Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3280

3280 Recognition of sin.... acting of the will....

October 6, 1944: Book 43

It is the will which gives birth to sin, and therefore the will must also be prepared to free itself from it. And therefore the human being must inevitably first come to the realization that he has sinned before he tackles the work of purification. He must be aware of his guilt before he wants to redeem it. And therefore there can be no forgiveness of sin before the human being has recognized his sinful state. For the sinner continues to sin as long as he lacks this realization. However, a person can only recognize his sin when love is awakened in him, love for God and for his neighbour against whom he has sinned. For only this makes him aware of the wrong, only when his heart is capable of love does he understand that he has violated love, that he has become sinful. And depending on the depth of his love he seeks to become free of this sin. Then his will becomes active, just as it was active before when committing the sin. If the human being has not gained this realization beforehand, then he will continue to sin right away.... thus let his will become active in a God-opposing way, and then he can never ever be released from his guilt, for this also requires the human being's will. And thus it is also understandable that redemption through Jesus Christ always presupposes the human being's will to allow himself to be redeemed, otherwise there would be no more sin in the whole world and satan’s power would be broken for ever.... Jesus Christ indeed overcame death and broke His adversary's power, He allowed His will as a human being to become extremely strong and accomplished the act of salvation by virtue of His love, yet always leaving people the freedom of their will to acknowledge His work and follow Him.... thus also allowing their will to become active for redemption. He does not exclude any human being from the blessings and graces of the act of salvation, yet no human being will be compelled to be redeemed, instead, he himself has to recognize that he is sinful and in this realization approach Him, the divine redeemer, and appeal to Him for forgiveness of his guilt.... Then the most incomprehensible act takes place.... God forgives his guilt, He forgives him for the sake of Jesus Christ, Who shed His blood for His fellow human beings and their sins.... God accepted the sacrifice of a loving human being, and countless people can go unpunished if they repent of their guilt and ask for forgiveness for the sake of Jesus Christ.... People cannot comprehend the magnitude of their guilt of sin towards God, and they would never be able to atone for their guilt on earth, and even in the beyond eternities would pass until the final redemption of their guilt if Jesus Christ had not taken pity on them and redeemed them from unspeakably severe suffering on earth and in the beyond through His blood, through a sacrifice of His love, which permeated Him and let Him become the saviour of the whole of humanity. However, no human being can claim redemption who does not turn to Him of his own free will, in the realization of his guilt, and asks for forgiveness.... thus does not acknowledge Him. For this is a prerequisite, because the human being's free will is respected and will also not be touched by God for eternity and because the human being is free and therefore has to decide for himself to whom he turns.... God or His adversary....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers