The Spirits’ Teachings

Without Charity There is no Salvation

10. My children, in the maxim Without charity  there is no salvation are contained the destinies of men and women on earth and in heaven; on earth, because in the shadow of this banner they will live in peace; in heaven, because those who have practiced it will find grace before the Lord. This motto is the heavenly light, the luminous pillar that guides them through the desert of life in order to lead them to the Promised Land. It shines in heaven like a saintly halo around the brows of the elect, and on earth it is engraved on the hearts of those to whom Jesus will say: Go to the right, you who are blessed of my Father. You will recognize them by the fragrance of charity that they spread around them. Nothing better expresses Jesus’ thought, nothing better sums up the duties of men and women than this maxim of divine order. Spiritism could not prove its origin in any better way than by providing it as a rule, because is the reflection of the purest Christianity. With such a guide, people will never become lost. So, my friends, apply yourselves to grasping its profound meaning and consequences, and to discovering for yourselves all its applications. Submit all your actions to the test of charity and your conscience will respond to you. Not only will it help you to avoid practicing evil, but it will lead you to practice the good, for not to have a negative virtue is not enough; it is necessary to have an active one. In order to practice the good, the action of the will is always necessary, whereas in order not to practice evil, idleness and negligence are often enough.

My friends, give thanks to God, who has allowed you to enjoy the light of Spiritism, not because those who possess this enlightenment are the only ones who will be saved, but because, in helping you to understand Christ’s  teachings more fully, it makes you better Christians. So, make every effort so that when others observe you, they can say that the true Spiritist and the true Christian are one and the same thing, for all who practice charity are Jesus’ disciples, whatever the denomination to which they belong.

Paul, Apostle (Paris 1860)