Editing Swedenborgianism (section)

== Free will, sin and regeneration ==
To Swedenborg, man is born not into [[total depravity]], but rather, into a state of ignorance of anything beyond his "outer self"; his five senses and desire for worldly pleasures. In this state, man, by birth, places his principal love in worldly things such as wealth and ego over God and neighbor, because he has no knowledge of the spiritual truths that would lead him to love these.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=118 (Par. 183)}}</ref> In this state, man’s 'inner self' (his higher faculties of rationality, will, conscience, etc.) is made a servant to the outer self<ref name=":0" />

Salvation is possible through Regeneration, a process in which man accepts divine truth from the Lord, and with this knowledge is able to make love of God and Neighbor his highest love in place of worldly things, reforming his inner and outer being, and being born anew into a state of enlightenment, where "Our inner self is in heaven, and an angel among the angels we are going to live with after we die".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=118 (Par. 182)}}</ref>

=== Regeneration as a spiritual battle ===
New Church adherents believe that man is born with free will, and his ability to choose between good and evil originates from his spiritual equilibrium between heaven and hell. Hell influences humans to do evil, and heaven influences them to do good. This freedom from inherent control from one side or the other frees humans to think rationally which can lead to spiritual reform by acknowledging evil in oneself, ceasing to do evil and avoiding it.<ref>HH, n. 589–590, 597–598.</ref> This choice is spiritual because every thought and action influences the soul and mind.<ref name="HH, n. 599">HH, n. 599.</ref>

Man's salvation is heavily affected by spiritual forces. Truly good works join a person with angels, and evil joins them with evil spirits.<ref name="HH, n. 599" /> When divine truth is accepted and one has an evil desire, temptation (conflict) results. Although one must resist temptation, it is really a combat between God and the devil (or hell).<ref>TCR, n. 596.</ref> Thus, "He who thinks that he fights from himself against the devil is enormously deceived."<ref>AC, n. 1813.</ref>

Both Salvation and Condemnation are results of moral choices, based on intentions. Good acts are only considered good when evil is removed, that is to say they are done out of love for God (not for profit or honour, or any other earthly thing), otherwise they are only externally good and internally evil. Goodness comes only from God, who can conquer temptation (a continuous, lifelong process).

Remission of sins is their removal after repentance. Swedenborgianism detests the notions of [[total depravity]], and the ''traditional'' understandings of salvation through acts, and salvation through faith alone, through grace alone. New Church theology holds that man can desire good and must identify his sinful tendencies, push them aside in place of goodwill, and move from a state of overall ignorance and evil to overall enlightenment and goodness. Man should not simply accept his sinful state and expect faith or acts alone to guarantee him a place in heaven.<ref>DL, n. 18.</ref>

=== Christ, the Church, and salvation ===
Since, without the aid of divine truth, man remains in a state of Ignorance, the salvation of humanity has always required that a unifying connection between God and the minds of men is maintained through the "Word", or divine revelation of truths required for regeneration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=158 (par. 249)}}</ref> The "Church", as a term, refers to any people, culture, or religion where "the Lord is acknowledged and the Word exists".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=151 (par. 242)}}</ref> The term does not simply refer to Christendom. Christianity’s predecessor, Judaism, as well as all other faiths of the world, though imperfect, are or were, at one point, expressions of the Word. Anyone who believes in God and loves goodness and truth is part of the Church and may be regenerated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=151 (par. 244–245)}}</ref>

Swedenborg divides history into a series of churches, or stages of the Church, that were born and eventually "died", that is to say, became "naturalistic" and devoid of spiritual truth, serving the fears and worldly desires of man rather than providing regeneration.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Swedenborg |first=Emanuel |title=New Jerusalem |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |year=2016 |edition=New Century |pages=152 (256: 4–5)}}</ref> Because of this, the equilibrium between heaven and hell became more and more unbalanced towards the powers of hell prior to the coming of Christ, threatening the entire human race.<ref>TCR, n. 3.</ref>

It is for this reason that God took human form. By doing so, he could provide man with a means of regeneration through his teachings and fight hell directly; Jesus experienced temptation, conquered it, descended into hell, and defeated the forces of evil.<ref>TCR, n. 139–155.</ref>

The New Church differs from older Christian churches on the notion that Christ's death was redemption itself; "The belief that the passion of the cross was redemption itself is a fundamental error of the church; and that error, together with the error concerning three Divine persons from eternity, has perverted the whole church, so that nothing spiritual is left in it."<ref>TCR, n. 132.</ref> The [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]] was the last temptation endured by Jesus.<ref>TCR, n. 126.</ref>