the caves I observed herds of evil people hideous in form. To each other,
though, the people there looked attractive because of the illusion they
projected. After a little while, I heard the good people screaming in terror
as if they were trapped. From the evil people, I heard rejoicing like that
of enemies glorying over the spoils of war. I witnessed other horrible
scenes as well.
I have heard that later the good members of these pairs, when they
are released, are prepared for heaven through the steps of reformation,
but they have more difficulty than others.
Something completely different happens to people who love what is 449
good in another person—people who love the justice, judgment, hon-
esty, or benevolence that comes from goodwill in the other person, and
especially people who love the other person’s faith in and love for the
Lord. They love these qualities inside the other person independently of
that person’s outer qualities. Therefore if they do not find these same
qualities inside the other person after death, they immediately withdraw
from the friendship, and the Lord connects them to people who have a
similar kind of goodness.
It might be worth saying that it is impossible for any of us to investi-
gate the inner qualities of mind in people with whom we socialize and
interact. But this type of investigation is not necessary provided we take
care not to form bonds of love with just anyone. Outward friendship
formed for the sake of various benefits does no harm.
There Are Such Things as Illegitimate Goodwill,
Hypocritical Goodwill, and Dead GoodwillGenuine, living goodwill does not exist unless it accompanies faith and 450
unless both goodwill and faith jointly focus on the Lord. These three—
the Lord, goodwill, and faith—are the three essential elements for salva-
tion. When they are united, goodwill is goodwill, faith is faith, and the
Lord is in them both and they are in the Lord (see §§ 363 – 367 , 368 – 372
above). When these three elements are not united, goodwill is illegiti-
mate, hypocritical, or dead.
From the time Christianity was first established, various heresies have
arisen; some are still in existence today. Even these heresies have all recog-
nized these three essential elements: God, goodwill, and faith. Without
these three elements there is no religion.
§450 goodwill & good actions 533