2946. 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you' means preparation from themselves as regards the things that belong to the Church and to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a field' as the Church, dealt with in 368, 2936; from the meaning of 'the cave that is in it', that is to say, in the field, as the obscurity of faith, dealt with in 2935; and from the meaning of 'giving the field and giving the cave' - or what amounts to the same, not taking any payment from Abraham - as not wishing to be redeemed by the Lord, but to achieve it by themselves and so to prepare themselves in these matters. Such is the first state of all who are being reformed and becoming spiritual; that is to say, they do not believe that they are reformed by the Lord but by themselves, that is, that all will of good and all thought of truth originate in themselves. What is more, the Lord maintains them in that state, for if He does not they are not able to be reformed. Indeed if they were told before regeneration has taken place that they are incapable by themselves of doing anything good, or by themselves of thinking anything true, they would either lapse into the mistake of supposing that they must wait for an influx into the will and an influx into thought, and not attempt a thing, if that influx does not take place; or into the mistake of supposing that if good and truth have any other origin but themselves, nothing would ever be attributed to them as righteousness; or into the mistake that in this case they would be like machines without a mind or any control of their own; or into further mistakes. Therefore they are allowed to think that good and truth originate in themselves.

[2] But after they have been regenerated, the recognition that the situation is different is gradually instilled into them - that everything true comes wholly from the Lord. And as they grow more perfect it is also instilled into them that whatever does not come from the Lord is evil and false. Those who have been regenerated are led, if not during their lifetime then in the next life, not only to know this but also to see it with perception, for all angels enjoy the perception that this is so. Please see what has been stated already about these matters in the following places:

Everything good and true comes from the Lord, 1614, 2016.

All intelligence and wisdom come from the Lord, 109, 112, 121, 124.

Of himself man cannot achieve anything good or think anything true, 874-876.

Nevertheless everyone ought to do good as if from his proprium or own self, and not stay his hands, 1712.

If man compels himself to withstand evil and to do good as if from himself he receives a heavenly proprium from the Lord, 1937, 1947.

1614. 'For to you will I give it' means that it was His. This is clear without explanation. That 'the land', or heavenly kingdom, is the Lord's alone is clear from what has been shown many times, namely that there is no other Lord of heaven. And being the Lord of heaven He is also the Lord of the Church. This is also clear from the fact that everything celestial and spiritual, or good and true, comes from the Lord alone. The Lord is therefore the All in all of His heaven, insomuch indeed that anyone who has no discernment of good and truth from the Lord is no longer in heaven. This sphere is the sphere that reigns throughout the whole of heaven. It is also the very soul of heaven, and is the life that flows into all who are governed by good.