1. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

Containing THE UNIVERSAL THEOLOGY OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

This faith is presented at the outset in its general and in its particular form. It is so presented that it may serve as a preface to the whole work which follows, as a gateway, as it were, by which entrance is made to a temple, and as an epitome in which the subsequent details are duly summarized. It is said to be "The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church" because heaven, where angels are, and the Church, in which men are, act as one like the internal and the external with man. Hence it is that the member of the Church, who is in the good of love from the truths of faith, and in the truths of faith from the good of love, is an angel of heaven as to the interiors of his mind. Thus he enters into heaven after death, and there enjoys happiness according to the degree in which those principles are united in him. It should therefore be known that this faith in its summary form is the index and gateway of the new heaven now being formed by the Lord.

528. VI. ACTUAL REPENTANCE CONSISTS IN A MAN'S EXAMINING HIMSELF, RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING HIS SINS, PRAYING TO THE LORD, AND BEGINNING A NEW LIFE.

That repentance is absolutely necessary, and that man's salvation depends on it, may be clearly seen from many passages and plain declarations of the Lord in the Word, of which the following will be here adduced:

John preached the baptism of repentance and said, "Bring forth... fruits worthy of repentance," Luke 3:3, 8; Mark 1:4.

"Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent" Matthew 4:17. And he said, because the kingdom of God is at hand: "Repent ye" Mark 1:14-15;

again,

"Except ye repent, ye shall all... perish" Luke 13:5.

Jesus instructed His disciples "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations" Luke 24:47; Mark 6:12.

Then Peter preached repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38; and he also said, "Repent ye... and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" Acts 3:19.

Paul preached to all men everywhere that they should repent, Acts 17:30.

Paul also "Showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" Acts 26:20; and testified "both to the Jews, and also to the Gentiles, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" Acts 20:21.

The Lord also said to the Church at Ephesus,

"I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love... repent... or else I... will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" Revelation 2:4-5;

and to the Church in Pergamos,

"I know thy works... Repent" Revelation 2:13, 16;

and to the Church in Thyatira,

I will cast her into great tribulation, except she repent of her deeds, Revelation 2:22;

and to the Church of the Laodiceans,

"I know thy works... be zealous therefore, and repent," Revelation 3:15, 19;

and in another place,

"There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth," Luke 15:7.

There are other passages to the same purpose; and from all these it is evident that repentance is absolutely necessary; but the nature and the manner of repentance will be explained in what follows.

572. I. UNLESS A MAN IS BORN AGAIN AND, AS IT WERE, CREATED ANEW, HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

That a man cannot enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again, is the teaching of the Lord in John, where He said to Nicodemus:

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;"

and again:

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" John 3:3, 5-6.

The kingdom of God signifies both heaven and the Church; for the kingdom of God on earth is the Church. The same is meant in other passages where the kingdom of God is mentioned,

as in Matthew 11:11; 12:28; 21:43; Luke 4:43; 6:20; 8:1, 10; 9:11, 60, 62; 17:21; and elsewhere.

To be born of water and the Spirit, signifies by means of the truths of faith and a life in conformity with them. Water signifies truths, as may be seen in The Apocalypse Revealed 50, 614-615, 885, 932. Spirit signifies a life in agreement with Divine truths, as is evident from the Lord's words in John 6:63. "Verily, verily," signifies that it is the truth; and because the Lord was the truth itself, therefore He so often used that expression. He is also called the Amen, Revelation 3:14. In the Word the regenerate are called sons of God, and born of God; and regeneration is described by a new heart and a new spirit.