Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/6818

6818 Redemption work presupposes own redemption....

April 29, 1957: Book 73

Every individual can and should carry out redemptive work, i.e. help his fellow human beings or also the souls in the beyond to become free from bondage. But he must first have found redemption himself through Jesus Christ, Who alone can remove the chains from him and thus also enable him to be active in redemption again. And thus you can conclude that every person who wants to proclaim the gospel to his fellow human being must be completely filled by the spirit of Christ, that he therefore lives a true christianity and identifies himself as redeemed by Jesus Christ. To bring help to the bound requires strength and freedom, which no human being possesses who has not first been redeemed by Jesus Christ. Redemption, however, means to have become free from the power of God's adversary, who always only influences the human being in a negative way and also has power over him as long as he still stands apart from the divine redeemer Jesus Christ. And his power is expressed in an unloving way of life, in faults and vices of all kinds, in a visibly imperfect state, in which therefore everything unredeemed is found.... And such a person is not able to be redemptively active towards his fellow human beings. Nor will he want to help the unredeemed in the kingdom of the beyond because he cannot muster compassionate love for their hardship.... And such a person is also not suitable for proclaiming the gospel, for his words will have no strength and will never be able to awaken the dead to life. He himself is still unredeemed.... Successful redemptive work, however, can only be accomplished with the grace and power of Jesus Christ.... And therefore you humans should not be surprised that the bondage, the affiliation with God's adversary, is so openly apparent, for there is a lack of helpers who can be active in redemption.... There is a lack of followers and confessors of the divine redeemer who themselves draw knowledge and strength from their devotion to Him to also help their unhappy fellow human beings to salvation.... There is a lack of truly redeemed people.... For these now set to work themselves, because they are urged from within to also bring their fellow human beings the freedom which now makes them happy.... Anyone who has found the path to Jesus Christ himself and has consciously walked it will also lure and call his fellow human beings onto the same path, he will lead them to Jesus Christ himself, he will not rest until the signs of salvation are also recognizable in them.... And he will become more diligent in his work the more success he achieves, for the strength which flows to him for his work of salvation will always increase. God cannot be deceived by beautiful words and gestures, and no human being can feign redemption through Jesus Christ, for this also has an outwardly recognizable effect. And an unselfish work of love is the surest sign of redemption from the power of the adversary. But if this is not recognizable, then the human being is not fully committed to the work of redemption for his fellow human beings, for then he also lacks faith, even if he confesses it with his mouth.... He himself is still in sin, he is still under the power of the adversary, he does not know the bliss of redemption through Jesus Christ.... And he is and remains a dead proclaimer of Jesus who himself has not yet grasped the significance of His act of salvation. But again, anyone who has found redemption through Jesus' blood can do redemptive work himself without being privileged outwardly for it.... He can prove his freedom from the adversary through his way of life, he can vigorously stand up for Jesus Christ and His teaching, he can point his fellow human beings to Him, Who alone can loosen their bonds; he can work in silence and achieve more success than those who call themselves God's representatives on earth but represent His adversary far more.... He can contribute a great deal to the souls' redemption through his own example and intercession, he can already be an eager co-worker for God on earth and one day in the spiritual kingdom, because My love.... the sign of being redeemed.... incessantly urges him to bring help to those who are still unredeemed....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers