Item Nine: They Do Their Duty Only to Distinguish Themselves and Feed Their Own Interests and Ambitions; They Never Consider the Interests of God's House, and They Even Sell Out Those Interests, Trading Them for Personal Glory (Part Four) Section Three

2. Exploiting Brothers and Sisters to Labor in Their Service

The benefits antichrists strive to obtain when doing their duty are not limited to what we’ve already discussed—money, material objects, food, and things of use—the scope of these benefits is very large. For example, when antichrists do a duty, they exploit brothers and sisters in the name of doing that duty, getting them to labor in their service, and ordering them about—is this not a benefit which antichrists strive to obtain? (It is.) Some people always do everything themselves at home before they become church leaders, and they appear to have no ambitions or ill intents. However, once they are elected to be church leaders and gain status, do they still do everything themselves? They think they’re different once they gain status, that they should have special treatment in God’s house, and must learn how to mobilize the “power of the masses” in order to jointly accomplish their own “duty”; every job in their home becomes work that falls within the church’s remit, and they share out their household chores and daily tasks among the brothers and sisters. For instance, when they have some job that needs doing in their home, they tell the brothers and sisters, “I’ve been busy with the church work these last couple of days. Do any of you have the time to help me with a job?” Three or five people volunteer and, after a bit of time, the job is done. These leaders think, “Many hands make light work. It’s good to be a leader, I just have to say something and it gets done. Whenever I have something that needs doing at home in the future, I’ll get the brothers and sisters to help me.” As this goes on, they don’t get much of the work of church leaders done, but they do an awful lot of arranging people to go work for their own home, and they even put this on the schedule—what “busy” church leaders they are! They never have that much to do at home before they become leaders, yet after they do, there are many more jobs to perform at home. Some brothers and sisters plant crops for them, some water the land for them, some plant vegetables for them, some do weeding, some apply fertilizer, and some help them out by selling their vegetables and then give them all the money they take in, without keeping a penny for themselves. After they become church leaders, their home life flourishes; no matter what they do, people always support and help them, and their every word is very effective. They feel so happy and pleased, and they increasingly think, “This title of church leader is great, and having status is fantastic. If I’m ever short of food at home, I just have to say the word and people give food to me, and they don’t even want money for it. What a comfortable life this is! I’m really being blessed by god because of my belief. This is a great blessing, and it really is god’s grace! God is so great; thanks be to god!” Whenever someone is done serving them or being ordered about by them, they always “give thanks to god” and “accept it from god.” These insignificant church leaders can use their position to this extent—could you do this? Would you be capable of doing something like this? Why do people compete to become leaders? Why do they compete for status? If there were no advantage to be gained, would anyone compete for status? If the status they competed for meant toiling and working like a workhorse, then no one would bother. It’s precisely because there are so many advantages to be gained from having status that people bust their guts to grab it and compete for it. Being an insignificant church leader brings them such great benefits, and it brings such great conveniences and so many advantages to their life—what kind of person behaves this way? Are they someone who pursues the truth? Are they someone with humanity and conscience? Are they someone with a God-fearing heart? (No.) They believe that they act as a church leader for everyone and for God’s house, and they don’t think of it as a duty. They believe that any work they do as a church leader is done on the basis of them sacrificing their home life, so the brothers and sisters should compensate them for the price they pay. If they don’t have time to do housework, then the brothers and sisters should help them do it; if they don’t have time to work in the fields, then the brothers and sisters should appear in their fields and do the work for them as if they were duty-bound to do so. No matter what they’ve given up due to being a church leader, the brothers and sisters should compensate them double for it. These are some of the things that antichrists use brothers and sisters to serve them in and order brothers and sisters to do for their own personal life while they are doing their duty. Once an antichrist becomes a leader, they absolutely will not let such an opportunity pass them by and they absolutely will not stand by and watch these advantages slip through their fingers. Instead, they do the exact opposite: They use every moment and grasp every opportunity to use brothers and sisters to labor for them, and to get them to work for them like beasts of burden. They exploit the foolishness and honesty of the brothers and sisters, and they even exploit the mentality of the brothers and sisters to willingly do their duties and pay a price for God, to get them to serve them. Meanwhile, they also pretend that some words are the truth and use them to educate the brothers and sisters, so that they learn this idea: Leaders are human, too, leaders have families, too, and leaders must live their lives, too, and if a leader has no time to handle their household matters, then the brothers and sisters should regard these matters as their own duties; they shouldn’t need the leader to ask them to do these things, but should actively and voluntarily do these things which the leader is not able to do. Many brothers and sisters serve these leaders willingly under this kind of bewitchment and inducement. This is the aim antichrists wish to achieve by seizing power and status, and it is one of the tasks that they wish to carry out and one of the benefits they wish to strive for by seizing power and status. Are there many people like this? (Yes.) These people are Satans. People who are without the truth and who don’t follow the right path are capable of such things, even if they only have a speck of status—are these people pitiful? What do you think of their character? Do they have any conscience or reason?

In some churches, there are brothers and sisters who don’t usually stay in their own homes, but instead stay in their church leader’s home for a long time. Why do they often stay in their leader’s home? Because ever since the leader took on the position of “leader,” their home became in need of a long-term housekeeper. They select a sister, and this sister becomes the dedicated housekeeper for the leader’s home. This sister becomes a housekeeper, and so what does her duty become? She isn’t doing the work that falls to her or work related to the church but is instead waiting on all generations of the leader’s family in their everyday lives, and she feels that it is completely justified for her to be taking care of household chores for the leader, and doesn’t have any complaints or notions about this. Who is the problem here? No matter how much work a church leader has to do or how many people they lead, are they really so busy? Can they really not get by in their everyday lives? Even if they can’t, then that’s their own business. What’s it got to do with anyone else? If brothers and sisters are inattentive or idle, such leaders give them attitude and take advantage of this to “fellowship on the truth” with them, and because of this matter the brothers and sisters get pruned—what is happening here? When the bedding in their home is dirty, the brothers and sisters have to wash it, when their home is untidy, the brothers and sisters have to tidy it up, and the brothers and sisters have to cook at mealtimes; these leaders become loafers, and this is how they act as leaders. When such people have these manifestations and this kind of humanity, are they capable of pursuing the truth? (No.) Why not? (Such people are too lacking in humanity and are too despicable. They simply will not be interested in the truth.) If they won’t be interested in the truth, why do they become leaders? (They do so in order to pursue reputation and status, and to showcase themselves.) You can’t explain it clearly, can you? What kind of people can exploit brothers and sisters to get them to labor in their service? Isn’t this one of the obvious characteristics of antichrists? Seeking only their own benefits in all things, being concerned only with their own gain and loss, and not considering whether acting in this way accords with the truth, whether there is humanity in it, whether it pleases God, whether the brothers and sisters can derive any benefit or edification from it—they don’t consider these things, but consider only their own gain and loss, and whether they can obtain tangible benefits. This is the path followed by antichrists, and it is the character of antichrists. This is one type of person who possesses status. Some people have no status and do ordinary duties, and when they gain some qualifications, they also want to get others to serve them. Some people do a few risky duties and also want to order others to serve them. There are also some who do special duties and who regard their duties as a basic condition, a bargaining chip, and as a kind of capital with which to get brothers and sisters to serve them. For instance, some people know special professional skills which others haven’t learned or grasped. When they start doing a duty in God’s house related to these professional skills, they think they’re different from other people, that they’re being put in an important position in God’s house, that they’re now in the upper echelons, and they especially feel that their worth has doubled, and that they’re respectable. Consequently, they think that there are certain tasks they don’t need to do themselves, that it’s only natural to order others to serve them without remuneration when it comes to such daily tasks as bringing them food or doing their laundry. There are even some who use the excuse that they’re busy with their duty to get the brothers and sisters to do this or that for them. Apart from the things they absolutely must do themselves, everything else that they can make others serve them in or order others to carry out, they get other people to do. Why is this? They think, “I have capital, I’m respectable, I’m a rare talent in god’s house, I do a special duty, and I’m a primary recipient of god’s house cultivation. None of you are as good as me, you’re all on a lower level than me. I can make a special contribution to god’s house, and you can’t. Therefore, you should serve me.” Aren’t these excessive and shameless demands? Everyone harbors these demands in their hearts, but of course antichrists ruthlessly and shamelessly demand these things even more, and no matter how you fellowship on the truth with them, they won’t give them up. Ordinary people possess these manifestations of antichrists, too, and if they have a little talent or make some slight contribution, they believe they’re entitled to enjoy some special treatment. They don’t wash their own clothes and socks and get others to do this for them, and they make some unreasonable demands that go against humanity—they’re so lacking in reason! These ideas and demands people have are not within the realm of rationality; to first look at the bottom end of the scale, they do not accord with the standards of humanity and conscience, and at the top end of the scale, they do not accord with the truth. These manifestations can all be put in the category of antichrists striving for their own benefits. Everyone who possesses corrupt dispositions is capable of doing these things, and they dare to do them, too. If someone has a bit of talent and capital and makes some contribution, they then want to exploit others, they want to use the opportunity of doing their duty to strive for their own benefits, they want to have things ready-made for them and to enjoy the happiness and treatment that come from ordering others to serve them. There are even some who give up their families and jobs to do their duty, and during this time they develop some minor illness and consequently get emotional, and complain that no one is concerned about them or looking after them. You’re doing your duty for yourself, you’re doing your own duty and fulfilling your own responsibility—what does this have to do with other people? Whatever duty one does, it is never done for someone else or in the service of someone else, and so no one is under any obligation to serve others without recompense or to be ordered around by others. Is this not the truth? (It is.) Although God requires that people be loving, and that they be patient and tolerant toward others, one cannot subjectively require others to be this way, and to do so is unreasonable. If someone can be tolerant and patient toward you and show you love without you demanding this, then that’s up to them. However, if brothers and sisters serve you because you demand it of them, if they are forcibly ordered about and exploited by you, or serve you on the basis of you hoodwinking them into it, then there’s a problem with you. Some even take advantage of the opportunity to do their duty and often use it as an excuse to extort things from certain wealthy brothers and sisters, getting them to buy this or that and provide services for them. For example, if they need some more clothes, they say to a brother or sister, “You can make clothes, can’t you? Go and make me something to wear.” That brother or sister says, “Get your wallet out then. You buy the material and I’ll make you something.” They don’t get their money out but instead coerce the brother or sister into buying the material for them—isn’t the nature of this act deceptive? Exploiting the relationship between brothers and sisters, exploiting their own capital, exploiting the opportunity to do their duty to demand all kinds of services and treatment from brothers and sisters, to order brothers and sisters to labor for them—these are all the manifestations of antichrists’ inferior character. Can such people pursue the truth? Can they change at all? (No.) Hearing Me fellowship in this way, perhaps some people will realize that it’s bad to do these things and be able to rein themselves in a bit, but is reining themselves in the equivalent of being able to seek and practice the truth? Reining oneself in is just coming to a realization, and having regard for one’s image and vanity. After hearing Me make this dissection, these people see the severity of the problem and realize that they can’t slip up again, and that they’ll be exposed and rejected if they allow the brothers and sisters to discern them. Their realization extends only to this point, but their desires and greed cannot be removed from their hearts.

Some people think, “I exert effort for god’s house, I’ve made so many contributions to god’s house, I do a duty in which no one can replace me. When I have needs, the brothers and sisters and god’s house are duty-bound to lend me a helping hand to meet my requirements. At all times, they should serve me unconditionally and without recompense.” Isn’t this a shameful way to think? Isn’t this a manifestation of low character? For instance, everyone gets sick sometimes, but when some people do, they never go around telling other people about it, but instead continue to do their duties as they should. No one knows or cares about them, and they don’t complain privately or delay their duties. Yet, some people pretend to be sick even when they’re not, they act like empresses or nobles, trying all means to get people to wait on them, and doing everything possible to obtain special treatment. They pretend to be sick when they’re not, and if they actually do get sick, then that’s even more bothersome, as who knows then how many people will suffer at their hands and be ordered all over the place by them. It’s a misfortune that falls on everyone when such a person gets sick; some make them chicken soup, some give them a massage, some feed them, and some help them to walk—don’t many people suffer? (Yes.) Originally it was just an ordinary, minor illness, but they have to pretend that it is a serious, terminal illness—why do they have to pretend? They do it to trick brothers and sisters into rendering service for them, into waiting on them and serving them. Aren’t these people shameful? (Yes.) Are there many people like this? Aren’t you all like this? (I haven’t recognized this in myself yet.) If you haven’t recognized this that proves you ordinarily don’t examine your behavior in your daily life, you don’t examine your thoughts and nature essence, and you don’t accept God’s scrutiny. Some people get a bit more tired while doing their duties and lose a bit of sleep at night, and they make out like this is a terrible situation. When they get up the next morning, they moan, “I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I’ve been so busy with my duty these last couple of days that I’ve been too tired to sleep. Hurry up and get someone to give me a massage!” In fact, they slept for six hours. Whatever issues they have, they always push the blame for them onto their duty; whether they’re tired, they’re suffering, or they’re sick and feel uncomfortable, they always blame these things on their duty. Why do they blame their duty? It’s just about gaining some advantages, making everyone sympathize with them, and then they can be justified in asking people to serve and wait on them. What kind of things are these people who always want to act like emperors and empresses and to get others to wait on them? These people are of low character and they’re disgusting. When some people feel a little unwell, and occasionally can’t stomach any food, they make out like it’s desperately serious, they make a tremendous fuss, and immediately find someone to give them a massage. When the massage hurts them a tiny bit, they cry out and yell loudly, the meaning being: “Even receiving a massage involves suffering for me. If god doesn’t give me a reward and make me perfect, then I’ll really be losing out!” When they endure a little suffering and pay a little price, they want to announce it to the whole world so that everyone on earth knows. Don’t you do your duty for yourselves? Don’t you do your duty before God? What are you announcing your suffering to people for? Isn’t that superficial? Such people are of low character and they are so disgusting! In what other ways are these people lowly? They also display some special habits and quirks, hoping to let people know that they are different from everyone else, and very precious and in need of great care and protection. For example, when someone says that they don’t have a good appetite and can’t eat anything, a person like this will clutch at their belly and say they have a bad stomach too, but they are persisting in doing their duty, and order somebody to hurry and bring them some stomach medicine. There was also someone to whom I said, “You see, I can only eat small portions, and My stomach has an intolerance to cold foods and drinks.” When this person heard Me say this, they replied, “Your stomach has an intolerance to cold things? Mine too.” I said, “How is your stomach intolerant to cold things?” They said, “As soon as I get cold, my tummy hurts; it has an intolerance to cold things.” As they said this, they peeled a banana and wolfed it down in a few bites. I said, “Your stomach must really have an incredible intolerance to cold things, with you scoffing down that banana in a few bites. Does your stomach really have an intolerance to cold things?” Aren’t such people shameless and without rationality? If a person lacks rationality and a sense of shame in their normal humanity, they are not human at all, but are a beast. Beasts can’t understand the truth, and they don’t possess the integrity, dignity, conscience, and reason of normal humanity. Because these people have no shame or dignity, when they do a little bit of a duty and endure some bit of hardship, they want to announce it to the whole world so that everyone acknowledges their efforts, looks up to them with new admiration, and so that God gives them special treatment, treats them kindly and blesses them. At the same time, someone must immediately serve them, respond to their demands, and be on call for them. When they’re thirsty, someone has to pour tea for them; when they’re hungry, someone has to serve them food. They must always have someone serving them, doing what they say, and meeting their needs. It’s as if their flesh had been born for someone else, and they inherently need someone to wait on them; it’s as though they lack the ability to take care of themselves if no one waits on them, and are disabled. When they don’t have anyone to tell what to do, or to order to labor in their service, they feel lonely and empty, and that life has no meaning or hope. When they find an opportunity and an excuse to get others to serve and wait on them, they feel satisfied and happy, as though they’re living on cloud nine. They think life is this wonderful, faith in God is this wonderful, that this is the meaning of faith in God, and that this is how a believer ought to believe in God. Their understanding of a duty is that it’s about exerting effort and fulfilling their responsibilities on the basis of having others serve them and being able to freely order others about—this is their duty. They believe they should always receive a reward for their duty, that they must always be obtaining something and trying to get something. If they’re not trying to get money or material things, then they’re trying to get fleshly pleasures and joys, and at the very least their flesh should be in a state of delight and comfort, and then they’ll feel happy, then they’ll have the energy to do their duty and will be able to do it with some loyalty. Do such people have a distorted understanding of the truth, or do they just not accept the truth because of their inferior character? (They have inferior character, so they don’t accept the truth.) These people are disbelievers through and through, the filial progeny of antichrists, and the embodiment of antichrists.

There are some actors in God’s house who enjoyed performing and liked the profession of acting when they were out in the world, but weren’t able to achieve their ambitions there. Now they’ve come to God’s house and finally their wishes have come true: They can work in the profession they like, their hearts are filled with indescribable joy, and at the same time they thank God for giving them this opportunity. One of these people ended up being fortunate enough to clinch a main role, and then they felt that they were a person with standing and worth, and that they should do something for the sake of their standing and worth. They looked at what celebrities and stars in the world did, how they acted, what their style was, and what kind of lifestyle they had, and they copied and imitated them, believing that this was living a life of quality and nobility. So, from the moment they got the main role and became a “star,” they began to put on airs. To what extent did they put on airs? There was once a minor incident that can explain this problem. When everyone on the crew was ready to start filming, an eyebrow of this particular “star” hadn’t been drawn on well, and everyone had to wait for them, revolve around them, and serve them. Ten minutes went by, then twenty minutes, and the star felt their eyebrow hadn’t been drawn on very well, so they got the make-up artist to wipe it off and draw it on again. An hour went by, and all the cast and crew were waiting for this “star” to have their eyebrow drawn on well before they could start filming—everyone had to serve this person and revolve around them. What kind of person is this? Are they a normal person? Are they someone with humanity? No. They are a person of Satan’s camp, they are of Satan, and they are not someone of God’s house. Does God’s house have stars in it? God’s house does not have stars in it, only brothers and sisters; there are only different duties, there is no differentiation between high and low positions. So, on what basis did this one person make the brothers and sisters wait for them? One thing is for sure, they thought they were more important than other people, that their duty was more weighty than other people’s, that the performance couldn’t be filmed without them, and that without them, other people would be doing their duties for nothing. That’s why everyone else had to serve them, pay a price and exercise patience in order to wait for them, and no one should complain. Apart from lacking humanity, where do people like this get the principles for acting in this way? Do their principles come from the truth and from God’s words, or do they come from human corrupt dispositions? (Human corrupt dispositions.) Not only do those who come from Satan’s camp have the corrupt dispositions of Satan, but their actions, behavior, and manifestations within groups of people are also detestable. Why are they detestable? They always want to take hold of a situation, manipulate other people, and get other people to revolve around them and make them the central figure. In doing this, they are clearly placing themselves in a position higher than everyone else; they want to tower above and control everyone else. Is this something people ought to do? (No.) Who does this? (Satan.) This is something Satan does. Among the truths where God requires people to do their duties, is there any requirement for people to take hold of a situation and control everyone’s thoughts and behavior while doing their duties? (No.) So where does this come from? This is a satanic nature that people are born with. People are Satans and they have possessed this nature since birth. There is no need for them to learn it, they don’t need anyone to teach it to them, and no matter how you fellowship on the truth with them, they won’t let go of this thing. There was also someone who had a few stray hairs that hadn’t been tidied into place before they took to the stage to give their performance. In terms of their appearance, they looked fine, yet they wouldn’t get onto the stage to perform on time; no matter how much the brothers and sisters urged them to, it was all to no avail. They regarded themselves as a star, as a leading light; they made everyone pay a price and expend their time for the sake of these few strands of hair, and everyone had to serve them alone. Is this a manifestation someone with normal humanity ought to have? What is the nature of this act? Were they not putting on airs? They were not being responsible and they were deaf to all reason. As far as they were concerned, no one’s duty was as important as theirs, and everyone had to serve them. They thought, “If it takes a whole day to blow-dry these two strands of hair into place, then you’ll have to wait for me for a whole day; if it takes two days, then you’ll have to wait for two days; and if it takes a lifetime, then you’ll have to wait for a lifetime. What of the work and interests of god’s house—my interests come first! If I can’t blow-dry my hair into place, then won’t my image be hurt when I go in front of the camera? My image is so important. The interests of god’s house mean nothing!” What kind of thing is this person? This kind of person would also say, “I love god, I bear witness to god, I do my duty for god, and I forsake everything.” Isn’t this all a lie? They can’t let go of something like blow-drying a hair or two, so what can they let go of? What can they forsake? All of their forsaking is fake! People like this are totally irrational, they are without conscience, and they are of inferior character, and they fall even shorter of loving the truth. Since their humanity isn’t up to par, no one will speak of the truth with them, they aren’t worthy of it, and their character isn’t up to par. And with such a base humanity, wouldn’t speaking of the truth with them be like speaking of the truth with a pig or a dog? When they have some human likeness and can speak like a human being, then people will speak of the truth with them, but right now they don’t deserve it. There are plenty of people like this, there are quite a few. So, why do some people not manifest these things? It’s because they haven’t yet seized an opportunity; it’s only because their caliber and talent are so ordinary, and they haven’t had the chance to get into the limelight and haven’t obtained some capital, but in their hearts, they are scheming, their plans are still in the gestation state. That’s why they haven’t shown this kind of revelation. Not having this revelation, however, doesn’t mean that they don’t have this nature. If you don’t pursue the truth and you follow the path of antichrists, then sooner or later a day will come when you let this revelation slip out. You are you, and to be without humanity is to be without humanity; you cannot become someone with humanity by pretending or because you have no talent and are of poor caliber. There is therefore only one path: When a person can accept the truth and accept being pruned, then their character can be improved somewhat. When they can face these facts, approach these facts correctly, and are then able to frequently examine and check their own behavior and innermost heart, they can then become better and restrain themselves a bit. What purpose can be achieved by restraining oneself a bit? You won’t embarrass yourself so much, your reputation will get a little better, people won’t be disgusted by you, God won’t detest you, and in this way you may yet have a chance to be saved by God. Isn’t this the bare minimum of reason a human being should possess? Isn’t it easy for someone with a modicum of conscience and reason to practice and enter like this?

When you hear Me talking to you about such people, you feel quite at ease, but if I speak about certain people among you, how would you feel then? Would you react normally? Let Me tell you, if you want to achieve dispositional change and enter the truth reality, you must pass one test after another. Don’t underestimate these matters; if your humanity isn’t up to par, then not only will brothers and sisters be disgusted with you, but God won’t perfect you or save you, either. The most basic conditions for God to save someone is for that person to possess humanity, reason, and conscience, and they must know shame. When someone like this comes before God and hears His words, God will illuminate, lead, and guide them. People who do not possess humanity, conscience, reason, or a sense of shame will forever be unqualified to come before God. Even if you listen to sermons and know some doctrines, you’ll still not be enlightened, and so you will forever be unable to enter the truth reality. If you’re not able to enter the truth reality, then it doesn’t take much to realize that your hopes of attaining salvation are zero. If you possess only these manifestations of antichrists and the disposition and essence of antichrists, and you have none of the manifestations of normal humanity which God requires you to have, then you’re in great danger. If you can match yourself to every one of these manifestations and essences of antichrists that I am exposing, along with their actions and revelations, if you possess them all to a greater or lesser extent, then this is very dangerous for you. If you still do not pursue the truth and wait until you are classified as an antichrist, then you’ll be totally finished. Which is a mortal sickness: Having an antichrist’s essence or an antichrist’s disposition? (Having an antichrist’s essence.) Is it? (Yes.) Think about it carefully, and then answer again. (Having an antichrist’s essence and having an antichrist’s disposition are both mortal sicknesses.) Why is that? (Because people with the essence of an antichrist won’t pursue the truth, and the same goes for people with the disposition of an antichrist. No matter what issue they encounter, people with the disposition of an antichrist never focus on pursuing the truth, and they don’t even have the bare minimum of humanity and reason; people like this are incapable of gaining the truth, and they cannot attain salvation either—this is also a mortal sickness.) Who else would like to speak? (My understanding is that neither of these two is mortal sickness, but if someone doesn’t pursue the truth, then that is the mortal sickness.) This is a good take on it. However, there is a precondition to this, which is the essence of an antichrist—those people who possess the essence of an antichrist simply do not pursue the truth, they are disbelievers—possessing the essence of an antichrist is the most dangerous thing. What is meant by an antichrist’s essence? It means that these people simply don’t pursue the truth; they pursue only status, they are inherently the enemies of God, they are antichrists, they are the embodiment of Satan, they are devils from birth, they are without humanity, they are materialists, they are standard disbelievers, and such people are averse to the truth. What does “averse to the truth” mean? It means that they don’t believe God is the truth, they don’t acknowledge the fact that God is the Creator, much less do they acknowledge the fact that God holds sovereignty over all things and everything. So, when such people are given the chance to pursue the truth, can they do it? (No.) Because they can’t pursue the truth, and because they are forever the enemies of the truth and the enemies of God, they will never be able to gain the truth. To be forever unable to gain the truth is a mortal sickness. And all those who possess an antichrist’s disposition share, in terms of disposition, similarities with those who possess an antichrist’s essence: They display the same manifestations, the same revelations, and even the way they display these manifestations and revelations, their mode of thinking, and their notions and imaginings about God are all the same. However, for the people who possess an antichrist’s disposition, regardless of whether they can accept the truth and acknowledge the fact that God is the Creator, so long as they don’t pursue the truth, then their antichrist’s disposition becomes a mortal sickness, and it is because of this that their outcome will be the same as those with an antichrist’s essence. Yet there are luckily some among those with an antichrist’s disposition who possess humanity, reason, conscience, and a sense of shame, who love positive things, and who possess the conditions to be saved by God. Because they pursue the truth, these people achieve dispositional change, cast off their corrupt dispositions, and cast off their antichrist’s disposition, so their antichrist’s disposition is no longer a mortal sickness for them, and there is a possibility of them being saved. In what circumstance can it be said that possessing an antichrist’s disposition is a mortal sickness? There is a prerequisite to this, which is that although these people acknowledge God’s existence, believe in God’s sovereignty, believe in and acknowledge everything God says, and can do their duties, there is one thing amiss: They never practice the truth or pursue the truth. So their antichrist’s disposition becomes fatal for them, and it can take their life. When it comes to people with an antichrist’s essence, regardless of the circumstances, it is not possible for these people to love the truth or accept the truth, and they can never gain the truth. Do you understand? (Yes.) You understand. Repeat it back to Me. (People with an antichrist’s essence are inherently the enemies of God. They are absolutely not people who love and can accept the truth, and it is impossible for them to ever gain the truth, and so for them their antichrist’s disposition is a mortal sickness. Whereas for certain people who possess an antichrist’s disposition, with the prerequisite that they possess humanity, reason, conscience, and a sense of shame, and love positive things and pursue the truth, and then achieve dispositional change through pursuing the truth, they are following the right path, and for them their antichrist’s disposition is not a mortal sickness. This is all decided by these people’s essence and the path they follow.) That is to say, it is not possible for people with an antichrist’s essence to ever pursue the truth, and they can never attain salvation, whereas people with an antichrist’s disposition can be classified into two kinds: One kind pursues the truth and can attain salvation, and one kind does not pursue the truth at all and cannot attain salvation. Those who cannot attain salvation are all laborers; certain loyal laborers can remain, and it is possible that they may meet with a different result.

Why can’t people with an antichrist’s essence attain salvation? It’s because these people don’t acknowledge the truth, nor do they acknowledge that God is the truth. These people don’t acknowledge that there are positive things, and they don’t love positive things. Instead, they love wicked things and negative things; they are the embodiment of all things wicked and negative, and they are the expressers of all things negative and wicked, and that’s why they’re averse to the truth, hostile to the truth, and hate the truth. Can they pursue the truth with such an essence? (No.) Therefore, it is impossible to get these people to pursue the truth. Is it possible to turn an animal into another kind of animal? For instance, is it possible to turn a cat into a dog or a mouse? (No.) A mouse will always be a mouse, often hiding in holes and living in the shadows. A cat will always be the natural enemy of a mouse, and this cannot be changed—this can never be changed. Yet there are some among those with an antichrist’s disposition who love the truth and positive things, who are willing to exert everything to practice and pursue the truth; they practice whatever God says, they follow no matter how God leads them, they do whatever God asks, the path they follow is entirely in accordance with the path that God requires, and they pursue in accordance with the direction and objectives indicated by God. As for the others, apart from the fact that they don’t pursue the truth, they also follow the antichrist’s path, and it doesn’t take much to realize what these people’s outcome will be. Not only will they not gain the truth, but they will also lose the chance to be saved—how pitiful these people are! God gives them chances and also supplies them with the truth and life, but they don’t cherish these things, and they don’t follow the path to being made perfect. It’s not that God favors some people over others and doesn’t give these people chances, but rather it’s because they don’t cherish these chances or act as God requires that they lose the opportunity to be saved. Therefore, their antichrist’s disposition becomes fatal and causes them to lose their lives. They think that understanding some doctrines and exhibiting some external actions and good behavior means that God won’t look into the matter of their antichrist’s disposition, that they can conceal it, and that consequently they naturally do not need to practice the truth and can do whatever they want, and can act in accordance with their own understanding, methods, and wishes. In the end, no matter what chances God gives them, they persist in clinging to their own course, they follow the path of an antichrist, and they become the enemies of God. They don’t become the enemies of God because God defined them as such right from the start—God gave them no definition at first, because in God’s eyes they were not His enemies or people with an antichrist’s essence, but were rather just people with satanic, corrupt dispositions. No matter how many truths God expresses, they still don’t strive for the truth in their pursuit. They cannot set foot on the path to salvation, and they instead follow the path of an antichrist, and eventually lose their chance to be saved. Isn’t that a shame? It’s such a shame! These people are so pitiful. Why are they pitiful? They understand a few words and doctrines and think they understand the truth; they pay a bit of a price and exhibit some good behavior while doing their duty and think they are practicing the truth; they have some talent, caliber, and gifts, and can speak some words and doctrines, do some work, do some special duties, and they think they’ve gained life; they can endure a little suffering and pay a bit of a price and they mistakenly think that they can submit to God and give everything up for God. They use their external good behavior, their gifts, and the words and doctrines they’ve equipped themselves with to supplant practicing the truth—this is their biggest problem, their fatal flaw. It makes them mistakenly believe that they’ve already embarked upon the path to salvation, and that they already possess stature and life. In any case, if these people aren’t able to attain salvation in the end, then they have no one to blame but themselves; it is because they themselves aren’t focusing on the truth, aren’t pursuing the truth, and are more than willing to follow the path of antichrists.

There are now some people who, after listening to sermons for 30 years, still don’t know what the truth is, or what doctrine is. When they open their mouths, all they say are empty theories, words to lecture others, and empty slogans, and they only ever talk about how they endured suffering and paid a price in the past, thus laying out their seniority. They never talk about their self-knowledge, how they accept being pruned, how they reveal corrupt dispositions, how they vie for fame and gain, or what revelations of an antichrist’s disposition they have. They never talk about these things; they just talk about their contributions and do not speak of their transgressions. Aren’t these people in great danger? Some people have been listening to sermons for 20 or 30 years and still don’t know what the truth reality is or what it means to submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements, and so I suspect that these people may not have the faculties to understand God’s words. After listening to sermons for 30 years, they think they have stature, but when they do not have status, they can still be negative, and in private they will cry and complain, and may even throw up their work. After listening to sermons for 30 years, when they get dismissed they can still be petulant and unreasonable, and set themselves against God. What have they understood after listening to sermons for so many years? If they haven’t understood what the truth is after listening to so many sermons, then haven’t they believed for nothing? This is what’s called a muddled faith!

March 14, 2020

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