10205. Ye shall not make strange incense go up upon it. That this signifies no worship from any other love than the love of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “incense,” as being worship from love (see n. 9475); and from the signification of “strange” as being one who is within the church and yet does not acknowledge the the Lord, (n. 10112). From this it is evident that by “not making strange incense go up,” is signified that worship from any other love than that of the Lord is not worship. The case herein is this. Acknowledgment, faith, and love to the Lord, are the principal of all things of worship within the church, for acknowledgment, faith, and love conjoin; acknowledgment and faith conjoin there what is of the understanding, and love what is of the will; and these two things make the whole man. He therefore who within the church does not acknowledge the Lord has no conjunction with the Divine, for all the Divine is in the Lord and from the Lord; and when there is no conjunction with the Divine, there is no salvation. From this it is that worship from any other faith and from any other love than those which are directed to the Lord is not worship. It is otherwise with those who are outside the church; for as they are in ignorance about the Lord, their worship is accepted by the Lord when they live from their religion in any mutual charity, and in any faith and in any love to God, whom most of them worship under a human form. Moreover, in the other life, when they are instructed by the angels about the Lord, that He is the Divine Itself in human form, they acknowledge Him; and insofar as they had been in the good of life, so far they worship Him from faith and love (see n. 2589-2604).

2589. CONCERNING THE STATE AND LOT IN THE OTHER LIFE OF THE NATIONS AND PEOPLES BORN OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH.

It is the common opinion that they who are born out of the church, and who are called Pagans and Gentiles, cannot be saved, because they have not the Word, and thus are ignorant of the Lord, without whom there is no salvation. But that these also are saved, may be known from the following considerations: that the Lord’s mercy is universal, that is, toward everyone; that these are born men equally with those who are within the church, who are comparatively few; and that it is not their fault that they are ignorant of the Lord. Consequently, their state and lot in the other life, have of the Lord’s Divine mercy been shown me.