Swedenborg Sampler: Part 1: True Christian Religion
The first book that we will look at is the last one that Swedenborg published, in 1771. Its subtitle states, "containing the complete theology of the New Church as foretold by the Lord in Daniel 7:13-14 and in Revelation 21:2-3." It is considered by many people to be the best single book of the Writings for introducing the New Church.
Selected topics and passages:
- What is God's love like?
- Why doesn't God save everyone?
- Why do we need the Lord?
- The power He can give us
- Fatal errors in traditional Christian doctrine
- Why is a notion of God such a remote part of Western culture?
- What do people see when they look at the Word of God?
- The Word's deeper meaning
- Levels of meaning in the Ten Commandments (from the section on "You shall not steal")
- How do we acquire faith?
- How much do we have to know?
- What is charity?
- First remove the beam from your own eye
- True expressions of charity are God working through us
- Doesn't everyone believe that people have freedom of choice in spiritual things?
- Our freedom exists from our spirit
- What seems like freedom isn't necessarily so
- Repentance is the first thing of the church with a person
- Repentance is not just a matter of saying the right words
- A person is not born evil, but is born with inclinations to love things that are evil
- Seeing good and evil within our own lives
- What is real repentance?
- It's easier to see sin in another than in oneself
- Two advancing states of mind for those on the path to heaven
- The Lord brings about spiritual rebirth with our cooperation
- What is temptation?
- Why do some people think that God doesn't care what choices we make in our daily life?
- There is a current drawing all toward heaven
The number at the beginning of each quote is a reference number which Swedenborg places at the beginning of each major paragraph in his Writings.
