9346. Lest perchance they make thee sin against Me. That this signifies lest evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “the inhabitants of the land,” of whom it is said “lest perchance they make thee sin,” as being evils (as above); from the signification of “to sin,” as being to turn away (n. 5474, 5841, 7589); and from the signification of “thee against Me,” as being the goods that are from the Lord; for by “the sons of Israel,” who are here meant by “thee,” are signified those who are in good, thus goods (n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 9340); and by “Jehovah,” who is here meant by “Me,” is meant the the Lord, (n. 9199, 9315). That evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord, is because evils and goods are opposites or contraries, and two opposites or contraries cannot be together, for they turn away from each other, and are in conflict. This can be plainly seen from the fact that evils are from hell, and goods from heaven; and that hell is as far as possible from heaven—not in respect to distance, because in the other life there is no distance—but in respect to state. Therefore they who are in the state of hell cannot be transferred into the state of heaven, for the evils in the former reject the goods in the latter. This is meant by the words of Abraham to the rich man:

Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can those who are there pass over to us (Luke 16:26);

“the great gulf” denotes the opposition and contrariety of the states of life. From all this it is evident how it is to be understood that evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord; namely, that those who are in evils not only do not receive the goods which continually flow into everyone from the Lord; but also absolutely turn them away. And therefore a man cannot possibly receive the good of heaven until he abstains from evils.

5826. Ye know that my wife bare me two sons. That this signifies that if there be spiritual good which is of the church, there will be internal good and truth, is evident from the representation of Israel, who says this of himself, as being spiritual good from the natural (of which just above, n. 5825); from the representation of Rachel, who is here the “wife who bare him two sons,” as being the affection of interior truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the representation of Joseph and Benjamin, who are the “two” whom she bare, as being internal good and truth-Joseph internal good, and Benjamin interior truth.

[2] In regard to this, that there will be internal good and truth if there be spiritual good which is of the church, the case is this. The spiritual good which Israel represents is the good of truth, that is, truth in the will and in act. This truth, or this good of truth, in man, makes him to be the church. When truth has been implanted in the will (which is perceived by the fact that the man is affected with truth for the sake of the end that he may live according to it), then there is internal good and truth. When man is in this good and truth, then the kingdom of the Lord is in him, and consequently he is the church, and together with others like him makes the church in general. From this it may be seen that in order that the church may be the church, there must be spiritual good, that is, the good of truth, but by no means truth alone-from which at this day the church is called the church, and one church is distinguished from another. Let everyone think within himself whether truth would be anything unless it had life for the end. What are doctrinal things without this end? and what the precepts of the Decalogue without a life according to them? For if anyone is acquainted with these, and with all their meaning in its fullness, and yet lives contrary to them, of what benefit are they? have they any effect at all? except, with some, damnation? The case is similar with the doctrinals of faith from the Word, which are precepts of Christian life, for they are spiritual laws. Neither do these conduce to anything unless they become of the life. Let a man consider within himself whether there is anything in him that is anything except what enters into his very life; and whether the life of man, which is life, is anywhere else than in his will.

[3] From this then it is that it is said by the Lord in the Old Testament, and confirmed in the New, that all the Law and all the Prophets are founded in love to God, and love to the neighbor, thus in the life itself, but not in faith without life; therefore by no means in faith alone, consequently neither in confidence, for this is impossible without charity. If this appears with the evil in times of danger, or when death is at hand, it is a spurious or false confidence; for not the least of this confidence appears in them in the other life, however much they may have professed it with apparent ardor at the approach of death. That faith, whether you call it confidence or trust, effects nothing with the wicked, the Lord Himself teaches in John:

As many as received, to them gave He the power to be sons of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).

[4] They who are “born of bloods” are those who do violence to charity (see n. 374, 1005), also who profane truth (n. 4735); they who are “born of the will of the flesh” are those who are in evils from the love of self and of the world (n. 3813); and they who are “born of the will of man” are those who are in persuasions of falsity; for a “man” signifies truth, and in the opposite sense falsity. They who are “born of God” are those who have been regenerated by the Lord, and thence are in good. These are they who receive the Lord, and these are they who believe in His name, and these are they to whom He gives the power to be sons of God, but not to the others; from which it is very plain what faith alone effects for salvation.

[5] Moreover in order that man may be regenerated and become the church, he must be introduced through truth to good; and he is introduced when truth becomes truth in the will and in act. This truth is good, and is called the good of truth, and produces new truths continually; for then for the first time it makes itself fruitful. The truth which is thence brought forth or made fruitful is what is called internal truth, and the good from which it is, is called internal good; for nothing becomes internal until it has been implanted in the will, because what is of the will is the inmost of man. So long as good and truth are outside of the will, and in the understanding only, they are outside of the man; for the understanding is without, and the will is within.