Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/0645

0645 Earthly and spiritual activity.... faith.... love....

October 30, 1938: Book 14

Every being that comes into contact with earth has to fulfil a visible earthly purpose and at the same time an activity corresponding to the spiritual sense, which is only understandable when the whole life on earth is properly considered.... At certain intervals the being separates itself from its respective form.... it has fulfilled its task in it, was earthly active by enlivening God's work of creation and has also used the spiritual time of maturity allotted to it by God in this form, so that a new form can again take up the being for further development. However, the more mature and extensive the external form becomes, the greater the resistance the spiritual being has to overcome. Every being in divine creation can only reach the state of maturity through resistance, for by overcoming this resistance it strives upwards, and this alone is valued by the eternal creator. It cannot test its strength without resistance, so to speak, and therefore cannot provide proof of its inner strength and power. If the being now approaches its perfection, which only then enables it to embody itself as a human being, then the urge for earthly activity will also increase accordingly, and therefore the souls will constantly endeavour to be worthy of a great task in order to be able to increase their own progress through this. Before its embodiment as a human being the soul very well recognizes the situation it finds itself in and has no other goal than to soon have the time of its life on earth behind it and therefore only ever wants to be active in every form in order to be able to improve the most painful earthly state, which oppresses it immensely, as soon as possible. And yet countless opportunities are missed which could alleviate the soul's suffering.... The fight for the last promotion is often given up without resistance, it is not worked for its own good on earth, but in weakness of faith the soul is held back from its actual activity.... (30.10.1938) This process can be explained to everyone if only you consider that no forward development can take place if the being in matter is always in the same state.... but that this state will not change if the divine power cannot take effect.... but this only expresses itself when the preconditions have been fulfilled, which in turn consist of: first firm faith in a divine power and out of this faith obeying the demand made by the divine power. The spiritual being before the embodiment as man fulfils all these requirements of God, because it has to carry out the will of God, therefore fulfils his activity, which is intended for it in every form. But as a human being it is endowed quite differently, with the gift of reason, intellect and free will. Man can therefore scrutinize and accept or reject everything. And since a spark of divine realization has been placed in his heart, he can now think for himself and place himself in a state of inner faith, and only then does the ascent begin. But without faith the human being also walks his earthly path in an unchanged spiritual state and does not fulfil his task on earth. The time now passes unused which the being has striven for before, knowing that only this embodiment as man can bring him liberation from matter. All demands which earthly life makes on the human being are fulfilled to the best of its ability, and the only most important one, the higher development of the soul, is disregarded. And yet the being has to walk this earthly path without knowledge of the actual purpose.... it has to acquire this knowledge on its own, since it has also been given the ability to do so.... It must find its way to the highest deity of its own accord and desire it, since only in this way can the complete return to the father's house take place. A compelled being would never be able to shape itself in a God-like manner and would also not remain in any lasting connection with the heavenly father, for it would not yet have completely detached itself from its desires.... It must conquer them in full faith and of its own free will and thus pave its way upwards. And now it is also understandable why the spiritual life of the individual is completely independent of earthly activity.... The spirit is free and unbound and takes up residence where it pleases. However, it is precisely this activity and its consequences for earthly life that often stimulate the intellect and thinking in such a way that an explanation is sought and found as to how the spiritual activity is related to the earthly.... Then faith will set in, and with it the redemption of the soul from matter begins. For true faith brings about love for God and one's neighbour, and love in turn is the only way to redeem oneself.... Love has a beneficial effect in every relationship.... it puts people in a state of realization.... it ennobles him and raises everything spiritual in man to the heights.... Love brings about the final union with the heavenly father, Who is love Himself....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers