December
13

Be Confident in the Lord

And while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in ▵ a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21)

To believe in the Lord is to have confidence that He will save, and as no one can have this confidence except one who lives aright, therefore this also is meant by believing in Him. (Doctrine of Faith 36)

By faith in the Lord is meant confidence that He will save, and they have this confidence who immediately approach Him and shun evils as sins. (Apocalypse Revealed 949.2)

All who are in heavenly love, have confidence that they will be saved by the Lord; for they believe that the Lord came into the world in order to give eternal life to those who believe and live according to the commandments which He taught; and that He regenerates these, and so makes them fit for heaven; and that He does this Himself alone, from pure mercy, without the aid of man. This is meant by "believing in the Lord." (Arcana Coelestia 9244)

Neither with men nor with angels can any love ever become pure. So also with this conjugial love. But since it is the intention which is of the will that is primarily regarded by the Lord, therefore, so far as a man is in this intention and perseveres therein, so far he is initiated into the purity and holiness of this love and successively progresses therein. (Conjugial Love 71.2)

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