How to Pursue the Truth (4) Part One
Having believed in God for all these years, have you sensed the constant change happening in the people and things around you, and in the situation in the outside world? Particularly in the last few years, have you seen any big changes happening? (Yes.) You’ve seen this. And have you come to any conclusion about it? (God’s work is approaching its end.) That’s right, God’s work is indeed approaching its end, and the people, events, things, and environments all around you are in a constant state of change. For example, there were ten people in this group before, now there are eight. What happened to the other two? One was sent away, and the other was replaced in their duty. All the different kinds of people in the church are constantly undergoing change and are constantly being exposed. At first, some people seem so enthusiastic, but after a while they suddenly become weak and so negative that they cannot go on. The enthusiasm, the fiery energy, and the so-called loyalty they had in the beginning is all gone, their determination to endure suffering is gone, they have no interest in believing in God at all, and they suddenly seem to be completely different people, and no one knows why. Environments are also constantly undergoing change. What changes are happening in people’s environments? In some places, the environment is hostile and the persecution is severe, so people can’t gather together anymore or get in touch with their brothers and sisters; in some places, the environment is somewhat better and safer; in other places, the environment for performing one’s duty and the living conditions are somewhat more advantageous, tranquil, and stable than they were before, and the people there are much better than those who were there before; they all sincerely expend themselves for God, there are more people who are able to endure suffering and pay the price, all work projects progress more smoothly, work progresses more efficiently, and the results and effects seen are more optimistic and satisfactory. Furthermore, the plans, the forms, and the ways and methods in which work projects are carried out are constantly being improved. In short, even though people see all manner of wrong and negative people, events, and things constantly arising, there are of course also all manner of good, right, and positive people, events, and things constantly emerging. When people live in such a social environment, with various positive and negative things constantly alternating and changing around them, in fact, those who ultimately benefit are those who strongly desire God, pursue the truth, and yearn for the truth. They are those who yearn for light and justice, while those who do not pursue the truth, who abandon themselves to vice and feel averse toward the truth are exposed, cast out, and forsaken in relation to different people, events, things, and environments. With all these different environments, people, and events being exposed, and with new environments, people, and events constantly appearing, what is God’s will? Having believed in God all these years, do you have an understanding of this? At the very least, do you feel that God is orchestrating all of this, and that God has always been guiding these things? (Yes.) God’s purpose and meaning in doing all of this is to enable those who follow Him to learn the lessons, grow in insight and experience, and thereby gradually enter into the truth reality. Have you achieved this yourselves? No matter how busy people are with work, or how advantageous or hostile their environment is, their aim in their belief in God is to pursue the truth without change. People must not forget to pursue the truth because they are busy with work, busy with things, or because they want to avoid their hostile environment, or forget that all these situations are arranged by God, or forget that God’s will is for them to learn the lessons in these various situations, to learn how to discern between all manner of people, events, and things, to understand the truth, to grow in insight, and to know God. You should all make an earnest summary of whether you have achieved these things.
Church work has been incredibly busy in recent years, and so the transfer and reassignment, as well as the revealing, eliminating, and cleansing away of members in each group has been relatively frequent. In the process of carrying out this work, the transfer of team members has been especially frequent and broad in scope. However, irrespective of how many transfers take place or how much things change, the determination to pursue the truth in those who truly believe in and desire God does not change, their wish to attain salvation does not change, their faith in God does not wane, and they are always developing in a good direction and have continued to persevere in performing their duties up to today. There are those who are even much better than this who, through being constantly reassigned, find their right place, and learn how to seek the principles and perform their duty. Those who do not pursue the truth, however, who have no love for positive things and who feel averse toward the truth, do not perform well. Some people are currently forcing themselves to keep performing their duties, when in fact their inner state is already a complete mess, and they are utterly depressed and negative. They still haven’t left the church, however, and they appear as though they believe in God and they still perform their duties, but in reality their hearts have changed, and they have departed from and abandoned God. Some people get married and return home to live their lives, saying, “I can’t afford to waste my youth. We’re only young once, and I absolutely cannot waste my youth! I believe in my heart that there is a God, but I can’t be as simple-minded as you, sacrificing your youth to pursue the truth. I’m supposed to get married and live my life. Life is short, and we’re only young for a few years. Life is over in the blink of an eye. I just can’t waste my youth here. Before my youth is gone, I can be carefree and live life to the full for a few years.” Some people continue to pursue their dreams of becoming rich; some continue to pursue an official career and realize their dream of being an official or a bureaucrat; some pursue the prosperity of having children, so they take a wife who can bear them sons; some people are hounded for their belief in God, are persecuted for years until they become weak and sick, and then they abandon their duties and return home to live out their remaining years. Everyone’s situation is different. Some people leave of their own accord and have their names delisted, some are nonbelievers who are cleared out, and some do all manner of evil deeds and are expelled. What lies within the bones of all these people? What is their essence? Have you clearly seen it? Do you feel deeply touched every time these people’s stories reach your ears? You may think, “How could they end up like this? How could they fall to such an end? They weren’t like this before, they were wonderful, so how could they change so quickly?” These things cannot be figured out or understood no matter how much you ponder them. You consider it for a while and think, “This person doesn’t love positive things; they are a nonbeliever.” After some time, the things that these people do, their performance, behavior, some of their words and remarks, and their pursuits fade away in your own mind or in people’s consciousness, and afterward you forget these things, and little by little your feelings about them disappear. When such people, events, or things appear again, you again think, “Oh, it’s unthinkable! How could they? They weren’t like this before. I just can’t figure it out.” You feel the same things again and you have the same understanding. Tell Me, is it a shame when these people are exposed and eliminated? (No.) Do you not miss these people? (No.) Do you not fight these people’s corner? (No.) Then you must be very ruthless. How come you’re all so unsympathetic? They have left the church; how do you not fight their corner, and have no sympathy or compassion for them? How come you have no pity for them? Are you just incapable of sympathy? Are you ruthless? (No.) Tell Me, is this an appropriate way for God’s house to deal with such people? (Yes.) How is it appropriate? Tell Me. (These people have believed in God for so many years and heard so much truth that for them to behave in such a way now and to betray God and depart from Him shows that they are nonbelievers who are not worth our pity and not worth missing.) So, when they started believing in God, they were filled with enthusiasm, they gave up their homes, their jobs, and they often made offerings and took on risky jobs for God’s house. However you looked at them, they all sincerely expended themselves for God. So how come they have changed now? Is it because God disliked them and used them from the beginning? (No.) God treats everyone fairly and equally and gives opportunities to all. They all lived the church life, ate and drank God’s words, and lived being provided for, watered, and shepherded by God, so how come they changed so much? Their behavior when they first began to believe in God and their behavior at the time they left the church was like they were two people. Has God caused them to lose hope? Has God’s house or God’s deeds caused them to feel bitterly disappointed? Has God, the words God utters, or the work God does hurt their dignity? (No.) So what’s the reason then? Who can explain this? (I think these people came to believe in God dominated by their desire for blessings. They only believed in God to receive blessings. The moment they saw they had no hope of receiving blessings, they departed from God.) Isn’t there a blessing right in front of them? It is not yet time to stop performing their duties, so what are they in such a rush for? How come they can’t even understand this? (God, I think that, when these people first came to believe in God, they relied on their enthusiasm and good intent, and they were able to do some things, but now God’s house is treating all its work more and more seriously. It requires people to do things in line with the truth principles. But these people don’t accept the truth, they run amok doing whatever they please when performing their duties, and they’re often pruned. So, they feel increasingly that they cannot keep on muddling along as they are, until finally they leave God’s house. I think this is one reason.) They cannot keep on muddling along as they are—is this a true thing to say? (Yes.) They cannot keep on muddling along as they are—this is said regarding people who muddle through things. There are some people who come to believe in God who do not muddle through things, who are very earnest, who treat this matter very seriously, so how come they didn’t keep going? (Because, by their very nature, these people do not love the truth. They came to believe in God in order to receive blessings. They see God’s house always talking about the truth, and they feel averse and resistant toward the truth, and they become less and less willing to attend gatherings and listen to sermons, and this is how they get exposed.) This is a kind of situation, and there are many people like this. There are also some people who always perform their duties in a slipshod manner, who never perform their duty well or take responsibility for it whatever duty they do. It’s not that they aren’t capable or that their caliber isn’t up to the task, it’s that they’re disobedient and they don’t do things according to what God’s house requires. They always do things however they want to do them, until finally they cause disruptions and disturbances because they run amok and do whatever they please. They don’t repent no matter how they’re pruned, and so they end up being sent away. These people who are sent away have an incredibly odious disposition and an arrogant humanity. Wherever they go, they want to have the final word, they look down on everyone, and they act like tyrants, until finally they are removed. After some people are replaced and eliminated, they feel that nothing goes smoothly for them anywhere they go, and no one values them or pays attention to them anymore. No one regards them highly anymore, they cannot have the final word anymore, they cannot get what they want, and they have no hope of attaining any status, much less of receiving blessings. They feel they have no hope of muddling along in the church anymore, they have no interest for it anymore, and so they choose to leave—there are many people like this.
There are also some people whose reason for leaving is the same as the majority of those who are cast out. No matter how long these people have believed in God for, what they personally experience and see in God’s house is that gatherings in God’s house are about perpetually reading God’s words and fellowshipping on the truth, talking about knowing oneself, practicing the truth, accepting judgment and chastisement, accepting being pruned, performing one’s duty according to the truth principles, talking about dispositional change and casting off one’s corrupt dispositions. Content on the work that God does—whether it is fellowshipped on in the church life, or whether it is a topic covered in sermons and fellowship given by the Above—is all the truth, all God’s words, and all positive. These people, however, don’t accept the truth at all. They originally came to believe in God to receive blessings and to take advantage. Looking at their nature essence, not only do they not love positive things or the truth but, even more seriously, they are extremely repulsed by and hostile toward positive things and the truth. That’s why the more God’s house fellowships on the truth, the more it talks about practicing the truth, the more it talks about pursuing the truth and doing things in accordance with principles, the more uneasy and repulsed these people feel inside, and the less willing they are to listen. Tell Me, what is it that these people like to hear? Do you know? (They like to hear topics about destinations and receiving blessings, and about the work of spreading the gospel reaching unprecedented levels.) These are some things they want to hear. They also like to shout slogans, preach doctrine, and talk about theology, theory, and mysteries. From time to time they talk about when God’s work will come to an end, when the great disasters will befall, what mankind’s future destination will be, how evil forces will be gradually destroyed when the disasters come, how God will perform some signs and wonders, and how the forces and scale of God’s house will be constantly expanding and growing, and about how they will strut around showing off, too. Moreover, the most important thing to them is that they’ll be constantly promoted and put to use in God’s house. In this way, they’ll be able to muddle along in God’s house for a time but, while they’re muddling along, none of the work done by God or God’s house is what they want it to be, and everything they hear and see are matters concerned with the truth. In their hearts, therefore, they are extremely averse to the church life; they’re not interested in it, they feel restless, unable to stay, and they feel tormented by it. Some people find an excuse, a reason, and a pretext and find a way to leave the church, saying, “I will commit an evil act, give vent to some negativity, and do something bad. The church will then clear me out and expel me, so I’d be perfectly justified in leaving the church.” Then there are those who hand in their books of God’s words and pack their stuff and leave when they go out to sort out their foreign entry permits, without even so much as a goodbye. These people are like hooligans and whores, and they don’t do things in the way that normal people do. What virtuous women and normal people think and what they say when around other people are the serious matters of how to live life. How to live a good life, how to enable one’s whole family to eat well, wear decent clothes, and have a good place to live, how to raise their children into adults, and how to get their children to follow the right path—these are the things they think about. Those hooligans and whores, however, never think about these things. If you talk about these proper matters with them, they get aggravated by you, they hate you, and they distance themselves from you. So, what is it that they think about? Is it that they’re always thinking about eating, drinking, and partying? (Yes.) They’re always thinking about eating, drinking, and partying, and about lustful things. When they talk to normal people about these things, normal people don’t respond; normal people are not like them, they share no common language, and they’re not on the same wavelength. The things normal people talk about are not in their hearts, they cannot tolerate them, and they don’t want to listen to them. They think that to live that way is to grievously wrong themselves and to live fettered and without any freedom. They think that to always be beautifully dressed to seduce a member of the opposite sex is an exciting and carefree way to live—to them it is the perfect life! These people who leave the church are envious of the lives of the unbelievers, envious of the pleasures of sin, and they think that to spend their days and to live the way the unbelievers do is the only way they can live an exciting and happy life, and the only way to live without letting themselves down. These nonbelievers, just like hooligans and whores, have no normal humanity and they’re not normal people. If you ask them to do something positive, they absolutely refuse to do it because, deep in their bones and in their nature essence, they do not love positive things and feel averse toward the truth. What things do they do? What do they do in the church, among brothers and sisters, and in the course of performing their duties? They perform their duties in a slipshod manner, they talk high-sounding theory, always shouting slogans but not really doing anything—this is their normal behavior. They never give their all to performing their duty, they’re always slipshod and merely go through the motions, doing things only for others to see, while also jockeying for prestige and profit around other people. These evil people also cause other people to suffer and suppress them, and wherever evil people are, there is no peace and no rest—there is only chaos. With evil people in charge, not only does work not progress efficiently, but it becomes paralyzed; with evil people in control of a church, good people are bullied, the church becomes unbearably chaotic, the faith of God’s chosen people will become lukewarm, and they will become negative and weak. Wherever evil people are, they play a disturbing and destructive role. The most obvious manifestation of evil people is their unwillingness to perform their duties. Even if they perform their duties, they do so in a slipshod manner and never treat them seriously, they also disturb other people in the performance of their duties. There is another point to make, and that is that evil people never read God’s words, never pray, never fellowship on the truth with others, and they’ve never even opened their books of God’s words. Some people make specious arguments on behalf of evil people, saying, “Even though they haven’t read God’s words, they still listen to sermons.” But do they understand them? They simply don’t listen in earnest, they never watch the videos and movies produced by God’s house, they don’t listen to hymns, they don’t listen to experiential testimonies, and they don’t listen to recordings of sermons. At gatherings, they get sleepy, and there are even some who mess around on their phones and watch entertainment programs; there are also some who watch adult films. Nothing they do all day has anything to do with believing in God or pursuing the truth. As God’s house fellowships on the truth in more and more detail, the repulsion they feel toward the truth and toward positive things becomes increasingly obvious. They feel restless and, within the time limit they can tolerate, they are unable to see and cannot wait for the good destination, good end, and the great disasters they so long for. They cannot wait for these things, so are their hearts not in turmoil? (They are.) What kind of turmoil? Are they not always calculating in their hearts? They are never prepared to accept God’s judgment and chastisement, accept God’s sovereignty and arrangements, submit to the arrangements of God’s house, and give their all in the performance of their duties at any time and in any place. What is their mindset? They are ready, at any time and in any place, to pack their stuff and leave. They have long been ready to leave at any time, to bid farewell to the church and to the brothers and sisters, to make a clean break and sever all ties. The time they leave is when they get to the end of the time limit they are able to tolerate. Isn’t that so? (It is.)
After they are replaced or cast out, some people, regardless of the reason, are still able to persevere in performing their duty to the best of their ability. Some don’t seek the truth at all, and so they decide not to perform their duty anymore. While they were performing their duty, they were already exhibiting repulsion and impatience toward it, always wanting to escape church life and not perform their duty. Because these people aren’t interested in the truth, they don’t enjoy living the church life, and they are unwilling to perform their duty. They look forward only to the arrival of the day of God, so that they can receive blessings; they are not able to keep muddling on as they are, they see the disasters getting greater and greater, and they think that if they don’t seek fleshly pleasures now, they’ll lose the opportunity to do so. So they leave the church without so much as a backward glance, without any reluctance at all. From that point on, they disappear into the vast sea of people and no one in the church hears any more about them—this is how these nonbelievers are exposed and cast out. The more God’s house fellowships on the truth and requires people to practice the truth and enter reality, the more repulsion they feel, and they don’t want to hear it at all. Not only do they not accept these things, but they resist them. They understand the situation very well: They know that people like themselves have no place in God’s house, that they don’t truly expend themselves for God in their faith, that they don’t give everything they have in the performance of their duty, that they’re always slipshod in their duty, and that they feel extreme repulsion and detestation toward the truth; they also know that, sooner or later, they will be cast out, that this will certainly be the outcome. They have long laid their plans, thinking, “In any case, someone like me will certainly not receive blessings, so it’s best if I leave now, enjoy life in the world for a few years, live the good life for a few years and not let myself down.” Don’t they make plans like this? (They do.) With such intents and plans, can people perform their duty well? No, they can’t. Therefore, no matter how many years these people have believed in God for, they feel no reluctance to part with God, God’s house, the church, the brothers and sisters, or the church life. They say they’re leaving one day, and the next day they’re dressed like an unbeliever, dressed to the nines and wearing heavy makeup, immediately dressing, speaking, and acting just like an unbeliever; they dress in outlandish garb, and they don’t look right to you, yet they remain unaware of how they appear to you. How is it that they change so quickly? (It’s because they’ve long laid their plans, and this is how their nature is.) That’s right. They’ve long laid their plans; they haven’t just come up with these plans in the few days prior to them leaving, but rather they determined that they were going to do this long ago. They have been scheming and planning for a long time how they will eat, drink, and party, how they will comport themselves, and how they will live. They don’t like living the church life, or performing their duty, or fellowshipping on the truth, much less do they like listening to sermons and attending gatherings every day. They are sick to death of this kind of church life, and if it wasn’t for receiving blessings and obtaining a good destination and escaping the great disasters, they wouldn’t be able to keep going even for one day—this is their true face. So, how should you handle such people when you come across them again? Will you plead with them with tactful words, or offer them more support and help? Or will you be sad to see them go and use your love to try and change them? How should you approach them? (We should ask them to leave immediately and go to the world of the unbelievers.) Correct, ask them to go back to the world and not bother with them anymore. You say to them, “Think it through, so that you don’t regret your decision later.” They say, “I’ve thought it through, and no matter what difficulty I may face in the future, I won’t turn back and I won’t feel regret.” You say, “So go, then. No one’s stopping you. We all wish you well and hope that you achieve your ideals and realize the dreams you desire. We also hope that when the day comes that you see other people being saved, you feel no jealousy or regret. So long.” Isn’t this a very appropriate thing to say to them? (It is.) So, regarding such people as this, one aspect is that you must see their nature essence clearly, while another aspect is that you must approach them in the appropriate way. If they are nonbelievers, unbelievers, yet they are willing to render service and can be obedient and submit, then even if they don’t pursue the truth, don’t bother them and don’t clear them out. Instead, permit them to continue rendering service, and if you can help them, then help them. If they have no desire even to render service, and they begin to be slipshod and commit evil acts, then we’ve done everything that is called for. If they want to leave, then let them leave, and don’t miss them when they’re gone. They are at the point when they should leave, and such people are not worth your pity, for they are nonbelievers. What is most pitiful is that there are some people who are incredibly foolish, who always hold personal feelings toward those who are sent away, who always miss them, who speak on their behalf, who fight their corner, and who even weep and pray and beseech for them. What do you think about what these people do? (It’s so foolish.) How is it foolish? (Those who leave are nonbelievers, they don’t accept the truth, and they are simply not worth praying for and not worth missing. Only those to whom God gives opportunities and who have hope of being saved are worth the tears and prayers of others. If someone prays for a nonbeliever or a devil, then they’re very foolish and ignorant.) One aspect is that they do not truly believe that there is a God—they are nonbelievers; another aspect is that the nature essence of these people is that of an unbeliever. What is the implied meaning here? It is that they are not people at all, but that their nature essence is that of a devil, of Satan, and that these people are opposed to God. This is how things are regarding their nature essence. Yet there is another aspect, and that is that God selects people, not devils. So, tell Me, are these devils God’s chosen people, and are they selected by God? (No.) They are not God’s chosen people, so if you always have emotional entanglements with these people and are sad to see them go, then doesn’t that make you a fool? Doesn’t that make you opposed to God? If you have no deep feelings toward true brothers and sisters and yet harbor deep feelings for these devils, then what are you? At the very least, you are muddleheaded, you don’t view people according to God’s words, you don’t yet comport yourself with the correct standpoint, and you don’t handle matters with principle. You are a muddleheaded person. If you have feelings for one of these devils, then you will think, “Oh, but he’s such a good person and we have such a good relationship! We get along well together and he helps me so much! When I’m weak, he gives me such comfort, and when I do things wrong, he is tolerant and patient with me. He’s so loving!” He was like this only to you, so what are you? Aren’t you just another ordinary corrupt human being? And how does that person treat the truth, treat God, and treat the duty God’s house entrusts him with? Why don’t you see things from these perspectives? Is it accurate to see things from the perspective of your own personal interests, with your fleshly eyes and feelings? (No.) Clearly it isn’t! And as it is not an accurate way to see things, you should let it go and change the perspective and standpoint from which you regard that person. You should seek to approach and handle that person taking God’s words as your basis—this is the standpoint God’s chosen people should adopt and the attitude they should have. Don’t be a nitwit! Do you think you’re a kind person because you feel pity for others? You’re incredibly foolish, without any principles at all. You’re not treating people according to God’s words; you’re standing on the side of Satan and sympathizing with Satan and devils. Your sympathy is not directed at God’s chosen people or at those whom God wants to save, and it is not directed at true brothers and sisters.
These people who are nonbelievers are never willing to perform their duty and they always perform it however they please. No matter how you fellowship on the truth with them, they don’t accept it, and even if they do understand a little truth, they don’t put it into practice. There is another main manifestation that they exhibit—what is that? It is that they’ve always performed their duty in a slipshod manner, they are always slipshod, and they stubbornly refuse to repent. They are very attentive, earnest, and rigorous in their own affairs, and dare not neglect them at all. They have thought carefully about their food and clothing, their status, reputation, self-respect, fleshly enjoyments, their illnesses, their future, prospects, retirement, and even matters regarding their own death—they’ve got all the bases covered. When it comes to matters concerning performing their duty, however, they are completely inattentive, much less do they pursue the truth. Some people get sleepy and doze off every time they attend a gathering, and they even feel repulsion when they hear My voice. They feel deeply uneasy, they feel restless, they stretch and yawn, scratch their ears and rub their cheeks. They behave like animals. Some people say, “Sermons last a long time at gatherings, and some people can’t sit still for that long.” In actuality, sometimes the gathering has only just begun and they start fidgeting, and they feel repulsion as they listen. That’s why they never listen to sermons or read God’s words. The moment they hear someone fellowshipping on the truth, they feel repulsion, and they’re sick and tired of seeing people listen with rapt attention. What is the nature essence of such people? They wear human skin; on the outside they are human, but if you peel the skin back, they are devils, not humans. God wants many to be saved, for those with humanity to be saved; He doesn’t want devils to be saved. God does not save devils! You must remember this always and not forget it! You must not associate with any of those who wear the skin of a human but whose nature and essence are that of a devil. If you have not severed all ties with such a person, and you try to please them and flatter them, then you will become Satan’s joke, and God will detest you and say, “You blind fool, you cannot understand anyone!” God does not save devils, understand? (Yes.) God does not save devils, nor does He select devils. Devils can never love the truth, nor pursue the truth, much less submit to God—they can never submit to God. They believe in God not because they love His righteousness and fairness, and not so that they can pursue the attainment of salvation. They express repulsion and contempt for Job’s fear of God and shunning of evil, and in their hearts they feel tremendous repulsion and resistance toward the matter of pursuing the truth. If you don’t believe Me, then just look at those around you who have been sent away and exposed and see what it is that lies within their bones, what they talk about when no one else is listening, what they care about, what their attitude is toward their own life, survival, and the people, events, and things around them, as well as what they say and what views they express. From all of these expressions and outpourings, you can see clearly just what they are, why they are able to leave, and why God’s house wants to clear them out. Isn’t this a lesson worth learning? (Yes, it is.) And what is the lesson you’ve learned? What is it that you’ve understood? (We’ve learned how to be discerning and have understood that, deep within these people’s bones, they do not love the truth and feel averse toward the truth. They just muddle along in God’s house, and sooner or later they’ll be cleared out.) If you see things in this way, then it shows that you have learned the lesson.
Are you able to see how devils and Satan in the spiritual realm feel averse toward the truth and hate the truth? Are you able to see how devils and Satan defy God and blaspheme against God? Are you able to see what words, sayings, and methods devils and Satan use to attack God? Are you able to see what God allows devils and Satan to do, how they do it, and what their attitude is? (No.) You can’t see these things. Therefore, whatever God says is merely an imagining or a picture in your heart; it is not fact. Because you haven’t seen these things yourself, all you can do is rely on your imagination and imagine such a tableau or imagine some kind of deed. However, when you encounter these living devils and Satans wearing human skin, you practically come into contact with the speech and actions of devils and Satans, as well as the facts and evidence of their judging, attacking, defying, and blaspheming of God—you will see with absolute clarity their disposition which is averse to the truth and which hates the truth. These devils and Satans wearing human skin attack God in just the same way as devils and Satan in the spiritual realm attack God; they are completely the same, only the devils and Satans wearing human skin have adopted a different form to attack God—yet their essence remains the same. They wear human skin and change into humans but still they come to judge, attack, defy, and blaspheme against God. The way in which these devils and Satans in the flesh and nonbelievers judge, attack, and defy God, and how they pull down His work and disrupt church work is exactly the way in which devils and Satan in the spiritual realm do all these things. Therefore, when you see how devils and Satans in the world defy God, you are seeing how devils and Satan in the spiritual realm defy God—there is no difference at all. They come from the same source and possess the same nature essence, and that’s why they do the same things. Regardless of what form they take, they all do the same things. These devils and Satans wearing human skin, therefore, defy God and attack God, and exhibit extreme repulsion and resistance toward the truth, because of their nature, and because they cannot help it. Why do I say that they cannot help it? They appear to be human, living together with other humans, eating three square meals a day, studying human education and knowledge, with the same life skills and ways of living that other humans have; however, their inner spirit is not the same as that of other humans, nor is their essence. So, it is the essence, root, and source behind the views they hold and the things they are capable of that dictate what these people are. If they attack God and blaspheme against God, then they are devils, and not humans. In human skin, however good-sounding or correct the things they say are, their nature essence is that of devils. Devils can say things that sound good to mislead people, yet they don’t accept the truth at all, much less do they put it into practice—this is absolutely the case. Look at those evil people and antichrists and at those who defy and betray God—are they not this type of person? They are all capable of saying things which sound good, but they’re not capable of doing anything practical. They can show some respect and say good-sounding things to people with status and power, especially their immediate superiors, but when they come before God, they don’t even show the bare minimum of respect for the incarnate God. If you ask them to handle some matter for God, they really don’t want to, and even if they do it, they do it in a slipshod way. Why are they capable of treating God in this way? Is it the truth that has let them down? Has God let them down? Has God interacted with them before? The answer to these questions is no, and God has never even met them. So how come these people harbor this kind of attitude toward God and the truth? There is one reason, and that is that their nature essence is inherently in opposition to God. That’s why they cannot help but ridicule and blaspheme against God, and despise, judge, and attack God in their hearts, even doing so completely unscrupulously—this is decided by their nature essence. They do these things with hardly any effort, with the words spilling from their mouths, without consideration, unmindfully, these things just naturally pouring out. They can show respect to other people, to people with status and to ordinary people, but they utterly despise God and the truth. What are they? (Devils.) That’s right, they are devils, not humans, regardless of their age. Some people say, “Perhaps they’re just young and they don’t understand things.” You think they’re young and they don’t understand things, but when they go into the world and society and they see older people, they always address them properly. It’s only when they see God that they don’t address Him, saying instead, “Hey,” or “You there,” or just “You.” They don’t address God. They know to respect the old and care for the young in society, and they are civilized and polite. When they come before God, however, they’re not able to do these things and don’t understand how to honor Him. So, what are they? (Devils.) They’re devils, typical devils! They’re able to show respect and be polite to prestigious people in society, to those with status, to those they admire, and even to those from whom they can derive some benefit; it’s just that when they come before God, they show no respect or politeness at all, but instead they immediately resist, openly despising Him, and treating Him with a contemptuous attitude. What are they? They’re devils, typical devils! These nonbelievers, these people who infiltrate their way into God’s house and are then cleared out and struck off, are all this kind of person, one hundred percent. They resist and treat God contemptuously in this way, and when it comes to the duty that God requires people to perform, they even more so pay no heed to it. Regardless of their status in society, how educated they are, or what their age or gender is, their nature essence is the same. When they’re in the world and they encounter an official who asks them to do something, they can’t grovel on the ground and kowtow fast enough. They’re happy and willing to be the official’s slaves and will try to flatter them in the best way they can think of. If they get a handshake or an embrace from a celebrity or a president, they feel honored, and perhaps will never again wash their hands or change their clothes for as long as they live. They feel that these celebrities and great people are higher and greater even than God, and that’s why in their hearts they’re capable of despising God. No matter what God says or what work He does, these people don’t consider it worth mentioning. Not only do they consider it not worth mentioning, they also constantly want to get to work on God’s words and change them, add their own meaning to them, make them entirely accord with what they think—these are all people with problems with their nature essence. Tell Me, is it appropriate to allow these people who are of devils, or these people with the nature essence of devils, to remain in God’s house? (No, it isn’t.) No, it isn’t. They’re not the same as God’s chosen people: God’s chosen people belong to God, whereas these people belong to the devils and Satan.
What kind of people must gather together for them to be called a church? What kind of people are wanted in God’s house, and to what kind of people does God’s house belong? Tell Me. (People who truly believe in God and pursue the truth.) This is a little too severe. From where I’m standing, the lowest limit and minimum standard must be people who are willing to render service. They may have no love for the truth but that doesn’t mean they feel averse toward the truth, they do what God’s house asks them to do without question, and they are obedient and are able to submit. When it comes to the conditions for pursuing the truth, some people may think themselves to be lacking in caliber, they don’t enjoy doing it and are not that interested. They might think that it’s acceptable to listen to a sermon every now and then, and sometimes when they listen to a sermon, they fall asleep, and when they wake they wonder, “What was I just listening to? I’ve forgotten. I’d best get to work. It’s enough for me to just do my work.” They’re not unruly or disruptive, and they work hard at whatever work is arranged for them. They have a real air of sincerity about them and they’re like old workhorses—their owner just tells them to work, and whether it’s turning a millstone, pulling a plow, working in the fields, or pulling a cart, they always have a real air of sincerity about them and can complete tasks without causing any trouble. What is it that they think? “I’m told that I’m a service-doer, so I’ll render service. I’m not worth anything, I’m a lowly nobody. By rendering service for God, He exalts me, and I do not feel wronged at all.” You see, this is the attitude they have. So, people like this should be kept in God’s house. Even though they may have some faults, deficiencies, and bad habits, or they may be lacking in caliber or foolish, I can tolerate and include all these people; it is not a problem, and I give opportunities to these people. What opportunities? Do I give them the opportunity to render service or to attain salvation? Both, of course. As created beings, they’re willing to render service to God, to render service in God’s house, and it is their right to do so. Moreover, with this desire they have, they should be given the opportunity to attain salvation. Yet there are some who say, “But they don’t seek to attain salvation!” If they don’t seek to attain salvation, then that is their business, but at the very least, these people can be shown special favor and given the opportunity to attain salvation, and they have the chance to be saved. What do I mean by “they have the chance”? I mean that their caliber is lacking, they are a bit foolish, they can’t take on very big or important work in the performance of their duties but just do an ordinary duty, they don’t play a very important role in God’s house, they don’t take on any important jobs while God is expanding His work, and they make no great contribution; however, because they have this desire to be willing to render service to God, they are shown special favor and given the chance to be saved—this is the special favor they are granted. God gives many opportunities to every single person. Does God treat people fairly? (Yes.) Because no matter how weak they are, how lacking their caliber is, how foolish they are, they are members of the ordinary and corrupt human race; they just personally don’t pursue the truth very actively, but they’re still right as people. In the end, whether they’re able to gain the truth or attain salvation, as far as God is concerned, He bestows kindness on them and shows them special favor, for these people are made from a completely different mold from those nonbelievers and those devils who oppose God, and they have a different essence. Those people are devils and the enemies of God, whereas these people, despite seeking only to render service and settling for rendering service, have no resistance to God in their hearts. They will never actively attack God, judge God, or blaspheme against God and they harbor a positive and right attitude toward God, that is, they’re willing to render service to God, whether they’re able to attain salvation or not. Then there are some who are a little better than this, and who, during their time rendering service, are able to put some truths into practice as much as they’re able, who actively and positively seek some of the truth principles, and who strive to not go against the principles. This is the desire and the attitude they possess, and so God bestows kindness upon them. God does not treat them unfairly, He just doesn’t give up on them and always gives them opportunities. By the time God’s work comes to an end, if they’ve achieved submission to God and can escape the influence of Satan, then God will lead them into the kingdom—this is the destination they ought to have. God wants to save these people and He will not give up on them; as to how God will do this and fulfill these words, one day you will know. What is God’s attitude toward devils and Satans? (He feels averse toward them.) His attitude is that He feels averse toward them. Needless to say, He feels averse toward them. God uses devils and Satans to render service at the appropriate time and place, in the appropriate situation, and with the appropriate things, and once they have rendered service, they are kicked out without any consideration. Their nature essence which does not pursue the truth and which is averse to the truth is constantly being exposed in all manner of situations. God does not bestow kindness upon them, for God absolutely detests them and is extremely disgusted with them. These foolish people with poor calibers, some of which may even be muddled, however, are willing to render service to God, and they harbor the attitude and the determination of “wishing to render service to God and never regretting it.” In day-to-day life, therefore, God will always forgive their foolishness and tolerate their weakness, as well as protect them and watch over them. What do I mean when I say that God will protect them and watch over them? I mean that God will enlighten them regarding the literal meanings of the few truths they are able to comprehend and allow them to understand the truths they are able to comprehend; God is with them, bestowing peace and joy upon them, and when they encounter temptation, God will arrange suitable environments for them to protect them from it. What are the main temptations? There are many temptations: Marriage, improper relationships between males and females, money, status, fame and profit, reputation, as well as a good job and a good pay package, and so on—these are all temptations. And in what other ways does God protect people? He cures you of sickness to prevent you from suffering, He keeps you from being snared and attacked by evil people, and so on. Moreover, when you encounter some difficulties or some things that appear calamitous, God will arrange some people, events, and things to protect you from these calamities and difficulties, enabling you to smoothly render service to God in His house as you wish until the end—isn’t this a good thing? (Yes, it is.) So, to be able to have everything go smoothly and for everything to go as you wish, what does this come from? (God’s protection.) Correct, it comes from God’s protection, from God watching over you, and from God’s kindness. Those people who are of devils, however, cannot help but do devilish things. They make mistakes in everything they do, and they all harbor evil intentions. It’s normal for them to often fall into temptation; it’s exactly what they need, like a great rock that falls suddenly from the sky, hitting them on the head, crushing them, and then they’re dead. The people who are willing to render service to God will encounter these things, too, but with God’s miraculous protection, this disaster doesn’t befall them, it passes them by, and in their hearts, they say, “God is protecting me, it’s not my time to die!” God is keeping you alive as you are still useful to Him. God gave you your life, and since you’re willing to render service to Him and offer yourself up to Him, why would God not protect you? God will surely protect you. Does God want much from people? (No.) These people who are willing to render service to God actually aren’t very talented and their caliber isn’t that great; they have a limited understanding of the truth, to the point where they can only understand some words and doctrines and learn to speak like other people do. They simply aren’t able to grasp the truth principles, however, nor can they reach to pursuing the truth or attaining salvation. Their submission to God merely involves doing what they’re told by God’s house, and there is no way they can submit to the truth, that’s all. And so, because they are only ordinary corrupt human beings, and because they’re willing to render service to God, God does not discard them. Therefore, those people who are cleansed away are certainly nothing good. If you really are good people, if you really are people who have been selected by God, if you really have an attitude of submission to God, the desire and attitude to be willing to render service to God and never regret it, then God will absolutely never discard you, but instead will show you kindness. This will be a blessing to you, and God wants people like this. God wants people like this—they don’t pursue the truth and are unable to understand the truth because their caliber is lacking, yet they’re willing to render service to God. The other kind of people God wants are those who wish to pursue the truth, who love the truth, who love fairness and righteousness and positive things, who wish to submit to the truth, and who, once they have understood and comprehended the truth, once they have come to know and grasp the truth, are then able to obey, submit, and practice in accordance with the truth. Furthermore, these people have the determination to pursue the truth and attain salvation, and they have never doubted God. These people are, of course, those whom God loves and wishes to save. Are you able to meet this standard, however? And what will you do if you’re not able to meet it? At the very least, your attitude toward God and the truth must not be that of the devils and Satan, you must at least draw close to God’s standard of approval and must be willing to render service to God. If you consistently set yourself in opposition to God, act contrary to God, and if you’re always attacking God and blaspheming against Him in your heart, then you will find yourself in a troublesome and dangerous situation. You should be clear in your heart about what attitude you hold toward God, and you should categorize yourself according to the different types of people I’ve been talking about here.
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