3865. 'For now my husband will love me' means that from this state would come the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'will love' as the good coming from this state, for all good is the product of love and is therefore the meaning of 'love' at this point; and from the meaning of 'husband' (vir) as truth, dealt with in 3134. What the good of truth is has been explained frequently already, namely an affection for truth for the sake of life, for life is the good seen within truth by those who are subsequently regenerated. Without life in accordance with truth no truth can ever become joined to good nor consequently can good be made one's own.

[2] This can be seen quite clearly by anyone if he turns his attention to those who lead evil lives and to those who lead good lives. Those who lead evil lives, though instructed in the teachings of the Church during childhood and youth like everybody else, will be found on examination to believe nothing at all about the Lord, about faith in Him, or about the truths of the Church, whereas those who lead good lives will be found in every case to have faith in those truths which they believe to be truths. Those however who teach truths, as Church leaders do, and yet lead evil lives will indeed say that they believe, yet they do not believe in their hearts.

[3] With some a persuasive faith exists which is an imitation of true faith, but that faith is no more than factual knowledge which has been corroborated by them not because it is the truth but because by declaring their allegiance to it they improve their chances of personal position, honour, and gain. That knowledge goes no further than through the ears into the memory, and from the memory passes out on to the lips. It does not enter the heart and from there into a confession of it. From these considerations it is evident that the life is the guide to what kind of acknowledgement of truth exists, that is, to what kind of faith. They also show that faith separated from the good of life declares that no matter how a person lives he can still be saved by grace, and that such faith argues against the teaching that everyone's life remains with him after death.