On Line Study of the Word:
The Christian Faith
By Rev. Paul Booth
The Christian Faith
By Rev. Paul Booth
The Christian faith can be summed up in love to the Lord and to love the neighbor as one's self. In other words in loving the neighbor one loves the Lord. In truth, it is the only way we come to love the Lord. This truth can only be understood by doctrine. Basically, that would be to live in 'charity' with one another. However, since man lives only in the natural or sensuous state, the neighbor to him is the individual or the society, even the country, and those who have religion and are affiliated with a church, but these are seen, by man, as continuous degrees.
Thus it is that the lesson in Arcana Coelestia when understood in the natural sense is a further continuation of such a degree, thinking that the Kingdom of the Lord is just a more finer material continuation of the 'building blocks' - atoms, electrons, etc. Or that the future life of Christians is a new natural life that is mystically given to all who die in a faith according to the Christian churches that existed before their consummation.
However, the New Church person has a more internal faith - a spiritual faith; he knows that his real person is spiritual. In that respect there are decrete degrees of the neighbor. It is in this that it can be understood that charity - love towards the neighbor - with man starts in the state that he is presently in, thus in natural good a person does, but becomes the Lord's love in us when the person is regenerated.
Thus the individual, the society, country, church, and even the Lord's kingdom can be understood today when seen in the light of the Third Testament. One sees he should be charitable to his neighbors that are in need. (Here, in this sermon the discrimination in charity will not be shown.) So, collectively a society in lessor or greater degrees, need charity exercised towards. Anyone can see that when such societies are cared for that its citizens are better cared for. And indeed, most people have no objection in supporting these (continuing) degrees of the society up to the country as one's neighbor.
However they do when it comes to being charitable to the Church and don't see how they can to the Lord's kingdom. Of course, those who honestly participate in their church or religion very often eagerly support their individual 'churches' and are 'at least' trying to be charitable. The Church is a neighbor more than the country for it provides for the souls of men, for the eternal life of human beings. And this is done by leading a person to good; this is in turn done through loving the neighbor, wishing well and willing heaven and happiness of life everlasting. Anyone can see that anyone can insinuate good into another. We won't discuss how, for that is not the topic of today's sermon.
On the other hand, truth cannot be insinuated by anyone into another. Perhaps you can understand this because of all the different churches and religions that have been and that claim that they have and teach the true doctrine. However truth is insinuated through one's senses - particularly the hearing and seeing into man through teaching ministers.
A person who is still of the opinion and belief of one the prior churches might when they read our lesson in Arcana Coelestia take exception. They would in fact disagree and say that anyone in their church, especially when they are no longer beginners, can teach others the truth.
In order to help clarify what is meant about the Church being the neighbor it must be understood that the Church meant is the crown of all Churches - the Lord's New Church. That doesn't mean that the prior churches, through their 'teaching ministers' hadn't taught the truth. They did, for a Church begins in love and charity and faith, but ends in faith alone without any charity. However, by 'teaching ministers' in the spiritual sense is meant the good of the Lord, for good ministers while truth serves. You can understand that the mind is drawn from looking at the neighbor in natural terms to spiritual terms. So, then the neighbor we spoke of in the natural sense can be representative of spiritual and celestial degrees or n-degrees.
Basically, it is not the Church as it is seen in natural institutions that is meant, though these can be a neighbor in the natural sense. It is the Church in man; it is the Lord in man in truths through doctrine that everyone ought to acquire for himself from the Church and from the Word of the Lord. In other words, it is the Lord who gives a man good and the man or person who can insinuate good, that is, do or give charity. This 'church in man' is the universal or true Church. It is in a person in the degree that good or the Lord is in him and that is according to the doctrine that is known and acknowledged.
If the Church on earth is in man and is a universal or true Church taught by the Lord's Word, then those same truths and goods that are in him are also in Heaven, in the degrees there - spiritual and celestial. Anyone can see that these - the celestial and spiritual angels in heaven and the man of the Church on earth who are in good are the Lord's kingdom. Then isn't it a neighbor in a higher degree?
Now, we don't love a person because of their name but for the quality they have. Therefore, if good is loved, then you can see in each degree, both continuous and n, is a greater neighbor that we should show charity and love to, for they increasingly lead us to regeneration and afterwards to eternal happiness.
By the kingdom of the Lord is meant the whole of all what is good as the neighbor. Now hasn't God created the Heavens, that is, all celestial and spiritual angels in His image and likeness, by which is meant His goodness and truths? Hasn't He likewise created man? Now, if the Church on earth refers to those who have such qualities from the Lord, and are meant the universal or true Church, then how much more is the Heavens to be seen as the true quality of good and truth in its complex in the first degree as an image and thus the Grand Man in its universal sense. For if all of heaven is understood as an Image of the Lord isn't it therefore representative of the Lord and to love as neighbor in the highest degree in that heaven and the Church are the Lord's kingdom.
But the knowledge of this can only be of use when the doctrine of charity is known, otherwise a man remains in the lowest and natural state with falsities of faith adhering to him, for it is only charity in the continuous degree, not the successive degree. Besides that what he thinks is charity to the neighbor, is often evil to the neighbor or good.
We can understand that the Lord Himself is the neighbor in the supreme degree to be loved in that His quality of goodness has regard to all.
Thus it is that the lesson in Arcana Coelestia when understood in the natural sense is a further continuation of such a degree, thinking that the Kingdom of the Lord is just a more finer material continuation of the 'building blocks' - atoms, electrons, etc. Or that the future life of Christians is a new natural life that is mystically given to all who die in a faith according to the Christian churches that existed before their consummation.
However, the New Church person has a more internal faith - a spiritual faith; he knows that his real person is spiritual. In that respect there are decrete degrees of the neighbor. It is in this that it can be understood that charity - love towards the neighbor - with man starts in the state that he is presently in, thus in natural good a person does, but becomes the Lord's love in us when the person is regenerated.
Thus the individual, the society, country, church, and even the Lord's kingdom can be understood today when seen in the light of the Third Testament. One sees he should be charitable to his neighbors that are in need. (Here, in this sermon the discrimination in charity will not be shown.) So, collectively a society in lessor or greater degrees, need charity exercised towards. Anyone can see that when such societies are cared for that its citizens are better cared for. And indeed, most people have no objection in supporting these (continuing) degrees of the society up to the country as one's neighbor.
However they do when it comes to being charitable to the Church and don't see how they can to the Lord's kingdom. Of course, those who honestly participate in their church or religion very often eagerly support their individual 'churches' and are 'at least' trying to be charitable. The Church is a neighbor more than the country for it provides for the souls of men, for the eternal life of human beings. And this is done by leading a person to good; this is in turn done through loving the neighbor, wishing well and willing heaven and happiness of life everlasting. Anyone can see that anyone can insinuate good into another. We won't discuss how, for that is not the topic of today's sermon.
On the other hand, truth cannot be insinuated by anyone into another. Perhaps you can understand this because of all the different churches and religions that have been and that claim that they have and teach the true doctrine. However truth is insinuated through one's senses - particularly the hearing and seeing into man through teaching ministers.
A person who is still of the opinion and belief of one the prior churches might when they read our lesson in Arcana Coelestia take exception. They would in fact disagree and say that anyone in their church, especially when they are no longer beginners, can teach others the truth.
In order to help clarify what is meant about the Church being the neighbor it must be understood that the Church meant is the crown of all Churches - the Lord's New Church. That doesn't mean that the prior churches, through their 'teaching ministers' hadn't taught the truth. They did, for a Church begins in love and charity and faith, but ends in faith alone without any charity. However, by 'teaching ministers' in the spiritual sense is meant the good of the Lord, for good ministers while truth serves. You can understand that the mind is drawn from looking at the neighbor in natural terms to spiritual terms. So, then the neighbor we spoke of in the natural sense can be representative of spiritual and celestial degrees or n-degrees.
Basically, it is not the Church as it is seen in natural institutions that is meant, though these can be a neighbor in the natural sense. It is the Church in man; it is the Lord in man in truths through doctrine that everyone ought to acquire for himself from the Church and from the Word of the Lord. In other words, it is the Lord who gives a man good and the man or person who can insinuate good, that is, do or give charity. This 'church in man' is the universal or true Church. It is in a person in the degree that good or the Lord is in him and that is according to the doctrine that is known and acknowledged.
If the Church on earth is in man and is a universal or true Church taught by the Lord's Word, then those same truths and goods that are in him are also in Heaven, in the degrees there - spiritual and celestial. Anyone can see that these - the celestial and spiritual angels in heaven and the man of the Church on earth who are in good are the Lord's kingdom. Then isn't it a neighbor in a higher degree?
Now, we don't love a person because of their name but for the quality they have. Therefore, if good is loved, then you can see in each degree, both continuous and n, is a greater neighbor that we should show charity and love to, for they increasingly lead us to regeneration and afterwards to eternal happiness.
By the kingdom of the Lord is meant the whole of all what is good as the neighbor. Now hasn't God created the Heavens, that is, all celestial and spiritual angels in His image and likeness, by which is meant His goodness and truths? Hasn't He likewise created man? Now, if the Church on earth refers to those who have such qualities from the Lord, and are meant the universal or true Church, then how much more is the Heavens to be seen as the true quality of good and truth in its complex in the first degree as an image and thus the Grand Man in its universal sense. For if all of heaven is understood as an Image of the Lord isn't it therefore representative of the Lord and to love as neighbor in the highest degree in that heaven and the Church are the Lord's kingdom.
But the knowledge of this can only be of use when the doctrine of charity is known, otherwise a man remains in the lowest and natural state with falsities of faith adhering to him, for it is only charity in the continuous degree, not the successive degree. Besides that what he thinks is charity to the neighbor, is often evil to the neighbor or good.
We can understand that the Lord Himself is the neighbor in the supreme degree to be loved in that His quality of goodness has regard to all.
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