Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3228

3228 Christ problem....

August 21, 1944: Book 42

Just as the life of the inner human being relates to the outer world, so does the spirit relate to the soul. For the soul is the envelopment of the spirit, and the spirit can only be active according to its destiny when no obstacle is placed in its way by the soul. In the same way, the inner human being can only develop when the outer world leaves him untouched. But the inner man is now to be compared again with the soul, with the shell of the spiritual.... inwardly towards the outer world, but still outwardly towards the spirit, for the inner life of the human being is feeling, thinking and willing, and as soon as this no longer opposes the spirit in itself, it no longer signifies an outer fetter for the latter, but has united itself with it.... And then the working of the spirit is unlimited, it can bring itself to unfoldment in an exceedingly rich measure, and then the human being advances inexorably in his development, for he has understood his purpose of earthly life and also fulfils it.... This knowledge of the life of the spirit in the human being is first necessary in order to also be able to explain the problem of Christ to the human being, in order to make him understand why the human being Jesus attained supreme perfection on earth, why the power and wisdom of God was at his disposal and why he is now to be addressed as a God-like being. The human being must first know what is meant by the higher development of the human being's spirit, he must know that this state of union of the soul with its spirit is the result of a life of unselfish love, furthermore, he must know that and why love is necessary for the redemption of the human being's spirit and thus also of the whole human race, only then will he be able to understand why a human being accomplished the work in greater than great love, which should be redemptive for the whole of humanity but which, in turn, only brings redemption to the person who acknowledges Jesus Christ and His act of salvation. But he must also know about the state of guilt in which all spiritual matter still dwells and how this guilt affects earth as well as the beyond. Only then will he penetrate this great problem on earth, and this recognition will also bring light to him in countless other spiritual questions which previously seemed insoluble to him. The light now permeates him from within, he can answer every question himself and no longer needs instructions from outside which can never convey the right wisdom to him if it has not first become light within him. But the light which radiates through the human being from within can only be gained through the working of love, because then the divine spirit in the human being awakens to life, because through love God Himself unites with the human being, because then He Himself is active in him, because then the human being is on the same path as Jesus Christ to spiritualize himself through love, to assimilate himself to the eternal deity and to become His image, so to speak. Then the human being has God in him, he has the light in him, which embodied itself in Jesus Christ on earth and was thus visible to all people.... Therefore, a true christian is only one who lives in love and thereby becomes similar to Christ, who thus crystallizes himself through love so that he can be completely permeated by God's love, who bursts all shells which prevent the divine spiritual spark in him from developing freely.... This one alone can call himself a christian, for in him is the same life as in Jesus Christ, in him is light.... knowledge and wisdom and thus also power and strength.... But in him is also at the same time the will to help all those who still dwell in darkness. The redeeming instinct awakens to life in them, they know about being bound and want to lead what is bound to freedom. They now participate in Christ's work of redemption, and their being is animated by the same thought that once moved Jesus Christ to take upon Himself the death of the cross.... They, too, will be willing to make sacrifices when it is necessary to bring salvation to their fellow human beings in spiritual adversity, and this willingness to make sacrifices will be in accordance with their activity of love, thus in accordance with the divine love which permeates them.... for the closer a person's soul is to the divine redeemer and the more strength he can receive from Him when it is necessary to be active on earth in redemption, and this at the risk of his own earthly life.... The human being who is united with God, who has already found union with the eternal love on earth, who has fully accepted Christ within himself, i.e. who, following His example, has awakened the divine spark within himself through eager activity of love and thereby grants entrance to divine love, which now radiates through him and shapes him into a luminous vessel of the divine spirit, which now works in a light- and strength-giving way and impels him to redemptive activity, is able to do everything....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers