634. "If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand." This symbolizes people who acknowledge and accept the doctrine of justification and salvation by faith alone, affirm it, and live in accordance with it.

To worship the beast means, symbolically, to acknowledge that faith (no. 580). To worship its image means, symbolically, to acknowledge and accept that doctrine (no. 603). To receive its mark on the forehead or hand means, symbolically, to accept the doctrine with love and faith and to affirm it in oneself (nos. 605, 606); and because people who confirm themselves in that doctrine with love and faith also live in accordance with it, this too is meant.

[2] There are three steps in the acceptance of that doctrine, which are meant by the words here. The first step is to acknowledge that doctrine. The second step is to affirm it in oneself. And the third step is to live in accordance with it. To acknowledge it involves thought. To affirm it in oneself involves understanding. And to live in accordance with it involves the will.

There are people who have taken the first step who nevertheless have not progressed to the second or third. There are people who have taken the first and second steps who have nevertheless not progressed to the third. But people who have taken the third step, which is to live in accordance with that doctrine - these are the people of whom the following declarations are made in verses 10 and 11.

To live in accordance with that doctrine is to make evil of no account, thinking that evil does not condemn because works of the law do not save, but only faith. It is also to make goodness of no account, thinking to oneself that no one can do good of himself without its being merit-seeking. People who avoid evils, therefore, only on account of civil and moral laws, and not on account of Divine laws, are people who do good only for the sake of themselves and of the world, thus out of a love of self and not for the Lord's sake, and so not out of a love of the neighbor.

[3] These are the people of whom the following declarations are made in verses 10 and 11, because nothing condemns that enters only into the thought and understanding. But what enters into the will does condemn, since it enters the life and becomes permanent; for nothing can enter the will unless it becomes a matter of love, and love is a person's life.

These are also people who do not examine themselves, recognize their sins, and repent, and for that reason are damned. For at heart they say, "What need is there for examining, recognizing and acknowledging sins and for repentance, when faith alone encompasses them all?"

I have seen many such people in the spiritual world who avoided evils and practiced goods solely because of civil and moral law and not at the same time spiritual law, and they were cast into hell.