Daily Words of God  Excerpt 120

Understanding God’s Authority From the Macro- and Micro-Perspectives

God’s authority is unique. It is a distinctive manifestation representing God’s own identity, and also a particular essence representing this identity, which are not possessed by any created or non-created being; this kind of authority is possessed only by the Creator. That is to say, only the Creator—God the Unique—possesses such a manifestation and such an essence. So, why are we bringing up God’s authority? How is the authority of God Himself different from authority as man conceives of it in his mind? What is special about it? And what is the particular significance of bringing it up here? Each of you must carefully consider this. For the vast majority of people, the topic of “God’s authority” always carries a sense of nebulousness, and they find it difficult to understand; any discussion of it is liable to be hollow. Therefore, there is always a gap between the knowledge of God’s authority that people can attain and the essence of God’s authority. To resolve this issue, everyone must gradually come to know God’s authority through the people, events, things, and various phenomena that are within human reach and perception in their real lives. Though the term “God’s authority” may give people a sense of being unfathomable, God’s authority is not at all hollow. It accompanies people through every minute and every second of their lives, leading them to get through each day. So, in the real life of every person, they will necessarily be able to see and experience the most practical aspect of God’s authority. This practical aspect is enough to prove that God’s authority truly exists, and to enable people to know and apprehend the fact that God possesses such authority.

God created everything. After creating it, He has exercised His sovereignty over it, while also governing it. What sort of concept is this, that “God governs everything”? How should this be explained? How does it correlate to real life? How should one come to know God’s authority by understanding the fact that “God governs everything”? From the statement “God governs everything,” we should see that what God governs is not a portion of planets or a portion of creation, much less a portion of mankind; rather, everything from the massive to the microscopic, from the visible to the invisible, and from the celestial bodies of the universe to the many living things on earth—as well as microorganisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye and beings that exist in various other forms—is governed by God. This accurately defines the “everything” in the statement “God governs everything”; it is precisely the scope within which God exercises His authority and administers His sovereignty and rule.

Before this humankind came into being, the celestial bodies of the universe already existed. On the macro level, regardless of how many years these celestial objects have existed, they’ve been operating in orderly motion under God’s control. Which planet goes where at a particular time, which planet performs what task at a particular time, which planet follows which orbit, and when it disappears or is replaced—all these things proceed without the slightest error. The positions of the planets and the distances between them follow strict laws and correspond to precise measurements. The orbits they follow, the speed at which they move, the laws governing their movement, and when they will arrive at a certain position—there are precise measurements and set laws behind all of this. For eons the planets have operated within these laws, without the slightest deviation. No power can change or disrupt their orbits or the laws they follow. Because these precise measurements and the set laws that govern their motion are ordained by the Creator’s authority, they operate in orderly motion of their own accord under the Creator’s sovereignty and control. It’s not hard for people to discover some laws, some data, and some strange and unexplainable rules or phenomena at the macro level. Though mankind does not acknowledge God’s existence or accept the fact that the Creator made and has sovereignty over all things, much less acknowledge the existence of the Creator’s authority, human scientists, astronomers, and physicists are nonetheless finding more and more that the laws and rules that dictate the existence and movement of all things lie under the sovereignty and control of a vast and hidden dark energy. This fact compels people to confront and acknowledge that there is a Mighty One orchestrating everything in the midst of these laws that dictate the operations of all things. His power is extraordinary, and though no one can see His true face, He is exercising His sovereignty and control over everything at all times. No person or force can transcend His sovereignty. With this fact before them, people have no choice but to acknowledge that the laws for the existence of all things cannot be controlled by humans, and cannot be changed by anyone; they are also forced to acknowledge that these laws are unfathomable to humans—they did not form naturally, but are administered by a Sovereign. These are all aspects of the authority of God that people can perceive on a macro level.

On the micro level, all the mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, and landmasses that people may see on earth, all the seasons they experience, and all the things that inhabit the earth—including plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans—are subject to God’s sovereignty and control. God’s sovereignty and control make all things come into being or disappear in accordance with His thoughts, and also make the laws for the existence of all things arise. It is under these laws that all things multiply and live on; no person or thing can transcend these laws. Why can’t they? The only answer is this: It is because of God’s authority. “Because of God’s authority”—we could also say it’s because of God’s thoughts and God’s words, or because of the personal actions of God Himself. That is, the laws of all things arise because of God’s authority and God’s thoughts, and also shift and change because of His thoughts. These shifts and changes all arise or come to an end for the sake of His plan. Take epidemics, for example. They break out without warning. No one knows their origins or what exactly causes them, and wherever an epidemic goes, all those who are doomed cannot avoid calamity. From the perspective of human science, epidemics are caused by the proliferation of vicious or harmful microbes, and their speed, range, and method of transmission cannot be predicted or controlled by human science. Though people do all within their power to protect against epidemics, they cannot control which people or animals are inevitably affected when an epidemic breaks out. The only thing people can do is try to prevent them, protect against them, and research them. But no one knows the root cause behind the outbreak or end of any individual epidemic, and no one can control them. Faced with the outbreak and proliferation of an epidemic, the first measure people take is to develop a vaccine, but often the epidemic dies out without anyone realizing it before the vaccine is ready. Just how do epidemics die out? Some say the germs have been brought under control, while others say it’s because of the change in season…. As to whether these wild speculations hold up, science cannot offer a clear explanation or provide an accurate answer. What people are faced with, then, is not only these wild speculations, but also their confusion toward epidemics and their dread of them. No one knows just how these epidemics come about, or just how they disappear. Because people only believe science, and rely entirely upon it, while not acknowledging the Creator’s authority or accepting His sovereignty, they will never find answers to these questions.

Under God’s sovereignty, all things come into being, exist, and pass away because of His authority, and for the sake of His management. Some things come and go quietly, and man cannot see where they came from or grasp the laws they follow, much less understand the reasons why they come and go. Though everything that happens among all things can be seen by man with his own eyes, heard by man with his own ears, or personally experienced by man, though it is related to man, and though man can subconsciously experience the unusualness, regularity, or even oddness of the various phenomena, he still knows nothing about the intentions and thoughts of the Creator that lie behind everything that happens among all things. Many stories, many hidden facts lie there. Because man has wandered far from the Creator and because he does not accept the fact that the Creator’s authority holds sovereignty over all things, he can never understand and comprehend everything that happens under the sovereignty of the Creator’s authority. In sum, God’s control and sovereignty exceed the bounds of human imagination, of human knowledge, of human understanding, and of what human science can achieve; they are beyond the abilities of created humanity. Some people say, “You have not witnessed God’s sovereignty—how can you believe that all this is the result of His authority?” Seeing does not necessarily mean believing, or acknowledging and understanding. So, where does believing come from? I can say with certainty that believing comes from the degree and depth of people’s apprehension and experience of the root causes and truth of things. If you believe that God exists, but you cannot acknowledge, much less see, the fact of God’s sovereignty and God’s control over all things, then in your heart, you will never acknowledge that God has this kind of authority and that God’s authority is unique, and never truly accept the Creator as your Lord and your God.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 121

The Fate of Humanity and the Fate of All Things Are Inseparable From the Creator’s Sovereignty

All of you have entered adulthood. Some of you are middle-aged; some have entered old age. As you’ve gone from not believing in God to believing in Him, and from beginning to believe in God to accepting His word and experiencing His work, how much have you come to know God’s sovereignty? What insights have you gained into human fate? Can everything in your life actually turn out exactly as you wish? Throughout the few decades of your existence, how many things have unfolded as you wanted? How many things have you been unable to anticipate? How many things came as pleasant surprises? For how many things are you still waiting to see the result, or, still unconsciously awaiting the right moment, awaiting the will of Heaven? How many things make you feel helpless and clueless about what to do? Everyone is full of expectations for their fate, hoping that everything in their life will go as they wish, that they will not want for food or clothing, and that their fortunes will rise spectacularly. Nobody wants to be poor and lowly in life, beset by hardships and constant calamities. But none of these are things people can foresee or control. Perhaps for some, everything they experienced in the past is just a daze; they never learn what the will of Heaven is, nor do they care what it is. Like animals, they stumble blearily through life, living from day to day, not caring what fate is or why people live and how they ought to live. When such people reach old age, they still haven’t gained any insights into human fate, and have no idea what life is about up to the moment they die. It can be said that they are dead people without spirits, they are beasts. Although people live amid all things, enjoying how the world provides all their material needs, and seeing this material world constantly advancing, their own experience—what their hearts and their spirits experience—has nothing to do with any material thing, nor can it be replaced by anything material; it is a realization deep in one’s heart, something that cannot be seen with the naked eye. This realization is one’s understanding and perception of human life and human fate. And it allows them to often sense that, in the unseen, there is a Sovereign arranging and orchestrating everything for man. In the midst of all this, people cannot but accept fate’s arrangements and orchestrations, and at the same time they can’t help but accept the Creator’s arrangements for the path that lies ahead of them, as well as the Creator’s sovereignty over human fate, which are indisputable facts. No matter what insight and attitude one holds about fate, no one can change these facts.

Where man will go, what he will do, what people or situations he’ll encounter, what things he’ll say, and what will happen during each day—are these things he can predict? It can be said that man not only cannot foresee all these occurrences, but even more so, he cannot control how things develop. In man’s daily life, these unforeseeable things are far from novel, they are common occurrences. The occurrence of these trivial affairs of daily life, and the means and laws of their development, are constant reminders to mankind: Nothing that happens is a coincidence; the course of the development and the inevitability of whatever happens cannot be shifted by human will. The occurrence of everything that happens conveys an admonition from the Creator to mankind, and it sends the message that they cannot control their own fates. At the same time, it is a strike back against mankind’s presumptuous ambition and desire to take fate into their own hands. This strike is like a powerful slap hitting the face of mankind over and over, forcing them to reflect on who exactly holds sovereignty over and governs their fates. And as their ambitions and desires are constantly dashed and shattered, they cannot help but unconsciously go along with the arrangements of fate, and accept reality, the will of Heaven, and the Creator’s sovereignty. From the repeated occurrence of the trivial affairs of daily life to the fates of the lives of mankind, there is nothing that does not reveal the Creator’s sovereignty and arrangements; there is nothing that does not send the message that the Creator’s authority cannot be surpassed, that does not convey the eternally immutable truth that the Creator’s authority is supreme!

The fates of humanity and the fates of all things are intimately entwined with the Creator’s sovereignty, and inseparably tied to the Creator’s orchestrations; essentially, what these fates are like is inseparable from the Creator’s authority. From the laws of all things, people come to appreciate the Creator’s orchestrations and His sovereignty; from the rules of survival for all things, they come to see the Creator’s governance; from the fates of all things, they come to derive the ways the Creator exercises His sovereignty and governance over all things; and from the life cycles of humans and all things, man comes to truly experience the Creator’s orchestrations and arrangements for all things and living beings, to truly see that those orchestrations and arrangements transcend all earthly decrees, stipulations, and institutions, all other powers and forces. Thus, people cannot help but acknowledge that the Creator’s sovereignty may not be violated by any creature, and that all events and things, which are preordained by the Creator, may not be infringed upon or altered by any force. It is under these heavenly rules and laws that humans and all things live and multiply generation after generation. Is this not a true embodiment of the Creator’s authority? Though man sees from the objective laws the Creator’s sovereignty and His preordination for all things and events, how many among the human race are able to fully grasp the principle of the Creator’s sovereignty over all things? And how many can truly know, acknowledge, accept, and submit to the Creator’s sovereignty over and arrangement of their own fates? Who, due to believing the fact that the Creator holds sovereignty over all things, will truly believe and acknowledge that the Creator also holds sovereignty over the fates of people’s entire lives? And who can truly see clearly the fact that people’s fates are in the Creator’s hands? What sort of attitude people should take toward the Creator’s sovereignty, when confronted with the fact that He holds sovereignty over and governs the fate of mankind—it must be said that this is a decision every person who is now confronted with this fact must make.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 122

The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

Every person must go through a series of critical junctures throughout their life. These important junctures are the most fundamental, most crucial steps that determine a person’s fate. I’ll now briefly list these junctures that every person must go through in the course of their life.

The First Juncture: Birth

Where a person is born, what family they’re born into, what their gender is, what they look like, when they’re born—this is what makes up the first juncture everyone must go through.

No one can decide the details of this juncture; they are all preordained long in advance by the Creator. They are not influenced by the external environment in any way, and no manmade factors can change these facts which are preordained by the Creator. A person being born means that the Creator has already fulfilled the first step of the arrangements He has made for that person’s fate. Because He has preordained all of these details long in advance, no one can alter any of them. Regardless of what a person’s fate will be like, the circumstances of their birth are preordained, and remain as they are; they are not in any way influenced by their fate in life, nor do they in any way affect the Creator’s sovereignty over their fate in life.

1) A New Life Is Born Out of the Creator’s Arrangements

Which of the details of the first juncture—the place of one’s birth, one’s family, one’s gender, one’s physical appearance, the time of one’s birth—is a person able to choose? Obviously, one’s birth is a “passive” event. One is born involuntarily, in a certain place, at a certain time, into a certain family, with a certain physical appearance, involuntarily becoming a member of a certain household, a descendant of a certain family. One has no choices at this first life juncture, but rather is born into fixed circumstances and a specific family, with a specific gender and appearance, and at a specific time that is intimately linked with a person’s whole life, all according to the Creator’s arrangements. What can a person do at this critical juncture? Upon careful consideration, when it comes to these aspects of one’s birth, there isn’t a single thing that can be chosen by people. Were it not for the Creator’s preordination and His guidance, a newly born person entering this world would not know where to go or where to stay, would have no relatives, belong nowhere, and have no real home. But because of the Creator’s meticulous arrangements, they have a place to stay, parents, a place they belong, and relatives, and they thereupon set out on their journey in life. Throughout this process, the emergence of this new life comes from the Creator’s arrangements, and everything it comes to possess will be given to it by the Creator. From a free-floating body empty of all possessions, it gradually becomes a flesh-and-blood, visible, tangible, created human being, who thinks, breathes, and senses warm and cold; who can partake in all the normal activities of a created being in the material world; and who will undergo all the worldly things a created human being must experience in life. The preordination of a person’s birth by the Creator means that He will bestow upon that person everything they need for survival; and, likewise, a person’s birth means they will receive everything needed for survival from the Creator, and that from that point on, they will live in another form, provided for by the Creator and subject to the Creator’s sovereignty.

2) The Root Cause of the Various Birth Circumstances of Human Beings

People often indulge in the fantasy that, if they were to be reborn, it would definitely be into an illustrious family; if it’s a woman, they will look like a fairy-tale princess and be loved by everyone, and if it’s a man, they will be Prince Charming, wanting for nothing, with the whole world at their beck and call. There are often those who harbor all sorts of illusions about their birth and are very dissatisfied with it; they’re discontent with their family, their appearance, their gender, even the time of their birth. Yet people never understand why they’re born into a particular family or why they look a certain way. They don’t know that regardless of where they’re born or how they look, this purpose—of people playing various roles and completing different missions for the sake of the Creator’s management—will never change. In the Creator’s eyes, it doesn’t matter where one is born, whether they’re male or female, or what they look like—these are all temporary things. They are nothing more than small signs and markers within each phase of His management of the entirety of mankind. And a person’s true destination and outcome are not determined by their birth in any particular phase, but by the mission they complete each life, and by the Creator’s determination of them when His management plan is concluded.

It is said that there is a cause for every effect, and that no effect is without a cause. Accordingly, one’s birth is necessarily tied both to one’s present life and one’s previous lives. If a person’s death is the end of their present life, then it must be said that their birth is the beginning of a fresh cycle; if old cycles represent a person’s previous lives, then the new cycle is naturally their present life. Since one’s birth is connected to one’s past and present lives, it follows that the location, family, gender, appearance, and other such factors that are associated with one’s birth are all necessarily related to one’s past and present lives. This means that the factors of a person’s birth are not only influenced by one’s previous lives, but are determined by one’s destiny in the present life. This gives rise to the variety of different circumstances into which people are born: Some are born into poor families, others into rich families. Some are of common stock, while others have illustrious lineages. Some are born in the south, others in the north. Some are born in the desert, others in verdant lands. Some people’s births are accompanied by cheers, laughter, and celebrations; others bring tears, calamity, and sorrow. Some are born cherished, others are born as dirt. Some are born with fine features, others with crooked ones. Some are lovely to look upon, others are ugly. Some are born at midnight, others beneath the blaze of the noonday sun. … The births of people of all stripes are determined by how the Creator has arranged their fates, and their births determine their fates in their present lives as well as the roles they will play and the missions they will complete. All this is subject to the Creator’s sovereignty and preordained by Him; no one can escape this preordination, and no one can change their birth, much less can anyone choose their own fate.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 123

The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

The Second Juncture: Growing Up

Whatever kind of family one is born into, that’s the family environment and education they’ll experience. These things determine the circumstances under which a person grows up, and this is the second critical juncture of a person’s life. Needless to say, people have no choice when it comes to this juncture either. It too is fixed, preordained.

1) The Creator Arranges the Fixed Circumstances Under Which Each Person Grows Up

As a person is growing up, they cannot choose the people, events, or things that condition and influence them, nor the knowledge and skills they acquire or the habits they develop. One cannot choose who their parents and relatives are, nor what the people, events, and things around them are—what kind of relationship they have with these people, events, and things, and the influence these people, events, and things have on them as they grow up are likewise things they cannot choose. Who decides all these things, then? Who arranges them? Since people have no choice in the matter, and since they cannot decide these things for themselves—much less, of course, do these things come to be naturally—it goes without saying that the coming to be of all these people, events, and things rests in the hands of the Creator. Just as the Creator arranges the particular circumstances of every person’s birth, He also of course arranges the specific circumstances under which each person grows up. If a person’s birth brings changes to the people, events, and things around them, then that person growing up will inevitably affect them as well. For example, some people are born into poor families, but grow up surrounded by wealth; other people’s births bring decline to their originally wealthy families, such that they grow up in poor environments. No one’s birth is governed by a fixed rule, and there are no rules or inevitabilities to the circumstances in which anyone grows up. None of these are things that a person can imagine into being or control; they are the products of one’s fate, and are determined by one’s fate. Of course, at their root, these things are determined by the Creator’s preordination of each person’s fate; they are determined by the Creator’s sovereignty over that person’s fate and His arrangement of it.

2) The Various Circumstances Under Which People Grow Up Give Rise to Different Roles

The circumstances of a person’s birth establish the basic environment and circumstances in which they grow up, and the circumstances in which a person grows up are a product of the circumstances of their birth. During this time, one begins to learn language; one’s mind also begins to encounter and assimilate many new things, a process during which one is constantly growing. The things a person hears with their ears, sees with their eyes, and absorbs with their mind gradually fill and animate their inner world. The people, events, and things they come into contact with; the common sense, knowledge, and skills they learn; and the various thoughts that influence them, are instilled in them, and condition them, will all steer and influence their fate in life. As one is growing up, the language they learn and the thoughts they come to possess are inseparable from their environment, which consists of their parents and siblings, as well as the various people, events, and things around them. So, how a person grows up is determined by the environment in which they live, and depends on the people, events, and things that they come into contact with during this period of time. Since the circumstances under which a person grows up are preordained long in advance, the environment in which they live during this process is also, naturally, preordained. It is not dependent on their choices and preferences, but on the Creator’s plans, the Creator’s meticulous arrangements, and the Creator’s sovereignty over a person’s fate in life. So, the people that any individual encounters and the things they come into contact with while growing up, are all necessarily linked to the orchestrations and arrangements of the Creator. People cannot foresee these kinds of complex interrelationships, nor can they control them or fathom them. The circumstances under which each person grows up involve things and people of all kinds—and a large number of them. No human being is capable of arranging or orchestrating such a vast web of connections. No person or thing except the Creator can control the emergence, continuance, and passing away of all people, events, and things, and it is just such vast webs of connections that shape how each person grows up under the preordination of the Creator, and that build the various environments in which they grow up, while also shaping the various roles necessary for the Creator’s work of management, laying a firm, powerful foundation for people to smoothly complete their missions.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

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The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

The Third Juncture: Independence

Each person, after experiencing the process of growing up, slowly but surely reaches maturity. What follows is for them to part completely from this stage of growing up, say goodbye to their parents, and face the road ahead on their own, as an adult. They must confront all the people, events, and things that an adult must face, confront all the parts of their fate which will soon present themselves. This is the third juncture that a person must pass through.

1) People First Experience the Sovereignty of the Creator After Becoming Independent

If a person’s birth and growing up are the “preparatory period” for their entire life path, the cornerstone of their fate in life, then their independence is the prologue of their fate in life. If a person’s birth and growing up are wealth they have amassed in preparation for their fate in life, then their independence is when they begin spending or adding to that wealth. When a person leaves their parents and becomes independent, the social environment they face, and the kinds of jobs and careers they encounter, are all predetermined and have nothing to do with their parents. Some people choose a good major in college and end up finding a plum job after graduation; it can be said that they get off to a flying start on the path of life. Others learn and master many different skills and yet never find a job that suits them or the position for them, much less do they build a career of their own; it can be said that these people’s first step in life is marked by setbacks and rough patches, their prospects dismal and their lives uncertain. Some others apply themselves diligently to their studies, yet narrowly miss every chance to receive a higher education and seem doomed to never achieve success; it can be said that their very first hopes on the path of life go up in smoke. Not knowing whether the road ahead is smooth or rocky, they feel for the first time how unpredictable human destiny is, and so face life with a mixture of dread and expectation. Others are not very well educated, yet they can write books, achieving a measure of fame. And others are almost entirely illiterate, yet can make money in business and are thereby able to support themselves. … What occupation one chooses, how one makes a living, whether the choices they make are good or bad—do people have any choice in these things? Are they based on people’s desires and decisions? Most people wish to work less and earn more, to not toil in the sun and rain, to dress respectably, to cut a dazzling figure wherever they go, to come out on top, and to bring honor to their ancestors. People have such “perfect” wishes, but when they take their first step on the path of life, they gradually come to see how imperfect human destiny is, and truly realize for the first time that, though one can make bold plans for one’s future and wantonly harbor all kinds of dreams, no one has the ability or the power to realize their own dreams, nor the ability to control their own future. There will always be a gap between one’s dreams and the realities they’re confronted with; things can never turn out as one imagines them to. Faced with such realities, people can never find satisfaction or contentment. There are even some people who repeatedly try to come up with all kinds of approaches and explore every possible channel, and make all kinds of effort and sacrifices, for the sake of their livelihoods and prospects, and for the sake of changing their fates. But in the end, even if they can realize their dreams and desires by means of their own hard work, they can never change their fates, and no matter how much they struggle, they can never go beyond their destinies. Regardless of differences in their abilities and intelligence, and whether or not they have resolve, people are all equal before fate, where they’re not distinguished between great and small, high and low, exalted and mean. What occupation one engages in, what one does for a living, and how much wealth one has in life does not come down to their parents, their talents, or their efforts and ambitions—it comes down to the Creator’s preordination.

2) Leaving One’s Parents and Formally Stepping Onto the Grand Stage of Life to Play One’s Role

When a person reaches maturity, they’ve met the conditions for leaving their parents and striking out on their own. It’s at this point they truly begin to play their role in life, and this is precisely when their mission in life gradually goes from vague and hazy to clear and distinct. Although they ostensibly maintain a close relationship with their parents, because the role they play and their mission in life have nothing to do with their parents, in essence this close relationship starts to crack little by little as they gradually achieve independence. From a fleshly perspective, they subconsciously can’t avoid continuing to depend on their parents, but as an objective fact, once someone is fully grown, they’re completely detached from their parents in all ways, and the role they assume will be carried out by themselves independently. Besides giving birth and raising them, the responsibility parents bear in one’s life is just to externally provide them with an environment to grow up in, and that’s it, because it is only the Creator’s preordination that has a bearing on any person’s fate. What kind of future someone will have isn’t something that can be controlled by any person; it is preordained long in advance, and not even one’s parents can change their fate. As far as fate is concerned, everyone is independent; everyone has their own fate. So, no one’s parents can thwart their fate in life at all, nor can they do anything to help them along when it comes to the role they play in life. It can be said that no matter what family one is preordained to be born into, and what environment one grows up in, these are nothing more than the preconditions for completing their mission in life. They do not in any way determine a person’s fate in life or the kind of destiny within which they complete their mission. Thus, no one’s parents can assist them in completing their mission in life, nor can any relative help them fulfill their role in life. How one completes their mission and in what kind of living environment they take on their role hinge entirely on their fate in life. In other words, no objective conditions can influence anyone’s mission as preordained by the Creator. Everyone reaches maturity in the particular environment in which they grow up; then, step by step, they embark upon their own path in life and fulfill the destiny arranged for them by the Creator. Naturally and automatically, they enter the vast sea of mankind and assume their post in life, and, for the sake of the Creator’s preordination and the sake of His sovereignty, they begin to fulfill their responsibilities as a created being.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 125

The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

The Fourth Juncture: Marriage

As people gradually grow older and mature, they become increasingly distant from their parents and from the setting in which they were born and grew up, and instead begin to pursue their own direction in life and life goals through a way of life that differs from that of their parents. During this time, they no longer need their parents; instead, they need a partner, someone with whom they can spend their life—a spouse whose fate in life is intimately entwined with their own. So, after achieving independence, the first major event one faces in life is marriage. This is the fourth juncture one must pass through.

1) Marriage is Not up to Individual Choice

Marriage is a major event in every person’s life; it is the time when one starts to truly assume various responsibilities and gradually complete various missions. People harbor many fantasies about marriage before they experience it themselves, all of which paint a very pretty picture. Women imagine that their other half will be a Prince Charming, and men imagine they’ll marry a fairy-tale princess. These fantasies go to show that every person has their own set of required standards when it comes to marriage. Though in this evil age, all kinds of information constantly inculcate people with various distorted views about marriage, which causes people to have even more requirements toward marriage and develop all sorts of baggage and strange attitudes about marriage, anyone who’s gotten married knows that no matter how one understands marriage, no matter what one’s attitude toward it is, marriage is not a matter of individual choice.

A person will encounter many people in life, but no one knows just who their partner in marriage will eventually be. Though everyone has their own views and ideas on the subject of marriage, no one can foresee just who will truly become their other half in the end, and people themselves have no say in the matter. After meeting someone you like, you can pursue that person; but whether they’re interested in you, and whether they’ll become your partner, is not for you to decide. The one you like is not necessarily the one with whom you’ll share a life. Rather, it may be that, without you even noticing, someone you never expected enters your life and becomes your partner, the most important part of your fate, your other half whose fate is inextricably bound to yours. And so, though there are countless marriages in the world, each one is different: Some are disappointing, some are delightful; some span East and West, some North and South; some are ideal couples, some are of equal social standing; some are full of bliss, some full of tragedy; some arouse the admiration and envy of others, some leave people confounded and incite disdain; some are full of joy, some bring endless tears and despair…. In these myriad types of marriage, humans display loyalty and an eternal, unwavering commitment toward marriage; they display great care, steadfast attachment, and a commitment to sticking with their partner; they display helplessness and incomprehension; they display betrayal and even hostility. Whether marriage itself brings happiness or pain, everyone’s mission in marriage, which is preordained by the Creator, does not change—this mission is something everyone must complete. And the fate of each person that lies behind every marriage also does not change; it is preordained long in advance by the Creator.

2) Marriage Is Born of the Fates of Both Partners

Marriage is an important juncture in a person’s life. It comes about as a result of their fate in life, and is an important part of this fate. It is not founded on anyone’s individual will or preferences, and is not influenced by any external factors, but is completely determined by the fates of the two people, by the Creator’s preordinations and arrangements for both spouses’ fates. On the surface, marriage exists so humans can procreate, but as a matter of fact marriage is nothing but a ceremony for the completion of one’s mission. In marriage, the role people play is not merely that of rearing the next generation; they take on all the roles that serve to maintain marriage, as well as the missions they ought to complete. Since one’s birth influences the changes undergone by the people, events, and things around them, one’s marriage also inevitably influences these things as well, and will even more so bring about all sorts of transformations in them.

When a person becomes independent, they begin walking their own path in life, which leads them, step by step, toward the people, events, and things that have a connection to their marriage. At the same time, their future partner in marriage is approaching, step by step, those same people, events, and things. Under the Creator’s sovereignty, two unrelated people gradually—owing to their related fates—enter into a single marriage, miraculously becoming a family: “two passengers on the same boat.” So, when a person enters into marriage, their path in life will influence and involve their other half, while their other half’s path in life will influence and involve their own fate in life. In other words, people’s fates are interconnected, and no one can complete their mission in life or perform their role truly independent from others. One’s birth has a bearing on a huge web of relationships; growing up also involves a complex web of relationships; and similarly, a marriage inevitably exists and is maintained within a vast and complex web of relationships, involving every member of that web and influencing the fate of everyone who is a part of it. A marriage is not the product of one’s family, the setting in which they grew up, their appearance, their age, their caliber, their talents, or any other factors; rather, it is the product of a shared mission and a related fate. This is the origin of marriage, produced within the human fate orchestrated and arranged by the Creator.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 126

The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

The Fifth Juncture: Progeny

After one gets married, they start raising children. No one has any say in how many children they’ll have or what they’ll be like; this too is based on their fate and on the Creator’s preordinations. This is the fifth juncture through which one must pass.

If one is born in order to fulfill the role of being someone’s child, then one rears the next generation to fulfill the role of being a parent. This shift in roles allows one to experience different phases of life from different perspectives. It also gives them different kinds of life experience, through which they come to know firsthand the Creator’s sovereignty, which is always exercised in the same way, and through which they experience the fact that no one can overstep or alter the Creator’s preordinations.

1) One Has No Control Over What Becomes of Their Offspring

Being born, growing up, and getting married all involve varying degrees of disappointment of one kind or another. Some people are dissatisfied with their families or their own physical appearance; some dislike their parents; some are highly discontent or displeased with the environment in which they grew up. And for most people, among all these disappointments, marriage is the least satisfactory of all. No matter how dissatisfied one is with one’s birth, maturation, or marriage, everyone who has gone through these things knows that one cannot choose where and when they were born, what they look like, who their parents are, and who their spouse is, but can only accept the will of Heaven. Yet when it comes time for people to raise the next generation, they project all the desires they failed to realize in the first half of their lives onto their descendants, hoping that their offspring will make up for all the disappointments of the first half of their own lives. So, people indulge in all kinds of fantasies about their children: that their daughters will grow up to be stunning beauties, their sons dashing gentlemen; that their daughters will be cultured and talented and their sons will excel in both academic and athletic pursuits and be extraordinarily capable; that their daughters will be gentle, virtuous, well-educated, and sensible, and their sons astute, capable, and empathic. They hope their offspring, whether they be daughters or sons, will respect their elders, be considerate of their parents, and be loved and praised by everyone…. During this time, people gain new hope for life, and new desires are kindled in their hearts. People know that they are lacking in ability and have amounted to nothing in this life, that they will not have another chance or another hope to stand out from the crowd, and that they have no choice but to accept their fates. And so they project all their hopes, and their unrealized desires and aspirations, onto the next generation, hoping that their offspring can help them achieve their dreams and realize their desires; that their daughters and sons will bring glory to the family name, gain prominent status, or become rich or famous. In short, they want to see their children soar to great heights. People’s plans and fantasies are perfect; do they not know that the number of children they have, their children’s appearance, abilities, and so forth, are not for them to decide? And that’s to say nothing of what their children’s fates are like—isn’t that even more so out of their hands? Humans are not the masters of their own fates, yet they hope to change the fates of the younger generation; they are powerless to escape their own fates, yet they try to manipulate those of their sons and daughters. Are they not overestimating themselves? Is this not human foolishness and ignorance? People will take great pains for their offspring, but in the end, how many descendants they will have and what those descendants will be like are not dictated by their plans and desires. Some people are penniless but have a bevy of children; others have more money than they can count yet not a single child. Some want a daughter but are denied that wish; others wish only for a son but never get one. Some receive blessings because of their child; others suffer misfortune because of theirs. Some couples are intelligent, yet give birth to slow-witted children. Some parents are industrious and salt-of-the-earth, yet the children they raise prefer leisure over work. Some parents are kind and upright but have children who turn out to be sly and vicious. Some parents are sound in mind and body but give birth to handicapped children. Some parents are ordinary and have no accomplishments, yet their children achieve great things. Some parents are of low status yet have children who rise to eminence …

2) After Raising the Next Generation, People Gain a New Understanding of Fate

Most people enter wedlock at around age thirty, a time in life where one still has no concept of providence. But when people begin to raise children, and as their children grow into adulthood, they see the new generation repeat the life and all the experiences of the previous generation—they see their own pasts reflected in them, and realize that the path walked by the younger generation cannot be planned and chosen—just as theirs could not be. These facts give them no choice but to admit that every person’s fate is preordained, and without realizing it, they gradually let go of their own wishes, and the flame of desire in their hearts sputters and dies out…. People in this period, having basically experienced the several important waypoints that one must pass through in life, gain a new understanding of life, and adopt a new attitude toward it as well. How much can a person of this age expect from the future, and what prospects do they have to look forward to? What fifty-year-old woman is still dreaming of Prince Charming? What fifty-year-old man is still looking for his fairy-tale princess? What woman in her fifties is still hoping to turn from an ugly duckling into a swan? Do most older men have the same career drive as young men? In sum, whether man or woman, anyone who lives to this age will have a relatively rational, practical attitude toward marriage, family, and children. They basically no longer make any choices, nor have any urge to challenge fate. As far as human experience goes, as soon as one reaches this age, they naturally develop a certain viewpoint: “Let fate take its course. Children have their own blessings. Man’s fate is determined by Heaven.” Most people who do not understand the truth, after having weathered all the vicissitudes, ups and downs, and hardships of this world, will often summarize their insights into human life with one phrase: “That’s fate!” Though this phrase expresses worldly people’s personal understanding of their fate in life, as well as the conclusion they’ve reached about it, and though it expresses their helplessness and could be described as incisive and accurate, it is a far cry from knowledge of the Creator’s sovereignty, and simply cannot serve as a substitute for knowledge of the Creator’s authority.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 127

Believing in Fate Is No Substitute for Knowledge of the Creator’s Sovereignty

Having followed God for so many years, is there an essential difference between your knowledge of fate and that of worldly people? Have you truly come to know the preordination of the Creator and the Creator’s sovereignty? Some people have a deep sense and appreciation of the phrase, “That’s fate,” yet they do not believe in God’s sovereignty whatsoever; they do not believe that human fate is arranged and orchestrated by God, and are unwilling to submit to God’s sovereignty. They’re as helpless as if they were stranded in the ocean, left to the mercy of the waves, only able to wait passively and negatively and resign themselves to fate. Yet they do not acknowledge that human fate is subject to God’s sovereignty; they cannot take the initiative to try to know God’s sovereignty and thereby gain knowledge of God’s authority, submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements, no longer fight against fate, but live under God’s care, protection, and guidance. In other words, being resigned to one’s fate is not the same as submitting to the Creator’s sovereignty; believing in fate does not mean that one accepts, acknowledges, and knows the Creator’s sovereignty; believing in fate is mere acknowledgment of this fact and its outward manifestations, and is not the same as knowing how the Creator holds sovereignty over mankind’s fate, nor acknowledging that the Creator is the source of sovereignty over the fates of all things, much less is it the same as being able to submit to the Creator’s orchestrations and arrangements for people’s fates. Suppose that a person only believes in fate, and even has a deep sense of it, but is not thereby able to know, acknowledge, submit to, or accept the Creator’s sovereignty over the fates of mankind. In that case, their life will be a tragedy; they will still live this life in vain—it will all come to nothing. They will remain unable to surrender under the Creator’s dominion, to become a created human being in the true sense of the term, and to earn the Creator’s recognition. A person who truly knows and experiences the Creator’s sovereignty should be in a positive state, not a state that is negative or resigned. Rather, as they acknowledge that all things are fated, they also possess in their heart an accurate definition of life and fate: Man’s entire life is subject to the Creator’s sovereignty. When they look back on the road they have walked, when they recall every phase of their life, they see that at every step—whether their journey was arduous or smooth—God was guiding and making arrangements for them, that it was God’s meticulous planning, as well as His careful arrangements, that led them, unknowingly, to today, where they are able to accept the Creator’s sovereignty and His salvation. This is the greatest blessing in a person’s life! If a person has a negative attitude toward fate, it proves that they are resisting everything that God has arranged for them, that they do not have a submissive attitude. If someone has a positive attitude toward God’s sovereignty over human fate, then when they look back upon the path they’ve walked, when they truly experience God’s sovereignty, they will more genuinely desire to submit to everything that God has arranged, and will have more determination and faith to let God orchestrate their fate, no longer rebelling against God. This is because they see that when people do not know what fate is all about or understand God’s sovereignty, they are just willfully struggling and stumbling through the fog, and that journey is too arduous, and it causes too much heartache. So when people realize that God is sovereign over human fate, the clever ones choose to know and accept God’s sovereignty, and bid farewell to the painful days of “trying to build a good life with their own two hands,” rather than continuing to struggle against fate and pursue their so-called life goals in their own way. When a person is without God, when they cannot see Him, when they cannot truly and clearly know God’s sovereignty, every day is meaningless, worthless, and indescribably painful. No matter where a person is, and what their job is, their means of survival and the goals that they pursue bring them nothing but endless heartache, and pain that is difficult to get over, which are experiences that they cannot bear to look back on. Only by accepting the Creator’s sovereignty, submitting to His orchestrations and arrangements, and pursuing the attainment of true human life, can a person gradually break free from all heartache and pain, and gradually rid themselves of all the emptiness of human life.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 128

Only Those Who Submit to the Creator’s Sovereignty Can Attain True Freedom

Because man does not know God’s orchestrations and God’s sovereignty, he always faces fate with a defiant mood and a rebellious attitude, and he always wants to break free from God’s authority and sovereignty and the things fate has in store, hoping in vain to change his current circumstances and alter his fate. But he can never succeed and is thwarted at every turn. This struggle, which takes place deep in his soul, causes him pain, and this pain carves itself into his bones, and it simultaneously makes him fritter his life away. What is the cause of this pain? Is it because of God’s sovereignty, or due to having a bad fate? Obviously, neither is true. In the final analysis, it is caused by the path man takes and the way he chooses to live his life. Some people may not have experienced these things. But when you truly know and acknowledge that God has sovereignty over human fate, when you truly understand that everything which God holds sovereignty over and arranges for you is of great benefit and protection to you, then you will feel your pain gradually lighten, and your whole being will gradually become relaxed, free, and liberated. Judging from the states of the majority of people, though on a subjective level they don’t want to keep on living as they did before, and want to free themselves from their pain, objectively speaking, they cannot truly apprehend the practical value and significance of the Creator’s sovereignty over human fate, nor can they truly acknowledge and submit to the Creator’s sovereignty, much less do they know how to seek and accept the Creator’s orchestrations and arrangements. So, if man cannot truly come to know the fact that the Creator has sovereignty over his fate and over his everything, and he cannot truly submit under the Creator’s dominion, then it will be very difficult for him to not be driven and fettered by the idea that man’s fate is in his own hands, and very difficult for him to break free from the pain brought on by his intense struggle against fate and the Creator’s authority—of course, it will also be very hard for him to become truly liberated and free, to become one who worships God. The simplest way to free oneself from this state is to bid farewell to one’s former way of living; to say goodbye to one’s previous goals in life; to summarize and dissect one’s previous way of living, view of life, pursuits, desires, and aspirations; and then to compare them with God’s intentions and requirements for man, and see whether any of them are compatible with God’s intentions, whether any of them are in accordance with God’s requirements, whether any of them deliver the right values of life, and whether any of them allow one to live with more and more understanding of the truth, and with humanity and the likeness of a human being. When you repeatedly investigate and carefully dissect the various goals that people pursue in life and their various ways of living, you will find not one of them conforms to the Creator’s original intention with which He created humanity. All of them draw people away from the Creator’s sovereignty and care; they are all traps which cause people to become depraved, and which lead them to hell. After you recognize this, what you should do is let go of your old view of life, stay far from various traps, let God take charge of your life and make arrangements for it, seek only to submit to God’s orchestrations and guidance without making any of your own choices, and become a person who worships God. This sounds easy, but it’s hard to do. Some people can endure this hardship, while others cannot. Some are willing to cooperate, while others are unwilling. Those who are unwilling don’t have the desire or the resolve to do so. They are clearly aware of God’s sovereignty, and know fully well that it is God who orchestrates and arranges people’s fates, yet they still want to break away, and are unwilling to place their fates in God’s hands and submit to God’s sovereignty—even more so, they’re discontent with God’s orchestrations and arrangements. So, there will always be some people who want to try and see just how far their abilities go; they want to change their fates with their own two hands, or create happiness for themselves through their own abilities, to see whether they can transcend the bounds of God’s authority and break free from His sovereignty. The tragedy of man is not that he pursues a happy life, not that he pursues fame and gain, or that he struggles against his own fate through a haze, but that, after he has seen the Creator’s existence, and has learned the fact that the Creator has sovereignty over human fate, he still cannot turn back from the wrong path, cannot pull his feet out of the mire, but hardens his heart and persists stubbornly in his errant ways. He would rather keep thrashing in the mud, obstinately contending against the Creator’s sovereignty, resisting it until the end, all without the slightest attitude of contrition. It is only when he lies broken and bleeding that he at last decides to give up and turn back. This is the true tragedy of man. So I say, those who choose to submit are wise, while those who choose to break away are foolish and stubborn.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 129

The Six Junctures Everyone Must Go Through in Life (Selected passages)

The Sixth Juncture: Death

After so much hustle and bustle and so many bumps in the road, after so many sorrows, joys, partings, and reunions, after so many ups and downs, and unforgettable years, after watching the seasons turn time and again, one has passed the important junctures in life without noticing, and in a flash, finds themselves in their twilight years. The marks of time are stamped all over their body: They can no longer stand tall, their hair turns from dark to white, while eyes once bright and lucid turn dim and cloudy, and smooth, supple skin becomes wrinkled and spotted. Their hearing weakens, their teeth loosen and fall out, their reactions become sluggish, their movements slow…. At this point, they have bid a final farewell to the passionate years of their youth and entered the twilight of their life: old age. Next, they will face death, the last juncture that they must pass through.

1) Only the Creator Holds the Power of Life and Death Over Man

If one’s birth was destined by one’s previous life, then one’s death marks the end of that destiny. If one’s birth is the beginning of one’s mission in this life, then one’s death marks the end of that mission. Since the Creator has set up a fixed set of circumstances for each person’s birth, it is certain that He has also arranged a fixed set of circumstances for their death. In other words, no one is born by chance, no one’s death is sudden, and both birth and death are necessarily connected with one’s previous and present lives. What the circumstances of one’s birth are like, and what the circumstances of their death are, are related to the preordination of the Creator; this is a person’s destiny, a person’s fate. Since there are many explanations for a person’s birth, there must also necessarily be various special circumstances for a person’s death. Thus, varying lifespans and different manners and times of people’s deaths came into being among mankind. Some people are strong and healthy, yet die young; others are weak and sickly, yet live to an old age and pass away peacefully. Some perish of unnatural causes, others die naturally. Some die far from home, others shut their eyes for the final time with their loved ones by their side. Some people die in midair, others beneath the earth. Some drown in water, others perish in disasters. Some die in the morning, others at night. … Everyone wants an illustrious birth, a brilliant life, and a glorious death, but no one can surpass their own destiny, no one can escape the Creator’s sovereignty. This is human fate. People can make all kinds of plans for their future, but no one can plan out how they are born or the manner and time of their departure from the world. Though people all do their best to avoid and resist the coming of death, still, unbeknownst to them, death silently draws near. No one knows when they will perish or how, much less where it will happen. Obviously, it is not man himself that holds supreme power over his life and death, nor some living being in the natural world, but the Creator, who possesses unique authority. Mankind’s life and death are not the product of some law of the natural world, but a result of the sovereignty of the Creator’s authority.

2) One Who Does Not Know the Creator’s Sovereignty Is Bound to Find It Difficult to Escape Fear of Death

When one enters old age, what one faces is not providing for a family or establishing one’s grand aspirations in life, but how to bid farewell to one’s life, how to meet the end of one’s life, how to wrap up one’s life. Though on the surface, it seems that people pay little attention to death, no one can stop themselves from exploring the subject, for no one knows whether another world lies on the far side of death, a world that humans cannot perceive or feel, that they know nothing about. This makes people afraid to face death head-on, afraid to confront it correctly; instead, they do their best to avoid the subject. And so it fills every person with dread about death, and simultaneously adds a veil of mystery to this inevitable fact of life, and casts a persistent shadow over every person’s heart.

When one feels one’s body deteriorating, when one senses that one is drawing nearer to death, one feels a vague dread, an inexpressible fear. Fear of death makes one feel ever lonelier and more helpless, and at this point, one asks oneself: Where do people come from? Where do they go? Is this how a person dies, with their life having rushed past them? Is this how their life comes to an end? What, in the end, is the meaning of life? What is life worth, after all? Is it about fame and gain? Is it about raising a family? … Regardless of whether one has thought about these specific questions, regardless of how deeply one fears death, in the depths of every person’s heart there is always a desire to probe the mysteries, a sense of incomprehension about life, and mixed in with these, sentimentality about the world, a reluctance to leave. Perhaps no one can truly articulate what it is that man fears, what it is that he probes, what it is that he is sentimental about, and what he is reluctant to leave behind …

Because they fear death, people have so many worries; because they fear death, people have so much they cannot let go of. When they are about to die, some people worry about this or that; they cannot put their mind at rest when it comes to their children, their loved ones, their wealth, as if by worrying, they can erase the suffering and dread that death brings, as if by maintaining a kind of intimacy with the living, they can escape the helplessness and loneliness that accompany death. In the depths of the human heart there lies a vague fear, a fear of being parted from one’s loved ones, of never again laying eyes upon the blue sky, of never again looking upon the material world. A lonely soul, accustomed to the company of its loved ones, is reluctant to let everything go and depart, all alone, for a world that is unknown and unfamiliar.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 130

A Life Spent Pursuing Fame and Gain Leaves One at a Loss in the Face of Death

Because of the Creator’s sovereignty and preordination, a lonely soul that started out with absolutely nothing gains parents and a family, the chance to become a member of the human race, and the chance to experience human life and journey through the human world; it also gains the chance to experience the Creator’s sovereignty, to come to know the wonders of the Creator’s creation, and more than that, the chance to come to know and surrender to the Creator’s authority. Yet most people do not truly seize this rare and fleeting opportunity. People exhaust a lifetime of energy fighting against fate, and spend their whole lives bustling about providing for their families and rushing back and forth for the sake of prestige and profit. The things that people treasure are family love, money, and fame and gain, and they view these as the most valuable things in life. All people complain about their fate being full of hardships and setbacks, yet still they push to the back of their minds the issues that people ought most to understand and explore: why man is alive, how man should live, and what the value and meaning of human life are. They spend their entire lives, however long they may last, merely rushing about pursuing fame and gain, until their youth is gone and they have become gray and wrinkled, until they realize that fame and gain cannot stop them from getting old, that money cannot fill the emptiness of their hearts, and until they understand that no one can escape the laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and that no one can evade the arrangements of fate. Only when they have to confront life’s final juncture do they truly grasp that even if one owns vast wealth, even if one is of noble status and high rank, one still cannot escape death and must return to their original position: a solitary soul, with nothing to its name. When people have parents, they believe their parents are everything; when people have property, they think that money is their mainstay and the capital by which they live; when people have status, they cling tightly to it and would give their lives for it. Only when people are about to let go of this world do they realize that the things they spent their lives pursuing are nothing but fleeting clouds, none of which they can hold onto, none of which they can take with them, none of which can exempt them from death, none of which can provide company or consolation to a lonely soul on its journey back, and even more so, none of which can save a person and enable them to transcend death. The fame and gain that one achieves in the material world give temporary satisfaction, passing pleasure, and a false sense of inner security, causing them to lose their way. And so people, who thrash about in the vast sea of humanity, craving peace, consolation, and tranquility of heart, are engulfed by wave after wave. When people have yet to figure out the questions that they ought most to understand—where they come from, why they are alive, where they are going, and so forth—they are enticed by fame and gain, misled and controlled by them, and irrevocably lost. Time flies; years pass in the blink of an eye, and before one realizes it, one has bid farewell to the best years of one’s life. When people are soon to bid farewell to the world, they arrive at the gradual realization that everything in the world is drifting away, that they no longer have the strength to hold onto anything that was originally theirs. At this time, they truly feel that they are just like a newly born, wailing infant after all, still possessed of absolutely nothing. At this point, they are compelled to begin to ponder what they have done in their lives, what the value of being alive is, what the meaning of being alive is, and why people came into the world. And it is precisely at this point that they increasingly want to know whether there really is a next life, whether Heaven really exists, whether there really is retribution…. The nearer one comes to death, the more one wants to understand what life is really about; the nearer one comes to death, the more one’s heart seems empty; the nearer one comes to death, the more unsupported one feels; and so one’s fear of death grows greater by the day. There are two reasons such responses manifest in people as they approach death: First, they are about to lose the fame or gain upon which their lives have depended, about to bid farewell to all that the eye beholds in the world; and second, they are about to confront, all alone, an unfamiliar world, a mysterious, unknown realm where they are afraid to set foot, where they have no loved ones and no support. For these two reasons, everyone who faces death feels uneasy, and feels panicked and completely at a loss in a way they have never experienced before. Only when someone has actually come to this point do they realize that when a person enters this world, they should first understand where human beings come from, why people are alive, who holds sovereignty over human fate, and who provides for and holds sovereignty over human existence—this understanding is the capital by which a person lives, and it is the essential basis for a person’s survival. They should not first learn how to provide for their family or how to pursue fame and gain, or how to be a cut above the rest in a group or how to live a more affluent life, much less how to get ahead of others or how to compete with ease in various kinds of contests. Though the various survival skills that people spend their lives mastering enable them to possess an abundance of material comforts, those skills never bring true consolation and steadiness to their hearts. Instead, they make people constantly lose their direction, have difficulty controlling themselves, and miss opportunity after opportunity to learn the meaning of life, and they give rise to hidden troubles in people about how to face death correctly—people’s lives are ruined in this way. The Creator treats everyone fairly, giving everyone a lifetime’s worth of opportunities to experience and know His sovereignty, yet it is only when death draws near, when its specter looms, that one begins to see the light—and then it is too late!

People spend their whole lives chasing after money and fame and gain; they treat these things as a lifeline, as their only means of support—as if possessing them would mean that they could live on and escape death. But only when they are about to die do they realize how far removed money, fame, and gain are from them, and, in the face of death, how weak and powerless they are, how vulnerable they are, how lonely and unsupported they are, and how helpless they are. They realize that money or fame and gain cannot be traded for life, that no matter how wealthy a person may be, no matter how high their status, all are equally poor and insignificant in the face of death. They realize that money cannot buy life, that fame and gain cannot enable a person to escape death, that neither money nor fame and gain can lengthen a person’s life by a single minute, a single second. The more people feel this way, the more they yearn to keep on living; the more people feel this way, the more they dread the approach of death. Only at this point do they truly realize that their lives do not belong to them, are not theirs to control, and that one has no say over whether one lives or dies—it is beyond anyone’s control.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 131

Surrender Under the Creator’s Dominion and Face Death Calmly

At the moment a person is born, one lonely soul begins its experience of life on earth, and its experience of the Creator’s authority which the Creator has arranged for it. Needless to say, for the person—the soul—this is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge of the Creator’s sovereignty, to come to know His authority, and to experience it personally. People live their lives within the laws of fate laid out for them by the Creator, and for any person with conscience and reason, acknowledging the Creator’s sovereignty and coming to know His authority over the decades of their life is not a difficult thing to do. Therefore, it should be very easy for every person to recognize, through their own life experiences over several decades, that all human fates are preordained, and it should be very easy to perceive or to conclude what it means to be alive. As one affirms this life experience, one will gradually come to understand where life comes from, to grasp what the heart truly needs, what will lead one to the true path of life, and what the mission and goal of a human life ought to be. One will gradually recognize that if one does not worship the Creator, if one does not surrender under His dominion, then when the time comes to confront death—when one’s soul is about to face the Creator once more—one’s heart will be filled with boundless dread and turmoil. If a person has been in the world for several decades yet has not understood where human life comes from nor recognized in whose palm human fate rests, then it is no wonder that they cannot face death calmly. A person who has gained, in their decades of experience of human life, knowledge of the Creator’s sovereignty is a person with a pure comprehension of the meaning and value of life. Such a person has a deep knowledge of life’s purpose, with real appreciation and experience of the Creator’s sovereignty, and beyond that, is able to submit to the Creator’s authority. Such a person understands the meaning of the Creator’s creation of mankind, understands that man should worship the Creator, that everything man possesses comes from the Creator and will return to Him some day not far in the future. This kind of person understands that the Creator arranges man’s birth and has sovereignty over man’s death, and that both life and death are preordained by the Creator’s authority. So, when one truly grasps these things, one will naturally be able to calmly face death, to calmly let go of all one’s external things, to readily accept and submit to all that follows, and welcome the last life-juncture, arranged, as it is, by the Creator, rather than constantly dreading it and struggling against it. If one views one’s life as an opportunity to experience the Creator’s sovereignty and come to know His authority, if one sees one’s life as a rare chance to fulfill one’s duty as a created human being and to complete one’s mission, then one will surely have a correct outlook on life, will surely live under the Creator’s blessings and guidance, will surely walk in the light of the Creator, will surely know the Creator’s sovereignty, will surely surrender under His dominion, and surely become a witness to His wondrous deeds, a witness to His authority. Needless to say, such a person will surely be loved and accepted by the Creator, and only such a person can hold a calm attitude toward death and gladly welcome life’s final juncture. Obviously, Job held this kind of attitude toward death. He satisfied the conditions that enabled him to gladly accept the final juncture of life. He brought his life’s journey to a smooth conclusion and completed his mission in life, and then returned to be at the Creator’s side.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

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Job’s Pursuits and Gains in Life Allow Him to Calmly Face Death

In the Scriptures it is written about Job: “So Job died, being old and full of days” (Job 42:17). This means that when Job passed away, he had no regrets and felt no pain, but departed naturally from this world. As everyone knows, Job was a man who feared God and shunned evil while he was alive. His righteous deeds were approved of by God and remembered by others, and his life may be said to have had the greatest worth and significance in all of humanity. Job received God’s blessings and was called righteous by Him on earth, and he was also tried by God and tempted by Satan. He stood firm in his testimony for God and was worthy of being called a “righteous man” by Him. In the decades after he was tried by God, he lived in an even more valuable, meaningful, grounded, and calmer way than before. Because of his righteous deeds, God tried him, and because of his righteous deeds, God appeared to him and spoke to him personally. So, in the years after he was tried, Job felt and understood the value of life in a more practical way, attained a deeper understanding of the Creator’s sovereignty, and gained a more precise and definite knowledge of how the Creator gives and takes away His blessings. The Book of Job records that Jehovah God bestowed even greater blessings upon Job than He did before, putting Job in an even better position to know the Creator’s sovereignty and to face death calmly. So Job, when he grew old and faced death, certainly was not concerned about his property. He had no worries, nothing to regret, and of course did not fear death. Because he spent all his life seeking to walk the way of fearing God and shunning evil, he did not worry about his own outcome. How many people today could act as Job did when he was confronted with his own death? Why is no one capable of achieving such a simple outward attitude? There is only one reason: Job lived his life in the subjective pursuit of believing, acknowledging, and submitting to God’s sovereignty, and it was with this belief, acknowledgment, and submission that he passed through the important junctures in life, lived out his last years, and greeted his life’s final juncture. Regardless of what Job experienced in his life, his pursuits and goals in life were not painful, but happy for him. He was happy not only because of the Creator’s blessings or approval, but more importantly, because of his pursuits and life goals, and because of the growing knowledge and true experience of the Creator’s sovereignty he attained through his pursuit of fearing God and shunning evil. All the more so, he was happy because, while experiencing the Creator’s sovereignty, he personally experienced the wondrous deeds of the Creator, as well as each tender yet unforgettable experience and memory of interacting with God, and of becoming acquainted with and getting to know God. Job was happy because of the comfort and joy that came from knowing the Creator’s intentions, and because of the heart of fear toward the Creator that arose in him after he saw the Creator’s greatness, wondrousness, loveliness, and faithfulness. Job was able to face death without any suffering because he knew that, in dying, he would return to the Creator’s side. It was his pursuits and gains in life that allowed him to face death calmly, allowed him to face his life being taken back by the Creator calmly, and even more so, allowed him to face the Creator unsullied and free from care. Can people nowadays achieve the kind of happiness that Job possessed? Do you have the conditions to do so? Since people nowadays do have these conditions, why are they unable to live happily, as Job did? Why are they unable to escape the suffering of the fear of death? When facing death, some people wet themselves; some shiver, or faint, or lash out against Heaven and man alike; some even wail and weep. These are by no means sudden reactions people have when death draws near. People behave in these embarrassing ways when facing death mainly because, deep in their hearts, they fear death, because they do not have a clear knowledge and appreciation of God’s sovereignty and His arrangements, much less truly submit to them. People react in this way because they want nothing but to arrange and govern everything themselves, to control their own fates, their own lives and deaths. It is no wonder, therefore, that people are never able to escape the fear of death.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 133

Only by Accepting the Creator’s Sovereignty Can One Return to His Side

When one does not have clear knowledge and experience of God’s sovereignty and of His arrangements, one’s knowledge of fate and of death is bound to be muddled. People cannot see clearly that everything rests in God’s palm, do not realize that everything is subject to God’s control and sovereignty, and do not recognize that man cannot cast off or break free from such sovereignty. For this reason, when their time comes to face death, they always have endless last words, they always have worries, and they always have regrets. They are weighed down by so much baggage, so much reluctance, so much confusion. This causes them to fear death. For any person born into this world, birth is necessary and death inevitable; no one can rise above this course of things. If one wishes to depart from this world painlessly, if one wants to be able to face life’s final juncture with no reluctance to leave or worries, the only way is to leave no regrets. And the only way to depart without any regrets is to know the Creator’s sovereignty, to know His authority, and to submit to them. Only in this way can one stay far from human strife, from evil, from Satan’s bondage, and only in this way can one live a life like Job’s, guided and blessed by the Creator, a life that is free and liberated, a life with value and meaning, a life that is upright and aboveboard. Only in this way can one submit, like Job, to the trials and deprivation of the Creator, to the Creator’s orchestrations and arrangements. Only in this way can one, as Job did, worship the Creator all one’s life and win His approval, hear His voice, and see Him appear. Only in this way can one live and die happily, like Job, with no pain, no worry, no regrets. Only in this way can one, as Job did, live in light, pass every one of life’s junctures in light, smoothly complete one’s journey in light, successfully complete one’s mission—to experience and come to know, as a created being, the Creator’s sovereignty—and pass away in the light, and thereafter stay at the Creator’s side as a created human being, approved of by Him.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 134

Do Not Miss the Opportunity to Know the Creator’s Sovereignty

The several decades that make up a human life are neither long nor short. The twenty-odd years between birth and young adulthood pass in the blink of an eye, and though at this point in life a person is considered an adult, people in this age group know next to nothing about human life and human fate. As they gain more experience, they step gradually into middle age. People in their thirties and forties acquire a fledgling experience of life and fate, but their ideas about these things are still very vague. It is not until the age of forty that some people begin to understand mankind, as well as the heavens and earth and all things, which God created, and to grasp what human life is all about, what human fate is all about. Some people, though they have long been followers of God and are now middle-aged, still cannot possess an accurate knowledge of God’s sovereignty, nor come to an accurate definition of it, much less can they have true submission. Some people care about nothing other than seeking to receive blessings, and though they have lived for many years, they do not know or understand in the least the fact of the Creator’s sovereignty over human fate, so they haven’t had the slightest entry into the practical lesson of submitting to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. Such people are thoroughly muddleheaded, and their lives are lived in vain.

If the periods of a human life are divided according to people’s life experience and knowledge of human fate, they can roughly be broken into three phases. The first phase is youth, which is the years between birth and middle age, or from birth until the age of thirty. The second phase is maturation, from middle age to old age, or from thirty until sixty. And the third phase is one’s mature period, which lasts from the start of old age, beginning at sixty, until one departs from the world. In other words, from birth to middle age, most people’s knowledge of fate and life is limited to imitating the ideas of others, and has almost no real, practical substance. During this period, one’s outlook on life and the ways that one deals with the world are quite superficial and naive. This is one’s youth. Only after one has tasted all the joys and sorrows of life does one gain a real understanding of fate, and—subconsciously, deep in one’s heart—gradually come to be aware of the irreversibility of fate, and slowly realize that the Creator’s sovereignty over human fate truly exists. This is one’s period of maturation. A person enters their mature period when they have ceased to struggle against fate, and when they are no longer willing to be drawn into strife and, instead, know their lot in life, submit to Heaven’s will, summarize their achievements and errors in life, and await the Creator’s judgment on their life. Considering the different experiences and gains people have during these three periods, under normal circumstances, they won’t have many opportunities in their lives to know the Creator’s sovereignty. If one lives to be sixty, one has only thirty years or so to know God’s sovereignty; if one wants a longer period of time, that is only possible if one’s life lasts long enough, if one is able to live for a century. So I say, according to the normal laws of human existence, though it is a very long process from when one first encounters the subject of knowing the Creator’s sovereignty until the time when one is able to recognize the fact of that sovereignty, and from then until the point when one is able to submit to it, if one actually counts up the years, there are no more than thirty or forty during which one has the chance to gain these results. And often, people get carried away by their desires and ambitions to receive blessings, and cannot see through to either what the foundation for one’s life really is or the importance of knowing the Creator’s sovereignty, so they do not cherish this precious opportunity of being able to come to the world of man to experience human life and the Creator’s sovereignty, and they fail to grasp how extremely precious it is for a created being to receive the Creator’s personal guidance. So I say, those people who hope God’s work ends as quickly as possible, and hope God arranges people’s outcomes as soon as possible so that they can immediately behold the appearance of His true form and gain blessings at the earliest opportunity are heinously rebellious and foolish to the extreme. On the other hand, it is those who hope, within their limited time, to grasp this one-in-a-millennium opportunity to know the Creator’s sovereignty that are truly wise and of the highest intelligence. The different desires of these two kinds of people expose two vastly different viewpoints and pursuits. Those who pursue blessings are selfish and base, never show consideration for God’s intentions, never pursue knowing God’s sovereignty, and don’t wish to submit to it but just want to live as they please. They are those who willingly sink into depravity, and those who will perish. Those who pursue knowing God, on the other hand, are able to let go of their desires, are willing to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements, and pursue being the kind of people who submit to God’s authority and satisfy God’s intentions. Such people live in the light and live amid God’s blessings, and they will certainly be approved of by God. No matter what, human choice is useless. People have no say in how long God’s work will take. It is better for people to put themselves at the mercy of God’s orchestrations and submit to His sovereignty. If you do not put yourself at the mercy of God’s orchestrations, what can you do? Would God suffer any loss as a result? If you do not put yourself at the mercy of His orchestrations, and you want to have the final say yourself, then you are making a foolish choice, and ultimately you will be the only one who suffers a loss. Only if people act as quickly as possible to cooperate with God, accept His orchestrations, and know His authority and all He has done for them will they have hope—only in this way will their lives not have been lived in vain, and will they receive saving grace.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 135

No One Can Change the Fact That God Holds Sovereignty Over Human Fate

Under God’s authority, every person actively or passively accepts His sovereignty and arrangements, and no matter how they struggle throughout their life, no matter how many detours they take, they must ultimately return to the course of fate that the Creator has arranged for them. This is the insuperability of the Creator’s authority, and is the manner in which His authority exercises sovereignty over and governs all things. It is precisely this insuperability, and precisely this manner of exercising sovereignty and governing all things, that allow them to exist with regular order, that allow humans to reincarnate again and again without any interference, and that make the world operate regularly, moving forward day after day, year after year. You should have now all witnessed these facts and, whether superficially or deeply, you have also come to appreciate them. The depth of your appreciation depends on your experience and knowledge of the truth, and on your knowledge of God. How much knowledge you have of the truth reality, how much you have experienced God’s words, how much knowledge you have of God’s essence and disposition—all of this decides how deeply you know God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Does the existence of God’s sovereignty and arrangements depend on whether human beings submit to them? Is the fact that God possesses this authority determined by whether humanity submits to it? God’s authority exists regardless of the circumstances. In all situations, God holds sovereignty over and arranges everyone’s fate and all things in accordance with His thoughts and His desires. This will not change in accordance with changes in people; it is independent of man’s will, and cannot be altered by any changes in time, space, and geography, for God’s authority is His very essence. Whether man is able to know and accept God’s sovereignty, and whether man is able to submit to it—none of this alters in the slightest the fact of God’s sovereignty over human fate. That is to say, no matter what attitude man takes toward God’s sovereignty, it simply cannot change the fact that God holds sovereignty over human fate and over all things. Even if you do not submit to God’s sovereignty, your fate is still under His sovereignty; even if you don’t know His sovereignty, His authority still exists. God’s authority and the fact of God’s sovereignty over human fate are independent of human will, and do not change in accordance with man’s preferences and choices. God’s authority is everywhere, at every hour, at every instant. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His authority will never pass away, for He is God Himself, He possesses unique authority, and His authority is not restricted or limited by people, events, or things, by space or by geography. At all times, God wields His authority, manifests His great power, and continues His management work as He always has; at all times, He holds sovereignty over all things, provides for all things, and orchestrates all things—just as He always has. No one can change this. It is fact; it has been the unchanging truth since time immemorial!

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 136

The Proper Attitude and Practice for One Who Is Willing to Submit to God’s Authority

With what attitude should man now know and approach God’s authority and the fact of God’s sovereignty over human fate? This is a real problem that stands before every person. When confronting problems in real life, how should you understand and appreciate God’s authority and His sovereignty? When you are faced with these problems and do not know how to understand, handle, and experience them, what attitude should you adopt to demonstrate that you have the intention and the desire to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements, and the reality of this submission? First you must learn to wait; then you must learn to seek; then you must learn to submit. “Waiting” means waiting for the time of God, awaiting the people, events, and things that He has arranged for you, and waiting for His intentions to be gradually made manifest to you. “Seeking” means examining and understanding God’s painstaking intentions through the people, events, and things that He has orchestrated, understanding the truths in them, understanding what man should do and the ways he should adhere to, and understanding what results God means to achieve in man and what accomplishments He means to attain in him. “Submitting,” of course, refers to accepting the people, events, and things that God has orchestrated, accepting His sovereignty and, through it, experiencing how the Creator holds sovereignty over man’s fate, how He supplies man with His life, and how He works the truth into man. All things under God’s arrangements and sovereignty obey natural laws, and if you resolve to let God arrange and hold sovereignty over everything for you, you should learn to wait, you should learn to seek, and you should learn to submit. This is the attitude every person who is willing to submit to God’s authority should adopt, and it is also the most basic quality every person who is willing to accept God’s sovereignty and arrangements should possess. To hold such an attitude, to possess such a quality, you must work harder. Only then can you enter into the true reality.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 137

Accepting God as Your Unique Sovereign Is the Start of Attaining Salvation

The truths regarding God’s authority are truths that every person must take seriously, must experience and understand with their heart—for these truths pertain to every person’s life; every person’s past, present, and future; the crucial junctures through which every person must pass in life; man’s knowledge of God’s sovereignty and the attitude with which one should face God’s authority; and, naturally, every person’s final destination. So, it requires a lifetime’s worth of energy to know and understand them. When you look squarely at God’s authority, when you accept His sovereignty, you will gradually come to realize and understand the real existence of God’s authority. But if you never acknowledge God’s authority and never accept His sovereignty, then no matter how many years you live, you will not gain the slightest knowledge of God’s sovereignty. If you do not truly know and understand God’s authority, then when you reach the end of the road, even if you have believed in God for decades, you will have nothing to show for your life, and you will naturally not have the least knowledge of God’s sovereignty over human fate. Is this not a very sad thing? So, no matter how far you have walked in life, no matter how old you are now, no matter how long the rest of your journey may be, first you must acknowledge God’s authority and face it squarely, and accept the fact that God is your unique Sovereign. Attaining clear, accurate knowledge and understanding of these truths regarding God’s sovereignty over human fate is a mandatory lesson for everyone; it is the key to knowing human life and gaining the truth. It is also the life and basic lesson of knowing God that everyone must face each day, which no one can evade. If you wish to take shortcuts to reach this goal, then I tell you, it is impossible! If you want to escape God’s sovereignty, that is even less possible! God is man’s only Lord, God is the only Sovereign of human fate, and so it is impossible for man to hold sovereignty over his own fate, impossible for him to transcend it. No matter how great one’s abilities, one cannot influence—much less orchestrate, arrange, control, or change—the fates of others. Only the unique God Himself is capable of holding sovereignty over all things about man. Because only the unique God Himself possesses the unique authority that holds sovereignty over human fate, only the Creator is man’s unique Sovereign. God’s authority holds sovereignty not only over created humanity, but also over non-created beings that no human can see, over the stars, over the universe. This is an indisputable fact, a fact that truly exists, which no person or thing can change. If any of you is still dissatisfied with things as they stand, believing you have some strength or ability, and you still harbor a mentality of trying your luck, wanting to change your present circumstances or otherwise escape them, or you attempt to change your own fate by means of human effort, and thereby distinguish yourself from your fellows and win fame and gain, then I say to you, you are making things hard for yourself, you are only asking for trouble, you are digging your own grave! Sooner or later, you will discover you have made the wrong choice and your efforts have been in vain. Your ambition and desire to struggle against fate, and your own rogue conduct will surely lead you down a road of no return, and for this you will pay a bitter price. Though at present you do not see the severity of the consequences, as you continue to experience more deeply the truth that God holds sovereignty over human fate, you will gradually come to realize what I speak of today and its real implications. Whether you truly have a heart and a spirit and whether you are a person who loves the truth depends on what kind of attitude you take toward God’s sovereignty and toward the truth. Naturally, this determines whether you can truly know and understand God’s authority. If you have never in your life sensed God’s sovereignty and His arrangements, much less acknowledged and accepted God’s authority, then you will be utterly written off, and you will without a doubt be spurned by God. This is something decided by the path you have taken and the choice you have made. But those who, in God’s work, can accept His trial, accept His sovereignty, submit to His authority, and gradually gain real experience of His words attain real knowledge of God’s authority, real appreciation of His sovereignty; they truly surrender to the Creator. Only such people are those who truly attain salvation. Because they know God’s sovereignty, because they accept it, they have an accurate, real appreciation of and submission to the fact that God is sovereign over human fate. When they face death, they will, like Job, have a mind undaunted by death, and submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements in all things, with no individual choice, with no individual desire. Only such people will be able to return to the Creator’s side as true created human beings.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique III

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 138

Jehovah God’s Command to Man

Gen 2:15–17  And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

The Serpent’s Seduction of the Woman

Gen 3:1–5  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Yes, has god said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die: For god does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like god, knowing good and evil.

These two passages are excerpts from the book of Genesis in the Bible. Are you all familiar with these two passages? They relate events that happened at the beginning, when mankind was first created; these events were real. First let us look at what kind of command Jehovah God gave to Adam and Eve; the content of this command is very important for our topic today. “And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.” What is the import of God’s command to man in this passage? Firstly, God tells man what he can eat, namely, the fruits of many kinds of trees. There is no danger and no poison; all can be eaten and eaten freely as man wishes, free from worry and doubt. This is one part of God’s command. The other part is a warning. In this warning, God tells man he must not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What will happen if he eats from this tree? God told man: If you eat from it you will surely die. Are these words not straightforward? If God told you this but you did not understand why, would you treat His words as a rule or an order to be obeyed? Such words should be obeyed. But whether or not man is able to obey, God’s words are unequivocal. God told man very clearly what he may eat and what he may not eat, and what will happen if he eats what he may not eat. In these brief words that God spoke, can you see anything of God’s disposition? Are these words of God true? Is there any deception? Is there any falsity? Is there any intimidation? (No.) God honestly, truthfully and sincerely told man what he may eat and what he may not eat. God spoke clearly and plainly. Is there any hidden meaning in these words? Are these words not straightforward? Is there any need for conjecture? There is no need for guesswork. Their meaning is obvious at a glance. Upon reading them, one feels entirely clear about their meaning. That is, what God wants to say and what He wants to express comes from His heart. The things God expresses are clean, straightforward and clear. There are no covert motives, nor any hidden meanings. He speaks to man directly, telling him what he may eat and what he may not eat. That is to say, through these words of God, man can see that God’s heart is transparent and true. There is no trace of falsehood here; it is not a case of telling you that you may not eat what is edible, or telling you “Do it and see what happens” with things that you cannot eat. This is not what God means. Whatever God thinks in His heart, that is what He says. If I say God is holy because He shows and reveals Himself within these words in this way, you may feel that I have made a mountain out of a molehill or that I have stretched a point a little too far. If so, do not worry; we are not yet finished.

Let us now talk about “The Serpent’s Seduction of the Woman.” Who is the serpent? Satan. It plays the role of the foil in God’s six-thousand-year management plan, and it is a role that we have to mention when we fellowship about the holiness of God. Why do I say this? If you do not know the wickedness and corruption of Satan, if you do not know of Satan’s nature, then you have no way to acknowledge holiness, and nor can you know what holiness really is. In confusion, people believe that what Satan does is right, because they live within this kind of corrupt disposition. With no foil, with no point of comparison, you cannot know what holiness is. That is why Satan must be mentioned here. Such mention is no empty talk. Through Satan’s words and deeds, we will see how Satan acts, how Satan corrupts mankind, and what is the nature and countenance of Satan. So what did the woman say to the serpent? The woman recounted to the serpent what Jehovah God had said to her. When she said these words, was she certain that what God had said to her was true? She could not be sure. As someone who was newly created, she had no ability to discern good from evil, and nor did she have any cognition about anything around her. Judging by the words she spoke to the serpent, she was not sure in her heart that God’s words were right; such was her attitude. So when the serpent saw that the woman had an attitude of uncertainty toward God’s words, it said: “You shall not surely die: For god does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like god, knowing good and evil.” Is there anything problematic within these words? When you read this sentence, do you gain a sense of the serpent’s intentions? What are those intentions? It wanted to entice this woman, to stop her from heeding God’s words. But it did not say these things directly. Thus, we can say that it is very cunning. It expresses its meaning in a sly and evasive way in order to reach its intended objective, which it keeps concealed within its mind, hidden from man—such is the serpent’s cunning. This has always been Satan’s way of speaking and acting. It says “not surely,” without confirming one way or the other. But upon hearing this, this ignorant woman’s heart was moved. The serpent was pleased, because its words had had the desired effect—such was the serpent’s cunning intention. Furthermore, by promising an outcome that seems desirable to humans, it seduced her, saying, “In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened.” So she ponders: “To have my eyes opened is a good thing!” And then it said something even more effective, words never before known to man, words that wield a great enticing power over those who hear them: “You shall be like god, knowing good and evil.” Are these words not powerfully seductive to man? It is like someone saying to you: “Your face is shaped wonderfully, except that the bridge of your nose is a little short. If you have that corrected, then you will be a world-class beauty!” Would these words move the heart of someone who had never previously harbored any desire to have cosmetic surgery? Are these words not seductive? Is this seduction not enticing to you? And is this not a temptation? (Yes.) Does God say things like this? Was there any hint of this in the words of God that we just now perused? Does God say what He thinks in His heart? Can man see God’s heart through His words? (Yes.) But when the serpent spoke those words to the woman, were you able to see its heart? No. And because of man’s ignorance, man was easily seduced by the serpent’s words and easily duped. So were you able to see Satan’s intentions? Were you able to see the purpose behind what Satan said? Were you able to see Satan’s plots and ruses? (No.) What kind of disposition is represented by Satan’s way of speaking? What kind of essence have you seen in Satan through these words? Is it not insidious? Perhaps on the surface it smiles at you, or perhaps it reveals no expression whatsoever. But in its heart it is calculating how to obtain its objective, and it is this objective that you are unable to see. All the promises it makes to you, all the advantages it describes, are the guise of its seduction. You see these things as good, so you feel that what it says is more useful, more substantial than what God says. When this happens, does man not then become a submissive prisoner? Is this strategy that Satan has used not diabolical? You allow yourself to sink into degeneracy. Without Satan having to move a finger, but merely by speaking these two sentences, you become happy to follow along with Satan, to comply with Satan. Thus, Satan’s objective has been attained. Is this intention not sinister? Is this not Satan’s most primal countenance? From Satan’s words, man can see its sinister motives, see its hideous countenance and see its essence. Is that not so? In comparing these sentences, without analysis you may perhaps feel as though Jehovah God’s words are dull, commonplace and banal, that they do not justify waxing lyrical here in praise of God’s honesty. However, when we take Satan’s words and Satan’s hideous countenance as a foil, do these words of God not carry significant weight for the people of today? (Yes.) Through this comparison, man can sense God’s pure flawlessness. Every word Satan says, as well as Satan’s motives, intentions and the way it speaks—they are all adulterated. What is the main feature of Satan’s way of speaking? Satan uses equivocation to seduce you, without letting you see through its duplicity, nor does it allow you to discern its objective; Satan lets you take the bait, but you also have to praise and sing its merits. Is this ploy not Satan’s habitual method of choice? (Yes.)

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 139

Dialogue Between Satan and Jehovah God (Selected passages)

Job 1:6–11  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Does Job fear god for nothing? Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.

Job 2:1–5  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.

These two passages consist entirely of a dialogue between God and Satan; they record what God said and what Satan said. God did not speak much, and He spoke very simply. Can we see the holiness of God within His simple words? Some will say this is not easily done. So can we see the hideousness of Satan in its replies? Let us first look at what kind of question Jehovah God asked of Satan. “From where come you?” Isn’t this a straightforward question? Is there any hidden meaning? No; it is just a straightforward question. If I were to ask you: “Where do you come from?” how then would you answer? Is it a difficult question to answer? Would you say: “From going to and fro, and from walking up and down”? (No.) You would not answer like this. So, how then do you feel when you see Satan answering in this way? (We feel that Satan is being absurd, but also deceitful.) Can you tell what I am feeling? Every time I see these words of Satan, I feel disgusted, because Satan talks, and yet its words contain no substance. Did Satan answer God’s question? No, the words Satan spoke were not an answer, they did not yield anything. They were not an answer to God’s question. “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” What is your understanding of these words? Just where does Satan come from? Have you received an answer to this question? (No.) This is the “genius” of Satan’s cunning schemes—not letting anyone discover what it is actually saying. Having heard these words you still cannot discern what it has said, even though it has finished answering. Yet Satan believes it has answered perfectly. How then do you feel? Disgusted? (Yes.) Now you begin to feel disgust in response to these words. Satan’s words have a certain characteristic: What Satan says leaves you scratching your head, unable to perceive the source of its words. Sometimes Satan has motives and speaks deliberately, and sometimes governed by its nature, such words emerge spontaneously, and come straight out of Satan’s mouth. Satan does not spend a long time weighing such words; rather, they are expressed without thinking. When God asked where it came from, Satan answered with a few ambiguous words. You feel very puzzled, never knowing exactly where Satan is from. Are there any among you who speak like this? What kind of way is this to speak? (It is ambiguous and does not give a certain answer.) What kind of words should we use to describe this way of speaking? It is diversionary and misguiding. Suppose someone does not want to let others know what they did yesterday. You ask them: “I saw you yesterday. Where were you going?” They do not tell you directly where they went. Rather, they say: “What a day it was yesterday. It was so tiring!” Did they answer your question? They did, but they did not give the answer you wanted. This is the “genius” within the artifice of man’s speech. You can never discover what they mean, nor perceive the source or intention of their words. You do not know what they are trying to avoid because in their heart they have their own story—this is insidious. Are there any among you who also often speak in this way? (Yes.) What then is your purpose? Is it sometimes to protect your own interests, sometimes to maintain your own pride, position, and image, to protect the secrets of your private life? Whatever the purpose, it is inseparable from your interests, linked to your interests. Is this not the nature of man? All who have such a nature are closely related to Satan, if not its family. We can put it like this, can we not? Generally speaking, this manifestation is detestable and abhorrent. You also now feel disgusted, do you not? (Yes.)

Let’s look at the following verses. Satan responds again to Jehovah’s question, saying: “Does Job fear god for nothing?” Satan is opening an attack on Jehovah’s assessment of Job, and this attack is colored by hostility. “Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side?” This is Satan’s understanding and assessment of Jehovah’s work on Job. Satan assesses it like this, saying: “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.” Satan always speaks ambiguously, but here it speaks in certain terms. However, these words, though they are spoken in certain terms, are an attack, a blasphemy and an act of defiance to Jehovah God, to God Himself. How do you feel when you hear these words? Do you feel aversion? Are you able to see through to Satan’s intentions? First of all, Satan repudiates Jehovah’s assessment of Job—a man who fears God and shuns evil. Then Satan repudiates everything Job says and does, that is, it repudiates his fear of Jehovah. Is this not accusatory? Satan is accusing, repudiating and doubting all Jehovah does and says. It does not believe, saying, “If you say things are like this, then how is it that I have not seen it? You have given him so many blessings, so how can he not fear you?” Is this not a repudiation of all that God does? Accusation, repudiation, blasphemy—are Satan’s words not an assault? Are they not a true expression of what Satan thinks in its heart? These words are certainly not the same as the words we read just now: “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” They are completely different. Through these words, Satan completely lays bare the contents of its heart—its attitude toward God and its loathing of Job’s fear of God. When this happens, its malice and wicked nature are completely exposed. It loathes those who fear God, loathes those who shun evil, and even more so loathes Jehovah for bestowing blessings on man. It wants to use this opportunity to destroy Job, whom God raised with His own hand, to ruin him, saying: “You say Job fears you and shuns evil. I see it differently.” It uses various ways to provoke and tempt Jehovah, and uses various ploys so that Jehovah God hands Job over to Satan to be wantonly manipulated, harmed and mishandled. It wants to take advantage of this opportunity to destroy this man who is righteous and perfect in God’s eyes. Is it just a momentary impulse that causes Satan to have this kind of heart? No, it is not. It has been long in the making. When God works—when God cares for a person and scrutinizes them, and when He finds them worthy and approves of them—Satan trails closely behind, trying to mislead and grievously harm them. Since God wishes to gain this person, Satan does everything in its power to get in the way, using various wicked methods to tempt, disturb, and damage the work of God, in order to achieve its unspeakable objective. What is this objective? It does not want God to gain anyone; it wants to snatch away those whom God intends to gain, so that it can occupy them, control them, and take charge of them, so that they worship it and join it in doing evil to resist God. Is this not Satan’s sinister motive? You often say that Satan is so wicked, so bad, but have you seen it? You can see how bad mankind is; you have not seen how bad the real Satan is. Yet in the matter of Job, you have clearly observed just how wicked Satan is. This matter has made Satan’s hideous countenance and its essence very clear. In warring with God, and trailing along behind Him, Satan’s objective is to demolish all the work God wants to do, and to occupy and control those whom God wants to gain. It wants to completely destroy those whom God wants to gain, or to possess them and use them if they are not destroyed. This is its objective. And what does God do? God says only a simple sentence in this passage; there is no record of anything more that God does, but we see there are many more records of what Satan does and says. In the following passage of scripture, Jehovah asks Satan, “From where come you?” What is Satan’s answer? (It is still “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”) It is still that same sentence. This has become Satan’s motto, Satan’s calling card. How is this so? Is Satan not hateful? Surely it is enough to utter this disgusting sentence just once. Why does Satan keep repeating it? This proves one thing: Satan’s nature is unchanging. Satan cannot use pretense to conceal its ugly face. God asks it a question and this is how it responds. Since this is so, imagine then how it must treat humans! Satan is not afraid of God, does not fear God, and does not obey God. So it dares to be wantonly presumptuous before God, to use these same words to brush off God’s question, to repeatedly use this same answer to God’s question, to attempt to use this answer to confound God—this is the ugly face of Satan. It does not believe in the almightiness of God, does not believe in the authority of God, and is certainly not willing to submit to the dominion of God. It is constantly in opposition to God, constantly attacking all that God does, attempting to wreck all that God does—this is its wicked objective.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 140

Dialogue Between Satan and Jehovah God (Selected passages)

Job 1:6–11  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Does Job fear god for nothing? Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.

Job 2:1–5  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.

As recorded in the Book of Job, these two passages of speech uttered by Satan and the things Satan did are representative of its resistance to God in His six-thousand-year management plan—here, Satan’s true colors are revealed. Have you seen Satan’s words and deeds in real life? When you do see them, you may not think them to be things spoken by Satan, but instead think them to be things spoken by man. What is represented, when such things are spoken by man? Satan is represented. Even if you recognize it, you still cannot perceive that it is really being spoken by Satan. But here and now you have unequivocally seen what Satan itself has said. You now have an unequivocal, crystal-clear understanding of the hideous countenance and the wickedness of Satan. So are these two passages spoken by Satan of value in helping people today to gain knowledge about Satan’s nature? Are these two passages worth carefully retaining in order for mankind today to be able to recognize Satan’s hideous face, to recognize Satan’s original, true face? Although this may not seem like an appropriate thing to say, these words, expressed thus, can nonetheless be considered accurate. Indeed, this is the only way that I can express this idea, and if you can understand it, then that is enough. Again and again, Satan attacks the things Jehovah does, throwing out accusations about Job’s fear of Jehovah God. Satan attempts to provoke Jehovah by various methods, trying to get Jehovah to condone its temptation of Job. Its words therefore have a highly provocative nature. So tell Me, once Satan has spoken these words, can God clearly see what Satan wants to do? (Yes.) In God’s heart, this man Job that God looks upon—this servant of God, that God takes to be a righteous man, a perfect man—can he withstand this kind of temptation? (Yes.) Why is God so certain about that? Is God always examining the heart of man? (Yes.) So is Satan able to examine the heart of man? Satan cannot. Even if Satan could see your heart, considering its wicked nature, Satan would never believe that holy things are holy, or that filthy things are filthy. The wicked Satan can never treasure anything that is holy, just or bright. Satan just tirelessly and involuntarily acts in accordance with its nature, its wickedness, and through these kinds of methods. Even at the cost of itself being punished or destroyed by God, it does not hesitate to stubbornly oppose God. This is wickedness, this is the nature of Satan. So in this passage, Satan says: “Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.” Satan thinks that man’s fear of God is due to man having obtained so many advantages from God. Man obtains advantages from God, so he says God is good. But it is not because God is good, it is only because man obtains so many advantages that he can fear God in this way. Once God deprives him of these advantages, he then abandons God. In Satan’s wicked nature, it does not believe that man’s heart can truly fear God. Because of its wicked nature, it does not know what holiness is, much less what fear is. It does not know what it is to submit to God or what it is to fear God. Because it does not know these things, it thinks that man cannot fear God either. Tell Me, is Satan not wicked? Excepting our church, none of the various religions and denominations, or religious and social groups, believe in the existence of God, much less do they believe that God has become flesh and is doing the work of judgment, so they think that what you believe in is not God. A promiscuous man looks around him and sees everyone else as promiscuous, just as he is. A mendacious man looks around and sees only dishonesty and lies. An evil man sees everyone else as evil and wants to fight everyone he sees. Those with a measure of honesty see everyone else as honest, so they are always duped, always cheated, and there is nothing they can do about it. I give these few examples to fortify you in your conviction: Satan’s wicked nature is not a fleeting compulsion or determined by circumstances, nor is it a temporary manifestation arising from any reason or contextual factors. Absolutely not! Satan just cannot help but be this way! It can do nothing good. Even when it says something pleasant to hear, it is just to seduce you. The more pleasant, the more tactful, the more gentle its words are, the more malicious the sinister intentions behind these words. What kind of face, what kind of nature does Satan show in these two passages? (Insidious, malicious and wicked.) Satan’s primary characteristic is wickedness; above all else, Satan is wicked and malicious.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 141

Ever since God created man, He has always guided the life of mankind, whether it be by bestowing blessings on mankind, establishing laws and commandments for mankind, or stipulating various ordinances for life—what is God’s intent and aim in doing these things? Do you know what it is? Firstly, can you say with certainty that all these things that God does are for the good of mankind? This statement may seem to you like grand, hollow words, but looking specifically at the details, are all these things that God does not leading and guiding man toward living a normal life? Whether man abides by regulations or keeps the laws, God’s aim is for man not to fall into worshiping Satan and being harmed by Satan—this is His most fundamental aim, and it is His original aim. At the very beginning, when man did not understand God’s intentions, God made some simple laws and rules and made regulations that covered every conceivable matter. These regulations are simple, yet within them they contain God’s intentions. God treasures, cherishes and dearly loves mankind. So can we say that His heart is holy? Can we say His heart is clean? (Yes.) Does God have any additional motives? (No.) So is this aim of His right and positive? In the course of God’s work, all of the regulations He has made have a positive effect on man, leading the way for man. So are there any self-serving thoughts in God’s mind? Does God have any additional aims where man is concerned? Does God want to make use of man in some way? Not in the slightest. God does as He says, and His words and actions are matched by His thoughts in His heart. There is no tainted purpose, no self-serving thoughts. Nothing He does is for Himself; all that He does, He does for man, without any private objectives. Although He has plans and intentions regarding man, this is not for His own sake. All of these things that He does are done purely for mankind, to protect mankind, to keep mankind from going astray. So is this heart of His not precious? Can you see even the tiniest sign of such a precious heart in Satan? You cannot see the slightest hint of this in Satan, you cannot see it at all. Everything God does is revealed naturally. Now, let us look at the way God works; how does He do His work? Does God take these laws and His words and bind them tightly around the head of every person, like the band-tightening spell,^[a] imposing them on each and every human being? Does He work in this way? (No.) So in what way does God do His work? Does He threaten? Does He beat about the bush when He speaks to you? (No.) When you do not understand the truth, how does God guide you? He enlightens and illuminates you, telling you clearly that what you’re doing is not in keeping with the truth, and what you should do. Based on these ways in which God works, what kind of relationship do you feel you have with God? Do they make you feel that God is beyond reach? (No.) So how do they make you feel? They make you feel that God’s words are especially real, that His relationship with man is especially normal, that God is exceptionally close to you, and that there is no distance between you and God. When God guides you, when He provides for you, helps you and supports you, you feel God’s amiability and respectability, you feel His loveliness and His warmth. But when God reproaches you for your corruption, or when He judges and disciplines you for your rebelliousness, what methods does He use? Does He reproach you with words? Does He discipline you through environments and through people, events, and things? (Yes.) To what extent does God discipline you? Does God discipline you to the same degree that Satan grievously harms people? (No, God disciplines people only to the extent that they can endure.) God works in a gentle, delicate, loving, and caring way, a way that is extraordinarily measured and appropriate, and that will not provoke in you intense feelings such as: “God is making me do this” or “God is making me do that.” God will never give you that kind of intense realization or feeling which your heart cannot bear. Is that not so? Even when you accept God’s words of judgment and chastisement, how do you feel then? When you sense the authority and might of God, how do you feel then? Do you feel that God is divine and inviolable? Do you feel distance between yourself and God at these times? Do you feel how frightening God is? No—rather, you feel fear toward God. Is it not because of God’s work that people feel all of these things? Would they have these feelings if it were Satan who was at work? Absolutely not. God uses His words, the truth, and His life to continuously provide for man, to support man. When man is weak, when man is feeling negative, God does not speak in a forceful manner, saying: “Do not feel negative. What is there to be negative about? Why are you weak? What reason is there to be weak? You are always so weak, and you are always so negative—what is the use of you being alive? Just die then!” Would God work in this way? (No.) Does God have the authority to act in this way? Yes, He does. Yet God does not act in this way. The reason why God does not act in this way is because of His essence, His essence that is holiness. His love for man, His treasuring and cherishing of man cannot be expressed clearly by man in just one or two sentences. These are not things that are brought about by man’s vaunting but things that God Himself brings forth in actual action; they are the revelation of God’s essence. Can all these ways in which God works cause man to see the holiness of God? In all of these ways in which God works, including God’s painstaking intentions, including the effects God wishes to work on man, including the different ways God adopts to work on man, the kind of work He does, what He wants man to understand—have you seen anything wicked or deceitful in God’s painstaking intentions? (No.) So in everything God does, everything God says, everything He thinks in His heart, as well as all the essence of God that He reveals—can we call God holy? (Yes.) Has any man ever seen this holiness in the world, or within himself? Apart from God, have you ever seen it in any human being, or in Satan? (No.) Based on our discussion thus far, can we call God the unique, the holy God Himself? (Yes.) All the things that God gives to man, including the words of God, what God works on man through various means, what God tells man, what God reminds and exhorts man of, originate from one essence: the holiness of God. If there were no such holy God, no man could take His place to do the work He does. If God had handed these men entirely over to Satan, have you ever considered what kind of condition all of you would be in today? Would you all be sitting here, whole and inviolate? Would you also say: “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it”? Would you be so brazen, so cock-sure and full of swagger as to speak such words and boast without shame before God? You absolutely would, without a shadow of doubt! Satan’s attitude toward man allows man to see that Satan’s nature essence is utterly different from God’s. What is it about the essence of Satan that is the opposite of the holiness of God? (Satan’s wickedness.) Satan’s wicked nature is the opposite of the holiness of God. The reason why the majority of people do not recognize this revelation of God’s and this essence of God’s holiness is because they live under the power of Satan, within the corruption of Satan and within Satan’s living enclosure. They do not know what holiness is, or how to define holiness. Even when you perceive the holiness of God, you still cannot define it as being the holiness of God with any certainty. This is a disparity within man’s knowledge of the holiness of God.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Footnotes:

a. The “band-tightening spell” is a spell used by the monk Tang Sanzang in the Chinese novel Journey to the West. He uses this spell to control Sun Wukong by tightening a metal band around the latter’s head, giving him acute headaches, and thus bringing him under control. It has become a metaphor to describe something that binds a person.

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 142

What characterizes Satan’s work on man? You should be able to learn this through your own experiences—it is Satan’s archetypal feature, the thing it repeatedly does, the thing it tries to do with every single person. Perhaps you cannot see this feature, so you do not feel that Satan is so frightful and loathsome. Does anyone know what this feature is? (It seduces, entices, and tempts man.) That is correct; these are several ways in which this feature manifests. Satan also misleads, attacks, and accuses man—these are all manifestations. Are there any more? (It tells lies.) Cheating and lying come most naturally to Satan. It often does these things. There’s also bossing people around, inciting them, forcing them to do things, ordering them around, and forcefully taking possession of them. Now I will describe something to you that will make your hair stand on end, but I do not do it to scare you. When God works on man, He cherishes man both in His attitude and in His heart. Satan, on the other hand, does not cherish man at all, and it spends all its time thinking about how to harm man. Is this not so? When it is thinking about harming man, is its state of mind one of urgency? (Yes.) So, as regards Satan’s work on man, I have two phrases that can amply describe the wickedness and maliciousness of Satan, that can allow you to truly understand the loathsomeness of Satan: In Satan’s approach to man, it always wants to forcefully occupy and possess man, each and every one, to the extent that it can gain complete control of man and harm man grievously, so that it can achieve its objective and fulfill its ambition. What does “forcefully occupy” mean? Is it something that happens with your consent, or without your consent? Does it happen with your knowing, or without your knowing? The answer is that it happens completely without your knowing! It happens in situations where you are unaware, perhaps without it even saying or doing anything to you, with no premise, no context—there Satan is, circling around you, surrounding you. It looks for an opportunity to exploit and then it forcefully occupies you, possesses you, achieving its objective of gaining complete control of you and of inflicting grievous harm upon you. This is one of the most typical intentions and manifestations of Satan as it struggles to wrest mankind away from God. How do you feel when you hear this? (Terrified and fearful in our hearts.) Do you feel disgusted? (Yes.) As you feel this disgust, do you think that Satan is shameless? When you think that Satan is shameless, do you then feel disgusted with those people around you who always want to control you, those with wild ambitions for status and interests? (Yes.) So what methods does Satan use to forcefully possess and occupy man? Are you clear on this? When you hear these two terms “forceful occupation” and “possession,” you feel disgust and you can sense the wickedness about these words. Without either your consent or your knowledge, Satan possesses you, forcibly occupies you, and corrupts you. What can you taste in your heart? Do you feel hate and disgust? (Yes.) When you feel this hate and disgust for these ways of Satan, what kind of feeling do you have for God? (Gratitude.) Gratitude to God for saving you. So now, at this moment, do you have the desire or the resolve to let God take over and hold sovereignty over all that you have and you are? (Yes.) In what context do you answer thus? Do you say “yes” because you are afraid of being forcefully occupied and possessed by Satan? (Yes.) You must not have this kind of mentality; it is not right. Do not be afraid, for God is here. There is nothing to be afraid of. Once you have understood the wicked essence of Satan, you should have a more accurate understanding or a deeper cherishment of God’s love, God’s painstaking intentions, God’s mercy and tolerance for man and His righteous disposition. Satan is so odious, yet if this still does not inspire your love of God and your reliance on and trust in God, then what kind of person are you? Are you willing to let Satan harm you so? After seeing the wickedness and hideousness of Satan, we turn around and look then at God. Has your knowledge of God now undergone any change? Can we say that God is holy? Can we say that God is flawless? “God is unique holiness”—can God live up to this designation? (Yes.) So in the world and among all things, isn’t it only God Himself that can live up to this understanding that man has of God? (Yes.) So what exactly does God give to man? Does He only give you a little care, concern and consideration without your being aware of it? What has God given to man? God has given life to man, given man everything, and bestows all this on man unconditionally without demanding anything, without any ulterior motive. He uses the truth, His words, and His life to lead and guide man, bringing man away from the harm of Satan, away from Satan’s temptations and inducements, allowing man to see clearly through Satan’s wicked nature and hideous face. Is God’s love and concern for mankind true? Is it something that every one of you can experience? (Yes.)

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 143

Look back on your lives until now, at all the work God has done on you in all the years of your faith. Whether the feelings this evokes for you are deep or shallow, is this not the thing that was most necessary of all for you? Was it not what you most needed to obtain? (Yes.) Is this not truth? Is this not life? (Yes.) Has God ever bestowed enlightenment upon you, and then asked you to give anything to Him in return for all that He has given to you? (No.) So what is God’s purpose? Why does God do this? Does God have the objective of occupying you? (No.) Does God want to ascend His throne within the heart of man? (Yes.) So what is the difference between God ascending His throne and Satan’s forceful occupation? God wants to gain the heart of man, He wants to occupy the heart of man—what does this mean? Does it mean that God wants man to become His puppets, His machines? (No.) So what is God’s purpose? Is there a difference between God wanting to occupy the heart of man and Satan’s forceful occupation and possession of man? (Yes.) What is the difference? Can you tell Me clearly? (Satan does it through force whereas God lets man volunteer.) Is this the difference? What use does God have for your heart? And what use does God have for occupying you? How in your hearts do you understand “God occupies man’s heart”? We must be fair in how we talk about God here, otherwise people will always misunderstand, and think: “God always wants to occupy me. What does He want to occupy me for? I do not want to be occupied, I just want to be my own master. You say Satan occupies people, but God also occupies people. Isn’t it the same either way? I do not want to let anyone occupy me. I am myself!” What is the difference here? Give it some thought. I ask you, is “God occupies man” an empty phrase? Does God’s occupation of man mean that He lives in your heart and controls your every word and every move? If He tells you to sit, do you dare not stand? If He tells you to go east, do you dare not go west? Does this “occupation” refer to something along these lines? (No, it does not. God wants man to live out what God has and is.) Through these years that God has managed man, in His work on man up until now in this last stage, what has been the intended effect on man of all the words He has spoken? Is it that man lives out what God has and is? Looking at the literal meaning of “God occupies man’s heart,” it seems as if God takes man’s heart and occupies it, lives in it and does not come out again; He becomes the master of man and is able to dominate and manipulate man’s heart at will, so that man must do whatever God tells him to do. In this sense, it would seem as though every person could become god and possess his essence and disposition. So in this case, could man also perform the deeds of god? Can “occupation” be explained in this way? (No.) So what is it? I ask you this: Are all the words and truth that God supplies to man a revelation of the essence of God and what He has and is? (Yes.) This is certainly true. But is it essential that God Himself practice and possess all of the words that He supplies to man? Give this some thought. When God judges man, why does He judge? How did these words come into being? What is the content of these words that God speaks when He judges man? What are they based on? Is it man’s corrupt disposition upon which they are based? (Yes.) So is the effect achieved by God’s judgment of man based on the essence of God? (Yes.) So is God’s “occupation of man” an empty phrase? It certainly is not. So why does God say these words to man? What is His purpose in saying these words? Does He want to use these words to serve as the life of man? (Yes.) God wants to use all of this truth that He has spoken in these words to act as the life of man. When man takes all of this truth and the word of God and transforms them into his own life, can man then submit to God? Can man then fear God? Can man then shun evil? When man has reached this point, can he then submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangement? Is man then in a position to submit to the authority of God? When people like Job, or like Peter, reach the end of their road, when their life can be considered to have reached maturity, when they have a real understanding of God—can Satan then still lead them away? Can Satan then still occupy them? Can Satan still forcefully possess them? (No.) So what kind of person is this? Is this someone who has been completely gained by God? (Yes.) At this level of meaning, how do you see this kind of person who has been completely gained by God? From God’s perspective, under these circumstances, He has already occupied this person’s heart. But what does this person feel? Is it that the word of God, God’s authority, and God’s way, become life within man, that this life then occupies man’s entire being, making the things that he lives out as well as his essence adequate to satisfy God? From God’s perspective, is mankind’s heart at this very moment occupied by Him? (Yes.) How do you understand this level of meaning now? Is it God’s Spirit that occupies you? (No, it is the word of God that occupies us.) It is the way of God and the word of God that have become your life, and it is the truth that has become your life. At this time, man then possesses the life that comes from God, but we cannot say that this life is God’s life. In other words, we cannot say that the life man should derive from the word of God is God’s life. So no matter how long man follows God, no matter how many words man obtains from God, man can never become god. Even if one day God said, “I have occupied your heart, you now possess My life,” would you then feel that you are god? (No.) What would you then become? Would you not have an absolute submission to God? Would your heart not be filled with the life God has bestowed on you? This would be a very normal manifestation of what happens when God occupies man’s heart. This is fact. So looking at it from this aspect, can man become god? When man is able to live out the reality of the words of God, and becomes someone who fears God and shuns evil, can man then possess the life essence and holiness of God? Absolutely not. No matter what happens, man is still man when all is said and done. You are a created being; when you have received the word of God from God and received God’s way, you only possess the life that comes from the words of God, you become someone who is praised by God, but you will never possess the life essence of God, much less the holiness of God.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique IV

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 144

The Temptation of Satan (Selected passages)

Matthew 4:1–4  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If you be the son of god, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

These are the words with which the devil first tried to tempt the Lord Jesus. What is the content of what the devil said? (“If you be the son of god, command that these stones be made bread.”) These words that the devil spoke are quite simple, but is there a problem with their essence? The devil said, “If you be the son of god,” but in its heart, did it or did it not know that Jesus was the Son of God? Did it or did it not know that He was Christ? (It knew.) Then why did it say “If you be”? (It was trying to tempt God.) What was its purpose in doing so? It said, “If you be the son of god.” In its heart it knew that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, it was very clear about this in its heart, but no matter how clearly it knew, did it submit to Him and worship Him? (No.) What did it want to do? It wanted to use this method and these words to anger the Lord Jesus, and then to entice Him into its trap, making the Lord Jesus act in line with its intentions. Was this not the meaning behind the devil’s words? In Satan’s heart, it clearly knew that this was the Lord Jesus Christ, but it said these words nonetheless. Is this not Satan’s nature? What is Satan’s nature? (To be sly, wicked, and have no fear of God.) What consequences would result from having no fear of God? Was it not that it wanted to attack God? It wanted to use this method to attack God, and then it said, “If you be the son of god, command that these stones be made bread”; is this not Satan’s sinister intention? What was it really trying to do? Its purpose is very obvious: It was trying to use this method to deny the status and identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Satan meant by those words is, “If you are the son of god, turn these stones into bread. If you cannot do this, then you are not the son of god, so you should not carry out your work any longer.” Is this not so? It wanted to use this method to attack God, it wanted to dismantle and destroy God’s work; this is the maliciousness of Satan. Its maliciousness is a natural expression of its nature. Even though it knew the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God, God Himself incarnate, it could not help but do this kind of thing, following closely behind God’s back, continuing to attack Him and tirelessly disturb and sabotage God’s work.

Now, let us dissect this phrase that Satan spoke: “Command that these stones be made bread.” To turn stones into bread—does this mean anything? If there is food, why not eat it? Why is it necessary to turn stones into food? Is this not meaningless? Although He was fasting at the time, surely the Lord Jesus had food to eat? (He did.) So, here we can see the preposterousness of Satan’s words. For all Satan’s insidiousness and malice, we can still see its preposterousness and absurdity. When Satan does certain things, you can see its malicious nature, you can see it doing things that sabotage God’s work, and you feel that it is hateful and infuriating. But, on the other hand, do you not see a childish, ridiculous nature behind its words and actions? This is a revelation of Satan’s nature; since it has this kind of nature, it will do this kind of thing. To people today, these words of Satan are preposterous and laughable. But Satan is indeed capable of uttering such words. Can we say that it is ignorant and absurd? Satan’s wickedness is everywhere and it is constantly being revealed. And how did the Lord Jesus answer it? (“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”) Do these words have any power? (They do.) Why do we say that they have power? It is because these words are the truth. Now, does man live by bread alone? The Lord Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. Did He starve to death? He did not starve to death, so Satan approached Him, prompting Him to turn the stones into food by saying things such as: “If you turn the stones into food, won’t you then have things to eat? Won’t you then not have to fast, not have to go hungry?” But the Lord Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone,” which means that, although man lives in a physical body, it is not food that allows his physical body to live and breathe, but each and every one of the words uttered from the mouth of God. On one level, these words are the truth; they give people faith, making them feel that they can depend on God and that He is the truth. On another level, is there a practical aspect to these words? Was the Lord Jesus not still standing, still alive after fasting for forty days and nights? Is this not a real example? He had not eaten any food for forty days and nights, and yet He was still alive. This is powerful evidence confirming the truth of His words. These words are simple, but for the Lord Jesus, did He speak them only when Satan tempted Him, or were they already naturally a part of Him? To put it another way, God is the truth, and God is the life. Were God’s truth and life a subsequent addition? Were they born of later experience? No—they are innate in God. That is to say, God’s essence is the truth and the life. Whatever happens to Him, all that He reveals is the truth. This truth, these words—whether the content of His speech be long or short—can enable man to live and give man life; they can enable people to gain the truth and clarity about the path of human life, and enable them to have faith in God. In other words, the source of God speaking these words is positive. So can we say that this positive thing is holy? (Yes.) Those words of Satan come from Satan’s nature. Satan reveals its wicked and malicious nature everywhere, constantly. Does Satan make these revelations naturally? Does anyone direct it to do this? Does anyone help it? Does anyone coerce it? No. All of these revelations, it makes of its own accord. This is Satan’s wicked nature. Whatever God does and however He does it, Satan follows on His heels. The essence and the true nature of these things that Satan says and does are Satan’s essence—an essence that is wicked and malicious.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 145

The Temptation of Satan (Selected passages)

Matthew 4:5–7  Then the devil takes Him up into the holy city, and sets Him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said to Him, If you be the son of god, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.

Let us first see the words that Satan spoke here. Satan said, “If you be the son of god, cast yourself down,” and then it quoted from the Scriptures: “He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.” How do you feel when you hear Satan’s words? Are they not very childish? They are childish, preposterous, and disgusting. Why do I say this? Satan often does foolish things, and it believes itself to be very clever. It often quotes from the Scriptures—even the very words spoken by God—trying to turn these words against God to attack Him and to tempt Him in an attempt to achieve its objective of sabotaging God’s plan of work. Are you able to see anything in these words spoken by Satan? (Satan harbors wicked intentions.) In all that Satan does, it has always sought to tempt man. Satan does not speak straightforwardly, but in a roundabout way using temptation, enticement, and seduction. Satan tempts God as if He were an ordinary human being. It believes that God, like man, is also ignorant, foolish, unable to clearly distinguish the true form of things, unable to see through to its essence, and unable to see through its deceitfulness and sinister intention. Is this not what Satan’s foolishness is? Furthermore, Satan overtly quotes from the Scriptures, believing that its statements are well-grounded, and that you will be unable to pick out any flaws in its words or to avoid being fooled. Is this not Satan’s preposterousness and childishness? This is just like when people preach the gospel and testify to God: Will not nonbelievers say something similar to what Satan said? Have you heard people say something similar? How do you feel when you hear such things? Do you feel disgusted? (Yes.) When you feel disgusted, do you also have feelings of loathing and hate? When you have these feelings, are you able to realize that Satan and the corrupt dispositions Satan works into man are wicked? When you have these feelings, in your heart, do you ever have this realization: “When Satan speaks, its words carry an attack and an enticement; Satan’s words are preposterous, laughable, childish, and disgusting. Yet in what God has said and what God has done, He has never used that kind of method to speak or work, and there has never been that kind of method”? Of course, in this situation people are only able to faintly sense it, and still do not realize God’s holiness. With your current stature, you merely feel that “Everything God says is the truth, is beneficial to us, and we must accept it.” Regardless of whether you are able to accept what He has said or not, you say without exception that God’s words are the truth and that God is the truth, but you do not know that truth itself is holy and that God is holy.

So, what was Jesus’ response to these words of Satan? Jesus said to it: “It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Is there truth in these words that Jesus said? There certainly is. On the surface, these words are an order for people to follow, a simple phrase, yet nonetheless, both man and Satan have often violated these words. So, the Lord Jesus said to Satan, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God,” because this is what Satan often did, doing so tirelessly, and it could be said that Satan did this brazenly and without shame. It is in Satan’s nature essence to not be frightened of God and to not have a God-fearing heart. Even when Satan stood beside God and could see Him, it could not help but tempt God. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said to Satan: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” These are words that God has often said to Satan. So, is it appropriate for this phrase to be applied in the present day? (Yes, as we also often tempt God.) Why do people often tempt God? Isn’t it because people are full of Satan’s corrupt dispositions? (Yes.) So are the words of Satan above not something people often say? And in what situations do people say these words? One could say that people have been saying things like this irrespective of time and place. This proves that the disposition of people is no different from Satan’s corrupt disposition. The Lord Jesus said a few simple words, words that represent the truth, words that people need. However, was the Lord Jesus arguing at all with Satan? Was there anything confrontational in what He said to Satan? (No.) How did the Lord Jesus feel about Satan’s temptation in His heart? Did He feel disgust and loathing? The Lord Jesus felt loathing and disgust, and yet He did not argue with Satan, and much less did He speak about any grand principles. Why is that? (Because Satan is always like this; it can never change.) Could it be said that Satan is impervious to reason? (Yes.) Can Satan recognize that God is the truth? Satan will never recognize that God is the truth and will never admit that God is the truth; this is its nature. There is yet another aspect of Satan’s nature that is disgusting. What is it? In its efforts to tempt the Lord Jesus, Satan thought that even if it was unsuccessful, it would nonetheless still try to do so. Even if it would be punished, it would try anyway. Even if it would gain no advantage out of doing so, it would try nonetheless, persisting in its efforts and opposing God until the very end. What sort of nature is this? Is it not wickedness? Suppose someone sees red or gets angry when God is mentioned: Have they seen God? Do they know who God is? They don’t know who God is, don’t believe in Him, God has not spoken to them, and God has never provoked them—so why would they be angry? Could we say that this person is wicked? Worldly trends, eating, drinking, and pleasure-seeking, and worshiping celebrities—none of these things would anger such a person. However, at the very mention of the word “God,” or of the truth of God’s words, they get angry. Does this not constitute having a wicked nature? This is sufficient to prove that this is their wicked nature. Think about whether you ever experience times like these: When the truth is mentioned, or when God’s trials of man or God’s words of judgment of man are mentioned, you feel an aversion or a kind of loathing, and you do not want to hear such things, and you think, “Don’t people all say that God is the truth? Some of His words are not the truth! They are clearly just God’s words chiding man!” Some of you even feel an aversion in your hearts, and think, “This is spoken about every day—His trials, His judgment, when will it end? When will we receive the good destination?” This inexplicable anger comes out of nowhere. What sort of nature is this? (Wicked nature.) It is directed by the wicked nature of Satan. From God’s perspective, with regard to the wicked nature of Satan and the corrupt dispositions of man, He never argues or keeps score, and He never makes a fuss when people act foolishly. You will never see God hold similar views on things to human beings, and even more, you will not see Him use mankind’s viewpoints, knowledge, science, philosophy, or imagination to handle matters. Rather, everything God does and everything He reveals is connected to the truth. That is, every word He has said and every action He has taken is related to the truth. This truth is not the product of some baseless fantasy; this truth and these words are revealed from God’s essence and God’s life. Because these words and the essence of everything God has done are the truth, we can say that God’s essence is holy. In other words, everything God says and does brings vitality and light to people, enables people to see positive things and the reality of those positive things, and points the way for humanity so that they may walk the right path. These things are all determined by God’s essence and by God’s essence of holiness.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 146

The Temptation of Satan (Selected passages)

Matthew 4:8–11  Again, the devil takes Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and said to Him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus to him, Get you hence, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. Then the devil leaves Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The devil Satan, having failed at its previous two ploys, tried yet another: It showed all the kingdoms of the world and their glory to the Lord Jesus and asked Him to worship it. What can you see about the true face of the devil from this situation? Is the devil Satan not absolutely shameless? (Yes.) How is it shameless? All things were created by God, and yet Satan turned around and showed all things to God, saying, “Look at the wealth and glory of all these kingdoms. If you worship me I’ll give them all to you.” Is this not a complete role reversal? Is Satan not shameless? God created all things, but does He enjoy these things? God bestowed all things upon mankind, but Satan wanted to seize them and having seized them, it told God, “Worship me! Worship me and I’ll give this all to you.” This is the ugly face of Satan; it is absolutely shameless! Satan does not even know the meaning of the word “shame.” This is just another example of its wickedness. It does not even know what shame is. Satan clearly knows that God created all things and that He manages and holds sovereignty over all things. It knows that all things belong not to man, and much less to Satan, but to God, and yet the devil Satan brazenly said that it would give all things to God. Is this not another example of Satan acting absurdly and shamelessly? This caused God to loathe Satan even more, did it not? Yet no matter what Satan tried, was the Lord Jesus fooled? What did the Lord Jesus say? (“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”) Do these words have a practical meaning? (Yes.) What sort of practical meaning? We see Satan’s wickedness and shamelessness in its speech. So if man worshiped Satan, what would be the outcome? Would he obtain the wealth and glory of all the kingdoms? (No.) What would he obtain? Would he become just as shameless and laughable as Satan? (Yes.) He would be no different from Satan then. Therefore, these words of the Lord Jesus are very important for each and every person: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” This means that except for the Lord, except for God Himself, if you served another, if you worshiped the devil Satan, then you would wallow in the same filth as Satan. You would then share Satan’s shamelessness and its wickedness, and just like Satan you would tempt God and attack God. Then what would the outcome be for you? You would be loathed by God, struck down by God, and destroyed by God. After Satan had tempted the Lord Jesus several times without success, did it try again? Satan did not try again and then it left. What does this prove? It proves that Satan’s wicked nature, its maliciousness, and its absurdity and preposterousness are not worth even mentioning in the face of God. The Lord Jesus defeated Satan with only three sentences, after which it scurried away with its tail between its legs, too ashamed to show its face, and it did not tempt the Lord Jesus again. Since the Lord Jesus had defeated this temptation of Satan, He could now, without hindrance, continue the work that He would do, the work that He would shoulder. Does everything that the Lord Jesus did and said in this situation carry any practical meaning for each and every person in the present day? (Yes.) What sort of practical meaning? Is defeating Satan an easy thing to do? Must people have a clear understanding of Satan’s wicked nature? Must people have an accurate understanding of Satan’s temptations? (Yes.) When you experience Satan’s temptations, if you are able to see through to Satan’s wicked nature, will you not be able to defeat it? If you know about Satan’s absurdity and preposterousness, will you still stand by its side and attack God together with Satan? If you understand that Satan’s maliciousness and shamelessness is revealed in you—if you clearly recognize and understand this fact—will you still attack and tempt God in this way? (No, we won’t.) What will you do? (We will rebel against Satan and cast it aside.) Is that an easy thing to do? It is not easy. To do this, people must frequently pray; they must often come before God and examine themselves. And they must let God’s discipline and His judgment and chastisement come upon them. Only in this way will people gradually extricate themselves from being misled and controlled by Satan.

Now, by looking at all of these words spoken by Satan, we will summarize the things that make up the essence of Satan. Firstly, Satan’s essence can generally be said to be wicked, in contrast to the holiness of God. Why do I say that Satan’s essence is wicked? To answer this question, one must examine the consequences of what Satan does to people. Satan corrupts and controls man, and man acts under satanic corrupt dispositions, and lives in a world of people corrupted by Satan. Mankind is unwittingly possessed and assimilated by Satan; man therefore has Satan’s corrupt dispositions, which are Satan’s very nature. From everything Satan has said and done, have you seen its arrogance? Have you seen its deceitfulness and maliciousness? How is Satan’s arrogance primarily displayed? Isn’t it that Satan always wants to possess God’s status? Satan always wants to eradicate God’s work and God’s status, and take His status for itself so that people will follow, support, and worship it; this is the arrogant nature of Satan. When Satan corrupts people, does it directly tell them what they should do? When Satan tempts God, does it come out and say, “I am going to tempt you, I am going to attack you”? It absolutely does not. So what method does Satan use? It seduces, tempts, attacks, and sets traps, and even quotes from the Scriptures. Satan speaks and acts in various ways to achieve its sinister intentions and objectives. After Satan has done this, what can be seen from what is manifested in man? Are people not also arrogant? Man has endured Satan’s corruption for thousands of years and so man has become arrogant, deceitful, malicious, and beyond reason. All of these things are brought about due to Satan’s nature. Since Satan’s nature is wicked, it has given man this wicked nature and brought to man these wicked, corrupt dispositions. Therefore, man lives under satanic corrupt dispositions and, like Satan, resists God, attacks God, and tempts Him, such that man cannot worship God and does not have a God-fearing heart.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 147

How Satan Uses Knowledge to Corrupt Man

Is knowledge something that everyone considers to be a positive thing? At the very least, people think that the connotation of the word “knowledge” is positive rather than negative. So why are we mentioning here that Satan uses knowledge to corrupt man? Is the theory of evolution not an aspect of knowledge? Are Newton’s laws not a part of knowledge? The gravitational pull of the Earth is also a part of knowledge, is it not? (Yes.) So why is knowledge listed among the things that Satan uses to corrupt mankind? What is your view on this? Does knowledge have even a shred of truth in it? (No.) Then what is the essence of knowledge? What is the basis of all the knowledge that people acquire? Isn’t it based on the theory of evolution? Isn’t the knowledge that man has gained through exploration and summation based on atheism? Does any of this knowledge have a connection to God? Is it connected with worshiping God? Is it connected to the truth? (No.) So how does Satan use knowledge to corrupt man? I just said that none of this knowledge is connected to worshiping God or to the truth. Some people think about it like this: “Knowledge might not have anything to do with the truth, but still, it doesn’t corrupt people.” What is your view on this? Were you taught by knowledge that a person’s happiness is created with their own two hands? Did knowledge teach you that man’s fate is in his own hands? (Yes.) What kind of talk is this? (It is devilish talk.) Absolutely right! It is devilish talk! Knowledge is actually pretty complicated. To put it simply, no matter what field it belongs to, knowledge is something people regard as good. How does knowledge come about? All knowledge has been derived by nonbelievers who do not know God and do not worship Him. When people study this field of knowledge, they cannot see God holding sovereignty over all things; they cannot see God being in charge of or managing all things. Instead, all they do is endlessly research and explore in the realm of knowledge, and seek out answers that are knowledge. However, is it not true that if people do not believe in God and instead only pursue research, they will never find the true answers? All that knowledge can give you is a livelihood, a job, and income so that you do not go hungry; but it will never make you worship God, and it will never make you shun evil. The more people acquire knowledge, the more they will desire to rebel against God, to scrutinize God, to test God, and to oppose God. So, what do we now see that knowledge is teaching people? It is all the philosophy of Satan. Do the philosophies and laws of survival spread by Satan among corrupt mankind have any relation to the truth? They have nothing to do with the truth and, in fact, are counter to the truth. People often say, “Life is motion” and “Man is iron, rice is steel, man feels famished if he skips a meal”; what are these sayings? They are fallacies, and hearing them causes a feeling of disgust. In man’s so-called knowledge, Satan has imbued quite a bit of its philosophy for worldly dealings and its thinking. And as Satan does this, it allows man to, by means of its thinking, philosophy, and points of view, deny the existence of God, and deny God’s sovereignty over all things and over man’s fate. So when man learns more and gains more knowledge, he feels the existence of God become vague, and might even no longer feel that God exists. Because Satan has instilled certain thoughts, views, and notions in man, once Satan has instilled these poisons inside man, is man not misled and corrupted by Satan? So what would you say the people of today live by? Do they not live by the knowledge and thoughts instilled by Satan? And the things hidden inside this knowledge and these thoughts—are they not the philosophies and poisons of Satan? Man lives by the philosophies and poisons of Satan. And what lies at the core of Satan’s corruption of man? Satan wants to make man deny, resist, and stand against God like it does; this is Satan’s goal in corrupting man, and also the consequence of Satan corrupting man.

We will start by addressing the most superficial aspect of knowledge. Are the grammar or characters in languages able to corrupt people? Can words corrupt people? Words cannot corrupt people; they are a tool that people use to speak and they are also the tool with which people communicate with God, not to mention that at present, language and words are how God communicates with people. They are tools, and they are a necessity. One plus one equals two, and two multiplied by two equals four; is this not knowledge? But can this corrupt you? This is common knowledge—it is a fixed pattern—and it cannot corrupt people. So what type of knowledge does corrupt people? It is the viewpoints and thoughts which Satan mixes into knowledge. It seeks to inculcate these viewpoints and thoughts into humanity through the medium of knowledge. For example, in an article, there is nothing wrong with the written words in themselves. The problem lies with the viewpoints and intent of the author when they wrote the article, as well as the content of their thoughts. These things are the soul of the work, and they are able to corrupt people. For example, if you were watching a television show, what sort of things in it could change people’s view? Would what the performers said, the words themselves, be able to corrupt people? (No.) What sort of things would corrupt people? It would be the core thoughts and content of the show, which would represent the director’s views. The information carried in these views could sway people’s hearts and minds. Is that not so? Now you know what I am referring to in My discussion of Satan using knowledge to corrupt people. You will not misinterpret this, will you? So the next time you read a novel or an article, will you be able to evaluate whether the thoughts expressed in the written words corrupt or edify people? (Yes, to a small extent.) This is something that must be studied and experienced at a slow pace, and it is not something that can be seen through right away. For example, when you research or study an area of knowledge, some positive aspects of that knowledge may help you to understand some general knowledge about that field, while also enabling you to know what people should avoid. For example, take “electricity”—this is a field of knowledge, is it not? Would you not be ignorant if you did not know that electricity can shock and hurt people? But once you understand this field of knowledge, you will not be careless about touching objects with electrical currents, and you will know how to use electricity. These are both positive things. Are you now clear on which things are meant when we say knowledge corrupts people? There are many types of knowledge studied in the world, and you must take your time to differentiate them for yourselves.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 148

How Satan Uses Science to Corrupt Man

What is science? Is not science held in high prestige in the mind of each and every human and considered profound? When science is mentioned, do people not feel, “This is something beyond the reach of ordinary people; this is a topic that only scientific research personnel or specialists in doing research can touch; it has nothing to do with us regular folks”? Does it have any connection to ordinary people? (Yes.) How does Satan use science to corrupt people? Let’s not get into other issues, but only talk about the things that people often run into. Have you heard of the word “genes”? You all know it. Were genes not discovered by science? What do these “genes” do for people? Do they not make people feel that the body is a mysterious thing? When people are introduced to this topic, won’t some of them, especially the curious, want to know more and want more details? These curious people will devote their energy to this subject, and when they do not have other things to do, they will search for information in various literature and on the internet, wanting to know about more detailed issues related to it. What is science? To speak plainly, science is a kind of imagination and theory regarding things that man is curious about, things that are unknown, things not told to him by God, and the mysteries that man explores. What is the scope of science? You could say that it is rather broad; man takes whatever he is interested in and researches it, researching its details and laws and then putting forth specious conclusions which cause everyone to think, “These scientists are really terrific! They know so much! How much knowledge must they have, to understand these things!” They have so much admiration for scientists, do they not? What sort of views are held by people who do scientific research? Do they not want to research all things, to research the mysteries in their area of interest? What is the final outcome of this? Parts of it are based on conjecture, and others are derived in reliance on human experience. Yet others are derived based on historical and background observations. Is this not so? So what does science do for people? Science allows people to just see the objects of the physical world, merely satisfying man’s curiosity, but it cannot enable man to see the laws by which God holds sovereignty over all things. Man seems to have found answers in science, and those answers are misleading and bring temporary satisfaction, a satisfaction that serves to confine the heart of man to the material world. Man feels that he has received answers from science, so whatever issue arises, he uses scientific views as a basis to verify and accept that issue. Man’s heart becomes seduced by science and possessed by it, and as a result, man no longer has the mind to know God, to worship God, and to believe that all things come from God, and that man should obtain all answers from God. Is this not so? The more someone is a believer in science, the more absurd they are, believing that everything has a scientific solution, that research can solve anything. They do not seek God and they do not believe He exists. There are many long-term believers in God who, when faced with any problem, will use a computer to look things up and search for answers; they believe only in scientific knowledge. They do not believe that God’s words are the truth, they do not believe that God’s words can solve all of mankind’s problems, and they do not view every one of mankind’s problems from the perspective of the truth. No matter what problem they encounter, they never pray to God or try to resolve it by seeking the truth in God’s words. In many matters, they still believe that knowledge can solve the problem, and that science is the ultimate answer. God is totally absent from such people’s hearts. They are disbelievers, and their views on belief in God are no different from those of many high-level intellectuals and scientists, who are always trying to study God using scientific methods. For example, there are many religious experts who have gone and inspected the mountain where the ark came to rest, and thus they proved the existence of the ark. But in the outward appearance of the ark they do not see the existence of God. They believe only in the stories and the history; this is the result of their scientific research and study of the material world. If you research material things, whether it be microbiology, astronomy, or geography, you will never find a result that determines that God exists or that He holds sovereignty over all things. So what does science do for man? Does it not distance man from God? Does it not cause people to subject God to studies? Does it not make people more doubtful of God’s existence and sovereignty, and thus cause them to deny and betray God? This is the consequence. So when Satan uses science to corrupt man, what aim is Satan trying to achieve? It wants to use scientific conclusions to mislead people and make them numb, and use ambiguous answers to occupy people’s hearts so that they will not seek out or believe in God’s existence. So this is why I say that science is also one of the ways in which Satan corrupts people.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 149

How Satan Uses Traditional Culture to Corrupt Man

Are there or are there not many things that are considered part of traditional culture? (There are.) What does this “traditional culture” mean? Some say it is what has been passed down from the ancestors—this is one aspect. From the beginning, ways of life, conventions, sayings, and regulations have been passed down within families, ethnic groups, and even the entire human race, and they have become instilled in people’s thoughts. People consider them an indispensable part of their lives and regard them as regulations, observing them as though they were life itself, so much so that they never want to change or abandon these things, because they were passed down from their ancestors. There are other aspects of traditional culture which are ingrained into people’s very bones, like the things that were passed down from Confucius and Mencius, and the things taught to people by Chinese Taoism and Confucianism. Is this not so? What things are included in traditional culture? Does it include the holidays people celebrate? For example, there are the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Ghost Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and even, in some families, major birthdays of the elderly, children’s one-month or hundred-day celebrations, and so on; these are all traditional holidays. Is there not traditional culture underlying these holidays? What is the core of traditional culture? Does it have anything to do with worshiping God? Does it have anything to do with telling people to practice the truth? Are there any holidays for people to offer sacrifices to God, go to God’s altar and receive His teachings? Are there holidays like this? (No.) What use are all of these holidays? In modern times they are seen as occasions for eating, drinking, and having fun. What is the source underlying traditional culture? Who does traditional culture come from? It comes from Satan. Behind the scenes of these traditional holidays, Satan instills certain things in man. What are these things? Ensuring that people remember their ancestors—isn’t this one example? For instance, during Tomb Sweeping Day, people sweep graves and make offerings to their ancestors; this is Satan causing people not to forget their ancestors. Or take the Dragon Boat Festival, at which Satan ensures that people remember to be patriotic. What about the Mid-Autumn Festival? (Family reunions.) What is the background of family reunions? What is the reason for it? It is to communicate and connect emotionally. Of course, whether it be celebrating Lunar New Year’s Eve or the Lantern Festival, there are quite a few sayings associated with these celebrations. All of these sayings are a kind of Satan’s philosophy and Satan’s thought which Satan instills in people. It instills these things so that people will stray from God—preferably not even knowing God exists—and offer sacrifices either to their ancestors or to Satan, or simply eat, drink, and have fun for the sake of the flesh. As each of these holidays is celebrated, Satan’s thoughts and views are planted deep within the minds of people without their knowing. When people reach their forties, fifties, or even older ages, these thoughts and viewpoints of Satan have already been planted in their hearts and taken deep root. Moreover, people do their utmost to transmit these viewpoints, whether right or wrong, down to the next generation, indiscriminately and without reservation. Is not this so? (Yes.) How do traditional culture and these holidays corrupt people? Do you know? (People become constrained and bound by these regulations, such that they have no time or energy to seek God.) This is one aspect. For example, everyone celebrates during Lunar New Year—if you did not celebrate it, would you not feel sad? Do you have any reservations in your heart? Might you feel, “I didn’t celebrate the New Year, and since Lunar New Year’s day was a bad day, won’t the whole of the rest of the year also be bad?” Would you not feel ill at ease and a bit afraid? There are even some people who have not made sacrifices to their ancestors in years and who suddenly have a dream in which a deceased person asks them for money. What would they feel? “How sad that this person now gone needs money to spend! I’ll burn some paper money for them. If I don’t, that just wouldn’t be right. It might cause trouble for us living people—who can say when misfortune will strike?” They will always have this little cloud of fear and worry in their hearts. Who gives them this worry? Satan is the source of this worry. Is this not one of the ways that Satan corrupts man? It uses different means and pretexts to control you, to threaten you, and to bind you, so that you fall into a daze and yield and give in to it; this is how Satan corrupts man. Often when people are weak or when they are not aware of the situation, they may inadvertently do muddleheaded things. That is, they are inadvertently and involuntarily captured by Satan, and involuntarily do certain things without even knowing. This is the way Satan corrupts man. There are even quite a few people now who are still reluctant to part with deep-rooted traditional culture, who just cannot give it up. It is especially when they are weak and negative that they wish to celebrate these kinds of holidays and they wish to meet Satan and satisfy Satan again, to bring comfort to their hearts. What lies behind this traditional culture? Is the black hand of Satan pulling the strings behind the scenes? Is Satan’s wicked nature manipulating and controlling? Does Satan hold sway over all of this? (Yes.) When people live in a traditional culture and celebrate these kinds of traditional holidays, could we say that they are being fooled and corrupted by Satan in this environment, and that they do so happily? (Yes.) This is something you all acknowledge, something that you know about.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 150

How Satan Uses Superstition to Corrupt Man

How does Satan use superstition to corrupt man? People all want to know their fate, so Satan takes advantage of their curiosity to entice them. People engage in divination, fortune-telling, and face-reading in order to learn their future fortunes and what sort of road lies ahead. In the end, though, in whose hands are the fate and prospects with which people are so concerned? (In God’s hands.) All of these things are in God’s hands. In using these methods, what does Satan want people to know? Satan wants to use face-reading and fortune-telling to tell people that it knows their future fortunes, and that it not only knows these things but is also in control of them. Satan wants to take advantage of this opportunity and use these methods to control people, such that people put blind faith in it and obey its every word. For example, if you have a face-reading done, if the face-reader closes his eyes and tells you everything that has happened to you in the last few decades with perfect clarity, how would you feel inside? You would immediately feel, “He’s so accurate! I’ve never told my past to anyone before; how did he know about it? I really admire this face-reader!” For Satan, is it not too easy to know about your past? God has led you to where you are today, and all the while Satan has been corrupting people and following you. The passage of decades of your life is nothing to Satan, and its knowing these things is no great matter. When you learn that all that Satan says is accurate, are you not giving your heart over to it? Are you not depending on it to take control of your future and your fortunes? In an instant, your heart will feel some veneration or reverence for it, and for some people, their souls may already be snatched away by it at this point. And they will immediately ask the face-reader, “What should I do next? What should I avoid in the coming year? What things must I not do?” And then, he will say, “You must not go there, you must not do this, do not wear clothes of a certain color, you should go to certain places less, do certain things more….” Will you not take everything he says immediately to heart? You would memorize his words faster than the words of God. Why would you memorize them so quickly? Because you would want to rely on Satan for good luck. Is this not when it seizes your heart? When its predictions come true, one after the other, would you not want to go right back to it to find out what fortune the next year will bring? (Yes.) You would do whatever Satan tells you to do and you would avoid the things it says to avoid. In this way, are you not obeying everything it says? Very quickly, you will fall into its embrace, be misled, and come under its control. This happens because you believe what it says is real and because you believe that it knows about your past lives, this life, and what the future will bring. This is the method Satan uses to control people. But in reality, who is really in control? God Himself is in control, not Satan. Satan is just using its clever ploys in this case to trick ignorant people, trick people who only see the material world, into believing and relying on it. Then, they are captured by Satan and obey its every word. But does Satan ever loosen its grip when people want to believe in and follow God? Satan does not. In this situation, people really have been captured by Satan, haven’t they? (Yes.) Could we say that Satan’s behavior in this regard is shameless? (Yes.) Why would we say that? Because these are fraudulent and deceptive tactics. Satan is shameless and misguides people into thinking it rules over everything about them and that it manipulates their very fate. This causes ignorant people to obey it completely. It only says two or three things and deceives people into a stupor; once people are in this stupor, they bow down before it. So, what sort of methods does Satan use, what does it say to cause you to believe in it? For example, you might not have told Satan how many people are in your family, but it might still be able to tell you how many people there are, and the ages of your parents and children. Though you might have had your suspicions and doubts about Satan before this, after hearing it say these things, would you not then feel it is a little more believable? Satan might then say how difficult work has been for you recently, that your superiors do not give you recognition and are always working against you, and so on. After hearing that, you would think, “That’s exactly right! Things haven’t been going smoothly at work.” Wouldn’t this make you believe it even more? Then it would say something else to mislead you, making you believe it still more. Little by little, against your own will, you would be rendered powerless to resist or remain suspicious of it anymore. Satan merely uses a few trivial tricks, even trifling little tricks, and in this way misleads you. As you become misled, you will be unable to establish your bearings, you will be at a loss as to what to do, and you will begin to heed Satan’s every word. This is Satan using a “brilliant” way of corrupting people to make you unwittingly take the bait and be enticed. Satan tells you a few things that people imagine to be good, and then it tells you what to do and what to avoid. This is how you are unwittingly tricked. Once you have fallen for it, things will get sticky for you; you will constantly be thinking about what Satan said and what it told you to do, and you will unknowingly be possessed by it. Why is this? It is because mankind does not possess the truth and so is powerless to resist Satan’s seduction and enticement. Faced with Satan’s wickedness and its deceitfulness, insidiousness, and cruelty, people are so ignorant, immature, and weak—isn’t that so? Is this not one of the ways Satan corrupts man? (Yes.) Man is unwittingly enticed and deceived, little by little, by Satan’s various methods, because he lacks the ability to differentiate between the positive and the negative; he does not possess this stature, nor the ability to triumph over Satan.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 151

How Satan Uses Social Trends to Corrupt Man

When did social trends come into existence? Did they only come into being in the present day? One could say that social trends came to be when Satan started corrupting people. What do social trends include? (Dress and grooming.) These are things that people often come into contact with. Dress and grooming, fashion, and clothing trends—these things make up one small aspect. Is there anything else? Do the popular phrases that people often come out with count too? Do the lifestyles that people desire count? Do the music stars, celebrities, magazines, and novels that people like count? (Yes.) In your minds, which aspect of social trends is able to corrupt man? Which of these trends is most alluring to you? Some people say, “We’ve all reached a certain age, we are in our fifties or sixties, our seventies or eighties, we don’t go in for these trends, and trends are no temptation to us.” Is this correct? Others say, “We don’t follow celebrities, that’s something youngsters in their twenties do; we also don’t wear fashionable clothes, that’s something image-conscious people do.” So what things are able to corrupt you? (Popular sayings.) Can these sayings corrupt people? I will give an example, and you can see whether or not it corrupts people: “Money makes the world go round”; is this a trend? Compared to the fashion and gourmet trends you mentioned, is this not more powerful? “Money makes the world go round” is a philosophy of Satan. It is very prevalent among people, in every society; you could say it is a trend. This is because it has been instilled in the heart of every single person, who at first did not accept this saying, but then gave it tacit acceptance when they came into contact with real life, and began to feel that these words were in fact true. Is this not a process of Satan corrupting man? Perhaps people do not have the same degree of first-hand knowledge of this saying, but everyone has different degrees of interpretation and acknowledgment of this saying based on things that have happened around them and on everything they have personally experienced. Is that not the case? Regardless of how deep the experience a person has with this saying, what negative effect has it had on their heart? It is that the people in this world—and it can be said that this includes each and every one of you—reveal something from their disposition. What is it? It is the worship of money. Is it easy to remove this from people’s hearts? No, it is not easy! This shows that Satan’s corruption of man is deep indeed! Satan uses money to entice people, and corrupts all of them into things that worship money and material desires. And how is this worship of money manifested in people? Don’t you think that in this world you couldn’t survive without money, and that you couldn’t go a single day without it? How much money people have determines how high their status is, and how distinguished they are. The poor do not feel they can stand tall and proud, while the rich have high status, stand tall and proud, and can speak loudly and live in an arrogant and unbridled manner. What does this saying and trend bring to people? Is it not true that many people are willing to make any sacrifice in order to make money? Do many people not lose their dignity and integrity in the pursuit of more money? Do many people not lose the opportunity to do their duty and follow God for the sake of money? Is losing the chance to gain the truth and be saved not the greatest of all losses for people? Just using this method and this saying, Satan corrupts man to such a degree. Is Satan’s intention not sinister? Is this not a malicious trick? As this saying becomes popular, you go from disagreeing with it to finally believing that it is the truth, and by that point your heart has fallen completely into Satan’s grasp, and therefore you involuntarily come to live by the saying. To what degree has this saying affected you? You might know the true way, and you might know the truth, but you are powerless to pursue it. You may clearly know that God’s words are the truth, but you are unwilling to pay the price or to suffer in order to gain the truth. Instead, you would rather sacrifice your own future and fate to oppose God to the very end. No matter what God says, no matter what God does, no matter how deep and how great the love that God has for you is, insofar as you are able to understand it, you would stubbornly insist on exerting yourself because of this saying. That is to say, this saying has already misled and controlled your thoughts, it has already governed your behavior, and you would rather let it rule your fate than let go of your pursuit of wealth. That you can act thus, that you can be controlled and manipulated by the words of Satan—does this not mean that you have been misled and corrupted by Satan? Does this not mean the philosophy and thoughts of Satan, and the disposition of Satan, have taken root in your heart? When you single-mindedly pursue wealth, and abandon the pursuit of the truth, has Satan not achieved its aim of misleading you? This is exactly the case. So can you feel it when you are misled and corrupted by Satan? You cannot. If you cannot see Satan standing right in front of you, or feel that it is Satan acting in the shadows, would you be able to see the wickedness of Satan? Could you know how Satan corrupts mankind? Satan corrupts people at all times and in all places. Satan makes it impossible for them to defend against this corruption and makes them helpless against it. Satan makes people accept its thoughts, its viewpoints, and the wicked things that come from it in situations where they are unknowing and when they have no recognition of what is happening to them, and after accepting these things, people take no exception to them. They cherish and hold on to these things like a treasure, they let these things manipulate them and toy with them; this is how people live under the power of Satan, and unconsciously obey Satan, and Satan’s corruption of man grows ever deeper.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 152

Satan uses these several methods to corrupt man. Man has knowledge and an understanding of some scientific principles; man lives under the influence of traditional culture. Every person is an inheritor of traditional culture and, as their bounden duty, carries on the traditional culture Satan has given to man. Man also cooperates with the social trends Satan brings to mankind. People all follow Satan and are inextricably linked to Satan, they constantly cooperate with everything Satan does and accept the various wicked thoughts and views and various poisons brought to them by Satan, and they all deny and resist God. Is it happy or tragic for people to live under Satan’s power in this way? (Tragic.) Why do you say that? (Because man is tied down and controlled by these corrupt things, he lives in sin and is engulfed in an arduous struggle.) Some people wear spectacles, appearing to be very intellectual; they might speak very respectably, with eloquence and reason. Because they have gone through many things, they might be experienced and have seen a great deal of life; they might be able to explain the ins and outs of matters great and small; they might also be able to assess the authenticity and reason of things. Some might look at the behavior and appearance of these people, as well as their integrity, humanity, self-conduct, and so on, and find no fault with them. Such people are particularly able to adapt to current social trends. Even though these people might be older, they never fall behind the trends of the times and are never too old to learn. On the surface, no one can find fault with such a person, yet in their inner essence, they are someone who has been utterly and completely corrupted by Satan. Though no external fault can be found with such a person, though on the surface they are gentle, refined, and possess knowledge and a certain morality, and they have integrity, and though in terms of knowledge they are in no way inferior to young people, yet in regard to their nature essence, such a person is a living model of Satan through and through, no different from Satan in the slightest. This is the “fruit” of Satan’s corruption of man. What I have said may be hurtful to you, but it is all true. The knowledge man studies, the science he understands, and the means he chooses by which he fits in with social trends are without exception tools of Satan’s corruption of man. This is absolutely true. Therefore, man lives within such a complete satanic corrupt disposition, and man has no way of knowing what God’s holiness is or what God’s essence is. This is because: No fault can be found with these things Satan uses to corrupt man in the eyes of corrupt mankind, and on the surface, there is nothing abnormal about people’s behavior. Everyone goes about their work normally and lives normal lives, they read books and newspapers normally, they study and speak normally, and some people have learned certain morals and are good at talking, are understanding and friendly, are helpful and charitable, or do not engage in petty score-keeping or take advantage of people. However, people’s dispositions corrupted by Satan are deeply rooted within them, and this essence cannot be changed by relying on external effort. Because of this essence, man is not able to know God’s holiness, and despite God’s essence of holiness being open to man, man does not take it seriously. This is because Satan has, through various means, already come to completely possess man’s thoughts and ideas, viewpoints and ways of thinking. This possession and corruption is not temporary or occasional, but is present everywhere and at all times. Thus, a great many people who have believed in God for three or four years, or even five or six, still take these wicked thoughts, views, logic, and philosophies that Satan has instilled in them as treasures, and are unable to let go of them. Precisely because everything man has accepted consists of wicked, arrogant, and malicious things from Satan’s nature, inevitably in man’s interpersonal relationships there are frequent conflicts, frequent petty score-keeping, and mutual incompatibility, all of which comes about as a result of Satan’s arrogant nature. If Satan had given mankind positive things—for example, if the traditional culture of Confucianism and Taoism that man has accepted were good—then after accepting those things, similar types of people should be able to be compatible when they are together. So why is it that people who have accepted the same things become even more divided when they are together? Why is that? It is because these things come from Satan and Satan creates division among people. No matter how dignified or great things from Satan may appear on the surface, what they bring to man and cause people to live out is all arrogance, all a deceitful, wicked nature. Is that not so? No matter how adept a person is at disguising themselves, how knowledgeable they are, or how well-bred they are, they would still have a hard time concealing their satanic corrupt dispositions. That is to say, no matter how adept a person is at putting up a front outwardly, whether you think of them as a saint, or you think they are perfect, or think they are an angel, no matter how pure you think they are, when you look at their life behind the scenes and the essence revealed in their disposition, what is it all? It is, without exception, entirely the wicked nature of Satan. Is it admissible to say that? (Yes.) For example, take someone around you whom you once thought of as a good person, an idol you once worshiped. Given your current stature, how do you view such a person now? First, you look at whether or not this type of person has humanity, whether they are honest, whether they have true love for people, and whether their words and actions edify or help others. (They do not.) What is the so-called kindness, love, or goodness that they reveal? It is all pretense, it is all a facade. Behind this facade there is an ulterior wicked purpose: to make people worship them and regard them as an idol. Do you see this clearly? (Yes.)

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 153

What do the methods Satan uses to corrupt people bring to mankind? Do they bring anything positive? Firstly, can man differentiate between good and evil? Look at this world: Whether it is some famous person or great figure, or some magazine or publication, are their standards for judging good and evil, right and wrong accurate? Are their assessments of events and people fair? Do they contain truth? Does this world, this humanity, assess positive and negative things based on the standard of truth? (No.) Why do people not have that ability? People have acquired so much knowledge and know so much about science, so they are possessed of great abilities, are they not? So why are they incapable of differentiating between positive and negative things? Why is this? (Because people do not have truth; science and knowledge are not truth.) Everything that Satan brings to humanity is wickedness and corruption; it contains no truth, no life, and no way. With the wickedness and corruption that Satan brings to man, can you say that Satan has love? Can you say that this humanity has love? Some people might say, “You’re wrong; there are many people around the world who help the poor or homeless. Aren’t those good people? There are also charitable organizations that do good work; isn’t that a good deed?” What would you say to that? Satan uses many different methods and theories to corrupt man; is this corruption of man a vague concept? No, it is not vague. Satan also does some practical things, and it also promotes a viewpoint or a theory in this world and in society. In every dynasty and in every epoch, it promotes a theory and instills thoughts into the minds of man. These thoughts and theories gradually take root in people’s hearts, and then they begin to live by them. Once they start to live by these things, do they not unwittingly become Satans? Do people not then become one with Satan? When people have become one with Satan, what is their attitude toward God in the end? Is it not the same attitude that Satan has toward God? No one dares to admit this, do they? How horrifying! Why do I say that Satan’s nature is wicked? This is a characterization and dissection of Satan based on what it has done and the things it has revealed; I am not saying this groundlessly. If I just said Satan was wicked, what would you think? You would think, “Obviously Satan is wicked.” So I ask you, “Which aspects of Satan are wicked?” You would say, “Satan’s resistance against God is wicked.” But you still would not be able to explain it clearly. Now that I have spoken about the specifics in this way, do you have an understanding about the specific content of the wicked essence of Satan? (Yes.) If you are able to see clearly Satan’s wicked nature, then you will see your own states. Is there any relationship between these two things? Is this helpful to you or not? (It is.) When I fellowship about God’s essence of holiness, is it necessary that I fellowship about the wicked essence of Satan? What is your opinion about this? (Yes, it is necessary.) Why? (Satan’s wickedness sets God’s holiness in relief.) Is that how it is? This is partially correct, in the sense that without Satan’s wickedness, people would not know that God is holy; it is right to say this. However, if you say that God’s holiness only exists due to its contrast with Satan’s wickedness, is this right? If you are speaking in this dialectical way, then it is wrong. God’s holiness is the inherent essence of God; even when God reveals it through His deeds, this is still a natural revelation of God’s essence and it is still God’s inherent essence; it has always existed and is intrinsic and innate to God Himself. It’s just that man cannot see it, because he lives amid the satanic corrupt dispositions and under Satan’s influence, and he does not know what is holy, much less about the specific content of God’s holiness. So, is it essential that we fellowship first about Satan’s wicked essence? (Yes, it is.) Some people may express some doubt: “You are fellowshipping about God Himself, so why are You always talking about how Satan corrupts people and always talking about Satan’s wicked nature?” Now you have put this doubt to rest, haven’t you? When people have discernment of Satan’s wickedness and when they have an accurate definition of it, when people can clearly see the specific content and manifestation of wickedness, the source and essence of wickedness, only then, through discussion of God’s holiness, can people clearly realize or recognize what God’s holiness is, what holiness is. If I do not discuss the wickedness of Satan, some people will mistakenly believe that some things that people do in society and among mankind—or certain things that exist in this world—may bear some relation to holiness. Is this not a wrong viewpoint? (Yes, it is.)

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 154

Satan Uses Knowledge to Corrupt Man, and It Uses Fame and Gain to Control Him (Selected passage)

Among the five ways in which Satan corrupts man, the first one we mentioned is knowledge, so let us take knowledge as our first topic for fellowship. Satan uses knowledge as bait—listen closely, it is just a kind of bait—to make people study hard and improve themselves day after day, to make people use knowledge as a weapon to arm themselves, so they can then use knowledge to open the gateway to science; in other words, the more knowledge you gain, the more you will understand. Satan tells people all of this; it also tells people to establish lofty aspirations as they are learning knowledge, instructing them to build up ambitions and aspirations. Unbeknownst to man, Satan feeds man many such messages, causing people to unconsciously feel that these things are correct and beneficial. Unknowingly, people set foot upon this path, unknowingly led onward by their own aspirations and ambitions. Step by step, they unwittingly learn from the knowledge given by Satan the ideas of great or famous people, and also learn about some deeds of people who are considered heroes. What is Satan advocating for man in the deeds of these “heroes”? What does it want to instill in man? That man must be patriotic, have national integrity, and be heroic of spirit. What does man learn from historical stories or biographies of heroic figures? To have a sense of personal loyalty, to be willing to risk life and limb for his buddies and friends. Within this knowledge of Satan, man unknowingly learns many things which are not positive. In the midst of man’s unawareness, seeds prepared by Satan are planted in people’s young hearts. These seeds make them feel that they ought to be great people, ought to be famous, ought to be heroes, to be patriotic, be people who love their families, and be people who will risk life and limb for a friend and have a sense of personal loyalty. Seduced by Satan, they unknowingly embark on the road it has prepared for them. During this period, Satan forces people to accept Satan’s laws of survival. Without realizing it and with no awareness of what is happening, people also develop their own laws of survival—that is, Satan’s laws of survival, which Satan has forcibly instilled in them. Satan makes them, during the learning process, foster their own objectives and determine their own survival goals, laws of survival, and survival direction, all the while instilling in them the things of Satan, using stories, biographies, and all other means possible to entice people, little by little, until they take the bait. In this way, during the course of their learning, some come to prefer literature, some economics, others astronomy or geography. Then there are some who come to like politics, some who like physics, some chemistry, and even others still who prefer theology. These are all part of knowledge. In your hearts, each of you knows what these things are really about; each one of you has had contact with them before. As soon as these branches of knowledge are mentioned, each of you is capable of talking on and on endlessly about one or another of them. And so it is clear how deeply this knowledge has entered the minds of people; it is plain to see the position occupied by this knowledge in people’s minds and how deep an effect it has on them. Once someone develops affection for a facet of knowledge, when a person has fallen deeply in love with it, they then unknowingly develop aspirations: Some people want to be writers, some want to be literary authors, some want to make a career out of politics, and some want to engage in economics and become businesspeople. Then there is a portion of people who want to be heroes, to be great or famous. Regardless of what kind of person someone wants to be, their goal is to take this method of acquiring knowledge and use it for their own ends, to fulfill their own wishes and aspirations. No matter how good it sounds—whether they want to achieve their dreams, to not waste their life, or to have a certain career—what, in essence, is the purpose behind people setting up these lofty aspirations and ambitions? Have you ever considered this question before? Why does Satan act in this way? What is Satan’s purpose in instilling these things in man? Your hearts must be clear on this question.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 155

Satan Uses Knowledge to Corrupt Man, and It Uses Fame and Gain to Control Him (Selected passages)

During the process of people acquiring knowledge, by employing all manner of methods, whether it be telling stories, simply providing them with some piece of knowledge, or allowing them to satisfy their desires or aspirations, just what road does Satan want to lead people down? People think there is nothing wrong with learning knowledge, that it is perfectly natural and justified. To put it in a way that sounds appealing, to establish lofty aspirations or to have ambitions is to have drive, and this should be the right path in life. If one can realize their own aspirations, or establish a successful career in their lifetime, is that not a more glorious way to live? In this way, one can not only honor one’s ancestors but also have the chance to leave one’s mark for generations to come—is this not a good thing? This is a good thing in the eyes of worldly people, and to them it should be proper and positive. Does Satan, however, with its insidious motives, lead people down such a road and then that’s it? Of course not. In fact, no matter how grand man’s aspirations are, no matter how realistic man’s wishes are or how proper they may be, all that man wants to achieve, all that man pursues, is inextricably linked to two words. These two words are vitally important to every person throughout their life, and they are things Satan intends to instill in man. What are these two words? They are “fame” and “gain.” Satan uses a very mild method, a method that’s very much in line with people’s notions, and that isn’t very aggressive, to cause people to unknowingly accept its means and laws of survival, develop life goals and life directions, and come to possess life aspirations. No matter how high-sounding people’s descriptions of their life aspirations may be, these aspirations always revolve around fame and gain. Everything that any great or famous person—or, in fact, any person—chases throughout their life relates only to these two words: “fame” and “gain.” People think that once they have fame and gain, they have the capital to enjoy high status and great wealth, and to enjoy life. They think that once they have fame and gain, they have the capital to seek pleasure and to engage in wanton enjoyment of the flesh. For the sake of this fame and gain which they desire, people happily and unknowingly hand over their bodies, hearts, and even all that they have, including their prospects and fates, to Satan. They do so without reservation, without even a moment’s doubt, and without ever knowing to reclaim everything that they once had. Can people retain any control over themselves once they have given themselves over to Satan and become loyal to it in this way? Certainly not. They are completely and utterly controlled by Satan. They have completely and utterly sunk into this quagmire, and are unable to free themselves. Once someone is mired in fame and gain, they no longer seek that which is bright, that which is just, or those things that are beautiful and good. This is because the enticement of fame and gain is too great for people, and these are things that people can pursue without end throughout their lives and even for all eternity. Is this not the actual situation? Some people will say that learning knowledge is nothing more than reading books and learning some things that you do not already know so as not to lag behind the times or be left behind by the world. Knowledge is only learned in order to put food on your table, for your own future, or to provide the basic necessities. Is there any person who would endure a decade of hard study just for the basic necessities, just to resolve the issue of food? No, there are none like this. So why does a person suffer these hardships for all these years? It is for fame and gain. It is because fame and gain are waiting for them in the distance, beckoning them, and they believe that only through their own diligence, hardships, and struggles can they step on the road that leads to fame and gain, thereby gaining these things. Such a person must suffer these hardships for their own future path, for their future enjoyment, and to gain a better life. What on earth is this knowledge—can you tell Me? Is it not the laws and philosophy of survival that Satan instills in man, such as “Love the Party, love the country, and love your religion” and “A wise man submits to circumstances”? Is it not life’s “lofty aspirations” instilled into man by Satan, such as the thoughts of great people, the integrity of the famous, the brave spirit of heroic figures, or the chivalry and kindness of the knights and swordsmen in martial arts novels? These ideas and statements influence one generation after another; many people accept these ideas, and they pursue, continually struggle, and are even willing to sacrifice their lives in order to fulfill these “lofty aspirations.” This is the means and method by which Satan uses knowledge to corrupt people. So after Satan leads people onto this path, are they able to submit to and worship God? And are they able to accept God’s words and pursue the truth? Absolutely not—because they have been led astray by Satan. Let’s now consider this: Within the knowledge, ideas, and views instilled in people by Satan, are there the truths of submission to God and worship of God? Are there the truths of fearing God and shunning evil? Are there any of the words of God? Is there anything in them that is of the truth? Not at all—these things are totally absent. Can you be sure that the things instilled in people by Satan contain no truth? Even if you do not dare to say for certain, that is no problem. So long as you recognize that “fame” and “gain” are the two key words that Satan uses to entice people onto the path of wickedness, then that is enough.

Now let’s review: What does Satan use to keep man firmly within its control? (Fame and gain.) Satan uses fame and gain to control man’s thoughts, making him think of nothing but these two things, and getting him to struggle for fame and gain, suffer hardships for fame and gain, endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens for fame and gain, sacrifice everything he has for fame and gain, and make every judgment or decision for the sake of fame and gain. In this way, Satan places invisible shackles upon man, and, with these shackles upon him, he has neither the ability nor the courage to break free. Unknowingly, he bears these shackles as he trudges ahead step by step, with great difficulty. For the sake of this fame and gain, mankind strays from God and betrays Him, and becomes increasingly wicked. In this way, one generation after another is destroyed in the midst of Satan’s fame and gain. Looking now at Satan’s actions, are its insidious motives not utterly hateful? Maybe today you still cannot see through to Satan’s insidious motives because you think that without fame and gain, life would have no meaning, and people would no longer be able to see the way ahead, no longer be able to see their goals, and their futures would become dark, dim and gloomy. But, slowly, you will all one day recognize that fame and gain are massive shackles that Satan places upon man. When that day comes, you will thoroughly resist Satan’s control and thoroughly resist the shackles brought to you by Satan. When you wish to free yourself from all these things that Satan has instilled in you, you will then make a clean break with Satan, and you will truly hate all that Satan has brought to you. Only then will you have a real love and yearning for God.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 156

Satan Uses Science to Corrupt Man

Satan uses the name of science to satisfy man’s curiosity, man’s desire to explore science and probe mysteries. In the name of science, Satan satisfies man’s material needs and man’s demand to continually improve his quality of life. Thus, it is with this pretext that Satan uses science to corrupt man. Is it only man’s thinking or man’s mind that Satan corrupts by means of science? Of the people, events, and things in our surroundings that we can see and that we come into contact with, what else of these does Satan corrupt with science? (The natural environment.) Correct. It seems you have been deeply harmed by this, and have a deep first-hand experience of it. Besides using all the various findings and conclusions of science to mislead man, Satan also uses science as a means to carry out wanton destruction and exploitation of the living environment that was given to man by God. It does this under the pretext that if man carries out scientific research, then man’s living environment and quality of life will continually improve, and furthermore that the purpose of scientific development is to cater to people’s daily increasing material needs and their need to continually improve their quality of life. This is the theoretical basis of Satan’s development of science. However, what has science brought to mankind? Has our living environment—and the living environment of all mankind—not been defiled? Has the air that man breathes not been defiled? Has the water that we drink not been defiled? Is the food that we eat still organic and natural? Most grains and vegetables are genetically modified, they have been grown with fertilizer, and some are variants created using science. The vegetables and fruit we eat are no longer natural. Even natural eggs are no longer easy to find, and eggs no longer taste the way they used to, having already been processed by Satan’s so-called science. Looking at the big picture, the entire atmosphere has been destroyed and polluted; mountains, lakes, forests, rivers, oceans, and everything above and below ground have all been wrecked by so-called scientific achievements. In brief, the entire ecological environment and living environment given to mankind by God have been wrecked and ruined by so-called science. Although there are many people who have obtained what they always hoped for in terms of the quality of life they seek, satisfying both their desires and their flesh, the environment man lives in has essentially been destroyed and wrecked by the various “achievements” brought on by science. Now, we no longer have the right to breathe a single breath of clean air. Is this not mankind’s sorrow? Is there any happiness left to speak of for man, when he must live in this kind of space? Man lives in this kind of space, and yet man’s living environment was, in the very beginning, created by God for man. The water people drink, the air people breathe, the various foods people eat, as well as the various plants and living beings, and even the mountains, lakes, and oceans—every part of this living environment was given to man by God; it is natural, operating in accordance with a natural law laid down by God. Without science, people would still follow the methods bestowed upon them by God, they would be able to enjoy all that is pristine and natural, and they would be very happy. Now, however, all of this has been destroyed and wrecked by Satan; man’s fundamental living space is no longer pristine. But no one is able to recognize what caused this or how this came about, and many more people interpret and approach science using the ideas instilled in them by Satan. Is this not utterly detestable and pitiable? With Satan now having corrupted the space in which people exist, as well as their living environment, into this state, and with mankind continuing to develop in this way, is there any need for God to personally destroy the people on earth? If people continue to develop in this way, what direction will they take? (They will be exterminated.) How will they be exterminated? In addition to people’s greedy pursuit of fame and gain, they continually carry out scientific exploration and dive deep into research, and then ceaselessly act in such a way as to satisfy their own material needs and desires; what then are the consequences for man? First of all, the ecological balance is broken, and when this happens, people’s internal organs are tainted and damaged by this unbalanced environment, and various infectious diseases and plagues spread across the world. Is it not true that this is now a situation that man has no control over? Now that you understand this, if mankind does not follow God, but always follows Satan in this way—using knowledge to continually enrich themselves, using science to ceaselessly explore the future of human life, using this kind of method to continue living—can you recognize what mankind’s outcome will be? Mankind will naturally become extinct: Step by step, mankind advances toward destruction, toward their own destruction! Is this not bringing destruction upon themselves? And is it not the consequence of scientific progress? It now seems as though science is a kind of magic potion that Satan has prepared for man, so that when you try to discern things you do so in a foggy haze; no matter how hard you look, you cannot see things clearly, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot figure them out. Satan, however, uses the name of science to whet your appetite and lead you by the nose, one foot in front of the other, toward the abyss and death. And this being the case, people will clearly see that actually, the destruction of man is wrought by the hand of Satan—Satan is the ringleader.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 157

Satan Uses Traditional Culture to Corrupt Man

Satan uses traditional culture to corrupt man. There are many similarities between traditional culture and superstition; it’s just that traditional culture has certain stories, allusions, and sources. Satan has fabricated and invented many folk stories or stories that appear in history books, leaving people with deep impressions of traditional cultural or superstitious figures. For example, in China there are the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,” “Journey to the West,” the Jade Emperor, “Nezha Conquering the Dragon King,” and “The Investiture of the Gods.” Have these not become deeply rooted in the minds of man? Even if some of you do not know all the details, you still know the general stories, and this general content sticks in your heart and your mind, so that you cannot forget it. These are all various ideas of Satan or legends which Satan devised for man long ago, and which have been disseminated at different times. These things directly harm and erode people’s souls and put people under one spell after another. That is to say that once you have accepted such traditional culture, stories, or superstitious things, once they are established in your mind, and once they are stuck in your heart, then it is like you are spellbound—you become enmeshed and influenced by such culture, such ideas, and such traditional stories. They influence your life, your outlook on life, and your judgment of things. Even more so they influence your pursuit of the true path of life: This is a spell. Try as you might, you cannot shake them off; you chop at them but you cannot cut them off; you beat at them but you cannot beat them away. Furthermore, after people are unknowingly put under this kind of spell, they unknowingly begin to worship Satan, establishing the image of Satan in their hearts. In other words, they treat Satan as their idol, an object for them to adore and look up to, even going so far as to regard it as god. Unknowingly, these things control people’s words and deeds from within their hearts. Moreover, you first regard these stories and legends to be false, but then you unknowingly acknowledge their existence, regarding them as real figures and real, existing objects. In your unawareness, you subconsciously receive these ideas and the existence of these things. You also subconsciously receive devils, Satan, and idols into your own home and into your own heart—this is a spell. Do these words resonate with you? (Yes.) Are there any among you who have burned incense and worshiped Buddha? (Yes.) So what was the purpose of burning incense and worshiping Buddha? (Praying for peace.) Thinking about it now, is it not ridiculous to pray to Satan for peace? Does Satan bring peace? (No.) Weren’t you very ignorant then? That kind of behavior is ridiculous, ignorant, and naive, is it not? Satan only thinks about how to corrupt you. Satan cannot possibly give you peace, only a temporary sense of calm. But you still must take a vow, and if you break your promise or the vow that you have made to Satan, then you will see how it torments you. In making you take a vow, it actually wants to control you. When you prayed for peace, did you obtain peace? (No.) You did not obtain peace, but on the contrary your efforts brought misfortune and unending disasters—truly a boundless ocean of bitterness. There is no peace under Satan’s power, and this is the truth. This is the consequence that feudal superstition and traditional culture have brought mankind.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 158

Satan Uses Social Trends to Corrupt Man

Satan corrupts and controls man through social trends. Social trends cover many aspects, including areas such as the worship of famous and great figures, as well as film and music idols, celebrity worship, and online games. These are all part of social trends, and there is no need to go into detail here. We will only talk about the ideas that social trends bring about in people, the way they cause people to deal with the world, and the survival goals and outlook on life that they bring about in people. These are very important; they can control and influence people’s thoughts and views. Each and every one of these trends carries with it an evil influence. This evil influence continually debases mankind and causes people to keep losing conscience, humanity, and reason, continually weakens their morals, and increasingly diminishes their integrity, to the extent that we can even say that the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, and no conscience, much less any reason. So what are these social trends? They are trends that you cannot see with the naked eye. When a new trend comes along, perhaps only a small number of people are early adopters—they take the lead in doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea, and accepting this kind of view. The majority of people, nonetheless, will be continually infected, attracted, and assimilated by this trend without realizing it, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it and become submerged in it and controlled by it. One after another, such trends cause people, who are not of sound body and mind, who do not know what the truth is, and who cannot differentiate at all between positive and negative things, to happily accept them as well as the outlook on existence and the values that come from Satan. They happily accept what Satan tells them about how to approach life, and the way of survival that Satan “bestows” on them. They have neither the strength nor the ability, much less the awareness, to resist. So how should we understand such trends? I will give a simple example, and you may gradually come to understand. For example, in the past, people doing business cheated neither young nor old, and goods were sold at fixed prices. Is there not a little conscience and humanity expressed here? When people had this kind of business creed, it can be seen that they still had some conscience and some humanity at that time. But with man’s ever-increasing demand for money, people unknowingly came to love money, gain, and pleasure more and more. Do people not attach greater importance to money than they used to? When people view money as very important, they unknowingly begin to attach less importance to their reputation, their renown, their good name, and their integrity, do they not? When you engage in business, you see others getting rich by cheating people, and you see that although the money they earn is ill-gotten, they have more and more money, and their whole family enjoys a good life. At this point, you feel upset inside: “We’re both in business but they got rich. Why can’t I make a lot of money? I can’t take this—I must find a way to make more cash.” After that, all you think about is how to make your fortune. You give up the belief in “cheating neither young nor old, earning money with conscience.” Driven by your own interests, your way of thinking gradually changes, as do the principles behind your actions. When you cheat someone for the first time, you feel the reproach of your conscience, and you say to yourself in your heart, “Once this is done, this is the last time I will cheat someone. Always cheating people will result in retribution!” This is the function of man’s conscience—to make you feel scruples and to reproach you, and so you do it very unnaturally. But after you have successfully deceived someone, you see that you now have more money than you did before, and you think this method can be very beneficial for you. Despite the dull ache in your heart, you still feel like congratulating yourself on your success, and you feel somewhat pleased with yourself. For the first time, you approve of your own behavior, your own deceptive ways. Once man has been contaminated by this cheating, it is the same as someone who gets involved in gambling and then becomes a gambler. In your unawareness, you give approval to your own cheating behavior and accept it. In unawareness, you take cheating to be legitimate commercial behavior and the most useful means for your survival and livelihood; you think that by doing this you can make quick money. In this process, from when people initially cannot accept this kind of behavior and look down on this kind of behavior and practice, to when they personally experiment with it and try it out in their own way, their hearts are gradually changing. What kind of change is this? It is an approval and admission of this trend, of this idea instilled in you by the social trend. Without realizing it, if you do not cheat people when doing business, you feel you are worse off; if you do not cheat people, you feel as though you have lost something. Unknowingly, this cheating becomes your very soul, your backbone, and an indispensable type of behavior within your laws of survival. After you have accepted this behavior and this thinking, has this not brought about a change in your heart? Your heart has changed, so has your integrity changed as well? Has your humanity changed? Has your conscience changed? Your whole being, from your heart to your thoughts, even from inside to outside, has changed, and this is a qualitative change. This change pulls you further and further away from God, and you become more and more compatible with Satan; you become more and more like Satan, with the result that Satan’s corruption makes you a demon.

When looking at these social trends, would you say that they have a big influence on people? Do they deeply ravage people? Very deeply indeed! What aspects of man does Satan corrupt with each of these trends? Satan chiefly corrupts man’s conscience, reason, humanity, morals, and outlook on existence. And do these social trends not gradually degrade man, and make him increasingly corrupt? Satan uses these social trends to lure man step by step into a den of devils, so that man unknowingly reveres money, material desires, evil, and violence amid social trends. Once these things have entered man’s heart, what then does man become? He becomes a devil and a Satan! This is because man’s heart becomes occupied by that which he reveres; when man reveres negative things, he begins to love evil and violence, and he does not like beauty and goodness, much less peace. He becomes unwilling to live a simple life in normal humanity, but instead wishes to enjoy high status and great wealth, to take pleasure in the flesh, sparing no effort to satisfy his own flesh, with no restrictions or bonds—in other words, doing whatever he desires. So when you have gotten caught up in these kinds of trends, can the knowledge that you have learned help you to free yourself? Can the aspects of traditional culture and superstitions that you know help you escape from this predicament? Can the traditional morals and etiquette that you know help you exercise restraint? Take the Analects and the Tao Te Ching, for example. Can they help people pull their feet out of the quagmire of these evil trends? Absolutely not. Thus, man becomes more and more evil, arrogant, haughty in the extreme, selfish, and malicious. There is no longer any affection and loyalty among man, no longer any love between family members, no longer any understanding among relatives and friends; human relationships are full of violence. Each and every person seeks to live among others with violent means and methods, to seize a livelihood for themselves using violence, to win their positions and obtain their profits using violence, and to use violent and wicked ways to do any of the things they want. Isn’t this mankind horrifying? It is, very much so: Not only did they crucify God, but they would also annihilate all who follow Him—because this mankind is too evil. After hearing all these things that I have just talked about, do you not think it terrifying to live in this environment, in this world, and among these kinds of people, within which Satan corrupts mankind? (Yes.) So, have you ever felt yourselves to be pitiful? You must feel it a little bit in this moment, do you not? (I do.) Hearing your tone, it seems as though you are thinking, “Satan uses all kinds of methods to corrupt man. It seizes every opportunity and is everywhere we turn. Can man still be saved?” Can man still be saved? Can man save himself? (No.) Can the Jade Emperor save man? Can Confucius save man? Can the Guanyin Bodhisattva save man? (No.) So who can save man? (God.) Some people, however, will raise in their hearts such questions as: “Satan harms us so wildly, in such a deranged frenzy, that we have no hope to live life, nor any confidence to live life. We all live in the midst of corruption, and every single person resists God anyway, and now our hearts have sunk as low as they can go. So where is God while Satan is corrupting us? What is God doing? Whatever God is doing for us, we never feel it!” Some people inevitably feel dejected and somewhat disheartened. To you, this feeling is very deep because all that I have been saying has allowed people to slowly come to understand these matters, and they feel more and more that they are without hope, and more and more that they have been forsaken by God. But don’t be anxious. Our fellowship topic for today, “the wickedness of Satan,” is not our true theme. To talk about God’s essence of holiness, however, we must first discuss how Satan corrupts man and the wickedness of Satan in order to make it clearer to people what kind of condition man is now in. One aim of talking about this is to allow people to know the wickedness of Satan, while the other is to allow people to understand more deeply what true holiness is.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 159

Understanding God’s Holiness Through What He Does to Man (Selected passage)

Whenever Satan corrupts man or, in a wanton manner, grievously harms man, God does not stand idly by, and neither does He brush aside or turn a blind eye to those He has chosen. God understands with perfect clarity all that Satan does. No matter what Satan does, no matter what trend it causes to arise, God knows all that Satan is trying to do, and God does not give up on those He has chosen. Instead, without attracting any attention—secretly, silently—God does everything that He intends to do. When God begins work on someone, when He has chosen someone, He does not proclaim this to anyone, nor does He proclaim it to Satan, much less make any grand gesture. He just very quietly, very naturally, does what He intends. First, He selects a family for you; your family background, your parents, your ancestors—all this, God decides in advance. Therefore, God does not make these decisions on a whim; rather, He began this work long ago. Once God has chosen a family for you, He then chooses the date on which you will be born. Then, God watches as you are born and come crying into the world. He watches your arrival, watches as you learn to babble, watches as you stumble your way to walking, step by step. Now you can run, jump, talk, and express your feelings…. As people grow up, Satan’s gaze is fixed on every one of them, like a tiger eyeing its prey. But in doing His work, God has never been subject to limitations arising from any person, event, or thing, of space or time; He does what He should and what He intends. In the process of growing up, you may encounter many undesirable things, including illness and bumps in the road. But as you walk this path, your life and your future are under God’s close care. God provides a true guarantee for your whole life, for He is right there beside you, protecting you and looking after you. Before you know it, you grow up. You begin to come into contact with new things and start to get to know this world and this mankind. Everything is fresh and new to you. You like to do the things you enjoy. You live within your own humanity, you live within your own space, and you have not the slightest perception about the existence of God. But God watches you every step of the way as you grow, and He watches you as you make every stride forward. Even when you are learning knowledge or studying science, God has never left your side for a single step. Like other people, in the course of getting to know the world and engaging with it, you have established your own aspirations, you have your own hobbies, your own interests, and you also harbor lofty ambitions. You often ponder your own future, often sketching the outline of how your future should look. But no matter what this process is like, it is all clear and vivid to God. Maybe you yourself have forgotten your own past, but to God, there is no one who can understand you better than He. You live under God’s gaze, growing up, maturing. During this period, there is one most important thing that God does—something no one has ever perceived, something no one knows about, and even more, something God has never told anyone about. So what is this most crucial thing? It can be said that it is the guarantee that God will save a person. This means that if God wants to save this person, He must do this. This thing is vitally important to both man and God. Do you know what it is? It seems like you do not have any feeling about this, or any concept of it, so I will tell you. From the time you were born all the way up to now, God has carried out much work on you, but He does not give you an exhaustive account of everything He has done. God did not allow you to know this, and neither did He tell you. However, for mankind, everything He does is very important. As far as God is concerned, it is something He must do. In His heart there is something of the utmost importance He needs to do that far exceeds any of these things. That is, from the time a person is born up to the present day, God must guarantee their safety. When you hear these words, you may feel somewhat puzzled. You may ask, “Is this safety so important?” Well, what is the literal meaning of “safety”? Maybe you understand it to mean peace or maybe you understand it to mean being free from disasters and calamities, living well, and living a normal life. But in your hearts, you must know that it is not so simple. So what exactly is this thing that I have been talking about, that God has to do? What does safety mean to God? Is it really a guarantee of the normal meaning of “safety”? No. So what is it that God does? This “safety” means that you will not be devoured by Satan. Is this important? Not being devoured by Satan—does this concern your safety or not? Yes, this concerns your personal safety, and there can be nothing more important. Once you have been devoured by Satan, your soul and your flesh no longer belong to God. God will no longer save you. God gives up on such souls and gives up on such people. So I say the most important thing that God has to do is to guarantee this safety of yours, to guarantee that you will not be devoured by Satan. This is very important, is it not? So why can you not answer? It seems like you are unable to feel God’s immense grace!

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 160

Understanding God’s Holiness Through What He Does to Man (Selected passage)

God does much more besides guaranteeing people’s safety, guaranteeing that they will not be devoured by Satan. That is, when God is going to choose and save someone, He does a great deal of preparatory work. Firstly, God makes meticulous arrangements regarding what kind of personality you will have, what kind of family you will be born into, who your parents will be, how many brothers and sisters you will have, and what the situation, economic status, and conditions of the family you are born into will be. Do you know what kinds of families the majority of God’s chosen people are born into? Among them, are there prominent families? We cannot say for sure that there are no prominent families. There may be some, but they are very few. Are there any families of exceptional wealth, like families of billionaires or multimillionaires? No, there are almost no families of this kind. So what kind of family does God arrange for most of these people? (Ordinary families.) So which families may be considered “ordinary families”? They include working families—that is, ones that depend on wages to survive, can afford the basic necessities, and are not overly well-off; they also include farming families. Farmers depend on planting crops for their food, have grain to eat and clothes to wear, and do not go hungry or freeze. Then there are some families that run small businesses; there are also some where the parents are intellectuals, and this type of family can also be counted as an ordinary family. There are also some parents who are at most office workers or minor government officials, who also cannot be counted as belonging to prominent families. Most are born into ordinary families, and this is all arranged by God. That is to say, first of all, this environment that you live in is not the family of substantial means that people might imagine, and this is a family decided for you by God, and the majority of people live within the limits of this kind of family. So what about social status? The economic conditions of the majority of parents are average and they do not have high social status—for them it is good just to have a job. Do they include governors? Or national presidents? No, right? At most they are people such as small business managers or owners of small businesses. Their social status is middling, and their economic conditions are average. Another factor is the family’s living environment. First of all, there are no parents among these families who would clearly influence their children into walking the path of divination and fortune telling; there are very few who engage in such things. Most parents are quite normal. At the same time that God chooses people, He establishes this kind of environment for them, which is greatly beneficial to His salvation of people. On the surface, it looks like God has done nothing earthshaking for man; He just carries out each deed unobtrusively, inconspicuously, and quietly. But in fact, everything that God does is laying a foundation for your salvation, preparing the road ahead and all the necessary conditions for your salvation. Next, God brings every person back before Him, each at a specified time: It is then that you hear God’s voice; it is then that you come before Him. By the time that this happens, some people have already become parents themselves, while others are still somebody’s child. In other words, some people have gotten married and had children while some are still single, not yet having started their own families. But regardless of how things may be, when God’s gospel and His words reach you, this is something that has long been predestined by God. God has determined an environment and decided on a certain person to preach the gospel to you in a certain context, so that you may hear God’s voice and accept Him in a certain environment. All of this is predestined by God. God has already prepared for you all the necessary conditions. In this way, people unknowingly come to be in God’s presence and return to His house. They also unknowingly follow God into each step of His work, entering into each step of God’s ways of work which He has prepared for them. What ways does God use when He does things for man at this time? First, the bare minimum is the care and protection that man enjoys. Apart from this, God sets up various people, events, and things so that through them man may see His existence and His deeds. For example, there are some people who come to believe in God because someone in their family is sick. When others preach the gospel to them, they start to believe in God—they come to believe in God under these circumstances. So who arranged these circumstances? (God.) There are some families where everybody becomes a believer by means of illness, while there are others where a few people in the family become believers. On the surface, it may seem that someone in your family has an illness, but it is in fact a condition bestowed on you so that you may come before God—this is God’s kindness. For some people, family life is always hard and not peaceful, and by chance someone preaches the gospel to them, and says that they’ll have peace if they believe in the Lord Jesus, and so, without realizing it, they come to believe in God under very natural circumstances. Is this not a type of condition? And is the fact that their family is not at peace a grace granted them by God? There are also some who come to believe in God for other reasons. There are different reasons and different paths for coming to believe in God, but no matter why you start to believe in Him, it is all actually arranged and guided by God. At first, God employs various ways to choose you and to bring you into His family. This is the grace that God bestows on every person.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 161

Understanding God’s Holiness Through What He Does to Man (Selected passage)

In God’s current stage of work in the last days, He no longer just bestows grace and blessings on man like He did before, nor does He coax man to move forward. During this stage of work, what has man seen from all the aspects of God’s work that he has experienced? Man has seen God’s love and God’s judgment and chastisement. During this period of time, God also uses the method of providing for, supporting, enlightening, and guiding man to help man gradually come to understand His intentions, to understand the words He speaks and the truth He bestows on man. When man is weak, when he is negative, when he feels he has nowhere to turn, God will use His words to comfort and exhort man, so that man’s small stature can gradually grow strong, and he can become positive and willing to cooperate with God. But when man rebels against God or resists Him, revealing corruption, God will show no mercy in chastening and disciplining man. However, God will show tolerance and patience for man’s foolishness, ignorance, weakness, and immaturity. In this way, through all the work God does for man, man gradually matures, grows up, and comes to understand God’s intentions, comes to understand certain truths, to understand what things are positive and what are negative, to understand what wickedness and darkness are. God does not take a single approach of always chastening and disciplining man, nor one of always showing tolerance and patience to man. Rather He provides for each person in different ways at their different stages and according to their different statures and caliber. He does many things on man and pays a great price for man; man perceives nothing of these things or of the price, but all that God does is carried out on every single person in a practical manner. God’s love is practical. Through the grace of God, man avoids one disaster after another, and due to man’s weakness, God has time and time again shown man tolerance. The judgment and chastisement of God allow people to gradually come to know mankind’s corruption and satanic essence. That which God provides to mankind, and His enlightenment and His guiding of mankind, allow people to understand more and more the essence of truth, and to increasingly understand what people need, what path they should take, what they live for, the value and meaning of their existence, and how to walk the path ahead. All these things that God does are inseparable from His one original purpose. What, then, is this purpose? Why does God use these methods to carry out His work on man? What result does He want to achieve? In other words, what does He want to see in man? What does He want to obtain from man? What God wants to see is that man’s heart can be revived. These methods that He uses to work on man are a continual effort to awaken the heart of man, to awaken man’s spirit, to enable man to understand from where he came, who is guiding, supporting, and providing for him, and who has allowed man to live until the present day; they are a means to enable man to understand who is the Creator, whom he should worship, what kind of path he should walk, and in what way man should come before God; they are a means to gradually revive the heart of man, so that man understands God’s heart, comprehends God’s heart, and grasps the painstaking intention behind His work to save man. When man’s heart is revived, man no longer wants to live within degenerate, corrupt dispositions, but wants instead to pursue the truth in order to satisfy God. When man’s heart has been awakened, man is then able to tear himself fully away from Satan. No longer will he be grievously harmed by Satan, no longer controlled or fooled by it. Instead, man can proactively cooperate with God’s work and His words to satisfy the heart of God, thus attaining fear of God and shunning evil. This is the original purpose of God’s work.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 162

Understanding God’s Holiness Through What He Does to Man (Selected passage)

The discussion we just held about the wickedness of Satan makes everyone feel that man lives amid great unhappiness and that the life of man is beset with misfortune. But now when I am talking about the holiness of God and the work that He performs on man, how does that make you feel? (Very happy.) We can see now that everything God does, all that He painstakingly arranges for man, is immaculate. Everything God does is without error, meaning it is faultless, needing no one to correct, advise, or make any changes to it. All that God does for every individual is beyond doubt; He leads everyone by the hand, looks after you with every passing moment, and has never once left your side. As people grow up in this kind of environment and with this kind of background, could we say that people in fact grow up in the palm of God’s hand? (Yes.) So now do you still feel a sense of loss? Does anyone still feel negative? Does anyone feel that God has rejected mankind? (No.) So what exactly has God done then? (He has protected mankind.) The painstaking thought that God puts into everything He does is beyond question. What is more, in carrying out His work, He has always done so unconditionally. He has never required that any one of you know the price that He pays for you so as to make you feel deeply grateful to Him. Has God ever required this of you? (No.) You have all lived for so many years, and almost every one of you has encountered many dangerous situations and faced many temptations in your lifetime. This is because Satan is standing beside you, its eyes constantly fixed on you. Satan delights in seeing you struck by disaster, met with calamity; it would love for nothing to go right for you, for you to become entangled in its web. As for what God is doing, He is protecting you with each passing moment, steering you away from one misfortune after another and from one disaster after another. This is why I say that everything about man—including peace and joy, blessings and personal safety—is in fact all under God’s control; it is God who guides and holds sovereignty over the fate of every individual. But with God, is there any such concept as “God having status,” as people say? Does God declare to you, “I am the greatest of all. It is I that take charge of you. You must beg Me for mercy, and if you do not behave yourself, I will strike you down”? Has God ever threatened mankind in this way? (No.) Has He ever said, “A corrupt mankind may be treated however I wish; treating them casually would be good enough. I do not need to make sound arrangements for them”? Does God think in this way? Has God acted in this way? (No.) On the contrary, God’s treatment of each and every person is very earnest and responsible. He treats you more responsibly even than you treat yourself. Is this not so? God does not speak empty words, He does not assert His status and flaunt His credentials, and He’s not perfunctory with people. Instead He silently does the things He Himself intends to do in a real and practical way. What these things bring to man are blessings, peace, and joy; they allow man now to be peaceful and happy before God’s eyes and in God’s house, and allow man to live before God with normal reason and normal thinking to accept God’s salvation. So has God ever been duplicitous with man in His work? Has He ever made a false display of kindness, using a few pleasantries to deal with man in a perfunctory way, and then turning His back? (No.) Has God ever said one thing and then done another? Has God ever made empty promises and boasted, telling people He can do this for them or help do that for them, but then vanished? (No.) There is no deceit in God, no falsity. God is faithful, and He is true in everything He does. He is the only One that people can count on; He is the God to whom people can entrust their lives and everything they have. Since there is no deceit in God, could we say that God is the most sincere? (Yes.) Of course we can! Though the word “sincere” is too feeble, too human when applied to God, there is no way around it. These are the limits of human language. Though it is somewhat unfitting to call God “sincere,” we will nonetheless use this word for the time being. God is faithful and sincere. So when we talk about these aspects, what are we referring to? Are we referring to the differences between God and man and the differences between God and Satan? Yes, we could say that. This is because man cannot see one trace of Satan’s corrupt dispositions in God. Am I correct in saying this? Can you say amen to this? (Amen!) None of Satan’s wicked disposition is revealed in God. All that God does and reveals is entirely of benefit to man, entirely of help to man, and entirely provision and life. What it brings to man is the way and direction. God is not corrupt and, furthermore, looking now at everything that God does, can we say that God is holy? Since God has none of the corrupt dispositions of mankind, nor anything akin to the satanic essence of corrupt mankind, from this point of view we can totally say that God is holy. God does not reveal any corruption, and at the same time as God works, what God reveals is His own essence. This entirely confirms that God Himself is holy. Do you see this? To know God’s holy essence, let us look at these two aspects for now: Firstly there is no trace of corrupt dispositions in God, and secondly the essence of God’s work on man allows man to see God’s own essence, and this essence is entirely positive. For everything God does on man brings man positive things. First of all, God requires man to be honest—is this not a positive thing? God requires man to have wisdom—is this not positive? God makes man able to discern between good and evil—is this not positive? He allows man to understand the meaning and value of human existence—is this not positive? He allows man to see into the essence of people, events, and things in accordance with the truth—is this not positive? All of these are positive. And the result of all of this is that man is no longer misled by Satan, will no longer continue to be grievously harmed or controlled by Satan. In other words, these things allow people to completely free themselves from the corruption of Satan, and therefore gradually move toward the path of fearing God and shunning evil.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 163

There Are Six Primary Tactics That Satan Employs to Corrupt Man

The first is control and coercion. That is, Satan will do everything possible to take control of your heart. What does “coercion” mean? It means using threatening and forceful tactics to make you obey it, making you think of the consequences if you do not obey. You are afraid and dare not defy it, so you give in.

The second is cheating and trickery. What does “cheating and trickery” entail? Satan makes up some legends and lies, tricking you into believing them. It never tells you that man was created by God, but neither does it say directly that you were not made by God. It does not mention the word “God” at all, but instead uses something else as a substitute, using this thing to mislead you so that you basically have no idea of the existence of God. Of course, this “trickery” includes many aspects, not just this one.

The third is forceful indoctrination. With what are people forcefully indoctrinated? Does forceful indoctrination happen when people have a choice? Is it done with man’s consent? Definitely not. Even if you do not consent, there is nothing you can do about it. Without you knowing it, Satan indoctrinates you, instilling you with its thinking, its laws of survival, and its essence.

The fourth is threats and inducements. That is, Satan employs various tactics to cause you to accept it, follow it, and work in its service. It will do anything to achieve its goals. It sometimes gives you small favors, all the while luring you into committing sin. If you do not follow it, it will make you suffer and torment you, and use various ways to attack and plot against you.

The fifth is misleading and paralysis. “Misleading and paralysis” is when Satan instills in people some sweet-sounding statements and ideas that align with their notions and seem right but are actually wrong. It seems like it is showing consideration for your flesh, your life, and your future, but actually its goal is to fool you. It then paralyzes you so that you do not know what is right and what is wrong, so that you are unwittingly tricked and come under its control.

The sixth is the ravaging of body and mind. What part of man does Satan ravage? Satan ravages your mind, making you powerless to resist, meaning that, little by little, your heart turns toward Satan in spite of yourself. It instills these things in you every day, and uses these ideas and cultures to influence and condition you every day, breaking down your will little by little, so that you no longer desire to be a good person, so that you no longer wish to stand up for what you call “justice.” Unknowingly, you no longer have the willpower to swim against the current, but instead flow along with it. “Ravaging” means Satan tormenting people so much that they resemble neither human beings nor ghosts. This is when Satan takes the opportunity to devour them.

Each one of these tactics that Satan employs to corrupt man renders man powerless to resist; any one of them can be deadly to man. In other words, anything Satan does and any tactic it employs can cause you to degenerate, can bring you under Satan’s control, and can mire you in a quagmire of sin. Such are the tactics Satan employs to corrupt man.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 164

For now, your perceptual understanding of God’s essence still requires a long period of time to perceive it firsthand, to confirm it, to feel it, and to experience it, until one day you will know, from the very center of your heart, that “the holiness of God” means that God’s essence is flawless, that God’s love is selfless, all that God bestows upon man is selfless, and you will come to know that God’s holiness is impossible to criticize and irreproachable. These aspects of God’s essence are not words He uses to flaunt His identity, but rather God uses His essence to treat each and every individual in a quiet and sincere manner. In other words, the essence of God is not empty, nor is it a theory or a doctrine, much less is it a kind of knowledge. It is not a kind of education for man; instead it is the true revelation of God’s own actions and the essence of what God has and is as revealed from Him. This essence is something man should know and come to understand, because everything God does and every word He says is of great value and great significance to every single person. When you come to understand the holiness of God, you can then really believe in God; when you come to understand the holiness of God, you can then really appreciate the true meaning of the words “God Himself, the Unique.” You will no longer imagine that there are other paths besides this one that you could choose to walk, and you will no longer be willing to betray everything that God has arranged for you. Because the essence of God is holy, that means that only God can allow you to embark on the right, bright path in life; only God can allow you to understand the meaning of being alive; only God can allow you to live out real humanity and both possess and understand the truth. Only God can allow you to gain life from the truth. Only God Himself can help you shun evil and keep you from the grievous harm and control of Satan. Besides God, no one and nothing can save you from the sea of suffering so that you suffer no longer. This is determined by the essence of God. Only God Himself saves you so selflessly; only God is responsible, right to the very end, for your future, for your destiny, and for your life, and only He arranges all things for you. This is something that no created or non-created being can achieve. Because no created or non-created being possesses an essence like the essence of God, no person or thing has the ability to save you or to lead you. This is the importance of God’s essence to man. Perhaps you feel that these words I have said merely help you a little on a doctrinal level. But if you pursue the truth, if you love the truth, then in your future experience, these words will not only change your destiny, and, even more so, they will lead you onto the right path in life. You understand this, do you not?

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI

Daily Words of God  Excerpt 165

I would like to talk to you about something that you did at the beginning of our gathering today that surprised Me. Some of you were perhaps nurturing a sense of gratitude, perhaps you were feeling grateful, and you had certain thoughts, which brought about a corresponding action. What you did was not something that needs reproaching; it is neither right nor wrong. But I would like you to understand something. What is it that I want you to understand? First, I would like to ask you about what you did just now. Was it prostrating or kneeling to worship? Can anyone tell Me? (We believe it was prostrating.) You believe it was prostrating, so what then is the meaning of prostration? (Worship.) So then, what is kneeling to worship? I have not fellowshipped about this with you before, but today I feel it is necessary to do so. Do you prostrate at your usual gatherings? (No.) Do you prostrate when you say your prayers? (Yes.) Do you prostrate each time you pray, when the situation allows? (Yes.) That is good. But what I would like you to understand today is that God only accepts the kneeling of two types of people. We do not need to consult the Bible or the deeds of any spiritual figures. Instead, here and now, I will give you a piece of accurate information. Firstly, prostration and kneeling to worship are not the same thing. Why does God accept the kneeling of those who prostrate themselves? It is because God wants to call someone; when this person is called and accepts God’s commission, God will allow them to prostrate themselves before Him. This is the first type of person. As for the second type, God accepts the kneeling to worship of those who fear God and shun evil. There are only these two types of people. So which type do you belong to? Are you able to say? This is the truth of the matter, though it may hurt your feelings a little. There is nothing to say about people kneeling during prayer—this is proper and as it should be, because when people pray it is mostly making supplication to God, opening their hearts to God, and coming face to face with Him. It is communication and exchange, heart to heart with God. But if kneeling is just a formality, then it is not acceptable. I do not mean to reproach you for what you have done today. I just want you to be clear about and understand what this principle is—you know this, do you not? (Yes, we know.) Do not do this again. But do people have any opportunity to prostrate and kneel to worship before the face of God? It is not that there will never be this opportunity. Sooner or later the day will come, but the time is not now. Do you see? Does this make you upset? (No.) That is good. Maybe these words will motivate or inspire you so that you can know in your hearts what the current situation between God and man is and what kind of relationship exists now between God and man. Although we have recently talked and exchanged some more, man’s knowledge of God is still far from sufficient. Man still has a long way to go on this road of seeking to know God. I do not wish for you to do this as a matter of urgency, or to rush to express these kinds of wishes or feelings. What you did today may have been a revelation of your true feelings, or an expression of your true feelings, and I sensed them. So while you were doing it, I just wanted to stand up and greet you, because I wish each of you well. So, in My every word and every action, I do My utmost to help you, to guide you, so that you can have an accurate understanding and an accurate view of all things. You can comprehend this, can you not? (Yes.) That is good. Although people have some understanding of each aspect of God’s dispositions, each aspect of what God has and is, and the work that God does, the majority of this understanding remains at the level of words, of doctrines, and of thoughts. What people lack the most is the real knowledge and insight that comes from actual experience. Even though God uses various methods to awaken people’s hearts, the degree to which people can truly awaken depends on their pursuits—in short, you all still have a long way to go. I do not want to see anyone feeling as though God has left them out in the cold, that God has abandoned them or disdained them. All I want to see is everyone on the path of pursuing the truth and seeking to know God, resolutely marching forward without hesitating or turning back, without any misgivings or burdens. No matter what wrongs you have committed, no matter what wrong turns you have taken or how you have transgressed, do not let these become burdens or excess baggage that you have to carry with you in your pursuit of knowledge of God. Continue marching onward. At all times, God’s intention to save man never changes. This is the most precious aspect of the essence of God.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI