or the Doctrine of the Church, teaches, and not at the same time, to live according to them, appears to be faith; and some also imagine that they are saved thereby: but no one is saved by that alone, for it is a persuasive faith. (The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine 116)
There are two things that make the New Church with man - faith and charity - and these two must become one in him. It has long been disputed as to which of these two come first. Because, some think truth is prior to good they therefore say, faith is first, others say good is first and. consequently, they say that charity is first. The reasoning goes something like this: a person, soon after birth, begins to speak, think, and understand. This is by means of knowledge; from this one can learn and understand what is true. In the process of time he/she learns and understands what is good. Thus, such a person says faith is first and charity second.
The problem with process of thinking is that one does not perceive that faith is not faith unless it is united to charity, and visa versa, the charity is not charity unless united to faith. From this one sees that unless they make one the Church cannot be with or in a man.
So, with this in mind, which is first, which is the first born - the prerogative primogeniture. To help us determine which is first - faith or charity - an illustration by comparison is given. In building a temple, the first in time is the erecting of the building itself and then putting in the altar and pulpit. However, in respect to end and purpose worship of the Lord is first. In building a house, first in time is building it and furnishing it; but what is first in respect to the end and purpose is a convenient living for its owners. It is the same with a garden and a field. First, prepare the ground, sow and plant what will be used; the first in end or purpose is, of course, the enjoyment of its fruits. Now, what is that that one looks to first in a thing? It is its use; a person keeps this in mind all the while building or preparing. Thus, the troth of faith is first in time, but the good of charity is first in respect to the end. Therefore, charity is primary and is actually the first born in the mind. One may say by faith is the building and the preparing of one's self for use, which is called charity and, both these - faith and charity - when one in us, make the Church in us, and is the True Church. However, that is not what today's present churches understand. They understand that faith is nothing more than a mental assumption that a thing is so, because it is taught by their Church.
Often one does not understand the doctrines their church teaches. Faith to be faith with a man must become spiritual. This is because faith comes from truth, and all Christians should know that truth is the Lord and comes from the Lord. So, faith itself is the acknowledgment that a thing is so, for it is the truth. And, we should all know what charity is, that it comes from love and Love is the Lord and proceeds from Him to us. The result is that a man loves and holds dear what is good and believes that this is true.
Therefore, true faith is when we think and speak thus, 'This is true, therefore I believe it' and not, 'I believe this is true, but I do not comprehend it, yet I am 10/d 1 must have faith'. It was said that true faith is spiritual, yet there are mysteries of the Word that priests or ministers tell their congregations that they cannot be known and must therefore be accepted by 'faith'. These mysteries are the spiritual truths, which lie hidden 'as it were' within the literal sense of the Word. Natural truth or the sense of the letter of the Word is understood easily, the spirit sense is not so easily understood) though it can be comprehended just as are natural truths. How, you might wonder, can this be? Everyone possesses an understanding and by elevating the understanding into the light of Heaven can see spiritual things, which are the truths of faith. This is the light of Heaven and is the spiritual light that reveals these mysteries to us. Light signifies the Divine truths of the Word, and so, the truths of faith. Of course, as a Christian, we know that the Lord is the Word. Truth flows in from Divine Wisdom. Good flows in from Divine Love; the essence of Heaven's light is Divine Wisdom and the essence of Heaven's heat is Divine Love. We can all read or hear these spiritual things and learn them, even as we do natural things. We just have to elevate our thoughts from ourselves and stop thinking about worldly things and ourselves. We must turn to the Lord.
Do we love to live the truth and to do good, that is, to live in truthfulness and a life of goodness? Do we live according to the things that have been commanded in the Word? If we do, then we have an affection for truth from willing truth because it is the truth. This is what constitute the very Spiritual in us and as such, it is entirely apart from our Natural. Naturally, when man does not think from the light of Heaven, he can still will the truth, not because it is the truth, but for his own glory, reputation or gain.
Here, one sees that spiritual affection for truth is an intema1 acknowledgment of the truth. This being so, then why believe something that is not seen whether it is true or not? We need to ask ourselves do we see and comprehend what we think? To see means to understand from affection and to comprehend one's understanding must be elevated into spiritual light and there receive a general idea of a thing. What we are speaking about here is a spiritual idea. And. a spiritual idea is an idea without space and time and is, thus, an abstract idea.
There are many things, which we know, think, and understand. All these things do not agree with our loves. These will be cast-off when we come into the spiritual world.
For, we have learned from the Latin Word that it is our love that remains in our spirit after the death of the body.
In faith one is said to have trust or confidence, which is called 'saving faith'. Nonetheless, this is merely a natural or historical faith, and is not spiritual. That trust or confidence is natural, not spiritual. There is an apparent faith, which comes from believing things, which the Word, or the doctrine of the Church teaches, but that is not faith lived according to what is taught. Often such people even believe they are saved because of their faith. Nevertheless, no one is saved by faith alone, for this is nothing else then a persuasive faith. The reason why this faith cannot save is because the Word and the doctrine is believed and lived for the sake of gain, honor, and for the reputation of learning, and are one's end. In this case, the Lord is not loved or looked to, but man himself and the things of the world. We read in the Word of those who are in such a persuasive faith in Matthew, ". Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord; did we not prophesy by Thy name, and by Thy name cast out demons, and by Thy name do many wonderful1 works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity" (7:22.23). Again, in Luke, Then shall you begin to say, "We did eat before Thee, and drink and Thou didist teach in our streets; but He shall say, I tell you 1 know not whence you are " (13 :26.27).
Thus, faith, an internal acknowledgment of truth exists only with a person who is in charity. When one has affection for good or for use through that faith that is acknowledged as the truth as its end. He or she is in charity, which is the same as acting from love through that faith. Look at this from its effect on man. From the will nothing is produced with the understanding, except they act in conjunction. So, in order that anything may exist, faith and charity must be united within man.
We have said, charity and faith make one. Thus, in man will and understanding make one, as does thought and affection. Faith is spiritual in its essence, but it is natural in its form. And in man it becomes spiritual natural, that is, the spiritual is received into his natural, so that it may be with him as his. What this means is that the mind is opened and the light of Heaven flows in through the mind into the natural mind and enlightens it. This is what is called in man the spiritual natural. You see faith must be within us, it must be spiritual to save us, otherwise it remains in our external, or our natural, and is there only as knowledge.
So far we have been speaking about faith itself, but in what are we to have faith? In an invisible God or in a visible God? Faith in an invisible God is a blind faith because the human mind does not see its God. The light of this faith is a worldly light; it is a false light, it is not a Heavenly light, which, when in us, makes in us a spiritual natural understanding. Faith in a visible God is a faith in the Lord God the Savior, who became both God and Man. Such a God can be approached and held in thought.
The Lord appears to those who love and live that faith from and in Him. Not only does He appear to them, but also He draws near to them, so far as they know and obey His commandments by shunning evil as sins and by doing good. We see here both faith and charity united and work together. Thus, man is a use. To confirm this we read the words of the Lord in John, "H e that has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and 1 will love him, And will manifest myself to him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him" (John 14: 21,23).
Those who know the commandments and obey them love the Lord and by loving the Lord, the Father, who is invisible and is the Divine Good of the Lord, loves the person; the Lord, who was manifested, who is visible and is the Divine Truth, loves him too and will show Himself to him. And the Father and the Son, as good and truth, will come into him as faith or truth and live within him as good in the life of charity. This person's life is from the Lord and is in the Lord.
Faith in its sum and substance is that he, who lives well and believes aright, is saved by the Lord. To live well is of charity and to be1ieve aright is of faith. Faith and charity are prescribed to us in the Word, and are also commanded. This means that a man can obtain eternal life by himself by the power appointed and granted to him by the Lord and expect to be saved. Otherwise, we would be like a man who stands with his arms hanging down, waiting for the Lord to change us so that we are fit for life in Heaven. Let us use this power and let us look to do good. The Lord has given us a will and understanding; He has revealed the Word to us; we can choose to obey His commandments. Our natural charity can be transformed into spiritual charity .our natural faith can become spiritual faith.
The Lord will give life to our dead charity and faith and, so, give us eternal life. Our external can be united with our internal. When, from our internal, we will what is evil and in our external we do what is good, we act from hell and not from Heaven. The contrary is this: The internal man wills what is good and the external man does what is good, thus they become one. It is in this way that God acts through man, and man from God and that die Lord's New Church is with and in us.
Amen.
There are two things that make the New Church with man - faith and charity - and these two must become one in him. It has long been disputed as to which of these two come first. Because, some think truth is prior to good they therefore say, faith is first, others say good is first and. consequently, they say that charity is first. The reasoning goes something like this: a person, soon after birth, begins to speak, think, and understand. This is by means of knowledge; from this one can learn and understand what is true. In the process of time he/she learns and understands what is good. Thus, such a person says faith is first and charity second.
The problem with process of thinking is that one does not perceive that faith is not faith unless it is united to charity, and visa versa, the charity is not charity unless united to faith. From this one sees that unless they make one the Church cannot be with or in a man.
So, with this in mind, which is first, which is the first born - the prerogative primogeniture. To help us determine which is first - faith or charity - an illustration by comparison is given. In building a temple, the first in time is the erecting of the building itself and then putting in the altar and pulpit. However, in respect to end and purpose worship of the Lord is first. In building a house, first in time is building it and furnishing it; but what is first in respect to the end and purpose is a convenient living for its owners. It is the same with a garden and a field. First, prepare the ground, sow and plant what will be used; the first in end or purpose is, of course, the enjoyment of its fruits. Now, what is that that one looks to first in a thing? It is its use; a person keeps this in mind all the while building or preparing. Thus, the troth of faith is first in time, but the good of charity is first in respect to the end. Therefore, charity is primary and is actually the first born in the mind. One may say by faith is the building and the preparing of one's self for use, which is called charity and, both these - faith and charity - when one in us, make the Church in us, and is the True Church. However, that is not what today's present churches understand. They understand that faith is nothing more than a mental assumption that a thing is so, because it is taught by their Church.
Often one does not understand the doctrines their church teaches. Faith to be faith with a man must become spiritual. This is because faith comes from truth, and all Christians should know that truth is the Lord and comes from the Lord. So, faith itself is the acknowledgment that a thing is so, for it is the truth. And, we should all know what charity is, that it comes from love and Love is the Lord and proceeds from Him to us. The result is that a man loves and holds dear what is good and believes that this is true.
Therefore, true faith is when we think and speak thus, 'This is true, therefore I believe it' and not, 'I believe this is true, but I do not comprehend it, yet I am 10/d 1 must have faith'. It was said that true faith is spiritual, yet there are mysteries of the Word that priests or ministers tell their congregations that they cannot be known and must therefore be accepted by 'faith'. These mysteries are the spiritual truths, which lie hidden 'as it were' within the literal sense of the Word. Natural truth or the sense of the letter of the Word is understood easily, the spirit sense is not so easily understood) though it can be comprehended just as are natural truths. How, you might wonder, can this be? Everyone possesses an understanding and by elevating the understanding into the light of Heaven can see spiritual things, which are the truths of faith. This is the light of Heaven and is the spiritual light that reveals these mysteries to us. Light signifies the Divine truths of the Word, and so, the truths of faith. Of course, as a Christian, we know that the Lord is the Word. Truth flows in from Divine Wisdom. Good flows in from Divine Love; the essence of Heaven's light is Divine Wisdom and the essence of Heaven's heat is Divine Love. We can all read or hear these spiritual things and learn them, even as we do natural things. We just have to elevate our thoughts from ourselves and stop thinking about worldly things and ourselves. We must turn to the Lord.
Do we love to live the truth and to do good, that is, to live in truthfulness and a life of goodness? Do we live according to the things that have been commanded in the Word? If we do, then we have an affection for truth from willing truth because it is the truth. This is what constitute the very Spiritual in us and as such, it is entirely apart from our Natural. Naturally, when man does not think from the light of Heaven, he can still will the truth, not because it is the truth, but for his own glory, reputation or gain.
Here, one sees that spiritual affection for truth is an intema1 acknowledgment of the truth. This being so, then why believe something that is not seen whether it is true or not? We need to ask ourselves do we see and comprehend what we think? To see means to understand from affection and to comprehend one's understanding must be elevated into spiritual light and there receive a general idea of a thing. What we are speaking about here is a spiritual idea. And. a spiritual idea is an idea without space and time and is, thus, an abstract idea.
There are many things, which we know, think, and understand. All these things do not agree with our loves. These will be cast-off when we come into the spiritual world.
For, we have learned from the Latin Word that it is our love that remains in our spirit after the death of the body.
In faith one is said to have trust or confidence, which is called 'saving faith'. Nonetheless, this is merely a natural or historical faith, and is not spiritual. That trust or confidence is natural, not spiritual. There is an apparent faith, which comes from believing things, which the Word, or the doctrine of the Church teaches, but that is not faith lived according to what is taught. Often such people even believe they are saved because of their faith. Nevertheless, no one is saved by faith alone, for this is nothing else then a persuasive faith. The reason why this faith cannot save is because the Word and the doctrine is believed and lived for the sake of gain, honor, and for the reputation of learning, and are one's end. In this case, the Lord is not loved or looked to, but man himself and the things of the world. We read in the Word of those who are in such a persuasive faith in Matthew, ". Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord; did we not prophesy by Thy name, and by Thy name cast out demons, and by Thy name do many wonderful1 works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity" (7:22.23). Again, in Luke, Then shall you begin to say, "We did eat before Thee, and drink and Thou didist teach in our streets; but He shall say, I tell you 1 know not whence you are " (13 :26.27).
Thus, faith, an internal acknowledgment of truth exists only with a person who is in charity. When one has affection for good or for use through that faith that is acknowledged as the truth as its end. He or she is in charity, which is the same as acting from love through that faith. Look at this from its effect on man. From the will nothing is produced with the understanding, except they act in conjunction. So, in order that anything may exist, faith and charity must be united within man.
We have said, charity and faith make one. Thus, in man will and understanding make one, as does thought and affection. Faith is spiritual in its essence, but it is natural in its form. And in man it becomes spiritual natural, that is, the spiritual is received into his natural, so that it may be with him as his. What this means is that the mind is opened and the light of Heaven flows in through the mind into the natural mind and enlightens it. This is what is called in man the spiritual natural. You see faith must be within us, it must be spiritual to save us, otherwise it remains in our external, or our natural, and is there only as knowledge.
So far we have been speaking about faith itself, but in what are we to have faith? In an invisible God or in a visible God? Faith in an invisible God is a blind faith because the human mind does not see its God. The light of this faith is a worldly light; it is a false light, it is not a Heavenly light, which, when in us, makes in us a spiritual natural understanding. Faith in a visible God is a faith in the Lord God the Savior, who became both God and Man. Such a God can be approached and held in thought.
The Lord appears to those who love and live that faith from and in Him. Not only does He appear to them, but also He draws near to them, so far as they know and obey His commandments by shunning evil as sins and by doing good. We see here both faith and charity united and work together. Thus, man is a use. To confirm this we read the words of the Lord in John, "H e that has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and 1 will love him, And will manifest myself to him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him" (John 14: 21,23).
Those who know the commandments and obey them love the Lord and by loving the Lord, the Father, who is invisible and is the Divine Good of the Lord, loves the person; the Lord, who was manifested, who is visible and is the Divine Truth, loves him too and will show Himself to him. And the Father and the Son, as good and truth, will come into him as faith or truth and live within him as good in the life of charity. This person's life is from the Lord and is in the Lord.
Faith in its sum and substance is that he, who lives well and believes aright, is saved by the Lord. To live well is of charity and to be1ieve aright is of faith. Faith and charity are prescribed to us in the Word, and are also commanded. This means that a man can obtain eternal life by himself by the power appointed and granted to him by the Lord and expect to be saved. Otherwise, we would be like a man who stands with his arms hanging down, waiting for the Lord to change us so that we are fit for life in Heaven. Let us use this power and let us look to do good. The Lord has given us a will and understanding; He has revealed the Word to us; we can choose to obey His commandments. Our natural charity can be transformed into spiritual charity .our natural faith can become spiritual faith.
The Lord will give life to our dead charity and faith and, so, give us eternal life. Our external can be united with our internal. When, from our internal, we will what is evil and in our external we do what is good, we act from hell and not from Heaven. The contrary is this: The internal man wills what is good and the external man does what is good, thus they become one. It is in this way that God acts through man, and man from God and that die Lord's New Church is with and in us.
Amen.
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