TCR 726 - real love towards the neighbor and real faith

TCR 726 [2]

There are many besides who confess the Lord
and do good to the neighbor;
but they are not regenerated
unless they do this out of love towards the neighbor
and faith in the Lord.
For in doing good to the neighbor
they can be motivated solely by reasons
which concern the world or themselves,
but not the neighbor as such.
Their deeds are purely natural,
with no spiritual content hidden in them.
For such people make a confession of the Lord
only with their mouths and lips,
while their hearts are far away.

Real love towards the neighbor and real faith
come only from the Lord;
and both are conferred upon a person
when he of his own free will
does good on the natural level to the neighbor,
and believes truths with his reason,
and looks to the Lord,
doing all these three things
because of the commandments in the Word.
Then the Lord plants charity and faith in his midst,
and makes both of these spiritual.
So the Lord conjoins a person to Himself,
and the person conjoins himself to the Lord;
for conjunction is impossible
if it is not reciprocal.