Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/1364

1364 Free decision between matter and spirit....

March 31, 1940: Book 23

Choose between matter and spirit.... decide in favour of the state of the banished or the state of freedom.... If you are in realization, this decision will not be difficult for you and therefore seek to first attain the right realization.... And if you have the will to do so, the eternal deity will certainly not withhold the right realization from you. For you should only want your thoughts to be right, you should only ever strive for what is true and righteous, then you will also regocnize it and thus also very well be able to make your choice between matter and the spirit. Everything material pulls you down, for matter is part of evil, matter is everything that is distant from God.... while the spirit soars upwards because it is of God. So when you seek spiritual things, you are removed from all earthly heaviness, you approach your actual destiny. Matter and spirit are therefore the opposite of each other.... one must be defeated by the other, and that means redemption, i.e. life.... or damnation, i.e. death. If the spirit triumphs over matter, then it has completely redeemed itself from all bondage and is free.... But if matter is victorious, then the spiritual is banished for eternity, it is in the power of the adversary, who wants to prevent redemption from matter and only ever strives for the increase of matter. And thus both can never be satisfied at the same time.... the spirit cannot liberate itself and at the same time pay homage to matter, for the life of the one always means the death of the other. And therefore it is completely impossible for a person to develop into spiritual maturity who still strives for earthly possessions, for the desire for that which as matter harbours all immature spiritual substances cannot possibly be fulfilled and at the same time the spiritual substance in the human being can reach maturity, for this spiritual substance can only unfold once the fetters have been broken. And bondage is all matter, i.e. everything that harbours undeveloped spirituality. Matter is therefore the shell that must first be broken so that the core can become free. He who does not sacrifice the shell cannot reach the inner fruit, and thus the spirit's covering must also be burst first, i.e. all earthly desire must be sacrificed so that the spirit can now undertake the flight upwards unhindered. And this is the most difficult decision for man.... to consciously give up the one in order to be able to receive the other. The separation from matter is often so difficult for man that he keeps the spirit mercilessly bound within himself. He only sees the apparent value of material things and gives up infinitely precious things in return.... He does not know the advantage of spiritual awakening, he does not know about the spiritual success of a soul that despises the world and its goods.... and therefore does not strive for it. But if his longing for truth has also brought him the right realization, his striving will now only be for the increase of spiritual good, for he will now learn to despise matter and eagerly seek to ascend, for nothing on earth holds him back anymore, his spirit soars upwards, and the thus liberated spirit will also succeed in completely separating itself from everything that hindered it from ascending. The human being has decided of his own free will.... matter means nothing to him, so he has completely overcome it, the spirit is liberated and can enter the spheres of light....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers