104. Verse 4. But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity, signifies that they do not make such a life as those lived who were in the church at its beginning, the essential of knowledges. This is evident from the signification of "first charity," as being a life according to the knowledges of good and truth, such as those lived who were in the church at its beginning (of which presently); and from the signification of "leaving that charity," as being not to make it the essential of knowledges; for those who are eager for the knowledges of truth and good, and who believe that they are saved thereby, make knowledges essential, and not life, when yet a life according to knowledges is the essential. But as this essential of the church and of salvation is treated of in what follows, more will there be said about it. Charity is life, because all life in accordance with the precepts of the Lord in the Word is called "charity;" therefore to exercise charity is to live according to those precepts. (That this is so, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, in the chapter on Love to the Neighbor or Charity 84-106; and in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39.) The life of the church at its beginning is here meant by "first charity;" for every church begins from charity, and successively turns away from it to faith alone or to meritorious works. (On which subject, and on charity, see what is shown in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that every church begins from charity, but in process of time turns away from it, n. 494, 501, 1327, 3773, 4689; thus to falsities from evil, and at length to evils, n. 1834, 1835, 2910, 4683, 4689; commonly to faith alone, n. 1834, 1835, 2231, 4683, 8094. A comparison of the church in its beginning and in its decline, with the rising and setting of the sun, n. 1837; and with the infancy and old age of man, n. Arcana Coelestia 10134; that the church is not with man until the knowledges of good and truth have been implanted in the life, n. 3310; that charity constitutes the church, n. 809, 916, 1798, 1799, 1844, 1894; that the internal of the church is charity, n. 4766, 5826; that there would be one church, and not many, as at this day, if all were regarded from charity, although they might differ in respect to doctrinals of faith and rituals of worship, n. 1286, 1316, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 2385, 2982, 3267, 3451; that worship of the Lord consists in a life of charity, n. 8254, 8256; that the quality of worship is according to the quality of charity, n. 2190.)

7902. 'You shall eat unleavened bread' means the assimilation by good of truth purified from falsity. This is clear from the meaning of eating as making one's own or assimilating, dealt with in 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745 (the assimilation of truth by good is meant because truth is assimilated by good, and good - as shown in various places already - derives its specific quality from truth; therefore to make truth one's own truth must be assimilated by good, and to make good one's own good must be conditioned by truth); and from the meaning of what is 'unleavened' as truth purified from all falsity, dealt with in 2342. As regards truth purified from all falsity, it should be recognized that pure truth cannot ever reside with anyone. It cannot both because falsity issues constantly from the evil present and firmly fixed within him, and because the truths are interconnected; therefore if one falsity is present, worse still if a number are present, the actual truths remaining are consequently defiled and have something of falsity in them. But truth is said to be purified from falsity when a person can be preserved by the Lord in the good of innocence. Innocence consists in acknowledging that nothing but evil resides in oneself and that any good comes in from the Lord, and also in believing that one neither knows nor perceives anything, including the truth of faith, if left to oneself, only with the Lord's help. When this is a person's state falsity can be removed from him and truth instilled by the Lord. This state is what is meant by 'unleavened bread' and also by the eating of the Passover lamb.