I Appeal to You
... through Bertha Dudde  - 01.11.1946 

3920   Following Jesus .... A life of love and self-denial ....

Anyone who is not as gentle and patient as Me, who does not practise his discipleship by discarding all attributes which conform to My adversary, who does not persistently strive for virtues that are the hallmark of a divine being, will hardly reach the goal of finding unification with the eternal Father Who is pure love Himself and Who can only unite with living creations which, like Him, have become love. My life on earth should serve you as an example, for as a human being I was subject to the same temptations as you because I had to take the only path which could lead a soul into perfection ....

Like you, I had to fight against all longings of the flesh as well as against all attributes of an ungodly being or My life could not have served you as an example if I had been born without all human flaws and able to bypass the test of My will. I had to experience the depths of earthly life, i.e. I had to have the opportunity to voluntarily refrain from the same physical sins and avoid all incentives for them .... I had to fight against carnal longings and thereby strengthen and prepare the soul in Me to unite with the spirit. The sinfulness in My surroundings often sorely tested My love and patience, yet I wanted to remain gentle and whole-heartedly humble without exalting Myself .... And I took pity on My fellow human beings’ weakness for not resisting temptations, and My love intensified .... I wanted to help those on the ground unable to get up by themselves .... For being human Myself I knew a person’s weakness, and this knowledge increased My kindness and patience.

Being human Myself I was at all times able to put Myself into the situation of a sinful person’s soul even though I Myself was without sin, even though I Myself, by virtue of My will, had remained victorious over all temptations of body and soul. Yet I took the strength to do so from love, and every person practising love will also muster the strength and resolve to fight against his faults and weaknesses, and he will also be victorious, for love itself is strength .... And therefore, every actively loving person will also practise all virtues which denote a divine being: he will be gentle and patient, merciful, peaceable, humble and just .... For if he meets a fellow human being with love his thoughts are loving too, and he fights all weaknesses and faults with ease. Follow Me .... live a life of love and self-denial like Me and you will release yourselves from all sinful longings, you will not become subject to sin yourselves, you will bring yourselves into line with the nature of eternal love and already find union with it on earth, and the attainment of your goal will be certain for you. Hence, like Me, you too have to take the cross upon yourselves at all times, and you should not become impatient, for if you sincerely appeal for My help I will help you carry it, and the more willingly the soul carries the cross imposed on it by the Father’s love for the sake of its full maturity, the sooner it will deliver itself from earthly longings.

Follow Me and take My life on earth as an example, and you will never become subject to sin again, you will release yourselves by virtue of your determination and love, you will become free and infinitely happy beings, equipped with all divine characteristics, you will be full of light and strength in the spiritual kingdom and live blissfully happy in eternity ....

Amen