the Little Book; etc.) speak of the changing states we experience throughout
life, and each state describes how we might see the Lord at that moment. We go
through these states while in this world, which means we will always be in the
continual struggle against evil – that is, a struggle to get free and safe from evil.
The final vision, or stage, in Revelation 21 shows us a picture of eternity,
where there will no longer be combats against evil and falsity. It’s just pure
safety with the Lord. The Lord is the source of light in this vision. There is no
sun or moon to give light. Typically the sun and moon in the Word represent
ideals of charity and faith from the Lord. But in this case, they represent our
own reasonings and desires, or loves and opinions, which now no longer get
in the way of the Lord’s will. It’s just the Lord and His will, which can become
our will.
Evil is not in this vision because theoretically at this point we have, with
the Lord’s help, rejected it from within our own reasonings and desires so that
there is nothing left but freedom and peace.
This is a perfect vision of heaven, one we would love to be in. But the catch
for us now is that in order to be truly free and with the Lord in this eternal
state, we must first learn about evil, know what it is, and avoid it. Like my
daughter and the spider, there are certain things in this world we just know are
wrong. With other things it might take a while for us to discover the danger.
But the bottom line is that one definitely ought not to experience an evil to find
out that it is evil. We have all we need to know
about evil right in the Word, and the Word
talks about it so that we can stay away from it.
Look through the Old Testament and you
will see countless things that people did against
the Lord. There are wars, killings, idolatrous
practices, and all sorts of things that destroy
marriage. All of them are downright wrong.
In the New Testament we see how people
treated the Lord, which again was just wrong.
And now with the Heavenly Doctrines we’re
given hundreds of pages of what defines evil.
Basically we are taught from the Word
that anything that goes against the Lord and
His teachings is considered evil. It’s not evil
because we might get in trouble, or it’s against
the law, but because it is a sin against God and
therefore we don’t do it.
As New Church people and as Christians,
given what we are taught in the Word, we all
As New Church
people and as
Christians, given
what we are
taught in the
Word, we all have
a responsibility
and a duty to know
the doctrines and
stand up for them.
There is no other
way to be truly free.
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