B. Insidious and Ruthless

Apart from habitual lying, what other manifestations do antichrists have? We just fellowshipped about the essential qualities of kindness and sincerity in normal humanity, and it’s quite evident that antichrists lack these qualities entirely. Whatever is inherent in normal humanity is definitely absent in antichrists; all that they possess are things contrary to normal humanity, negative things. So, what is contrary to kindness and sincerity? (Insidiousness and ruthlessness.) Exactly, you’ve spoken very accurately—it’s insidiousness and ruthlessness. Antichrists lack traits like kindness and sincerity, and instead, they possess insidious and ruthless elements contrary to kindness and sincerity. Is there a connection between being insidious and ruthless and habitually lying we discussed earlier? (Yes.) There is a certain connection. How do antichrists manifest their insidiousness and ruthlessness? (In their ability to fabricate lies and frame others.) Fabricating lies and framing others involve both habitually lying and being insidious and ruthless; these two traits are closely linked. For example, if they commit a misdeed and don’t want to take responsibility, they create an illusory appearance, tell lies, and make people believe it was someone else’s doing, not their own. They shift the blame onto someone else, making them bear the consequences. This is not only wicked and vile, but it is even more insidious and ruthless. What are some other manifestations of antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness? (They can torment, attack, and retaliate against people.) Being able to torment people is ruthless. Anyone who poses a threat to their status, reputation, or prestige, or anyone who is unfavorable to them, they will go to great lengths to attack and retaliate against them. Sometimes, they may even use others to harm people—this is insidiousness and ruthlessness. In short, the phrase “insidious and ruthless” indicates that antichrists are particularly malicious. The way they treat and interact with people is not based on conscience, and they don’t live in harmony on equal standing with them; instead, at every turn they seek to exploit, control, and manipulate others for their own use. Their approach to interacting with others is not normal or straightforward; instead, they use certain means and methods to mislead people, exploit them, and weaponize them subtly, without their awareness. In their treatment of anyone, regardless of whether it appears good or bad on the surface, there is no sincerity whatsoever. They draw near to those whom they find useful and distance themselves from those they deem useless, not paying any attention to them. Even toward relatively guileless or vulnerable individuals, they think up ways to use various means and methods to mislead and ensnare them, making them useful to themselves. But when people are weak, in difficulty, or in need of assistance, antichrists simply turn a blind eye and are indifferent to them. They never show love or offer help to such people; on the contrary, they tend to bully, mislead, and even think of ways to exploit them all the more. If they are unable to exploit them, they cast them aside, and show no love or sympathy for them—is there any trace of kindness in this? Is this not a manifestation of malice? The method and philosophy with which antichrists interact with people is to use schemes and strategies to exploit and trick people, making people unable to see through them, yet willing to slave away for them and be always at their beck and call. They can bully and torment those who discern them and can no longer be exploited by them. They can even casually assign blame to those people, causing the brothers and sisters to abandon them, and then they expel those people or clear them out. In short, antichrists are insidious and ruthless, utterly devoid of kindness and sincerity. They never genuinely help others, displaying no sympathy or love when others face difficulties. In their interactions, they scheme for their own benefit and advantage. Regardless of who approaches them or seeks help in difficulty, they are always making calculations about that person, thinking in their hearts: “If I help this person, what use can I derive from them in the future? Can they help me? Can they be of use to me? What can I gain from them?” Isn’t it selfish and vile for them to always be thinking about these matters? (Yes, it is.) In church elections, what methods will antichrists employ? (They will disparage others and elevate themselves, bringing down those better than them.) Disparaging others and elevating themselves is also insidious and ruthless. Antichrists may also use small favors to draw people in and boast about their contributions in order to garner esteem and secure votes. What else? (They cannot impartially and objectively evaluate candidates; they will inject their own bias and their own prejudice.) This involves fabricating lies to slander others. Quite a few specific manifestations of antichrists being insidious and ruthless have been fellowshipped previously. Insidious means having a wealth of schemes, and their principle for comporting themselves, dealing with the world, and doing anything is to rely on strategy—devoid of sincerity, with falseness and trickery. Ruthlessness mainly pertains to the ruthlessness and cruelty in their methods of action, showing no mercy, lacking human feeling, causing harm to others, and they are willing to achieve their aims at the cost of hurting anyone—this is ruthlessness, and it is in direct opposition to human kindness. If a person possesses kindness in their humanity, then when faced with ordinary matters, they will be lenient toward others wherever they can, and they will forgive people. A person like this is tolerant of other people’s issues and faults, not nitpicky, and gets by when they can. Additionally, they are compassionate and, whenever they see others going through difficulties, they are willing to help, finding joy in helping others and considering the edification of others as a personal responsibility—this is kindness. Do antichrists possess this trait? (No.) They believe, “If you’re in difficulty and I help you, there’s a price to pay. If I give you benefits, what’s in it for me? If I sympathize with you, who will sympathize with me? If I help you, will you remember my goodness? If you’re asking me to sacrifice myself in order to help you, you must be dreaming! What’s the relationship between us? What benefit can you give me? Have you ever helped me before? Who are you? Are you worth helping? If you were the king’s daughter or a wealthy person’s son, then maybe helping you would bring me some glory or profit. But you are none of that. Why should I help you? What benefits do I get from helping you?” This is how they think when they see someone in difficulty, someone weak, or someone in need of help. Is this kind? When these people see someone in a weak state, not only do they mock and ridicule them, but they also make calculations in their hearts. Some even see this as an opportunity to showcase themselves or win over that person’s heart. None of this is kind. Antichrists often take advantage of such opportunities to showcase themselves. They won’t act unless there is profit involved, unless they have an aim and a motivation. If they help someone out, they want to gain them as an ally. If they help and sympathize with two people, they want to gain a pair of allies, to gain two right-hand men. Otherwise, they won’t lift a finger, and they certainly won’t show love to those in need of assistance.

The primary manifestation of the antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness is that there is a particularly clear aim to everything they do. The first thing they think about is their own interests; and their methods are despicable, crude, sordid, base, and shady. There is no sincerity in the way they do things, and in the way they treat people and the principles by which they treat them. The way they treat people is to take advantage of them and toy with them, and when people are no longer of useful value to them, they toss them away. If you have useful value to them, they pretend to care about you: “How have you been? Have you had any difficulties? I can help you solve your difficulties. Tell me if you have any problems. I’m here for you. How lucky we are to have such a good relationship!” They seem so attentive. Yet if a day comes when you no longer have any useful value to them, they will abandon you, they will toss you to one side and ignore you, as if they’d never even met you before. When you really do have a problem and go looking for them for help, their attitude suddenly changes, their words are no longer as nice-sounding as when they first promised to help you—and why is this? It is because you have no useful value to them. Consequently, they stop paying any attention to you. And that’s not all: If they find out you have done something wrong or find something they can use as leverage, they become coldly cynical toward you, and may even condemn you. What do you think of this method? Is it a manifestation of kindness and sincerity? When antichrists manifest this kind of insidiousness and ruthlessness in their behavior toward others, is there any trace of humanity involved? Do they have the slightest sincerity toward people? Absolutely not. Everything they do is for their own profit, pride, and reputation, to give themselves status and renown among others. Of everyone they meet, if they can take advantage of them, they will. Those they can’t take advantage of, they disdain and pay no heed to; even if you take it upon yourself to approach them, they ignore you, and don’t even look at you. But if a day comes when they need you, their attitude toward you suddenly changes, and they become very attentive and amiable, which baffles you. Why has their attitude toward you changed? (Because you now have useful value to them.) That’s right: When they see that you have useful value, their attitude changes. Do you have such people around you? When these people interact with others, it’s not readily apparent that they are doing anything obviously bad. From their daily expressions, speech, and behavior, there also doesn’t seem to be any obvious issues. However, if you carefully observe how they interact with people, especially how they interact with those closest to them and those dearest to them, if you see how they exploit others and how they treat them afterward, then through this you can observe the intentions, attitudes, and methods of antichrists in their interactions with others. They are all seeking personal gain alone, living by the philosophy of Satan, and devoid of any normal humanity.

Antichrists possess traits such as insidiousness and ruthlessness in their humanity. Can they get along with those who are honest, kind, and sincere in their dealings with people and things? Are they willing to draw near to such people? (No, they aren’t.) How do they view these people? They say, “These people are all big fools, and their speech is so direct. You should think carefully before speaking—why do you speak so truthfully? Why is your speech always so plain?” These people are pitifully foolish to antichrists, and antichrists look down on them. When these people see someone who is kind and who treats people sincerely, these people genuinely help that person when they experience difficulties and are in need of assistance, and these people hope for that person’s well-being and wish to provide that person with benefits, assistance, and edification—antichrists consider these people foolish and stupid. Antichrists do not believe that these positive elements of humanity are good or beautiful things that people should possess. Instead, in their hearts, they feel loathing, repulsion, and disdain toward these traits essential to normal humanity. They call honest people foolish; they say the same for kind people, and even more so for sincere people. Those who believe in God with relative honesty, and who do their duties with relative honesty, who have a kind heart and never hurt or harm other people, who love and sympathize with others, who can forsake their own profits and conquer their own difficulties to help others, who feel burdened and responsible when they see those who are weak and in need of assistance—antichrists harbor even more disdain for these people deep down. Concerning those who are relatively sincere in their faith in God, who have a God-fearing heart, who accept God’s scrutiny in all things, who are capable of doing their duties with sincerity, loyalty, and responsibility, and those who approach their duties with a sincere attitude—antichrists disdain and hate such individuals deep down, noticeably avoiding them and distancing themselves from them on the outside. In the eyes of antichrists, all these positive elements that are essential to normal humanity are not anything positive: They are not worthy of praise or promotion. Instead, antichrists believe that their own schemes, strategies, inner ways of dealing with people, and cruelty are commendable. At all times, no matter what they do, they are contemplating and refining their methods and schemes in their minds. Regardless of the scale of the matter, they believe it is worthwhile and necessary to act in this way; otherwise, it would result in losses and damage to their reputation. Given that these elements exist in the humanity of antichrists, can they accept the truth? Can they practice the truth? Absolutely not. No matter how you emphasize honesty, kindness, and other positive things, requiring people to possess these aspects and treat people, treat their duties, and deal with various matters in accordance with this positive humanity, deep within the hearts of antichrists, there is rejection, disdain, and hostility toward these things. Why? Because antichrists are completely devoid of these positive things; what they possess in their essence is a character of insidiousness and ruthlessness that belongs to a demonic nature. Is there distance between this character and being honest, kind, and sincere, as God requires? Not only is there distance between the two, but they are precisely the opposite of each other—two characters distinct in nature. Does any of the manifestations and revelations of antichrists’ insidiousness and ruthlessness align with normal humanity? Does it align with the truth? Certainly not; it is all the plots and schemes of Satan. The nature that is manifested by Satan’s plots and schemes is precisely insidious and ruthless, elements that should not exist in normal humanity as required by God. Based on the various manifestations of insidiousness and ruthlessness that have been fellowshipped about, consider whether there are people around you who possess such a humanity. Antichrists, with this insidious and ruthless character, would undoubtedly be able to take action. Their actions would be visible, audible, and accessible to others. If they are accessible, people should have a sense of them and be able to recognize and discern such individuals. The insidious and ruthless character of antichrists should be a pretty common and obvious manifestation. It is not a hidden idea, thought, or intention, but rather their revealed humanity and the methods, means, and strategies of their actions. People should be able to perceive this aspect.