31. A person's natural life counts for nothing, but it is his spiritual life in the natural life which does, since the natural is by itself lifeless. The life it appears to have comes from the life of the spiritual man. It is this which is judged, and it is a person's spiritual element which is meant by 'being judged according to one's deeds'. On all this see HEAVEN AND HELL, in the chapter entitled 'A person's nature after death is determined by his life in the world' (HH 470-484).