1. THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

A statement of faith, set out in both universal and particular terms, is placed at the beginning to serve as a preface to the book which follows, to be like a doorway leading into a church, and a summary presenting in a short compass what follows at more length. It is called the faith of the new heaven and the new church, because heaven, where the angels are, and the church among men form a single unit, just as the internal and external sides of the personality make up a single individual. This is why a member of the church who possesses the good of love which arises from the truths of faith, and possesses the truths of faith which arise from the good of love, is, so far as the interiors of his mind are concerned, an angel of heaven. Therefore too after dying he comes into heaven, and there enjoys happiness depending upon how far the good and truth are linked. It should be known that in the new heaven, which is at the present time being established by the Lord, this statement of faith serves as its preface, doorway and summary.

372. (iv) This reciprocal link between the Lord and man is created by means of charity and faith.

It is known at the present time that the church constitutes the body of Christ, and that each individual, in whom the church is, is in some member of that body, as Paul says (Ephesians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:4-5). But what is the body of Christ but Divine good and Divine truth? This is what is meant by the Lord's words in John:

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, John 6:56.

The Lord's flesh means Divine good, as bread does too; His blood means Divine truth, as wine does too; for these meanings, see the chapter on the Holy Supper [698-752].

[2] It follows from this that in so far as a person is in possession of the kinds of good which make up charity and the truths which make up faith, so far is he in the Lord and the Lord is in him. For linking with the Lord is spiritual linking, and this takes place solely through charity and faith. It was shown in the chapter on the Sacred Scripture (248-253) that every detail of the Word contains a linking of the Lord and the church, and so of good and truth; and because charity is good and faith is truth, there is at every point in the Word a linking of charity and faith. From these propositions it now follows that the Lord is charity and faith in a person, and a person is charity and faith in the Lord. For the Lord is the spiritual charity and faith in a person's natural charity and faith, and a person is the natural charity and faith coming from the Lord's spiritual charity and faith. These when linked constitute spiritual-natural charity and faith.