Verse 4. For he who thus profanes the truth externally or internally, because he is in the affection thereof from good, cannot appropriate good until he ceases to act from selfish motives in worship; and even the slightest contact with merely ceremonial worship, in which there is no spiritual life, or with worship from the affection of truth separated from good.

8172. 'Stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah' means salvation from the Lord alone and not at all from themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing firm and seeing' as faithfully believing ('seeing' means understanding, acknowledging, and faithfully believing, see 897, 2150, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421, 5400); and from the meaning of 'the salvation of Jehovah' as salvation from the Lord. At this point, where deliverance from temptations is the subject, salvation from the Lord alone and not at all from themselves is meant, the Lord being meant in the Word by 'Jehovah', see 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5041, 5663, 6281, 6303, 6905, 6945, 6956. It is said here that they should faithfully believe that salvation comes from the Lord alone and not at all from themselves, because this is the chief thing to be believed in temptations. The person who believes when he is tempted that he has strength of his own with which he can offer resistance goes under. The reason for this is that he is subject to a falsity that leads him to ascribe merit to himself; and in doing this he claims that he himself accomplishes his salvation, in which case he shuts out influx from the Divine. But the person who believes that the Lord alone offers resistance in temptations is victorious, for he is guided by the truth and ascribes merit to the Lord; and he perceives that his salvation is accomplished by the Lord alone. A person whose faith is bonded to charity ascribes salvation wholly to the Lord and not at all to himself.