AC 2379 - Love and Light

AC 2379 [2]

All the people from the uttermost part.
(Genesis 19:4)

Here then there is described
the first state of those within the church
who are against the good of charity,
and consequently against the Lord,
for the one involves the other,
because no one can be conjoined with the Lord
except through love and charity.
Love is spiritual conjunction itself,
as can be seen from the essence of love;
and whoever cannot be conjoined with Him,
also cannot acknowledge Him.
That they who are not in good
cannot acknowledge the Lord,
that is, have faith in Him, is evident in John:

The light is come into the world,
but men loved the darkness rather than the light,
because their works were evil;
for everyone that does evil hates the light,
and comes not to the light,
lest his works should be reproved;
but he that does the truth
comes to the light,
that his works may be made manifest,
because they have been wrought in God.
(John 3:19-21)

From which it is evident
that those who are against the good of charity
are against the Lord;
or what is the same,
that those who are in evil hate the light,
and do not come to the light.