Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4840

4840 Ecclesiastical commandments....

February 16, 1950: Book 55

You will not receive any special instructions from Me as to what kind of attitude you should adopt towards the humanly decreed commandments of the church. Whatever you do of your own free will is valued by Me, whatever you do under duress, be it for fear of punishment or even due to habit, means nothing to Me. Whatever people tell you to do shall also be rewarded by people, people shall never be assured of receiving a reward from Me which I Myself have never promised. Even so, I cannot sanction something that utterly opposes My will, because I gave people freedom of will which, however, is infringed upon by humanly decreed commandment, for a commandment is an obligation which excludes the use of free will. I Myself gave people only one commandment, the commandment of love which is fundamental law and must be observed so as not to violate My eternal order.... However, the commandment of love is nevertheless a commandment which allows people's freedom of will. There is no compulsion urging him to be lovingly active, and neither will he be punished by Me, it is just that he will punish himself because he pays no attention to the only means which signifies redemption for him from a self-inflicted state of constraint. I gave people the commandment of love which can be voluntarily complied with or rejected.... People issued additional commandments which do not meet My approval, for they are not borne by love for fellow human beings but are mere measures to increase power, because the affiliation to an organisation, which lays claim to be the true church of Christ, is made dependent on the fulfilment of these laws. Hence it places people under compulsion who, in the belief of committing a sin, will subsequently fulfil these commandments and thus direct their whole attention to them.... and neglect My commandment of love....

Love can only grow in freedom. Love and coercion oppose each other, and therefore I cannot recognise in the fulfilment of the ecclesiastical commandments any love for Me as long as they have been traditionally complied with, effectively as avowal of the authority which decreed these commandments. Besides, these commandments are not suitable to ignite love for Me because they portray Me as a Being which is afflicted by human weaknesses, demanding obedience, reverence and acknowledgement when, in fact, I only want to be loved. Before My eyes nothing is a sin but that which offends against love for Me and other people. No-one will ever acquire merit who complies with the commandments of the church just because they are commandments which should be fulfilled.... Free will shall choose Me on account of love, and this is why people don't need any other commandments but the one I Myself gave to them in realisation of the blessing which arises for every person from fulfilling it.

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna