The second tablet covers all aspects of loving our neighbor. The first
five of its commandments relate to our behavior, or what are called our
“works.” Its other two commandments relate to our will and to the ori-
gins of goodwill: they tell us that we should not covet what our neigh-
bors have, and that by not doing so, we have their well-being in mind.
On the point that the Ten Commandments contain everything
about how to love God and how to love our neighbor, see §§ 329 , 330 ,
and 331 above. That discussion also shows that in people who have good-
will the two tablets are connected.
It is different for people who only worship God but do not also per- 457
form good actions related to goodwill. These people are like covenant
breakers. It is different again for people who divide God into three and
worship each one separately. It is different again for people who go to God,
but not in his human manifestation. These are the people “who do not
enter through the door but instead climb up some other way” (John 10 : 1 ).
It is different again for people who deny with conviction that the Lord is
divine. All these types of people lack a connection to God and therefore
lack salvation. The goodwill they have is illegitimate. This type of goodwill
forms a connection that is not face to face but side to side or back to back.
[ 2 ] I will briefly explain how loving God and loving our neighbor are
connected. With all of us, God flows into our concepts of him and
brings us true acknowledgment of him. He also flows into us and brings
us his love for people. If we accept only the first inflow but not the sec-
ond, we receive that inflow with our intellect but not our will. We keep
the concepts of God that we have without arriving at an inward acknowl-
edgment of God. Our state is then like a garden in winter.
If we accept both types of inflow, however, we receive the inflow with
our will and then our intellect—that is, with our whole mind. We then
develop an inner acknowledgment of God that brings our concepts of
God to life. Our state is then like a garden in spring.
[ 3 ] Goodwill makes the connection, because God loves every one of
us but cannot directly benefit us; he can benefit us only indirectly
through each other. For this reason he inspires us with his love, just as he
inspires parents with love for their children. If we receive this love, we
become connected to God and we love our neighbor out of love for God.
Then we have love for God inside our love for our neighbor. Our love for
God makes us willing and able to love our neighbor.
[ 4 ] We cannot do anything good if it does not seem to us that our
power, willingness, and actions come from ourselves. Therefore we are
§457 goodwill & good actions 539