38. Insofar as someone is prompted by goodness, and is prompted by goodness to love truths, so far he loves the Lord, since the Lord is goodness itself and truth itself. The Lord is present therefore with a person in goodness and truth. If someone is prompted by goodness to love truth, then the Lord is loved, but not if prompted by something else.

This the Lord teaches in John:

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.... (But) he who does not love Me does not keep My words. (John 14:21, 24) And elsewhere:

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.... (John 15:10) The Lord’s precepts, words and commandments are truths.