All Religion is of the Life,
​and the Life of Religion is to Do Good.

In Swedenborg's Doctrine of Life, 1 - 8 , we learn:

1. Every man who has religion knows and acknowledges that he who leads a good life is saved, and that he who leads an evil life is damned; for he knows and acknowledges that the man who lives aright thinks aright, not only about God but also about his neighbor; but not so the man whose life is evil. The life of man is his love, and that which he loves he not only likes to be doing, but also likes to be thinking. The reason therefore why we say that the life is to do that which is good is that doing what is good acts as a one with thinking what is good, for if in a man these two things do not act as a one, they are not of his life. The demonstration of these matters shall now follow. 


2. That religion is of the life and that the life of religion is to do that which is good is seen by everyone who reads the Word, and is acknowledged by him while he is reading it. The Word contains the following declarations:

Whosoever shall break the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:19-20). 

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:19-20). 

Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens; but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in the heavens (verse 21). 

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and in Thy name done many mighty things? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity (verses 22, 23). 

Everyone who heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and everyone that heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand (verses 24, 26). 

Jesus said, Behold, the sower went forth to sow; some seeds fell on the hard way, others fell upon the rocky places, others fell among the thorns, and others fell into good ground; he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the Word, and attendeth to it, who thence beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. When Jesus had said these things, He cried, saying, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 13:3-9, 23, 43). 

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, and then shall He render unto every one according to his deeds (Matthew 16: 27). 

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matthew 21: 43). 

When the Son of man shall come in His glory, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory. And He shall say to the sheep on His right hand, Come ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me, I was sick, and ye visited Me I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer, When saw we Thee so? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me. And the king shall say the like things to the goats on the left, and because they have not done such things, He shall say, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:31-41). 

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance even now is the axe laid unto the root of the trees every tree, therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire (Luke 3:8, 9). 

Jesus said, Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Everyone that cometh unto Me, and heareth My words, and doeth them, he is like a man building a house, and he laid a foundation upon the rock; but he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation (Luke 6:46-49). Jesus said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God, and do it (Luke 8:21). Then shall ye begin to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and He shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:25-27). This is the judgment: that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil; for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, lest his works should be reproved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God (John 3:19-21). 

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And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection [of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection] of judgment (John 5:29). 

We know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of God, and do His will, him He heareth (John 9:31).

If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them (John 13:17). 

He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:21-24). 

Jesus said, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser; every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, He cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1, 2). 

Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and ye shall be made My disciples (verse 8). Ye are My friends if ye do the things which I command you; I have chosen you, that ye should bear fruit, and your fruit should abide (verses 14, 16). 

The Lord said to John, To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: I know thy works; I have this against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity; repent, and do the first works, or else I will move thy lamb stand out of its place (Rev. 2:1, 2, 4, 5). 

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: I know thy works (verses 8, 9). 

To the angel of the church in Pergamos write: I know thy works, repent (verses 12, 16). 

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: I know thy works and charity, and thy last works are more than the first (verses 18, 19). 

To the angel of the church in Sardis write: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, but art dead; I have not found thy works perfect before God; repent (Revelations 3:1-3). 

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: I know thy works (verses 7, 8). 

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: I know thy works; repent (verses 14, 15, 19). 

I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them (Revelations 14:13). 

Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, all according to their works (Revelations 20:12, 13). 

Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work (Revelations 22:12). 

In like manner in the Old Testament:

Recompense them according to their work, and according to the deed of their hands (Jer. 25:14). Jehovah, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works (Jeremiah 32:19). 

I will visit according to his ways, and will reward him his works (Hosea 4:9). 

Jehovah, according to our ways, according to our works doth He to us (Zechariah 1:6). 

And in many places it is said that the statutes, commandments, and laws were to be done:

Ye shall observe My statutes, and My judgments, which if a man do, he shall live by them (Lev. 18:5). Ye shall observe all My statutes, and My judgments, that ye may do them (Leviticus 19:37; 20:8; 22:31). 

The blessings, if they did the commandments; and the curses if they did them not (Leviticus 26:4-46). 

The sons of Israel were commanded to make for themselves a fringe on the borders of their garments, that they might remember all the commandments of Jehovah, to do them (Numbers 15:38, 39). 

So in a thousand other places. That works are what make a man of the church, and that he is saved according to them, is also taught by the Lord in the parables, many of which imply that those who do what is good are accepted, and that those who do what is evil are rejected. As in the parable Of the husbandmen in the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-44);

Of the fig-tree that did not yield fruit (Luke 13:6-9);
Of the talents, and the pounds, with which they were to trade (Matt. 25:14-31; Luke 19:13-25);
Of the Samaritan who bound up the wounds of him that was wounded by robbers (Luke 10:30-37);
Of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31);
Of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-12). 


3. That every one who has religion knows and acknowledges that whoever leads a good life is saved, and that whoever leads an evil one is damned, is owing to the conjunction of heaven with the man who knows from the Word that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death. Such is the source of this general perception. Therefore in the doctrine of the Athanasian Creed respecting the Trinity, which has been universally received in the Christian world, the following declaration, at the end of it, has also been universally received:
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Jesus Christ, who suffered for our salvation, ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty, whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead; and then they that have done good will enter into life eternal, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. 


4. In the Christian Churches, however, there are many who teach that faith alone saves, and not any good of life, or good work, and they add that evil of life or evil work does not condemn those who have been justified by faith alone, because such are in God and in grace. Wonderful to say, however, although they teach such things, they nevertheless acknowledge (in consequence of a perception from heaven common to all) that those who lead a good life are saved, and that those who live an evil one are damned. That they do acknowledge this is evident from the Exhortation which not only in England but also in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark is read in the places of worship before the people coming to the Holy Supper. As is well known, it is in these kingdoms that those are found who teach that faith alone. 


5. The Exhortation read in England before the people who approach the Sacrament of the Supper, is as follows:

The way and means to be received as worthy partakers of that Holy Table is, first, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life; and if ye shall perceive your offenses to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbors, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other, and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offenses at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to that Holy Table; lest after the taking of that Holy Sacrament the devil enter into you as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul. 


6. [In this paragraph Swedenborg presents a translation into Latin of the foregoing Exhortation.] 


7. I have been permitted to ask some of the English clerk who had professed and preached faith alone (this was done in the spiritual world), whether while they were reading in church this Exhortation--which faith is not even mentioned--they believed it to be true; for example, that if people do evil things, and do not repent, the devil will enter into them as he did into Judas, and destroy them both body and soul. They said that in the state in which they were when reading the Exhortation they had no other knowledge or thought than that this was religion itself; but that while composing and elaborating their discourses or sermons they had a different thought about it, because they were then thinking of faith as being the sole means of salvation, and of the good of life as being a moral accessory for the public good. Nevertheless it was incontestably proved to them that with them too there was that common perception that he who leads a good life is saved, and that he who leads an evil one is damned; and that they possess this perception when they are not in what is their Own. 


8. The reason why all religion is of the life, is that after death everyone is his own life, for the life stays the same as it had been in this world, and undergoes no change. For an evil life cannot be converted into a good one, nor a good life into an evil one, because they are opposites, and conversion into what is opposite is extinction. And, being opposites, a good life is called Life, and an evil one Death. This is why religion is of life, and why its life is to do what is good. (That after death a man is such as had been his life in this world may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 470-484). 
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