What are Temptations?

Most people think that temptations are simply the allure of evil, the arousal of a desire to do evil. The Heavenly Doctrines, however, define spiritual temptation as the combat between good loves and evil loves. So there can be no temptation before one has regenerated enough to have good loves.

I will admit that this concept of spiritual temptation has always been elusive to me. My idea of such a combat evokes in me an image of almost apocalyptic struggle between good loves and evil loves. And frankly, I have no recollection of such a struggle in my mind. Perhaps this is because I have never regenerated enough to experience spiritual temptations. This is certainly a possibility; one which I hope is not true. Another possibility is that spiritual temptations, like so much of our spiritual life, are often times beyond our conscious awareness. Still another possibility is that I have a wrong or incomplete idea of what temptation is.

Yesterday in my reading of Cannons I came across this teaching: “It is known that the Lord snatches man from the jaws of the devil, that is, of hell, and raises him to Himself in heaven; and that He does this with man by withdrawing him from evils, which is effected through contrition and repentance. These two are the temptations which are the means of regeneration.” (Can. 30.9)

In reading this I was struck with idea that contrition and repentance are temptations, which are the means of regeneration. This thought is partially confirmed in AC 9077, where it says:

“these things are accomplished through spiritual temptations, which are the painful experiences of repentance.” (AC 9077)

That contrition and repentance can be tied to temptations makes sense. It is in our contrition and repentance that we struggle from the good loves implanted by the Lord against the evil loves we have born into, or acquired by actual practice. I still think that we are not fully aware of all the spiritual processes that are going on in our minds; but this idea of temptation being tied to contrition and repentance, at least gives me some hope that I have experienced temptations. Certainly, this concept of temptations makes temptations makes the teachings concerning temptations clear and eaiser to understand.

The Progression of Divine Revelation

What was the nature of the Lord’s Divine Providence in revealing Divine truths may be seen from the churches successively established. There have been several churches on our earth one after another. There was the Most Ancient, which was before the deluge; there was the Ancient, which was after the deluge; then the Hebrew, and afterwards the Israelitish; after this was the Christian Church, and now commences a New [Church]. Inmost Divine truths were revealed to those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church; but exterior Divine truths to those who belonged to the Ancient Church; and last or ultimate Divine truths to the Hebrew Church, and lastly to the Israelitish, with which at length all Divine truth perished. For at last there was nothing in the Word that was not adulterated. But after its end, interior Divine truths were revealed by the Lord for the Christian Church, and now still more interior truths for the church which is to come. Those interior truths are in the spiritual or internal sense of the Word. (AE 948.3)

Spiritual Good Defined

Charity, or spiritual good, consists in doing good because it is truth; that is, it is to do truth. And to do truth is to do those things which the Lord has commanded in His Word. It is evident, therefore, that charity is spiritual good. And when a man does good because it is truth, or does truth, then charity becomes moral good, which, in the external form, is like the good that is done at this day with every man who is a moral and civil man. But there is this difference, that genuine moral good is good from the spiritual good from which it proceeds. For spiritual good is from the Lord, but moral good is from man. Therefore, unless the good from man is from the Lord, that is, through man from the Lord, it is not good. The end for the sake of which [a thing is done], declares its quality. Moral good separated from spiritual good, regards man, his honor, profit, and pleasure, as the end for which it is done. But moral good from spiritual good has regard to the Lord, heaven, and eternal life, as the end. (AE 918.2)

Central Theme of the Heavenly Doctrines

The Writings or the Heavenly Doctrines have a central theme. They tell us the same thing, over and over, and over and over again. And why do they repeat the same message over and over again? Because that is how often we need to hear it!

The central and essential message of the Heavenly Doctrines is that we must live our religion. Here are some of the ways they tell us this:

• We must look to the Lord and shun evils as sins
• Good and Truth must be conjoined in Uses
• Keep the Commandments

The sheer volume of the Heavenly Doctrines (22, 30, 35 volumes of books depending on how you are counting) is intimidating. The theological and philosophical technical terms can be intimidating. The eighteenth century mode of thinking and background can be hard to follow. The Latinized English of some of the translations can be hard to read. But the central message of the Writings is easy to understand. Nor does it matter where you start reading in the Heavenly Doctrines. You cannot read more than a few pages without encountering the most important things you need to know.

• Look to the Lord Jesus Christ
• Examine your thoughts and intentions
• Shun evil as a sin against the Lord
• Do good

The easy part is knowing that we should do these things. The hard part is to make ourselves actually do them.

Is God both all good and all powerful?

There is the age old logical problem that goes something like this:

If God were all good and all powerful, no one would be evil or in hell.

If there is evil or hell, then either God must not be all good, or he must not be all powerful.

God is love. He created the human race so that there would be others outside of Himself whom He could love, bless, and who could return His love. (See True Christian Religion # 43) This meant that people had to be a form of love.

Since love can only exist in a state of freedom, the Lord will lead us to heaven to the extent that we will allow Him. The following passage from the Apocalypse Explained provides a good answer to God is both all powerful and all good:

• In regard to the Divine Omnipotence it does not involve any power of acting contrary to order, but it involves all power of acting according to order, for all order is from the Lord; it therefore follows that no one has any power of acting according to order, except from Him who is the source of order. From this it is evident that it is of the Divine Omnipotence to lead man according to order, and this every moment from the beginning of his life even to eternity and according to the laws of order, which are innumerable and inexpressible by number. Yet this can take place so far as a man suffers himself to be led, that is, so far as he does not desire to be led of himself, for in the measure that he desires this he is brought into opposition to order. And because it is of the Divine Omnipotence to lead a man who desires to be led, according to order, and thus to lead no one contrary to order, therefore, it is not of the Divine Omnipotence to lead any one to heaven who desires to lead himself, because it is a law of order, that what a man does, he should do from reason and freedom, since what is received by reason and done from freedom remains with a man, and is appropriated to him as his own, but not that which is not received by the reason and not done from freedom. It is therefore evident that it is not of the Divine Omnipotence to save those who do not desire to be led according to order, for to be led according to order is to be led according to the laws of order, and the laws of order are the precepts of doctrine and of life from the Word; therefore to lead a man who desires to be led, every moment and continually to eternity according to these, is of the Divine Omnipotence. For every moment there are infinite things to be seen, to be removed, and to be insinuated, in order that a man may be withheld from evils and held in goods, and this continually and connectedly according to order. It is also of the Divine Omnipotence to protect men from the hells, so far as it can be done without injury to their freedom and reason; for all the hells are as nothing against the Lord’s Divine power; without this power of the Lord it is impossible for any man to be saved. (Apocalypse Explained #689.2)