Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7874

7874 How to follow Jesus....

April 16, 1961: Book 82

He is My true follower who makes an effort to live on earth as I did, who stands firm in suffering, bears it with patience and perfects himself in love, for he will mature in his soul. I can only ever advise you to 'follow Jesus', for the man Jesus has taken this path on earth.... His life had truly been hard, yet He bore it humbly, He took up the battle against darkness, i.e., He tried to re-establish order and to enlighten people as to why they lived in spiritual darkness and what they should do to escape this darkness. He consciously walked the path of suffering and love.... And He shaped Himself such that I was able to take abode in Him.... And you should all walk this path and through love and sorrow try to shape yourselves such that I Myself, Who is the Eternal Love, can be present to you. You must follow Me, you must try to imitate the life I lived in the human being Jesus. And this first of all requires the will to unite yourselves with Me again.... Only love can accomplish this union, and suffering purifies your soul which still harbours many immature particles. It also spiritualises the body, so that it conforms to the desires of the spirit within you, so that it matures simultaneously with the soul and the union with Me can take place. This purification must come first, and for the sake of this purification you are living on earth.... And as soon as you take Me as an example your life on earth will not be in vain, it will take you to the goal: complete spiritualisation and unification with Me....

A human being had to become an example to you or you would always have raised the objection that you cannot follow Me because it is beyond your ability, beyond your strength.... However, the path I walked on earth as a human being Myself was so arranged that every person would be able to follow Me. Nothing impossible is demanded of you, nothing is expected of you that a sinful person cannot accomplish, for I took all your weaknesses and faults into account, I identified Myself with every person's inclination and circumstances.... for whatever they may be . . . if you live a life of love then you also gather the strength which lets you accomplish even the most difficult task.... You will grow above yourselves, for you receive the strength from Me, just as I, thanks to the love within Myself, also had the strength at My disposal which enabled Me to be victorious in the battle against darkness, in the battle against all temptations by My adversary and against all cravings of the flesh.... Love is strength, and therefore I first had to preach love and live a life of love Myself in order to set you the right example of the way of life which leads you out of the abyss towards the pinnacle, that liberates you from the adversary.... For love is the only weapon to which he succumbs. You have to follow Me if you want to become free from his control.... And neither can suffering be avoided if your soul is to become bright and clear which, in its human incarnation, is still full of impurities because it is still in the domain of the one who changed his nature to the opposite, who thus can be called 'evil' in the true sense of the word and to whose nature you conformed when you deserted Me and followed him into the abyss of your own free will....

Admittedly, due to their process through the creations the tiny particles of soul have become much purer when they united again as the soul of a human being, but many impurities will still have to be removed, which can only ever be accomplished by love and suffering.... The forgiveness of your guilt of sin will indeed be guaranteed as soon as you acknowledge Me in Jesus Christ and appeal for forgiveness of it.... And that means that on your departure from this world you will find the gate to the kingdom of light open to you.... But the intensity of light that will then shine upon you is very different.... And you will be extremely happy if your soul can be completely permeated, if the light is not obstructed by any impurities which still have to be dissolved.... And because you can already achieve on earth that your soul will be bright and translucent at the time of its passing away from earth you shall also humbly and patiently endure all suffering on earth.... you always ought to bear in mind that it is only beneficial for the maturity of your soul, you should not try to evade all affliction and always pray 'Father, Thy will be done....' For I know why I let you walk the path of suffering and why I spoke the Words 'Follow Me....' If you always try to imagine that I have walked the path before you, which has been so much harder and more sorrowful than yours, then for love of Me you should accept everything I send or allow to happen to you, for that is the light cross you have to bear in your earthly life, which only ever benefits your soul....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna