Let’s summarize the characteristics of opportunists. Their first characteristic is that they do not take the matter of whether God exists very seriously. If you ask them whether God exists, they will say, “Probably. But it’s fine if he doesn’t. I’m just here to see exactly whether or not the prophecies that god made will come true, and whether or not the great disasters will come.” Within their thoughts and viewpoints, their attitude is that it doesn’t matter whether God exists or not. Isn’t it a joke for them to believe in God and join the church then? (Yes.) Their faith in God is a simple belief, it’s like a game, and it is unrelated to the truth or their life path. They actually don’t care whether God exists or not; it’s okay if He does, and it’s okay if He doesn’t. Some people refute them, saying God doesn’t exist, and they don’t get upset or hate such people. If people say God exists, they say, “If he exists, then he exists. Anyway, if you believe, then he exists; if you don’t, then he doesn’t.” This is their viewpoint. Are such people true believers? They’re disbelievers, aren’t they? (Yes.) Whether God exists or not is inconsequential to them, so is there sincerity in their belief in God? They cannot possibly be sincere. What is the first characteristic of opportunistic people? (They do not take the matter of whether God exists very seriously.) This is the first characteristic.

What is the second characteristic of opportunistic people? It is that they are not very earnest about distinguishing between positive and negative things. They do not discern which sayings, people, events, and things are positive and which are negative, and they do not take this seriously. For them, good things can be made out to be bad, and bad things can be made out to be good, just like the saying of nonbelievers, “A lie told a thousand times becomes the truth;” this saying is valid to them. If you ask them what the truth is, they will definitely not say that God’s words are the truth because they do not acknowledge this. What will they say? Their true viewpoint is that a lie told a thousand or ten thousand times will become the truth, meaning that if many people say something, they will believe it is true. It’s like how the nonbelievers say: “There was originally no path in the world, but as more people walked, a path formed.” They do not care about what is right or wrong, just or wicked; they believe that whoever has great ability is right, and whoever is useless and incompetent is negative. They will absolutely not acknowledge that all God says and does are positive things, nor will they acknowledge that what God requires people to live out are the realities of positive things. These people will even speak fallacies like, “You say god is the truth, and god’s words are the reality of all positive things. Does this mean there are no positive things in the world? Are there not positive things and truths in the world as well?” Isn’t this nonsense? Isn’t this a fallacy? (Yes.) These people do not take God’s words as the criterion for their words or actions. For example, when they express a fallacy and you rebut them, they will say, “You think you are right, and I think I am right, so let’s agree to disagree. Whatever one thinks is good, that is right.” What kind of viewpoint is this? Isn’t this just trying to gloss things over? (Yes.) This is a foolish and muddled viewpoint; these people are not earnest about distinguishing between positive and negative things. What does it mean to not be earnest about this? It means they cannot acknowledge from their hearts that all the positive things God speaks of are related to the truth, are in accordance with the truth, and come from God, and that the negative things God speaks of are contrary to the truth and come from Satan. They do not accept this fact and always want to blur the concepts. To avoid being discerned by others and being condemned, they are never earnest about distinguishing between positive and negative things, they never expose their true views, and always speak equivocally, never telling people what they really think. They say different things according to whom they’re talking to, completely adjusting to the situation as needed. These people, in all respects, are not interested in the truth or in the existence of God. This is the second manifestation of opportunistic people: They are not very earnest about distinguishing between positive and negative things.

What other characteristics do these opportunistic people have? These people will always choose whether they stay or leave based on how things develop, being particularly adept at adapting to circumstances. When they join the church, they have already made ample preparations for their exit strategy and their prospects, having planned every step. In their hearts they calculate and make plans about what to do if God’s words are fulfilled and what to do if they are not fulfilled after a certain number of years. This type of person never fully commits to church work after entering the church. Instead, they constantly observe the church’s development, the church’s attitude toward them and the way it treats them, and other factors to decide their next steps. Aren’t these people’s thoughts quite complicated? (Yes.) Although they have joined the church, they always hold a temporary perspective, like a contract worker, forever remaining in a state of “physically here but mentally elsewhere,” their minds occupied with schemes and plots. Their choice to believe in God and join the church is just a reluctant compromise, not a spiritual necessity or a desire to follow God and walk the right path of human life based on acknowledging the existence of God. They lack the faith for this. These people believe in God with a wait-and-see attitude, calculating in their hearts: “If believing in God brings me a hundredfold in this life, eternal life in the world to come, and the chance to be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven, then I’ll follow along and believe. If I can’t receive these, I’ll leave the church at any time and in any situation and stop believing.” They come to believe in God entirely in the opportunistic hope of gaining blessings. If they can’t receive blessings, they can abandon their duties at any time and in any situation and plot another path for themselves because their hearts have never been rooted in the church, nor have they truly chosen the path of believing in God and following God.

The main characteristics of these opportunistic people are these three: They do not take seriously whether God exists, they do not seriously distinguish positive and negative things, and they can leave the church at any time and in any situation. No matter how well the brothers and sisters treat them, as long as things do not align with their interests or meet their current needs, they can leave the church. But when they have nowhere to go, they choose to come back. After coming back, they still do not pursue the truth and might leave the church again at any time. What sort of wretch are they? Their coming and going appears so casual; they do not believe in God with sincerity. These are the characteristics of opportunistic people; in terms of their essence, they are disbelievers. Some people can persist in believing for three to five years, some can persist for eight or ten years, but their purpose is just to opportunistically seek blessings. Such people are not simple. They have even endured until now in the harsh, persecuted environment of mainland China—isn’t that a bit like “sleeping on brushwood and licking gall?” Some people can no longer persist after believing for ten years, so they complain: “It’s been ten years. My youth has been wasted in the church. If I had worked hard in the world for these ten years, how much money could I have earned? Maybe I would have become a manager, and I probably would have had so many assets.” They then become restless. They have believed in God for ten years solely to satisfy their meager curiosity and desire for blessings, but they have never pursued the truth. As a result, they have gained nothing. They regret believing in God, and they even scold themselves, saying, “You fool, you idiot! You didn’t take the broad, easy road but insisted on walking this arduous route. No one forced you; it was your own choice!” Some people can leave even after believing for ten years, leaving at the drop of a hat. After just getting by in society for two or three years, they find that society is not as smooth or easy to navigate as they imagined, and the world of nonbelievers is not as colorful and ideal as it seemed; it’s not easy for them to get by anywhere out in the world. After thinking it over, they find that the church is still better, so they shamelessly come back. When they return, they say, “Believing in God is good; nonbelievers are bad, always bullying people. There is too much suffering in the world. These years without reading God’s words, without living the church life, I fell into darkness, weeping and gnashing my teeth every day; I’ve been ground down to the point that I no longer resemble a human. It’s better to believe in God!” They proclaim that it’s better to believe in God, but actually it’s because they heard that there are too many disasters in this world, and humankind is soon to experience a great catastrophe. Having money, land, cars, and houses is useless; only those with faith can be saved. So, they come back to believe in God again. Is this not an opportunist? (Yes.) Opportunistic people can leave the church at any time. If they see that there is hope of gaining blessings by returning to the church, they can come back at any time too. After returning, they can say a few words of regret and express that they will never leave God again, but after seeing that things are calm and peaceful in the world and that they can still enjoy a few good days, they can leave the church again at any time. What do they regard God’s house and the church as? They regard it as a free market, coming and going as they please. Tell Me, if such people are cleared out or leave on their own, should the church accept them back if they want to return? (No.) They should not be accepted back. Accepting them back is a mistake and violates principles. These people do not meet the standards of church members. They can leave the church at any time, and in order to gain blessings they can worm their way back into the church at any time, but throughout this they never accept the truth. This proves that they are not true believers. Such people will forever be the targets of clearing out and expulsion. The church should clear them out and tell them: “Don’t be regretful. Once you’re gone, you can’t come back. The church will not open the door for you a second time. This is the principle.” Some people say: “They were foolish at the time, but now they behave very well. They’re as obedient as a little lamb, as pitiable as a homeless wanderer. Whenever they see the brothers and sisters, they express their regret and indebtedness, their eyes red from crying in remorse. They look very pitiful, and their attitude of confession is very good. Let’s let them come back.” Is there any sentence here that aligns with principles? (No.) Even after believing for three or even ten years, they can still leave the church resolutely and without hesitation. What sort of wretch are they? Are they true believers? (No.) Did they have any sincerity when they initially chose to follow God? No. If they had any sincerity at all, they would not be so determined to leave the church. Generally, one might at most have such thoughts when they are weak, despondent, or when things aren’t going well for them, but they would never resolutely decide to leave the church to find another way after believing in God for three, five, or even ten years. If they can leave the church at will, it shows that they were not sincere when they accepted the true way and joined the church in the beginning; they had ulterior motives and aims—there’s no other way to put it. Such people must be clearly discerned. They are not true believers. Their belief in God and following God is for the opportunistic hope of gaining blessings. Such people are defined as opportunists and, once discerned, should be cleared out of the church. If they do not leave the church and continue to take advantage of the situation for their personal gain within the church, then that is because no one is able to discern what they are. However, through today’s fellowship on the various manifestations of these opportunists, leaders and workers and God’s chosen people should have a clear understanding and discernment of such people. Once it is discovered that they never read God’s words or pray to God, are not interested in God’s work or the truths God expresses, are not interested in positive things, and do not take them seriously, then they should be closely guarded against. It is necessary to observe their motives and purpose in believing in God, and ascertain their attitude toward the church, their attitude toward the truth, and their attitude toward God. If it is evident that they do not have a correct attitude, are particularly indifferent toward pursuing the truth and doing duty, not showing any interest whatsoever, and they always hold a skeptical attitude toward God’s words, then it can be confirmed that these people are opportunists and disbelievers. In that case, they should not be considered brothers or sisters; they are not part of the church. Rather, they should be cleared out of the church. They have believed for years and still do not accept the truth; could it be useful to continue fellowshipping the truth with them? Would it be realistic to continue waiting for them to repent? Do not work on such people anymore, and do not wait for them to repent. If they are not willing to do their duty and still want to drag out their stay in the church without leaving, then the church leaders should find a way to wisely isolate them. Is this appropriate? (Yes.) Once these people are discerned as opportunists, they are already classified among the ranks of various evil people and disbelievers. Since they are evil people and disbelievers, they meet the principles and conditions for being cleared out or expelled from the church. Clearing them out early is definitely better than clearing them out late. Clearing them out early avoids many troubles, and they don’t need to feel aggrieved anymore. You should clearly tell such people: “You don’t need to keep calculating in your heart when to leave or how to leave, and you don’t need to keep calculating whether you stay or leave. God’s house and God do not force people; if you want to leave, the church will not try to urge you to stay. But there is one thing that must be made clear to you: If you are sure that you are not a person of God’s house and you are not willing to be a member of the church, then leave as soon as possible; don’t delay. This is for everyone’s good. If you believe in the existence of God, can accept God’s words as the truth, and are genuinely willing to join the church, then you are rightfully a member of the church. But now, you are not. You came for opportunism, and maybe you don’t know this yourself, but we have discerned—according to God’s words, the truth, and the principles of the church in dealing with all kinds of people—that you are an opportunist. You keep calculating the right time to leave the church; this is such a bother. You don’t need to find the right time; you can leave now. If you are always uncertain about the appearance and work of God, then I tell you clearly now: You don’t need to ponder or scrutinize things anymore, you don’t have to keep making things hard for yourself—you can leave the church now, the door of God’s house is open, and God’s house will not retain you, it does not force people.” Is it appropriate to do this? (Yes.) Give them a “way out”; don’t let them suffer torments here every day like ants on a hot pan, constantly tormented by their feelings, their flesh, their prospects, and the issue of staying or leaving. No matter how much they are tormented by these things, it never leads to anything. They are still pondering in their hearts when to leave, how to leave, whether they will suffer losses and misfortune if they leave early, and whether they can receive blessings if they stay longer. What if they leave and then God’s words are fulfilled? What if they don’t leave and God’s words remain unfulfilled? There is no need for them to constantly worry and be anxious about these things. Since they are not believing in God with genuine willingness, they should leave as soon as possible. They shouldn’t stay here trying to take advantage of the situation for their personal gain, pretending to be something they are not. Tell Me, is it good to advise them like this and handle it this way? (Yes.) Is it excessive to classify opportunists among the various evil people to be cleared out or expelled? (No.) Some people say: “How can people like this be considered evil people?” How many good ones are there among disbelievers? In God’s eyes, the disposition essence of those who believe in God and acknowledge God’s existence is considered evil, let alone those who totally do not believe in God and do not acknowledge God’s existence. So is it excessive to classify them as evil people? (No.) In any case, they are still at least being called people—evil people. It’s already good enough that they’re not being classified as evil demons. Classifying them among evil people is entirely appropriate and fitting; it is not excessive at all. Such evil people are also one of the various types of people to be cleared out or expelled by God’s house. This is the fourth type of disbeliever, whose purpose for believing in God is opportunistic.

What are the main characteristics of opportunists? Through your interactions with these people and observing the dispositions, viewpoints, attitudes, or humanity they reveal, what main characteristics have you found? Summarize them. (Opportunists do not initially come to believe in God to pursue the truth. They hear that The Church of Almighty God is thriving, so they only come to believe in God with the hope of getting some benefits and blessings from God’s house, seeking profit. And if they don’t receive these things after a while, they want to leave. These people do not sincerely believe in God and are not interested in believing in God at all.) What is the biggest problem with opportunists? The main issue is that they are not interested in the truth but are most interested in gaining blessings, so it is the hardest for them to accept the truth. Some people say: “You can’t clear out or expel them just because they are not interested in the truth, right?” These people’s lack of interest in the truth is mainly shown in that they never read God’s words or fellowship the truth. If they hear someone fellowshipping the truth and talking about knowing oneself, or seeking the truth to solve problems, they feel a particular aversion in their hearts and are completely uninterested, and they start to doze off. They are extremely averse to these things, and even use idle talk, talking about disasters, and discussing God displaying signs and wonders to disturb others from fellowshipping the truth. As a result, some who do not pursue the truth get excited when they hear these topics and join in the discussion. Isn’t this blatantly disturbing church life? They rarely read God’s words in their daily life, and when they occasionally do, it’s probably because there’s something bothering them inside. They are not interested in gatherings, in eating and drinking God’s words, or in fellowshipping God’s words. They only concern themselves with: “When will God’s day come? When will the great disaster end? When can we enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of heaven?” They are always wondering about these things. If no one discusses these topics, they go online to search, and after searching, they start spreading these things during gatherings. Their hearts are inundated with these things. As long as they hear others fellowshipping about topics they are interested in, they can chime in and join the fellowship. But as soon as they hear content related to the truth or God’s words, they don’t want to listen. They start dozing off, and some even leave, while others start fidgeting—they display all sorts of ugly expressions. You say, “Let’s fellowship God’s words.” They say, “I’m thirsty, I need to drink some water.” You say, “Let’s fellowship about knowing oneself,” or “Let’s fellowship about the details of doing duties; let’s see what God’s words say about this, and what the truth principles are.” They say, “I have something to do. I’m gonna head out. Enjoy your chat.” They find all sorts of excuses to decline and refuse fellowshipping God’s words and the truth. This clearly exposes the fact that not only do they not love the truth, but they are also averse to and resist the truth from the depths of their hearts. Whenever God’s words, the truth are mentioned, they don’t openly oppose or argue, but find various excuses to refuse and avoid them. Can’t these behaviors clearly show that they are opportunists? Doesn’t it clearly indicate that they are disbelievers, believing in God for a certain purpose, for opportunism? (Yes.) Some people say: “You say they are disbelievers and not sincerely following God, so why are they able to believe until now and still exert themselves and endure hardship for the church’s work?” Aren’t the behaviors we just mentioned enough to answer this question? These behaviors are enough to prove that our discernment and categorization of them is accurate. Therefore, to measure whether a person’s purpose for believing in God is opportunistic, you should measure and discern it based on their attitude toward God, God’s work, the truth, and toward positive and negative things. This is the most accurate. It is not accurate and not objective to measure it by their outward behavior and actions. Only their true inner thoughts and their attitude toward God and the truth reveal the issues; only these are the most accurate standards for determining what kind of person they are. Now, are you basically clear on the essence of those whose purpose for believing in God is opportunistic? Have you all encountered some people like this? (Yes.) It is better for such people to leave as soon as possible. If they are genuinely willing to render service, then they can be reluctantly kept. However, if they do not do their duties and cannot render any service, but cause disturbances to and have a negative impact on the church’s work and church life, then they should be made to leave as soon as possible. This is the principle for clearing out disbelievers. God’s house needs people who sincerely believe in God and love the truth; it needs loyal service-doers. It absolutely does not need disbelievers or those who hesitantly observe to make up the numbers. The church also does not need anyone to make up the numbers. We will end our fellowship on this topic here.