The phrase of "as of self" in Swedenborgian theology refers to the idea that though we as human beings are recipients of life from the Divine, our life must seem to us to be our very own so that we can have freedom and use reason in order to live as of ourselves. The freedom and reason we have isn't fully implanted in us, but it is continually joined to us. In power, origin, and inspiration it is Divine, but it is human in use. We exercise this ability when we act in all areas of life entirely as of ourselves, yet at the same time we should acknowledge that our life, as well as any truth we apply or good that results, is from the Lord.

The Lord gives us this "as of self" ability, so that we may have freedom, and thus have the chance to freely return His love. It keeps us from being robots, or slaves. We can receive and use the Lord's power, feeling that it is ours - making it real. At the same time, we can - in fact we need to - acknowedge that it isn't actually coming from us. This acknowledgment is critical; without it, a person will forget the idea of God, and depend only on self, which leads to pride, arrogance, and, eventually, hell.

The "as of self" doctrine is important. It shows how people can be spiritually free, and responsible for their regeneration, even though they can’t do any good from themselves.

(References: A Brief Explanation of the Teachings of the New Church 69; Apocalypse Revealed 224; Arcana Coelestia 1712 [2], [3]; Conjugial Love 134, 135; Divine Love and Wisdom 115; Divine Providence 42, 79; The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem 101)

69. That man, in his conversion, is like a stock, is acknowledged by the faith of the present Church as its own offspring in these definite words. Man is altogether impotent in spiritual things,15(a, b, c). In conversion, man is like a stock, stone or statue, and he cannot so much as accommodate and apply himself to receive grace, but is like something that has not the use of any of the senses,15(c, d). Man has only the power of motion whereby he is capable of going to church to hear the Word and the Gospel,15(e); yet a person who is regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit does co-operate to a certain extent by means of the new powers and gifts which he has received,15(k); besides many other statements. This description of man in his conversion, and during his repentance from evil works, is also an offspring produced from the aforesaid egg or womb; that is, from justification by faith alone; to the intent that man's works may be totally abolished and may not unite themselves with faith by the least contact.

[2] But because these notions are repugnant to the common perception of all men concerning man's conversion and repentance, this statement has been added: "There is a wide difference between persons baptized and persons unbaptized; for it is the doctrine of Paul that all who are baptized have put on Christ, and are truly reborn. They are then endowed with freedom of will whereby they not only hear the Word of God, but can also truly assent to the same, and embrace it by faith,"15(m); also in the Formula Concordiae, p. 675, I appeal to the wise to consider whether this passage is at all consistent with the preceding ones, and whether it is not a contradiction to say that any Christian in a state of conversion is like a stock or a stone, so that he is not able so much as to accommodate himself to the reception of grace, when yet every Christian has been baptized, and by baptism has the power of not only hearing the Word of God but also of assenting to it and embracing it in faith. Wherefore, the comparison of a Christian to a stock or a stone should be banished from all Christian churches, and dispersed as a phantom appearing to a man is dispersed when he awakens from sleep; for what is more repugnant to reason than this idea?

[3] But, in order to elucidate what the New Church teaches concerning man's conversion, I will transcribe the following passage from one of the memorable experiences in the THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED ¹ .

Who does not see that every man has liberty to think about God, or not to think about Him; thus, that every man has the same liberty in spiritual matters as he has in civil and moral affairs? The Lord gives this liberty continually to everyone, wherefore man becomes a culprit and is guilty according to the way he thinks. Man is man by virtue of this ability, whereas a beast is a beast from lack of it. Wherefore, man is able to reform and regenerate himself as of himself, provided only that he acknowledges in his heart that it is done from the Lord. Everyone who does the work of repentance is reformed and regenerated. Man must accomplish each of these works as of himself, but this 'as of himself' is also from the Lord because the Lord gives both the will and the ability, never taking them away from anyone. It is true that man cannot contribute anything thereto; nevertheless, he is not created a statue, but a man who is to do the work of repentance from the Lord as of himself. This is the only return of love and faith, and of conjunction thereby, which the Lord constantly wills to be made to Himself by man. In a word, act from yourselves and believe that it is from the Lord, for in this way you act as if of yourselves.

But, in truth, to act thus was not imparted to man by creation, because to act of oneself belongs to the Lord alone; but it is given to man continually. And then, in so far as man does good and learns truth as of himself, he is an angel of heaven; but in so far as he does evil and confirms falsity, which also is done as of himself, to that extent he is a spirit of hell. That this latter conduct is also 'as of himself' is evident from his prayers that he may be preserved from the devil, lest he should seduce him and bring his own evils upon him. Everyone, however, who believes that he does either good or evil of himself incurs guilt; but he is not guilty who believes that he acts as of himself. For whatever a man believes he does of himself, he appropriates to himself; if he does good from this belief, he appropriates it to himself and makes it his own, when yet it is of God and from God; if it is evil that he does under this belief, he appropriates this to himself and makes it his own, when yet it is of the devil and from the devil.

I refrain from demonstrating in this epitome that there are many other false tenets, especially concerning the sacraments of baptism and the holy supper as to the principles of reason drawn from the doctrine of justification by faith alone respecting the benefits they confer, also as regards the Person of Christ; and that heresies from the first period of the Christian Church down to the present day, have flowed from the doctrine founded on the notion of three Gods. These points will be brought forward and demonstrated in the major work.

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