Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3644

3644 Significance of the work of redemption.... past - present - future....

January 1, 1946: Book 46

Jesus died the death on the cross for all mankind.... This was an act of divine mercy and love which is incomprehensible to people as long as they dwell on earth. It was an act of salvation which not only applied to the people of the time who lived with Him on earth but in which the spirits of the entire universe participated, for the divine saviour's love extended to all bound spirits which wanted to be redeemed from their adversity. All people of the following time had a share in His act of salvation, but Jesus Christ also brought salvation to the souls which had already departed before His descent. The path into the kingdom of light was open for everyone because the redeeming love could now be active on earth as well as in the spiritual kingdom. Even the still immature spiritual in the beyond recognized the power of love, even the immature spiritual was given the choice to acknowledge Jesus Christ or to strive towards God's adversary once more, and its decision was valid and paved the way up into the kingdom of light or down into darkness. Jesus descended into hell after His death on the cross.... He also lit a little light there in His merciful love and left it up to the souls to make use of the light.... He took care of the souls who had left earth unredeemed, who were overwhelmed by satan’s power and alone too weak to be able to offer resistance. Love was not yet completely suffocated in those souls, and thus He stoked the fire of love by presenting His merciful love to them, which alone was able to accomplish the act of salvation. He stretched out His hands to the fallen so that those who were willing to accept His merciful love, His gift of grace, could lift themselves up by it..... And He redeemed them from death.... And everything spiritual in the universe, everything spiritual bound in earthly creations, was released from a tremendous pressure.... For its earthly course could once be decided and end with complete redemption, if the spiritual wanted it, whereas it was previously unable to redeem itself from satan’s bonds. Although it was not aware of this as long as it was not yet in a state of free will, the whole of creation was burdened with the immense guilt of sin of the spiritual's former apostasy from God.... Jesus' merciful love lightened this burden so that the bound spiritual also felt it and pushed towards the final stage of redemption. The spiritual development of ascent entered a completely different stage through Jesus Christ's act of salvation, an opportunity was given to become free from every form during the short earthly life as a human being.... Death had lost all horror, for eternal life supersedes earthly life if the graces of the divine work of redemption are utilized.... if the human being allows himself to be redeemed by acknowledging Jesus Christ and living a life of love on earth in accordance with His example. And the human being's love also flows over to the spiritual substance in the bound state, it feels its effect and its strength and its resistance begins to weaken, it strives towards the final state of development on earth itself, it is willing to serve with love, and the final redemption is guaranteed as soon as the strength of love has once touched the spiritual substance.... Jesus' act of salvation was therefore of inconceivable significance for the whole world, for the spiritual kingdom as well as for the earthly kingdom, for it was based on profound love, it was an act of utmost mercy and the bestowal of an immeasurable treasure of grace. It was accomplished for all times, for the past, present and future.... It was a work of merciful love for all who suffer and are unredeemed, but it must also be acknowledged without fail if it is not to remain without effect.... as Jesus Christ Himself promised with the words: "He who believes in Me has eternal life...."

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers