Here we are in the 21st century. We know that the universe is an enormous place. We're just bursting with scientific knowledge. But how are we doing with the even-bigger ideas? Our human societies seem to be erasing them, or ignoring them - maybe we think we're too busy for them.

Here on the New Christian Bible Study site, we'll buck the trend. We want to explore the big ideas that give us a framework for living better lives. Here's a start on a list of big ideas from a New Christian perspective. For each idea, there is a footnote that lists some references in Swedenborg's theological works:

1. God exists. Just one God, who created and sustains the entire universe in all its dimensions, spiritual and physical. ¹

2. God's essence is love itself. It's the force that drives everything. ²

3. God's essence comes into being, that is, it exists, in and through creation. ³

4. There are levels, or degrees, of creation - ranging from spiritual ones that we can't detect with our physical senses or sensors, to the level of the physical universe where most of our awareness is when we're alive here. ⁴

5. The created universe emanates from God, and it's sustained by God, but in an important way it is separate from God. He wants it to be separate, so that freedom can exist. ⁵

6. God operates from love through wisdom - willing good things, and understanding how to bring them about. ⁶

7. The physical level of creation exists to provide human beings with an opportunity to choose in freedom, with rationality, whether or not to acknowledge and cooperate with God. ⁷

8. God provides all people everywhere, regardless of their religion, the freedom to choose to live a life of love to God and to the neighbor. ⁸

9. God loves everyone. He knows that true happiness only comes when we're unselfish; when we're truly motivated by a love of the Lord which is grounded out in a love of the neighbor. He seeks to lead everyone, but will not force us to follow against our will. ⁹

10. God doesn't judge us. He tells us what's good, and what's evil, and flows into our minds to lead us towards good. However, we're free to reject his leading, and instead opt to love ourselves most. Day by day, we create habits of generosity or of selfishness, and live out a life in accordance with those habits. Those habits become the real "us", our ruling love. ¹⁰

11. Our physical bodies die eventually, but the spiritual part of our minds keeps going. It's been operating on a spiritual plane already, but our awareness shifts - so that we become fully aware of spiritual reality. ¹¹

Footnotes:

128. Is there anyone who does not know from the Word that our fate after death depends on what we have done? Open the Word and read it and you will see this clearly: but set aside any thoughts based on faith and on our justification by faith alone. Here are a few passages to witness to the fact that the Lord teaches this throughout his Word.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire; so you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:19-20)

Many people will say to me on that day, "Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and done many good deeds in your name?" But I will profess to them, "I do not recognize you. Depart from me, you who do injustice." (Matthew 7:22-23)

I will compare anyone who hears my words and does them to a wise man who built his house on a rock; but I will compare anyone who hears my words and does not do them to a senseless man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. (Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 6:46-49)

[2] The Human-born One will come in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward all according to their deeds. (Matthew 16:27)

The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation that brings forth its fruits. (Matthew 21:53 [Matthew 21:43])

Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are the people who hear the word of God and do it." (Luke 8:21)

Then you will come and stand there and knock on the door and say, "Open the door for us, Lord"; but he will answer, "I do not know where you come from. Go away from me, all you who do injustice." (Luke 13:25-27)

Those who have done what is good will go forth to a resurrection of life, but those who have done what is evil to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:29)

[3] We know that God does not listen to sinners, but that he listens to anyone who worships God and does his will. (John 9:31)

If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (John 13:17)

Those who know my precepts and do them are the ones who love me; and I will love them and come to them and make my dwelling with them. (John 14:15, 21-24)

You are my friends if you do whatever I tell you to. I have chosen you so that you would bear fruit and so that your fruit would last. (John 15:14, 16)

[4] The Lord said to John, "Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus, 'I know your works. My complaint against you is that you have left your first charity. Repent and do the earlier works. If you do not, I will remove your lampstand from its place.'" (Revelation 2:1-2, 4-5)

Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna, "I know your works." (Revelation 2:8 [Revelation 2:8-9])

Write to the angel of the church in Pergamos, "I know your works," "Repent." (Revelation 2:13, 16 [Revelation 2:12-13, 16])

Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira, "I know your works and your charity, and your later works are more than the first ones." (Revelation 2:26 [Revelation 2:18-19])

Write to the angel of the church in Sardis, "I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. I have not found your works perfect in God's sight. Repent." (Revelation 3:1-2, 3)

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, "I know your works." (Revelation 3:7-8)

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write, "I know your works. Repent." (Revelation 3:14-15, 19)

I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now onward; their works follow them.'" (Revelation 5:13 [Revelation 14:13])

A book was opened that was the book of life, and the dead were judged, all of them according to their works. (Revelation 20:12-13)

Look, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, that I might give to all according to their works. (Revelation 22:12)

These come from the New Testament.

[5] There are still more in the Old, and I may cite just this one.

Stand in the gate of Jehovah and proclaim this word there. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, "Make your ways and your deeds good. Do not put your trust in deceitful words, saying 'The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah!' Will you be stealing and murdering and committing adultery and perjuring yourselves and then come and stand in my presence in this house that bears my name and say, 'We are exempt when we do these disgusting things'? Will you make this house a robbers' cave? I myself have seen it," says Jehovah. (Jeremiah 7:1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 [Jeremiah 7:2, 3, 4, 9-10, 11])

3834. 'That he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he came [in] to her' means that as yet it was a joining merely to the affection for external truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, dealt with in 3793, 3819. 'Bringing her to him' clearly means a joining together as in marriage. The implications of this are that with a person who feels an affection for internal truth, that is, has a desire to know the more internal arcana of the Lord's kingdom, those arcana are not in the beginning joined to him even though he knows them and sometimes even though he acknowledges and seemingly believes them. For worldly and bodily affections are still present, and these cause him to take them in and seemingly believe them. But insofar as those affections are present those truths cannot be joined to him. It is solely the affection for truth deriving from good and the affection for good which attach them to him. Insofar as anyone is stirred by these affections more internal truths are joined to him, for truths are the recipient vessels of good.

[2] Indeed the Lord provides against celestial and spiritual truths, such as all interior truths are, being joined to any affections other than genuine ones. This is why the general affection for truth deriving from good comes first and why truths that are implanted in it are none but general truths. States of truth are altogether what they are by virtue of states of good, that is, a state of faith is what it is by virtue of a state of charity. For example, even the evil are able to know that the Lord rules the whole of heaven, and also that heaven consists in mutual love and love to the Lord, as well as that these loves enable those in heaven to be joined to the Lord, and to receive wisdom and happiness there. The evil can indeed be convinced that all this is true. But the truth of faith has not been joined to them, still less the good of love. It is from the life that one knows whether these have been joined to a person, as a tree is known from its fruit. In the case of the evil it is like grapes containing no pips. When these are cast into the soil, no matter how fertile this is, they turn into mere compost. It is also like the glow at night of an ignis fatuus which vanishes the moment the sun comes up. But in the Lord's Divine mercy further discussion of this matter will appear later on.