True Christian Religion (Ager) n. 355

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

355. V. FAITH WITHOUT CHARITY IS NOT FAITH, AND CHARITY WITHOUT FAITH IS NOT CHARITY, AND NEITHER HAS LIFE EXCEPT FROM THE LORD. It is very evident from their Epistles that it never entered the mind of any of the apostles that the church of this day would separate faith from charity by teaching that faith alone justifies and saves apart from the works of the law, and that charity therefore cannot be conjoined with faith, since faith is from God, and charity, so far as it is expressed in works, is from man. But this separation and division were introduced into the Christian church when it divided God into three persons, and ascribed to each equal Divinity. But that there is no faith apart from charity, nor any charity apart from faith, and that neither has life except from the Lord, will be made clear in the following chapter. At present, to prepare the way, it shall be shown:

(1) That man can acquire for himself faith. (2) And also charity. (3) And also the life of both. (4) And yet that nothing of faith, of charity, or of the life of either, is from man, but from the Lord alone.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church