“Peace has in it confidence in the Lord: that He directs all things, provides all things, and that He leads to a good end.” - Arcana Caelestia §8455
Kempton New Church

First Law
Day 4

    Listen:

The Laws of the Divine Providence
Man Should Act From Freedom According to Reason

John 3:3, 7

Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless someone is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God…. Marvel not that I said to thee, you must be born from above.

From Divine Providence

DP 83. The reason why no one can come into the kingdom of God unless he has been born again is, that man by inheritance from his parents is born into evils of every kind, with the faculty of becoming spiritual by the removal of these evils; and unless he becomes spiritual he cannot come into heaven. From being natural to become spiritual is to be born again or regenerated. But in order that it may be known how man is regenerated these three things must be considered: the nature of his first state, which is a state of condemnation; the nature of his second state, which is a state of reformation; and the nature of his third state, which is a state of regeneration.

Man’s first state, which is a state of condemnation, everyone has by inheritance from his parents; for man is thereby born into the love of self and the love of the world, and from these as wellsprings, into evils of every kind. He is led by the delights of these loves, and these delights prevent him from knowing that he is in evils, for every delight of love is felt as good. Therefore, unless a man is regenerated, he knows no other than that to love himself and the world above all things is goodness itself; and that to rule over all, and to possess the wealth of all others, is the highest good.

Man’s second state, which is a state of reformation, is that in which he begins to think about heaven on account of the joy there; and thus concerning God from whom the joy of heaven comes to him. At first such thoughts spring from the delight of self-love; for to him this delight is heavenly joy. But as long as the delight of this love reigns, together with the delight of the evils flowing from it, he cannot but understand that to go to heaven is to pour out prayers, listen to preachings, take part in the Holy Supper, give to the poor, help the needy, spend money on churches, make contributions to hospitals, and so on. A man in this state has no other idea than that he is saved merely by thinking about those things which religion teaches, whether it be about what is called faith, or about what is called faith and charity. He has no other idea than that he is saved merely by having those thoughts, because he gives no heed to the evils in which he takes delight; and as long as their delight remains, the evils also remain.

Man’s third state, which is a state of regeneration, follows upon and is a continuation of the former state. It begins when man desists from evils as sins, and it progresses as he shuns them, and it is perfected as he fights against them; and then, as he from the Lord conquers them, he is regenerated.

DP 88. Everyone who has any thought from interior understanding can see that the power to will and to understand is not from man, but is from Him who has Power itself, that is, Power in its essence. Only consider, what is the source of power? Is it not from Him who has it in its very potency, that is, who has it in Himself and thus from Himself? Power in itself, therefore, is Divine. Every power must have an opportunity which has to be given to it, and thus there must be an act of determination from an agency more internal or higher than itself.

Questions and Comments

  1. DP 84 says that “every delight is felt as good.” Think about something you have recently called “good.” How does our use of the word “good” to describe sensual delights such as tastes reflect what is said in DP 84?
  2. How do the delights of the love of self and the love of the world that we experience in the “first state” prevent us from knowing what evils we are in?
  3. How is the “first state” related to the natural freedom discussed in the Day One readings?
  4. In the “second state” we begin to think about heaven and God. What motivates a person to start doing this?
  5. How is the “second state” related to the rational freedom discussed in the Day One readings?
  6. How do we enter into the “third state”?
  7. How is the “third state” related to the spiritual freedom discussed in the Day One readings?
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