Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Chapter 380

Confession and forgiveness of sins

2nd May 1847

[1] Just Write! Between a confession, through which sins are forgiven in the Roman Church – and a confession, in which a person purified by My living word and baptized with the Holy Spirit shows himself to any priest merely for the sake of external worship, is a heavenly difference.

[2] For in the first case an act is committed which is not ordered anywhere in Scripture, because of the supposed forgiveness of sins. But in the second case the sinner has long since been completely cleansed and has only to show himself to some reasonable priest, which showing can also consist in a kind of confession, in which the one who shows himself can indicate to the priest what, how and when he has sinned and since when he has completely laid aside these sins by My grace and no longer committed them.

[3] The reasonable priest will then also grant him the usual external absolution, according to which the person who has made confession, can receive communion in accordance with rituals in order to satisfy the external demands of the church in which he finds himself.

[4] But it goes without saying that if someone should come across a stupid priest who wants to refuse him absolution, one should distance oneself from him and do so with a clear conscience. For to whom I Myself forgive sins, they have already been forgiven, even if they were withheld by a thousand priests!

[5] The rejected should not have any qualms about communion! Because whoever carries Me Myself in the spirit of love, grace and compassion in his heart, can easily renounce the mere ritual of communion!

[6] But the best means of easing off sins, is to stop committing sins, but to truly repent of those committed, to give alms to the poor out of love for Me and to forgive all their enemies from the heart and to pray for them in spirit and in the truth. For if one regrets that he has sinned, I also regret that I wanted to punish him for it. But alms anyway cover the greatest number of sins. And he who forgives will also be forgiven, even if he had sins as there is sand in the sea and grass on earth!

[7] So these are the only means by which any sinner can obtain forgiveness of sins without all confession, and there are none else!

[8] But if someone has received in this way the right and only valid forgiveness of sin from Me, if he has fulfilled the prescribed evangelical conditions laboriously in spirit and in truth, then he can, if he so wishes, show himself to a reasonable priest for the sake of the outer ritual. But as a "condition for happiness", this advice has no validity! Rather, it is only given to you so that you can get through more harmlessly by observing it in your earthly relationships with less objections!

[9] You are allowed to do whatever the external religion requires so as not to offend anyone. Because these are the signs of the rebirth of your spirit, that you too may attack the snakes and scorpions of this time, and they will not harm you, and may also drink the poisoned cup (ie listen to the teaching of Babylon), and the poison will not wither you.

[10] I think that will be German [English] enough!? Do and live accordingly! Amen.