December
3

People of All Faiths and Cultures Can Be Saved

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; they who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has given brightness. (Isaiah 9:2)

Before his regeneration, man is called “the earth, void and empty” and also the “ground” in which nothing of good and truth has been sown. “Void” is where there is nothing of good, and “empty” where there is nothing of truth. Hence comes “thick darkness,” that is, stupidity, and an ignorance of all things belonging to faith in the Lord, and consequently of all things belonging to spiritual and heavenly life. (Arcana Coelestia 17)

In heaven those are in light who are in a state of wisdom and intelligence, exactly according to their state. Those are in the greatest light who are in a state of the highest wisdom and intelligence. But the wisdom there is that of love and charity, and the intelligence is that of faith in the Lord. (Arcana Coelestia 1458)

The Divine mercy is pure mercy towards the whole human race, to save it; and it is also unceasing towards every man, and is never withdrawn from anyone, so that everyone is saved who can be saved. And yet no one can be saved except by Divine means, the means which the Lord reveals in the Word. The Divine means are what are called Divine truths, which teach how man must live in order to be saved. By these truths the Lord leads man to heaven, and by them He implants in man the life of heaven. The Lord does this for all. But the life of heaven can be implanted in no one unless he abstains from evil, for evil obstructs. So far, therefore, as man abstains from evil, he is led by the Lord out of pure mercy by His Divine means. (Heaven and Hell 522)

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