Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/8373

8373 ‘Whose soever sins ye remit....’

January 6, 1963: Book 88

Many mistakes have already resulted from the wrong interpretation of My Word and were spread, and it is difficult to remove such mistakes and replace them with the pure truth because people rather accept an error and spread it as truth than allow themselves to be educated and accept the pure truth. And this could always happen when My Word was interpreted literally, because the spiritual meaning of the Word was never understood. That people are burdened by sins is the result of their former apostasy from Me.... the result of the original sin which engulfed the once fully aware and completely enlightened beings in darkness. Hence people are still subject to this sin if they are not delivered from it by Jesus Christ. And for the sake of these wretched people I descended to earth Myself and as the man Jesus made the sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of this immense guilt. However, since people are at liberty to regard Jesus as the divine Redeemer, in Whom I Myself became a human being, they also have to be introduced to the knowledge of Him, to the reason why they are human beings and to the act of Salvation. For this purpose I sent My disciples into the world, whom I Myself had instructed prior to this and who therefore could also proclaim the Gospel as My representatives to all the nations. It is now very easy to understand that people who accepted the blessings of the act of Salvation were freed from their immense guilt of sin.... that their sins were taken from them when they confessed their sinfulness and turned to the cross, to the divine Redeemer, for refuge.

So My disciples bore witness of Me and My act of Salvation to people and anyone accepting their teaching was also assured by them that their sins were forgiven, because I had given them the task to explain to people why they were wretched and burdened. Hence they could also assure them on My behalf that they would be liberated from all guilt if they acknowledged Me and asked Me for forgiveness. For they went into the world to preach the Word of the cross on My behalf, thus they could also forgive people’s sins on My behalf.... As long as they brought the Gospel to people as My representatives they were enlightened by My spirit and recognised people’s sinful state. They also recognised the people’s willingness to repent which gave them the right to absolve them from all guilt on My behalf.... They only did what I would have done Myself when I lived on earth. Thus the Word ‘Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them....’ was justified and also has to be understood in this context....

But the question is: who is acting as My true representative on earth?.... since it depends on this alone whether it is possible for a person to forgive sins, i.e. whether it is sanctioned by My will.... Because not everyone who calls himself My representative is enlightened by My spirit and is able to recognise the person’s state of soul whose ‘sins’ he wants to ‘forgive’. Not everyone who calls himself My representative can preach My Gospel to his fellow human beings. Only people enlightened by My spirit know of Jesus’ act of Salvation, of its spiritual reason and the immense original sin. Hence the ‘working of My spirit’ must definitely be possible, but it is not noticeable in those who all profess to be My servants, My representatives on earth.... Consequently they are neither entitled nor able to judge their fellow human beings’ state of soul and to remit their sins. And if they do it, the person is nevertheless not delivered from his immense guilt unless he himself takes the path to Jesus Christ and asks Him directly for forgiveness of his guilt....

For this reason people should not rely on assurances by those who themselves are incapable to forgive sins because I have not assigned them to this office. Hence a misguided teaching like this can have a very damaging effect on souls which believe to have been delivered from their sins through specific customs and then fail to hand themselves over to Jesus Christ sincerely appealing to Him for forgiveness of their guilt.... For the redemption of the original sin can only be given to people by Jesus Christ, and this requires knowledge which, in turn, can only be gained through the pure truth.... But as long as people, who themselves were not appointed by Me, feel entitled to remit sins it will merely result in a half-hearted attitude, since the human being then believes to have been relieved from his responsibility as soon as his fellow human being assures him the forgiveness of his sins.... even with reference to the fact that I Myself gave this promise....

I spoke these Words to My disciples ‘Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them....’ And these Words will always be justified with those whom I Myself choose as My true disciples.... But the same Words can never be applied to those who declared themselves, or who were declared by their fellow human beings, as My successors.... Only I know who serves Me in the right way and who has the necessary qualifications for it.... And thus once again I choose My true representatives on earth who shall proclaim My Gospel in all truthfulness and also clearly expose and fight against error.... For only truth can be the right light for people by which they find the path of ascent, home to Me into their Father’s house....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna