§474 our nature after death 277
a. Just as everything in the universe that occurs in an orderly fashion goes back to what is good
and true, so everything in us goes back to volition and intellect: 803 , 10122. This is because it is
our volition that receives what is good and our intellect that receives what is true: 3332 , 3623 , 5332 ,
6065 , 6125 , 7503 , 9300 , 9930. It amounts to the same thing whether you talk about what is true or
faith, since faith is a matter of truth and truth is a matter of faith; and it also amounts to the same
thing whether you talk about what is good or love, since love is a matter of what is good, and
what is good is a matter of love: 4353 , 4997 , 7178 , 10122 , 10367. So it follows that intellect is the
recipient of faith and volition the recipient of love: 7178 , 10122 , 10367 ; and since our intellect can
accept faith in God and our volition love for God, we can be united to God by faith and love;
and anyone who can be united to God by faith and love cannot die forever: 4525 , 6323 , 9231.
and fair should be done for the sake of honesty and fairness. They love
these qualities because they come from the Lord, and because the divine
nature that emanates from the Lord is within them. So if we see them in
their true essence, they are divine. The deeds or works of these people are
inwardly good, so they are outwardly good as well; for as already noted,
the nature of deeds and works is entirely determined by the nature of the
thought and intent from which they stem, and apart from such thought
and intent they are not deeds and works but only lifeless motions.
We may gather from this what is meant by works and deeds in the
Word.
Since deeds and works are matters of intention and thought, they are 473
also matters of love and faith to the point that their quality is the qual-
ity of their love and faith. That is, it amounts to the same thing whether
you talk about our love or about our intentions, whether you talk about
our established faith or about our thought, since what we love we also
intend, and what we believe we also think. If we love what we believe,
we intend it as well and do it to the extent that we can. Anyone can
realize that love and faith dwell within our intentions and thought and
not outside them, since intent is what is kindled by love and thought is
what is enlightened in matters of faith. This means that only people who
can think wisely are enlightened; and depending on their enlightenment
they think what is true and intend what is true, they believe what is true
and love what is true.a
We do need to recognize, though, that volition makes us who we are. 474
Thought does so only to the extent that it arises from our volition, while
deeds and works come from both. Or in other words, love is what makes
us who we are; faith does so only to the extent that it arises from love,
and deeds and works come from both. It follows from this that love or
intent is the actual person, for the things that come forth belong to the