643. VI. There is imputation but it is of good and evil, and at the same time of faith.

It is imputation of good and evil which is to be understood where this is mentioned in the Word. This is established by countless passages there, some of which have already been quoted; but to ensure that everyone can be certain that there is no other kind of imputation, I shall cite here some more from the Word.

The Son of Man is to come, and He will then deal with each according to his deeds, Matthew 16:27.

Those who have done good deeds will go forth to be resurrected to life, but those who have done wicked deeds to be resurrected to judgment, John 5:29.

The book was opened, which is the book of life; and all were judged in accordance with their deeds, Revelation 20:12-13.

Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, so that I may give to each according to what he has done, Revelation 22:12.

I will punish his behaviour, his deeds I will repay him, Hosea 4:9; Zechariah 1:6; Jeremiah 25:14; 32:19.

On the day of wrath and righteous judgment God will render to each in accordance with his deeds, Romans 2:5-6.

We must all be put on show before the tribunal of Christ so that each may be rewarded for his bodily acts, whether good or ill. 2 Corinthians 5:10.

[2] There was no other rule governing imputation at the beginning of the church, and there will be no other at its end. The beginning is plain from Adam and his wife, who were condemned for doing evil, by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis, chapters 2-3). It is plain from these words spoken by the Lord that it will be no different at the end of the church.

When the Son of Man comes in His ¹ glory, He will sit upon His throne of His glory. And He will say to the sheep on the right, Come, blessed ones, and take possession as an inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. But He said to the goats on the left because they had not done good deeds, Begone from me, accursed people, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, Matthew 25:31ff

Anyone who has his eyes open can see from this that good and evil are imputed.

[3] There is also imputation of faith, because charity, which relates to good, and faith, which relates to truth, are together in good deeds. If they are not together, then the deeds are not good, see above 373-377. James therefore says:

Was not Abraham our father justified by his deeds, when he offered his son upon the altar? Do you not see that faith co-operated with deeds, and by its deeds his faith was recognised as perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and this was imputed to him for righteousness, James 2:21-23.

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1802. 'Saying, This man will not be your heir' means that that which is external will not be the heir of His kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'becoming the heir' or 'inheriting', dealt with already just above. The heir to the Lord's kingdom is not that which is external but that which is internal. Yet that which is external is heir as well, but only through that which is internal, for the two in that case act as one. To understand what is implied by this, one needs to keep in mind the thought that all who are in the heavens, including those in the first and in the second heavens as well as those in the third, that is, including those who are external and those who are more interior as well as those who are internal angels, are the heirs of the Lord's kingdom; for they all constitute one heaven. In the Lord's heavens internal things stand in relation to external exactly as they do with man. Angels in the first heaven are subordinate to angels in the second; and these in turn are subordinate to angels in the third. That subordination however is not one of command, but, as in man, is an influx of internal things into more external; that is to say, the Lord's life is flowing through the third heaven into the second, and through this into the first - through all the heavens in their ordered sequence, as well as into every individual heaven directly. The lower angels, or those in a subordinate position, are not aware that this is so unless they are given to reflect on it by the Lord; thus their subordination is not one involving command.

[2] Insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the third heaven he is an heir of the Lord's kingdom; also, insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the second heaven he too is an heir; and in a like manner, insofar as that which is internal resides in an angel of the first heaven he is an heir as well. It is the internal that makes each of them an heir. With angels who are more internal that which is internal exists in greater measure than with those who are more external, and therefore they are nearer to the Lord and the more His heirs. That which is internal is love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. In the measure that they have love and charity therefore they are sons and heirs, for in the same measure they inherit the Lord's life.

[3] But no one can possibly be brought from the first or external heaven into the second or more interior heaven until he has been taught the goods of love and the truths of faith. Insofar as he is taught these he is able to be brought to and to enter the company of angelic spirits. Something similar must occur before these angelic spirits are able to be brought to or to enter into the third heaven, that is, into the company of angels. By means of such teaching, more interior and then internal things are formed, and are made suitable to receive the goods of love and truths of faith, and so to receive the perception of what is good and true. No one is able to see with perception what he does not know and believe. Thus no one can be granted an ability to see perceptively any good of love or truth of faith except through cognitions, which enable him to know what good or truth is and the nature of it. This is so with all people, even with young children, all of whom receive teaching in the Lord's kingdom. But these are taught without difficulty because they have not been imbued with false ideas. Yet they are taught general truths only, and when they receive them, there is no limit to the things they can perceive.

[4] It is the same as when a person has been persuaded of some truth in its general or overall presentation of itself. He then sees easily and so to speak from himself, or spontaneously, the particular facets that make up the general aspects, and the individual details that make up the particular facets, which are confirmatory. For stirred by an affection for a truth in its general presentation, he is also as a consequence stirred by the confirmatory facets and details of the same truth. Those particular facets and details, accompanied by delight and pleasantness, enter into the general affection and thereby perfect it constantly. Such facets and details are the internal things by virtue of which people are called heirs, that is, by which they are able to inherit the Lord's kingdom. But those people first begin to be heirs or to receive the inheritance when an affection for what is good, that is, when mutual love, exists in them, into which they have been introduced by means of cognitions of good and truth and by means of affections for these. And insofar as an affection for good, that is, insofar as mutual love, is present in these people, they are heirs or recipients of the inheritance; for mutual love is that very life itself which they receive from the Lord's essence, as from their Father. These considerations may also become clear from what follows next in verse 5.