new church life: jan uary/february 2016
others but instead to see their talents and rejoice in them too.
Closing Prayer: Lord, You have said, “Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory
in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this that he understands and
knows Me that I am the Lord, who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and
justice in the earth.” (Jeremiah 9:23,24) We pray that we may learn the truth
of these words through our lives, that our pride may be humbled, and the
harshness of our understandings may be gentled. We cannot help but begin in
anger and even in contempt of others, but in Your great mercy You lead us to
see that it is not in pride that happiness lies. Give us strength, we pray, to learn
this lesson and to learn it completely.
O U R N E W C H U RC H V O C A B U L A R Y
Part of a continuing series developed by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, 1961-1966.
ENLIGHTENMENT
When a man who loves truth for its own sake reads the Word for the purpose of
understanding truth and doing good, spiritual light inflows from the Lord through heaven
into his understanding; casting new light upon the knowledges therein, and enabling him to
see truths he did not see before and to acknowledge them from internal conviction.
This process is what is meant by enlightenment. Note that enlightenment is not internal
revelation. It does not impart new knowledge but puts the knowledge man has already
acquired in a new light and in that way leads him into new truth. (See Arcana Coelestia 9424;
Faith 5; Sacred Scripture 57)
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