1. True Christianity

Containing a Comprehensive Theology of the New Heaven and the New Church

The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church

THE faith of the new heaven and the new church is stated here in both universal and specific forms to serve as the face of the work that follows, the doorway that allows entry into the temple, and the summary that in one way or another contains all the details to follow. I say "the faith of the new heaven and the new church" because heaven, where there are angels, and the church, in which there are people, act together like the inner and the outer levels in a human being. People in the church who love what is good because they believe what is true and who believe what is true because they love what is good are angels of heaven with regard to the inner levels of their minds. After death they come into heaven, and enjoy happiness there according to the relationship between their love and their faith. It is important to know that the new heaven that the Lord is establishing today has this faith as its face, doorway, and summary.

404. We take on a completely different condition if love for the world or for wealth constitutes the head, meaning that this is our dominant love. Then love for heaven leaves the head and goes into exile in the body. People who are in this state prefer the world to heaven. They do indeed worship God, but they do so from a love that is merely earthly, a love that leads them to take credit for all their acts of worship. They also do good things for their neighbor, but they do them to get something back in return.

In the case of people like this, heavenly things are like the clothes in which they strut about, garments that we see as shining but angels see as drab. When love for the world inhabits our inner self and love for heaven inhabits our outer self, then love for the world dims all things related to the church and hides them as if they were behind a piece of cloth.

Love for the world or for wealth comes in many forms, however. It gets worse the closer it approaches to miserliness. At the point of miserliness the love for heaven becomes dark. This love also gets worse the closer it approaches to arrogance and a sense of superiority over others based on love for oneself. It is not as detrimental when it tends toward wasteful indulgence. It is even less damaging if its goal is to have the finest things the world has to offer, like a mansion, fine furniture, fashionable clothing, servants, horses and carriages in grand style, and things like that. With any love, its quality depends on the goal that it focuses on and intends to reach.

Love for the world and for wealth is like a dark crystal that suffocates light and breaks it only into colors that are dull and faded. It is like fog or cloudiness that blocks the rays of the sun. It is also like wine in its first stages - the liquid tastes sweet, but it upsets your stomach.

From heavens point of view, people like this look hunchbacked, walking with their head bent down looking at the ground. When they lift their head toward the sky, they strain their muscles and quickly go back to looking downward. The ancient people who were part of the church called people of this kind "Mammons. " The Greeks called them "Plutos. "

374. (a) Goodwill is benevolence toward others; good works are good actions that result from benevolence. Goodwill and good works are two distinct things, just as will and action, or a mental impulse and a physical movement, are two distinct things. They are as distinct as our inner self and our outer self. Our inner self and our outer self are as distinct as a cause and an effect. The causes of all things are formed in our inner self, and all their effects take place in our outer self. Therefore goodwill, because it belongs to our inner self, is intending benevolence to others, and good works, because they belong to our outer self, are good actions that result from that intention.

[2] Nevertheless there is an infinite difference between one person's benevolence and another's. Anything that someone does to please another is believed, or appears, to come from benevolence. It is hard to know, however, whether those good actions come from goodwill at all, let alone whether the goodwill they come from is genuine or illegitimate.

The infinite difference between one person's benevolence and another's originates in the individual's purpose, goal, and consequent plan. These lie hidden within the intention to do good things. They determine the quality of the individual's will.

In the intellect the will seeks ways and means of achieving its desired outcomes, which are results. In the intellect the will finds a light that enables it to see not only various options but also specifically when and how it must take action and thereby bring about its desired results, which are works. In the intellect the will also equips itself with the power to act. Therefore the works that result are in respect to their essence the result of the will, in respect to their form the result of the intellect, and in respect to their ultimate action the result of the body. This is how goodwill comes down into good works.

[3] This process can be illustrated by comparison with a tree. In many ways trees are like us. Hidden in their seeds lies a kind of purpose, goal, and plan of producing fruit. In these aspects the seeds correspond to the will in us, where our purpose, goal, and plan reside, as I said. Drawing on what is inside them, the seeds grow up out of the ground and clothe themselves with branches, boughs, and leaves. This is how they prepare the means of achieving their purpose, which is fruit. In these aspects the tree corresponds to our intellect. Finally, when the time is right and the opportunity for results exists, the tree blossoms and produces fruit. In these aspects the tree corresponds to our good works. It should be clear, then, that the pieces of fruit in respect to their essence are the result of the seed, in respect to their form are the result of the boughs and leaves, and in respect to their ultimate action are the result of the wood of the tree.

[4] This process can also be illustrated by comparing ourselves to a temple. According to Paul we are temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21-22). The purpose, goal, and plan for us as temples of God is our salvation and eternal life. Salvation and eternal life relate to our will, where our purpose, goal, and plan reside. As we go along, we take in teachings about faith and goodwill from our parents, teachers, and preachers. When we come into our own judgment, we take in teachings about faith and goodwill from the Word and religious books. These are all means to an end. These means have to do with our intellect. Finally we end up being useful by following teachings as the means; this happens through the physical actions called good works. Therefore our purpose employs means to produce results that are in respect to their essence the result of our purpose, in respect to their form the result of the teachings of the church, and in respect to their ultimate action the result of our useful service. This is how we become temples of God.