Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/73

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From this brief explanation of the New Church doctrine of At-one-ment, the reader cannot fail to see that, while it accords with the teachings of both reason and Scripture, it is at the same time a doctrine of the highest practical moment. For as man was originally created in the image of God, so he must now be re-created after the image of Christ's glorification. Hence we are required to "follow Him in the regeneration." He is ";" and before we can follow Him, we need to know the way. There must be a descent or birth of truth in our minds corresponding to the Lord's birth into the natural world: For He came as the Divine Truth. "The Word was made flesh." And we must then endure temptations as He did; for He says to his followers: "Ye are they who have continued with me in my temptations; and I appoint unto you a kingdom," etc. (Luke xxii. 28.) By means of truth from the Word, which is "the sword of the Spirit," we must fight against and overcome the evils of our natural man, as He fought against and overcame the evils of his maternal humanity; for He says: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. iii. 21) Thus we