BD.6709
December 8, 1956

WHOSOEVER SINS YE REMIT

If you read the words of the Scriptures only in their literal meaning, there is a lot that you will not understand or interpret incorrectly. 'For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life'. And so it needs an enlightened Spirit to comprehend and interpret the meaning of the words that I spoke when I walked on earth. My disciples understood Me for My Spirit revealed to them every word I spoke. I had to help them this way because prior to My death on the cross My Spirit could not work the way it did after the completed act of salvation.

Now, however, every human being can allow the working of My Spirit in his heart, provided he consciously uses the grace bestowed through the salvation work and forms himself through love into a 'receptacle for My Spirit' which then can teach him and 'lead him into truth' as I have promised.

Such a person will also understand the meaning of the words: 'Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained'.

I spoke these words to My disciples knowing that after the coming of the Spirit they would clearly recognize the nature of all those men who would be coming to them with a variety of diseases due to the burden of guilt. I knew that they would come to My disciples to be healed and I also knew which of them felt their guilt and which just wanted to be healed of their sicknesses.

My disciple, too, knew all this for their spirit was enlightened and they had completely submitted to My will, wishing to live and act only in accordance with My will. And as after My death they attended to their ministry to spread My Word in all the world, it was My Spirit that instructed them in everything. They, too, now recognized who was worthy of remittance of sin and healing and who was still so dominated by sin that he did not want to be rid of his sins, only of his sickness. Thus with these words I assured the disciples that they would be able to recognize the inner state of people and do what My Spirit within then directed.

Therefore, a true disciple, a person who has, through a life of love become a vessel for My Spirit wherein I Myself could become active through My Spirit, will also be enlightened and interpret these My words correctly. My Word also retained its validity in so far as those people can be cured from their afflictions who remorsefully confess their sins to Me, confiding in Me personally or one of My enlightened servants. Such a servant will also recognize through inner direction where true remorse is absent and a healing cannot take place.

I spoke these words to My disciples whose hearts I knew and whose willingness to receive My Spirit made them suitable to go into the world and preach My gospel to all nations. Naturally, the same words applied to their 'successors'.

Under 'successors' I understand those who through their way of life, their love and spiritual maturity have created the prerequisite, which made the working of My Spirit in them possible, but never those who just occupied the same place, but have never themselves experienced the 'pouring out of the Spirit'. The latter may not consider My words as addressed to them and can 'neither remit nor retain sins'.

Think of the 'absurd distortion' of My words through a doctrine as it is now offered to men, that people feel called to remit or not remit the sins of their fellow-men, people lacking any spiritual maturity, which would reveal itself in evident working of the Spirit. It is only seldom that My Spirit can become evident because that requires a deep love and a living faith resulting from it.

However, many thousands 'remit sins' believing to have obtained the privilege from Me, but where My Spirit is really working, they try to thwart it. Where pure truth is seeking to bring enlightenment, they insinuate this to be the work of Satan, thus demonstrating what spiritual blindness is dominant in those places where men are seeking salvation.

But the darkness is already too deep there for a light to be accepted and so only love can be preached to men. Only a life of love will kindle a light and only a person whose heart is aglow with love recognize a the truth and recoils from such false doctrines Without this love every word is futile; it is not understood and only twisted in its meaning. Love alone brings enlightenment of the Spirit and understanding of My Word.

And only as you turn into true disciples through love, you may consider yourselves successors of those other disciples; then your spirit will be enlightened and you will be able to assure truly remorseful sinners of the remittance of their sins because then you will know that I Myself look after every sinner and free him from his guilt if he comes to the cross full of remorse and realization of his guilt.

I shall also heal their physical afflictions. I shall give great power to the spiritually awakened servants and thus will be fulfilled also My Word: 'Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.' For it is My Spirit, that is active in them.

AMEN