new church life: september/october 2014
We are not condemned because we are born natural, and in fact, the Lord
doesn’t condemn us even if we stay natural. He never condemns anyone. But
if we don’t consciously work to see our experience through the Lord’s eyes and
values, if we don’t make conscious efforts to turn outside of ourselves, we will
put ourselves beyond the Lord’s ability to bring us happiness. We will be left
with the heavy load that the hells would lay on us.
Consider the following from Arcana Coelestia 905:
The more present the Lord, the more free the person; that is, the more a person is
in the love of good and truth, the more freely he acts. Such is the influx of the Lord
through the angels. But on the other hand, the influx of hell through evil spirits
is forcible, and impetuous, striving to dominate; for such spirits breathe nothing
but the utter subjugation of each person, so that he may be nothing, and that they
may be everything; and when they are everything the person is one of them, and
scarcely even that, for in their eyes he is a mere nobody. Therefore when the Lord
is liberating someone from their dominion and from their yoke there arises a
combat; but when that person has been liberated, that is, regenerated, he, through
the ministry of angels, is led by the Lord so gently that there is nothing whatever of
yoke or of dominion, for he is led by means of his delights and his happiness, and
is loved and esteemed. This is what the Lord teaches in Matthew 11:30: “My yoke is
easy, and My burden is light,” and is the reverse of a person’s state when under the
yoke of evil spirits, who, as just s aid, account each person as nothing, and, if they
were able, would torment him every moment.
When we are caught up in the press of daily affairs and are responding
almost instinctively to what happens, it is not easy for us to believe that the
Lord offers us greater freedom. But if we open our eyes we will start to see the
burden of our natural responses. We will be able to see the misery and slavery
they entail.
May this give us hope and strength enough to turn to the Lord for help.
May we learn from Him and daily try to put off the heavy yoke of the hells that
tends to focus on what is wrong in past and present circumstances, blinding us
to the beauty and love surrounding us.
May we put off the heavy yoke of the hells that gives us great pain. Instead
we can take on the Lord’s easy yoke and shoulder the light burden that He
intends for us. Amen.
The Rev. Eric H. Carswell is pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. He was
ordained into the second degree in 1981 and throughout his career
has been pastor of the Glenview and Pittsburgh societies and head of
their schools, Dean of the Bryn Athyn College Theological School, and
regional pastor for the Northeastern United States. Most recently he
was Vice Chancellor of the Academy of the New Church and Bishop’s
Representative for Education for the Academy of the New Church and
the General Church Schools. He and his wife, Donna (Zeitz), live in
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Contact: [email protected]
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