BD.8688
November 28, 1963

WRONG INTERPRETATION OF JESUS' WORDS

Human thinking has an earthly tendency and, consequently, men interpret all that as earthly, which has a deep spiritual meaning and which I, Who have always spoken to mankind, either directly or through messengers, have given them as spiritual guidance.

My teachings, however, were always intended for the salvation of the soul, and whenever I spoke to mankind, be it in ancient or more recent times, My Word has always a spiritual meaning.

This was understood quite correctly at the time, but soon this spiritual meaning was interspersed with worldly thoughts and, eventually, interpreted in a purely earthly sense.

And thus, My word could never be kept uncontaminated; performances and rites grew out of it which no longer correspond to the spiritual meaning, and it has also lost the power of healing since it is no longer My pure word.

What was demanded of you spiritually - because I expected its fulfilment to be a blessing for your souls - you people have turned into earthly performances. For every one of My demands on your souls, you have invented and instituted an earthly activity which you have then called 'sacraments', attaching too much importance to them. As a result many people conscientiously comply with your regulations believing that they are accumulating a 'treasure of grace' by fulfilling man-made laws!

However, all this is only a matter of form and appearance and completely unessential for the maturing of the souls; and still you people stick with great tenacity to such formalities which you have created for yourselves and which have never been demanded of man by Me.

All My Words which I spoke as I walked on earth had a profound spiritual meaning and can never be substituted by external performances. But you have not grasped the profound meaning and are satisfied with external rites which can never be of any benefit for your soul.

Just think of the effects you attribute to 'baptism'. You perform a simple outward act and are convinced of its spiritual beneficial results, be it the deliverance from the original sin, the reception into some religious community.

However, man has to gain all this by his own effort during his temporal life; he must gain deliverance from sin by his free will through JESUS CHRIST!

Consequently this requires more than just the act of baptism performed on a child. And only with his free will he can join My church consciously living a life of My imitation, gaining a living faith through love, the characteristic of the church founded by Me.

Think of the sacrament of confession and of the altar, what you have made of that and through what superficiality you hope to obtain forgiveness of your sins.

Think of what I want to be understood by the words that you should invite Me in, so that I may hold communion with you and you with Me.

How you made My words: "This do in remembrance of Me..." into a rite which again can have no effect on your soul unless you live a life of love, deep enough to be united with Me; only then be present within you.

Everything that I asked of you in a spiritual sense, with which your souls alone had to cope, you people have blended with earthly concepts thus constructing for yourselves something which you claim to be My Will and eagerly fulfil as you think is demanded of you. You have to be constantly enlightened on this point; however, you do not accept such enlightenment, but keep fulfilling the man-made commandments with ever growing zeal whilst My commandments concerning the love of God and your neighbour are being ignored. As a result you are getting spiritually darker all the time and finally you will become quite incapable of recognising the error of your thinking.

And besides, by accepting without objection everything as the truth that is presented to you as 'My Word', you have only fettered yourselves. You ascribe a purely earthly meaning to all My words and ignore their spiritual meaning.

And that is the reason why errors have arisen which can only be rectified if you are filled with love, for then you grow light within and recognise if you walk in error.

All the man-made commandments and sacred acts will then be recognisable to you as misleading. You will understand that only a dark spirit could allege them to be the will of God, and you will then endeavour to free yourselves from error in the recognition of pure truth which alone can benefit the soul, and which can be recognised as truth only by him who lives within love, firstly fulfilling My commandment of love and, as a result, you will think correctly. (John 10:9)

AMEN