726# 没有与主结合，就不可能有永生和救恩，因为主自己就是二者。主是永生，这一点由圣言中多处经文清楚可见；又如约翰那里说：“这是真神，也是永生。”（约一5:20）主也是救恩，因为救恩与永生是一体的。祂的名“耶稣”也意为救恩，因此在整个基督教世界中，祂被称为救主。
然而，只有那些在内在上与主结合的人，才是配得其所而前来领受圣餐的人；而在内在上与主结合的，乃是已经重生的人。至于哪些人是重生之人，已在“论改造与重生”一章中说明。
此外，有许多人承认主，也向邻舍行善；但如果他们不是出于对邻舍的爱，并出于对主的信仰而这样行，就不是重生之人。因为他们向邻舍行善，只是出于那些着眼于世界和自身的原因，而不是着眼于邻舍本身。他们的行为只是属世的，里面并不隐藏任何属灵的东西；因为这些人只是用口和嘴唇承认主，而他们的心却远离祂。
真正对邻舍的爱，以及真正的信仰，唯独来自主；当人从自己的自由意志，在属世层面向邻舍行善，在理性层面相信真理，并仰望主，而且因圣言中的诫命而行这三件事时，这二者就赐给人。于是主在人的中央植入仁义与信仰，并使二者成为属灵的。这样，主使人与祂自己结合，人也使自己与主结合；因为除非结合是相互的，就没有结合。但这些事已在“论仁义与信仰”“论自由意志”以及“论重生”的各章中充分说明。
726# 没有与主的结合，永生和救赎是不可能的，因为祂自己就是永生和救赎。祂是永生，这一点从圣言中的一些经文明显看出来，如以下经文：
耶稣基督是真神，也是永生。（约翰一书5:20）
祂也是救赎，因为救赎与永生为一。祂的名字耶稣表示救赎，故在整个基督教界，祂被称为救主。然而，只有那些从内在与主结合的人才配得上靠近圣餐；而那些重生的人从内在与主结合。改造和重生那一章（TCR 571-625节）已经说明重生的人是谁。事实上，有许多人承认主，向邻舍行善；但除非他们出于对邻之爱和对主之信行事，否则他们不会重生。因为他们向邻舍行善，只是出于视世界和自己，而不是视邻舍为邻舍的原因。他们的作为是纯属世的，里面缺乏任何属灵的东西，因为他们只用口和嘴唇认主，而心却远离。对邻之爱本身和信仰本身唯独来自主；当人出于自己的自由意志或自由选择在属世层面向邻舍行善，理性相信真理，仰望主，并且做这三件事，是因为它们是圣言所吩咐的时，这两者，即对邻之爱和信仰，就被赋予他。然后，主就在他中间植入仁爱和信仰，使这两者都成为属灵的。就这样，主与人结合，人与主结合，因为结合是不可能的，除非它是相互的。不过，关于仁爱（TCR 392-462节）和信仰（TCR 336-391节）、自由意志或自由选择（TCR 463-508节），以及重生（TCR 571-625节）的章节已经充分说明了这一切。
726. Eternal life and salvation are not possible without a partnership with the Lord, because he himself is eternal life and salvation. The following statement in John, as well as other passages in the Word, make it very clear that he is eternal life: "Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). He is also salvation, because this is the same thing as eternal life. In fact his name, Jesus, means salvation; therefore throughout the entire Christian world he is known as the Savior.
Nevertheless, the only people who come forward worthily to take the Holy Supper are people who have an inward partnership with the Lord; and the only people who have an inward partnership with him are the people who have been regenerated. (Who the "regenerated" are has been shown in the chapter on reformation and regeneration [571-625].)
[2] Now, there are of course many people who confess the Lord and do good things for their neighbor. If they do not do these things out of love for their neighbor and faith in the Lord, however, they have not been regenerated. Such people do good things for their neighbor solely for reasons that focus on the world and themselves, and not on their neighbor as their neighbor. The things that such people do are merely earthly and do not conceal anything spiritual inside them. The people who do them confess the Lord, but only with their mouth and lips, while their heart is far away.
Genuine love for our neighbor and genuine faith come solely from the Lord. Both of these qualities are granted to us when we use our free choice to do good things for our neighbor in an earthly way, believe truths in a rational way, and turn to the Lord, doing all three because we have been commanded to in the Word. Then the Lord plants goodwill and faith in our core, and makes them both spiritual. In this way, the Lord unites himself to us and we unite ourselves to the Lord - there is no partnership if it is not reciprocal. But these points have been more fully demonstrated in the chapters on goodwill [392-462], faith [336-391], free choice [463-508], and regeneration [571-625].
726. Without linking with the Lord, everlasting life and salvation are impossible, because He is Himself both of these. It is clear from passages in the Word that He is everlasting life, including this from John:
Jesus Christ is the true God and everlasting life. 1 John 5:20.
He is also salvation, because salvation and everlasting life are one and the same thing. His name Jesus also means salvation, and He is for this reason all over the Christian world given the title of Saviour. Still only those approach the Holy Supper worthily who are inwardly linked with the Lord, and these are those who have been regenerated. Who the regenerated are has been shown in the chapter on reformation and regeneration.
[2] There are many besides who confess the Lord and do good to the neighbour; but they are not regenerated unless they do this out of love towards the neighbour and faith in the Lord. For in doing good to the neighbour they can be motivated solely by reasons which concern the world or themselves, but not the neighbour as such. Their deeds are purely natural, with no spiritual content hidden in them. For such people make a confession of the Lord only with their mouths and lips, while their hearts are far away. Real love towards the neighbour and real faith come only from the Lord; and both are conferred upon a person when he of his own free will does good on the natural level to the neighbour, and believes truths with his reason, and looks to the Lord, doing all these three things because of the commandments in the Word. Then the Lord plants charity and faith in his midst, and makes both of these spiritual. So the Lord links a person to Himself, and the person links himself to the Lord; for linking is impossible if it is not reciprocal. But these propositions have been fully demonstrated in the chapters on charity, faith, free will and regeneration.
726. Eternal life and salvation are impossible without conjunction with the Lord, for the reason that He is both of these. That He is eternal life is clearly evident from certain passages in the Word, as from the following in John:
Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).
He is also salvation, because this and eternal life are one. His name Jesus signifies salvation, and therefore He is called the Savior throughout the Christian world. And yet only those come to the holy supper worthily who are interiorly conjoined with the Lord, and those are interiorly conjoined with Him who are regenerated. Who the regenerated are has been shown in the chapter on Reformation and Regeneration. Again there are many who confess the Lord, and who do good to the neighbor; but unless this is done from love to the neighbor and from faith in the Lord, they are not regenerated, for such do good to the neighbor solely for reasons that look to the world and themselves, and not to the neighbor as the neighbor. The works of such are merely natural, and do not have concealed within them anything spiritual; for they confess the Lord with the mouth and lips only, from which their heart is far away. True love to the neighbor, and true faith, are from the Lord alone, and both are given to man when he from his freedom of choice does good to the neighbor naturally, and believes truths rationally, and looks to the Lord, doing these three things because they are commanded in the Word. The Lord then implants charity and faith in the midst of him, and makes both of these spiritual. Thus the Lord conjoins Himself to man, and man conjoins himself to the Lord, for no conjunction is possible unless it is effected reciprocally. But all this has been fully set forth in the chapters on Charity, Faith, Freedom of Choice, and Regeneration.
726. Eternal life and salvation are not attainable without conjunction with the Lord, because He is eternal life and salvation. That He is eternal life is clearly evident from passages in the Word, as from this in John:
Jesus Christ "is the true God and eternal life" 1 John 5:20.
That He is salvation is equally evident, because salvation and eternal life are one. His name Jesus also signifies salvation; and, therefore, throughout the whole Christian world He is called the Savior. Nevertheless, only those worthily approach the Holy Supper who are interiorly conjoined with the Lord. Those are interiorly conjoined who are regenerate; and who are regenerate was shown in the chapter on Reformation and Regeneration.
There are many, indeed, who confess the Lord, and who do good to the neighbor; but unless they act from love towards the neighbor and from faith in the Lord, they are not regenerate. For they do good to the neighbor only for reasons that regard the world and themselves, and not the neighbor as the neighbor. Their works are merely natural and inwardly destitute of anything spiritual, because they confess the Lord with the mouth and lips only, while their heart is far away. Love itself towards the neighbor and faith itself are from the Lord alone; and both are given to man when from his own free will he does good to the neighbor on the natural plane, believes truths rationally, and looks to the Lord, doing these three things because they are commanded in the Word. Then the Lord implants charity and faith interiorly in him, and makes both spiritual. Thus the Lord conjoins man to Himself, and man conjoins himself to the Lord; for there can be no conjunction unless it is reciprocal. All this, however, has been fully shown in the chapters on Charity and Faith, Free Will and Regeneration.
726. Quod absque conjunctione cum Domino, non dari possit Vita aeterna et Salus, est, quia Ipse est utraque; quod sit VITA AETERNA, constat clare ex locis e Verbo; et ex hoc apud Johannem, "Jesus Christus est Verus Deus et Vita aeterna," 1 Johannes 5:20. 1 Quod sit SALUS, est quia haec et vita aeterna unum sunt; Nomen Ipsius JESUS etiam significat Salutem, et inde in toto Christiano Orbe nominatur SALVATOR. Sed usque non alii digne accedunt ad Sanctam Coenam, quam qui interius conjuncti sunt Domino, ac interius conjuncti sunt, qui regenerati sunt; at quinam regenerati sunt, in Capite de REFORMATIONE ET REGENERATIONE, ostensum est.
[2] Praeterea sunt multi, qui confitentur Dominum, et qui bonum faciunt proximo, sed si hoc non faciunt ex amore erga proximum, et ex fide in Dominum, non sunt regenerati, nam bonum faciunt proximo solum propter causas, quae spectant mundum et semet, non autem proximum ut proximum; horum opera sunt mere naturalia, quae intus in se non aliquid spirituale recondunt, nam iidem confitentur Dominum solum ore et labiis, a quibus Cor longe abest: ipse amor erga proximum, et ipsa fides, sunt ex Solo Domino, et utraque datur homini, dum hic ex libero suo arbitrio naturaliter facit proximo bonum, et rationaliter veritates credit, et ad Dominum spectat, et tria illa propter mandata in Verbo, tunc Dominus in medio ejus implantat charitatem et fidem, et utramque facit spiritualem: sic Dominus sibi conjungit hominem, et homo se Domino, nam Conjunctio, nisi fiat reciproce, non datur. Sed haec in Capitibus de CHARITATE ET FIDE, de LIBERO ARBITRIO, et de REGENERATIONE, plene ostensa sunt.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: I Johannes 5:21.