1026. With every living soul that is with you symbolizes everything in general that has been reborn in us. This can be seen from statements above and below [§§1022, 1036, 1040] and from the symbolism of living. Everything that receives life from the Lord is called living; everything in regenerate people that lives from that life is called a living soul. The extent to which we receive life when we are regenerate determines the extent to which individual elements inside us — both our reasoned ideas and our feelings — have life. This living force in the individual aspects of all we think and say is evident to angels, although it is not very evident to human beings.

2589. THE general opinion is that people born outside the church–who are called pagans and Gentiles–cannot be saved because they do not have the Word and therefore know nothing about the Lord, without whom there is no salvation.

Yet this one train of thought can show that they too are saved: The Lord's mercy is universal; that is, it reaches out to every individual. People outside the church are born human, just like people in the church. Those in the church are fewer, and those outside the church are not to blame for not knowing the Lord.

By the Lord's divine mercy, their lot and condition in the other world has been shown to me.