December
2

Walk Blameless

There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the daily ministry of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both just in the sight of God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Luke 1:5-6)

But "perfect" signifies the truth which is from charity, for there is truth from many another origin; but that which is from the good of charity from the Lord is called "perfect" and a "perfect man" as in David: Who shall sojourn in Thy tent, who shall dwell in the mountain of Thy holiness? He that walketh perfect, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart (Ps. 15:1-2). The "perfect" [or "complete"] man is here described. Again: With the holy Thou wilt show Thyself holy; with the perfect man Thou wilt show Thyself perfect (Ps. 18:25), where the "perfect man" is one who is so from holiness, or the good of charity. And again: Jehovah will withhold no good from them that walk in perfectness [integritate] (Ps. 84:11).That a "perfect man" is one who is true from good, or who speaks and does truth from charity, is evident from the words "walk" and "way" being often applied to what is perfect, that is, to wholeness or entirety, and also the words "upright" or "uprightness" which words pertain to truth. As in David: I will teach the perfect in the way how far he shall come unto me. I will walk within my house in the perfectness of my heart (Ps. 101:2); and in the sixth verse: He that walketh in the way of the perfect, he shall minister unto me (Ps. 101:6). Again: Blessed are the perfect in the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah (Ps. 119:1). And again: Perfectness and uprightness shall guard me (Ps. 25:21). And in another place: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace (Ps. 37:37) (Arcana Coelestia 612.2-3)

If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments and do them, I will give peace in the land, so that ye may lie down securely, and none shall make afraid; and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through the land (Lev. 26:3, 6). This describes the source of peace, that is, of heaven and heavenly joy. Peace viewed in itself is not heaven and heavenly joy, but these are in peace and from peace; for peace is like the dawn or like spring-time in the world, which dispose human minds to receive in the heart delights and pleasures from the objects that appear before the eyes, for that is what makes them delightful and pleasant; and because all things of heaven and of heavenly joy are in like manner from Divine peace, these also are meant by "peace." Since man has heaven from living according to the commandments, for thence he has conjunction with the Lord, therefore it is said, "If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them, I will give peace in the land;" that then they would not be infested by evils and falsities is meant by "they would lie down securely, and none make afraid." (Apocalypse Explained 365.14)

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