Ngu Curtis Childs
Could there be reasons for the humble, vulnerable beginnings of Jesus’s life?
In this video from his Swedenborg and Life web series, host Curtis Childs and featured guests explore how the Divine design may have been at play from the very beginning of Christ's life.
(Izinkomba: Apocalypse Explained 706 [12]; Luke 2:8-12; The Word 7; True Christian Religion 89, 90, 96, 766)
96. Our contemporaries who hold high offices in the church describe the Lord's justice in a completely different way. In fact, they say that what renders the faith capable of saving is that the Lord's justice is written into us. The truth is this: because of its nature and origin, and because in and of itself it is purely divine, the Lord's justice could not become part of anyone or produce any salvation any more than the divine life could, which is divine love and divine wisdom. The Lord does come into every one of us bringing his love and wisdom; but unless we are following the divine design in our lives, that life, although it may indeed be in us, makes no contribution whatever to our salvation. It gives us only the ability to understand what is true and do what is good.
Following the divine design in the way we live is following God's commandments. When we live and function in this way, then we acquire justice for ourselves; but we do not gain the justice of the Lord's redemption, we gain the Lord himself as justice. This is what the following passages mean: "Unless your justice is more abundant than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of the heavens" (Matthew 5:20). "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens" (Matthew 5:10). "At the close of the age angels will go out and separate the evil from among the just" (Matthew 13:49), and elsewhere. Because the divine design is justice, "the just" in the Word means those who have followed the divine design in their lives.
The justice itself that the Lord became through acts of redemption cannot be ascribed to us, written into us, fitted into or united with us any more than light can belong to the eye, sound can belong to the ear, will can belong to the muscles that act, thought can belong to the lips that speak, air can belong to the lungs that breathe, or heat can belong to the blood, and so on. These elements all flow in and work with our body parts but do not become part of them, as everyone intuitively knows.
We acquire justice the more we practice it. We practice justice the more our interaction with our neighbor is motivated by a love for justice and truth.
Justice dwells in the goodness itself or the useful functions themselves that we do. The Lord says that every tree is recognized by its fruit. Surely we get to know other people well through paying attention not only to what they do but also to what outcome they want - what they are intending and why. All angels pay attention to these things, as do all wise people in our world.
Everything that grows and flourishes in the ground is identified by its flowers and seeds and by what it is good for. All types of metal are differentiated by their usefulness, all types of stone by their properties. Every piece of land is assessed on the basis of its features, as is every type of food, and even every animal on land and every bird in the sky. Why not us?
The factors that give our actions their quality will be disclosed in the chapter on faith [see especially 373-377].
1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2
in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
3
He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.
4
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.
5
Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
6
All flesh will see God's salvation.'"
7
He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!
9
Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire."
10
The multitudes asked him, "What then must we do?"
11
He answered them, "He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise."
12
Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what must we do?"
13
He said to them, "Collect no more than that which is appointed to you."
14
Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What about us? What must we do?" He said to them, "Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages."
15
As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ,
16
John answered them all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire,
17
whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
18
Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people,
19
but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done,
20
added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
21
Now it happened, when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened,
22
and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased."
23
Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25
the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28
the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29
the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30
the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31
the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32
the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33
the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38
the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Sekela
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