New Church Foundation

The essential work of regeneration is done by God, but we have a part to play. We need to grow in understanding of spiritual values and in our commitment to live by them. We need to seek guidance from the Word. We need to see the difference between good and evil, positive and negative, and take responsibility to make our life as open to receiving the good and positive as we can.

Readings

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

People who only acknowledge universally that they are a sinner, and make themselves guilty of all evils, and yet do not explore themselves, that is, see their own sins, makes confession, but not the confession of repentance; they, because they do not know their own evils, lives afterwards as they did before. (The New Jerusalem 162)

Repentance of the mouth and not of the life is not repentance. Sins are not remitted by repentance of the mouth, but by repentance of the life. (The New Jerusalem 165)

True repentance means not only examining what one does in one’s life, but also what one intends in one’s will to do. The reason why true repentance means not only examining what one does in one’s life, but also what one intends in one’s will to do, is that deeds are the product of the understanding and the will. Thought is what makes people speak and the will is what makes them act, so speech is thought speaking and action is the will acting... People too can repent of the evils they have physically committed, but still think and will evil. This is like cutting down the trunk of a tree that is no good, but leaving its root in the ground; from this the same tree grows up again and spreads itself around. But it is different if the root too is pulled up; and this is what happens in people when they examine at the same time the intentions present in their will, and rid themselves of evils by repentance. (True Christianity 532)

Frequently Asked Question

Q. How can I commit the time and energy for siritual growth in my busy daily life?
A. It is easy to get caught up in the business of living. Between jobs, families, and community obligations, it can be difficult to create a space to reconnect with God and work on your spiritual growth. Try carving out time to read the Word when you first wake up, on a lunch break, or before you go to bed. After reflecting on God’s message for your life, make yourself a note and keep it in your pocket to remind you through the day and week of what to work on.

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