§481 our nature after death 283
e. In the highest sense, the Lord is our neighbor because he is to be loved above all; however, lov-
ing the Lord is loving what comes from him because he is in everything that comes from him, so
[our neighbor is] whatever is good and true: 2425 , 3419 , 6706 , 6711 , 6819 , 6823 , 8123. Loving what
is good and true, which come from him, is living by them, and this is loving the Lord: 10143 ,
10153 , 10310 , 10336 , 10578 , 10648 [ 10659 ]. Every individual and community, our country and
church, and in the broadest sense the Lord’s kingdom, is our neighbor; and loving our neighbor
is helping them from a love for their good in keeping with their state. This means that their wel-
fare, which we are to value, is our neighbor: 6818 – 6824 , 8123. Moral good, or what is honest, and
civic good, or what is fair, are our neighbor as well; and acting honestly and fairly out of a love
for what is honest and fair is loving our neighbor: 2915 , 4730 , 8120 , 8121 , 8122 , 8123. Conse-
quently, thoughtfulness toward our neighbor includes all aspects of our lives, and doing what is
good and fair, and acting honestly from the heart in every position we hold and in everything we
do, is loving our neighbor: 2417 , 8121 , 8124 [ 8121 – 8124 ]. The doctrine of the early church was a
doctrine of charity, and this was the source of their wisdom: 2417 , 2385 , 3419 , 3420 , 4844 , 6628.
were cast into hell had lives of materialistic and worldly love. Heavenly
love is loving what is good, honest, and fair because it is good, honest,
and fair, and doing it because of that love. This is why they have a life
of goodness, honesty, and fairness, which is a heavenly life. If we love
these things for their own sakes and do or live them, we are also lov-
ing the Lord above all because they come from him. We are also loving
our neighbor, because these things are our neighbor who is to be loved.e
Materialistic love, though, is loving what is good and honest and fair not
for its own sake but for our own purposes, because we can use them to
gain prestige, position, and profi t. In this case we are not focusing on the
Lord and our neighbor within what is good and honest and fair but on
ourselves and the world, and we enjoy deceit. When the motive is deceit,
then whatever is good and honest and fair is actually evil and dishonest
and unfair. This is what we love within [the outward appearance].
[ 2 ] Since these loves defi ne our lives, we are all examined as to our
quality immediately after death, when we arrive in the world of spirits, and
we are put in touch with people of like love. If we are focused on heavenly
love, we are put in touch with people in heaven; and if we are focused on
materialistic love, we are put in touch with people in hell. Further, once
the fi rst and second states have been completed the two kinds of people
are separated so that they no longer see or recognize each other. We actu-
ally become our own love not only as to the deeper levels of our minds but
outwardly as well, in face, body, and speech, since we become images of
our love even in outward things. People who are materialistic loves look
coarse, dim, dark, and misshapen; while people who are heavenly loves
look lively, clear, bright, and lovely. They are completely different in spirit