Heavenly Secrets (Arcana Coelestia), Vol. VIII

...at heart that nothing of good or truth is from himself, but all from the Lord, and that whatever is from himself is nothing but evil. In Swedenborg’s theology, "good" refers to the intention of the will, and "truth" refers to the thoughts of the understanding. The fact that this is so, is shown to man after death by many experiences. The angels in heaven plainly perceive that all good and truth are from the Lord; and moreover that by the Lord they are withheld from evil and kept in good and so in truth, and this by a mighty force.

[2] It has been given me plainly to perceive this now for many years, and also that in so far as I have been left to my own or to myself, I have been inundated with evils, and so far as I have been withheld therefrom, I have been lifted up from evil into good. Therefore to claim truth and good to one's self is contrary to the universal universal: a governing principle or fundamental law that applies to all things in a particular realm that reigns in heaven, as well as contrary to the acknowledgment that all salvation is of mercy, that is, that man of himself is in hell, but is of mercy drawn out thence by the Lord.

Man cannot be in humiliation, nor consequently can he receive the Lord's mercy (for this flows in only in humiliation or into a humble heart), unless he acknowledges that there is nothing but evil from himself, and that all good is from the Lord. Without this acknowledgment a man attributes to himself as merit, and at length as righteousness, whatever he does; for to claim to himself the truth and good which are from the Lord is to make himself righteous. This is the source of many evils; for he then regards self in everything that he does for the neighbor, and when he does this he loves himself above all others, whom he then despises, if not in word, yet in heart.

5759.

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die. That this signifies that he is damned who does so, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being to be damned; for spiritual death spiritual death: the state of being separated from the life of heaven and the love of God is nothing else than damnation. It is plain from what was said just above (Number 5758), that they who claim to themselves the truth and good which are of the Lord, cannot be in heaven, but are outside of it; and they who are outside of heaven are damned.

But this law is one of judgment from truth; whereas when judgment is made at the same time from good, then they who do what is true and good, and from ignorance or simplicity attribute these to themselves, are not damned, but in the other life are set free by a method of vas- The text likely completes as "vastation," which refers to a spiritual process where a person is gradually purified of false ideas and worldly attachments before entering heaven.