In John 10:10, Jesus states one of the reasons for His advent:

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

We know that Jesus is talking about spiritual life here, not natural life. He was here, and walked among us in human form, so that he could teach us - more clearly than ever - how to learn truth and how to do good. If we reject truth, and prefer false doctrines that help us justify the selfish things we want to do, we're rejecting spiritual life. If we keep doing evil things because we want to and we don't care if they're really right or wrong, again, we're dying spiritually.

What the Lord really wants for us is life in abundance. If we turn to him, open our minds to His true teachings, and ask for His help in rooting out our evil loves, and implanting good loves in their place, He knows we will have spiritual life in abundance - to eternity.

This is a clear promise. It's not talking about prosperity or comfort or even safety from personal tragedies during our life on earth. Unlike us, though, the Lord can easily take the long view, and He always has the door open for us:

"A person can acquire for himself a life of faith and charity... when he approaches the Lord, who is life itself. Nor is the approach to Him blocked for anyone, since He constantly invites everyone to come to Him." (True Christian Religion 358)

It's pretty exciting. Imagine that... abundant life to eternity. It sure beats spiritual death. It's an amazingly good investment. If only giving up our evils was easier... but, it's not. It's painful. Still, if we don't defeat them, they will eventually enslave us. So... here's advice from the prophet Isaiah:

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7)

See, too, Arcana Coelestia 7494, for further reading.

359. (iv) But still faith, charity or life in either of them is not in the least created by man, but only by the Lord.

For we read that man cannot take anything, unless it is given him from heaven (John 3:27). And Jesus said:

He who remains in me, and I in him, brings forth much fruit, because without me you can do nothing, John 15:5.

This, however, must be understood to mean that a person can only acquire by his own efforts natural faith, which is a firm belief that a thing is so because an authoritative person so declared it. He can also acquire only natural charity, which is working in someone's favour for the sake of some reward. These two contain man's self, and there is no life as yet from the Lord. Still a person by either of these prepares himself to receive the Lord. In so far as he prepares himself, so far does the Lord come in and make his natural faith spiritual, and likewise his charity, and so make both living. These results follow when a person approaches the Lord as the God of heaven and earth.

Since man was created an image of God, he was created to be a dwelling for God. Therefore the Lord says:

He who has my commandments and does them, he it is who loves me; and I shall love him, and come to him and make my dwelling with him, John 14:21, 23.

Also:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me, Revelation 3:20.

From these statements the conclusion follows, that in so far as a person prepares himself on the natural level to receive the Lord, so does the Lord come in and make everything within him spiritual, so giving everything life. On the other hand, however, in so far as a person does not prepare himself, to that extent he distances the Lord from himself, and does everything of himself; and what a person does of himself has no life in it. But it is impossible to cast much light on this subject until I have discussed charity and free will, and I shall come back to it later in the chapter on reformation and regeneration.