[W]hile He lived in the world the Lord was in continual combats of temptations, and in continual victories, from a constant inmost confidence and faith that because He was fighting for the salvation of the whole human race from pure love, He could not but conquer.... From the love from which anyone fights it is known what his faith is. He who fights from any other love than love toward the neighbor and toward the Lord's kingdom, does not fight from faith, that is, does not “believe in Jehovah,” but in that which he loves, for the love itself for which he fights is his faith. For example: he who fights from the love of becoming the greatest in heaven, does not believe in Jehovah, but rather in himself; for to desire to become the greatest is to desire to command others; thus he fights for command; and so in all other cases. ...
But in all His combats of temptations the Lord never fought from the love of self, or for Himself, but for all in the universe, consequently, not that He might become the greatest in heaven, for this is contrary to the Divine Love, and scarcely even that He might be the least; but only that all others might become something, and be saved.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Lord's Faith While He Was in the World
Have you ever read about the Lord's faith while He was in the world? I hadn't until I read Arcana Coelestia 1812:1-2 which describes the Lord's faith and explains why the Lord could have confidence that He would conquer in all the temptations He went through; it wasn't just because He knew that He is omnipotent. The passage ends with a beautiful description of the Lord's incredible love for us.
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For Systematic Theology class, we had to pick our favorite passage from the Writings. I picked this one, and the more I read it, the more I am convinced that I made the right choice.
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