Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2499

2499 Striving for light out of free will.... further development....

October 7, 1942: Book 33

Everything earthbound flows towards the light as long as it is not yet in the stage of free will. Consequently it is in a progressive development upwards, for the spiritual substance, which is sheltered in the works of creation, is confronted with ever greater tasks which it has to fulfil, and thus divine will is also constantly fulfilled by it. Yet in the last stage of the embodiment of the spiritual substance God withdraws His will insofar as that He now lets the human being decide for himself whether he wants to be of service or not. Indirectly His will indeed determines the course of life of the last outer form, the human being, but thereby only creating increased possibilities for him, which are to stimulate him to serving activity. Nevertheless, the human being is free to carry out such an activity, for he can also live out the urge to be active in other ways by carrying out an activity that never demonstrates serving love, but instead harms his fellow human being or only benefits himself. In that case, therefore, the human being acts contrary to divine will, but he is not prevented from doing so, since it is precisely this free decision of will that is the purpose of the final embodiment on earth. But then the human being does not strive towards the light either, instead he remains in the same state of development as at the beginning of the embodiment or he develops regressively.... depending on whether his actions lack love or are completely unloving. Thus, while higher development is guaranteed in the preliminary stages because the being serves in every work of creation, albeit in a certain state of compulsion, this is called into question in the final stage of higher development, for it depends on the human being's free will, on his desire for light, which is expressed through his actions and thoughts. If the human being is capable of love he will inevitably strive towards the light and develop progressively; the unloving human being, on the other hand, will not use his earthly path of life to further develop his soul and thus this final path is completely useless for him. But he cannot be forced, since the free decision in favour of good or evil is the meaning and purpose of earthly life and he therefore has to let his will become active himself without any compulsion or influence. Yet divine will directs his course of life such that he is repeatedly offered the opportunity to be of service, but his free will will not be curtailed, which is why one day he will also have to answer for his deeds on earth as well as for their omission....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers