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:

13. The Lord's Divine Nature in Heaven Is Love for Him and Thoughtfulness toward One's Neighbor

In heaven, the divine nature that emanates from the Lord is called divine truth, for reasons that will be given below. This divine truth flows into heaven from the Lord, out of his divine love. Divine love and the divine truth that derives from it are like the sun's fire and the light that comes from it in our world. The love is like the sun's fire, and the derivative truth is like the light from the sun. By reason of correspondence, fire means love and light means the truth that flows from it. ¹

This enables us to determine the character of the divine truth that emanates from divine love: in its essence, it is divine good united to divine truth, and because it is united, it gives life to everything in heaven the way the warmth of the sun, united to its light, makes everything fruitful on earth in spring and summer. It is different when the warmth is not united to light, when the light is therefore cold. Then everything slows down and lies there, snuffed out.

The divine good we have compared to warmth is the good of love within and among angels, and the divine truth we have compared to light is the means and the source of this good of love.

Footnotes:

10422. 'They have suddenly departed from the way which I have commanded them' means that they have removed themselves from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'departing from the way' as removing themselves from truth. 'Departing' means removing themselves, for those whose interest lies in external things separated from what is internal remove themselves; and 'the way' means truth, dealt with below. Divine Truth is what they remove themselves from because, as it says, it is the way which Jehovah has commanded them that they have departed from.

[2] The meaning of 'the way' as truth has its origin in things that appear in the spiritual world. There also ways and paths appear, and in the cities streets and lanes; and spirits do not take any except the ones leading to those whom love draws them into association with. This explains why spirits' characters as regards truth may be recognized from the way or road they go along; for all truth leads to its own love, that being called truth which lends support to what is loved. It also explains why in the everyday language people use 'the way to go' denotes that which is true; for human language derives this usage, as it does very many others, from the spiritual world.

[3] This then accounts for the meaning in the Word of 'way', 'path', 'pathway', 'track', 'street', and 'lane' as truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, as is evident from the following places: In Jeremiah,

Stand close to the ways ¹ and look; ask concerning the ways of old ² , Which way is the best? Jeremiah 6:16.

In the same prophet,

Make good your ways and your works; do not trust in lying words ³ . Jeremiah 7:3-5.

In the same prophet,

Do not learn the way of the nations ⁴ . Jeremiah 10:2.

In the same prophet,

I will give to each according to his ways, according to the fruit of his works. Jeremiah 17:10.

In the same prophet,

They have caused them to stumble in their ways, in the pathways of old ² , in order that they go away [into] by-paths and not the highway. Jeremiah 18:15.

In the same prophet,

I will give them one heart and one way. Jeremiah 32:39.

In David,

Make Your ways known to me, O Jehovah, teach me Your paths; lead me in Your truth. Psalms 25:4-5.

In the Book of Judges,

In the days of Jael the ways ceased ⁵ . And those going along the paths went along twisting ways. Judges 5:6.

In Isaiah,

Depart from the way, cause [yourselves] to turn aside from the path. Let your ears hear the word from behind you, This is the way; go in it. Isaiah 30:11, 21.

In the same prophet,

The paths have been devastated, the wayfarer has ceased. Isaiah 33:8.

In the same prophet,

There will also be a path there and a way, which will be called the way of holiness. The unclean one will not pass through it; but it will be for them. [The one] walking in the way and fools will not go astray. Isaiah 35:8.

[4] In the same prophet,

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah; make level in the lonely place a path for our God. With whom did He deliberate, that He might teach Him the way of judgement, and show Him the way of intelligence? Isaiah 40:3, 14.

In the same prophet,

... to say to those who are in darkness, Reveal yourselves. They will feed along the ways. I will set all My mountains as a way; My paths will be raised up. Isaiah 49:9, 11.

In the same prophet,

The way of peace they have not known, and there is no judgement in their tracks. They have perverted their paths for themselves. He who treads that [way] will not know peace. Isaiah 59:8.

In the same prophet,

Prepare the way for the people. Level out, level out the path. Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes. Isaiah 62:10-11.

In the same prophet,

I have made ⁶ a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters. I will place a way in the wilderness. Isaiah 43:16, 19.

In Moses,

Cursed is the one who causes the blind to go astray in the way. Deuteronomy 27:18.

In Matthew,

Go to the ends of the ways, and whomever you find, summon to the wedding. Matthew 22:9.

In John,

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6.

In these places, and in very many others, 'the way' means truth and in the contrary sense falsity.

Footnotes: