There is a common problem in the corrupt disposition of people, a common problem which exists in the humanity of every person, a most severe problem. This common problem is the weakest, most fatal part of their humanity, and in their nature essence, it is the hardest thing to dig out or change. What is this problem? It is that humans always want to be exceptional, superhuman, perfect people. People themselves are created beings. Can created beings achieve omnipotence? Can they achieve perfection and flawlessness? Can they achieve proficiency in everything, come to understand everything, see through everything, and be capable of everything? They cannot. However, within humans, there are corrupt dispositions, and a fatal weakness: As soon as they learn a skill or profession, people feel that they are capable, that they are people with status and worth, and that they are professionals. No matter how unexceptional they are, they all want to package themselves as some famous or exceptional individual, to turn themselves into some minor celebrity, and make people think they are perfect and flawless, without a single defect; in the eyes of others, they wish to become famous, powerful, or some great figure, and they want to become mighty, capable of anything, with nothing they cannot do. They feel that if they sought others’ help, they would appear incapable, weak, and inferior, and that people would look down on them. For this reason, they always want to keep up a front. Some people, when asked to do something, say they know how to do it, when they actually do not. Afterward, in secret, they look it up and try to learn how to do it, but after studying it for several days, they still do not understand how to do it. When asked how they are getting on with it, they say, “Soon, soon!” But in their hearts, they’re thinking, “I’m not there yet, I have no idea, I don’t know what to do! I must not let the cat out of the bag, I must continue putting on a front, I can’t let people see my shortcomings and ignorance, I can’t let them look down on me!” What problem is this? This is a living hell of trying to save face at all costs. What kind of disposition is this? Such people’s arrogance knows no bounds, they have lost all reason. They do not wish to be like everyone else, they don’t want to be ordinary people, normal people, but superhumans, exceptional individuals, or hotshots. This is such a huge problem! With regard to the weaknesses, shortcomings, ignorance, foolishness, and lack of understanding within normal humanity, they will wrap it all up, and not let other people see it, and then keep on disguising themselves. There are some who are blind to everything, yet still claim they understand in their heart. When you ask them to explain it, they cannot. After someone else has explained it, they then claim that they were about to say the same thing but were unable to voice it in time. They do everything they can to disguise themselves and try to look good. What do you say, do such people not live with their heads in the clouds? Are they not dreaming? They do not know who they themselves are, nor do they know how to live out normal humanity. They have never once acted like practical human beings. If you pass your days with your head in the clouds, muddling through, not doing anything with your feet on the ground, always living by your own imagination, then this is trouble. The path in life you choose is not right. If you do this, then no matter how you believe in God, you will not understand the truth, nor will you be able to obtain the truth. To be honest with you, you cannot obtain the truth, because your starting point is wrong. You must learn how to walk on the ground, and how to walk steadily, one step at a time. If you can walk, then walk; do not try to learn how to run. If you can walk one step at a time, then do not try to take two steps at a time. You must conduct yourself with your feet firmly on the ground. Do not try to be superhuman, great, or lofty. Human beings, dominated by their satanic disposition, harbor some ambition and desire inside of them, which is hidden within their hearts. They do not want to live with their feet on the ground, rather, they always want to run off into the air, to live amidst the clouds and mist. Are they not dreaming? Do people live in midair? That is the domain of Satan, not a place for people to live. God created man from the dust of the earth; He causes them to live on the ground, to live normally and with rules, to learn the common knowledge of how to behave, to learn how to act, how to live, and how to worship Him. God did not give people wings, and He does not allow them to live in the air. The ones who roam about in the air are Satan and all kinds of evil spirits, not people. If people always have this ambition, always wanting to become superhuman, to change into something else, then they are asking for trouble. It is very easy to become totally obsessed! First off, this thought and idea of yours is wrong. It comes from Satan, goes entirely beyond reality, does not conform to God’s requirements at all, and goes entirely beyond God’s words. So what is this thought? It is always wanting to be free of vulgarity, to be outstanding, to be without peer, to be exquisite beyond compare, to fly one’s own colors, to become famous and great, an idol in the hearts of people—are these the goals one ought to pursue? Absolutely not. Among all God’s words, there is not one that tells people to pursue becoming a superhuman, a strongman, a celebrity, or a great person. None of these things people imagine are real, none of them exist. To pursue these things is to dig your own grave—the more you pursue them, the faster you die. This is the road to destruction.

Since God has said so many words, do you know what His requirements are for people’s behavior? (He wants them to conduct themselves conscientiously.) (He wants them to conduct themselves and act with their feet on the ground, assiduously, and without attracting attention.) Although these few words are simple, most people cannot achieve them; only honest people are capable. In fact, no matter how you express it, to put it briefly, God requires people to be honest. Only the honest are able to conduct themselves conscientiously, to have their feet planted on the ground as they act, to not attract attention, and to be assiduous, so being an honest person is right, and God likes honest people. God detests deceitful people. Those who do not conduct themselves conscientiously, who do not have their feet planted on the ground as they act, are deceitful. Do you understand when it’s said this way? So tell Me again, besides requiring them to be honest people, what other requirements does God have of people? (They need to humble themselves.) You say “humble,” but is it reasonable to use this word to describe people? (It is unreasonable.) Why is it unreasonable? Humanity, corrupted by Satan, originally had no status; they were originally less than the worms, so how much more humble could they be? If they lowered themselves further, what would they become? Would they not become devils, or beasts? Man was created by God, and all those created by God have human instincts. People are all able to achieve the things they ought to possess, which are all part of their normal behaviors and revelations. First let us speak of happiness, anger, grief, and joy, some of the emotions that people possess. When someone is sorrowful or sad, the most common manifestation is crying. It is a natural revelation of normal humanity. When you are sorrowful or in pain, you can cry, let your tears out. Do not pretend. Some people say: “I do not cry, I am a strong man, and men do not shed tears easily!” Other people say: “Although I am female, I am resolute. I must be strong like a man. I will be a heroine, not a weak woman.” Is this sort of thinking correct? What kind of humanity is this? This is pretending; it is not true. That which is pretended is not a revelation of normal humanity. Rather, it is a false appearance given to others, completely twisting normal humanity. So when people have something to be grieved or anxious about, when they sigh, or when their expression is relatively serious, or when they do not want to eat, all these things are revelations of normal humanity, which no one can cover up. When someone encounters something good, they smile, which is also a normal revelation. There are some people who dare not laugh out loud when they are pleased. They always cover their mouths to hide their smiles, always fearing people’s jokes. Is that normal? (It is not normal.) This is also pretending. They think that women cannot laugh in public in front of lots of people, and they especially cannot show their teeth, otherwise people will look down on or disdain them, so they must restrain themselves, and they cannot be frivolous. This is the result of a traditional Chinese cultural education. In someone whose happiness, anger, grief, and joy are abnormal, others cannot see the manifestations or needs of their normal humanity. Is this kind of person normal? (They are not normal.) Is there not something in their thoughts which dominates them? People have been corrupted too deeply by Satan. That is just how it is. They are more like fiends than people. This is the appearance of those who are dominated by a devilish nature. They are extremely false, and they pretend too much. Why is it that people who have believed in God for several years have hardly changed at all? For one thing, people do not have a correct knowledge or clear view on the path, principles, direction, and goals of being a normal person, nor do they have a clear view of the path to pursuing the truth. For another thing, this kind of person is ignorant. Even if they live to be forty or fifty years old, they know nothing about how to be an honest person, or which requirements they must meet in order to live out normal humanity. This is because traditional culture has set its roots too deep in people’s hearts, and they always want to pretend that they are the holy, great people they have imagined themselves to be, which causes them to understand things in prejudiced, ludicrous, and strange ways. Are there such people among you? Some people have never opened their hearts up to others, nor do they know how to talk about their innermost thoughts. They seem as if they have no difficulties, as if they have never been negative or weak, as if they have never had any difficulties with life entry. They do not need to seek anything, nor fellowship with others, nor do they need the fellowship, provision, help, or assistance of anyone else. They seem as if they understand everything on their own, and can resolve anything. When someone asks them whether or not they have ever been negative before, they say: “I am occasionally negative, but I just pray to God, set my resolve, and swear an oath, and then I’m fine.” What kind of person is this? On the outside, it may not appear that there are many such people, but in reality, there are many people who possess these states. To this day, a person like this does not know what it means to believe in God. They think that to believe in God just means to acknowledge Him and be a good person, and they will one day “become immortal and attain the Way” and enter into the kingdom of heaven, just like the Buddhists talk about being free from human desires and passions, or being pure of heart and having few desires. They work diligently and exert themselves in this direction, but is this believing in God? Even now, they do not know what it is to believe in God, nor do they know what they ought to pursue, or what kind of person they ought to be. However many sermons on the truth they listen to, the goal they pursue does not change, nor does their viewpoint on believing in God change. This is quite troublesome! If you do not even understand what it means to believe in God, then are you able to know who your God is? If you do not even understand what it means to believe in God, then are you able to pursue the truth? Can a person who has absolutely no knowledge of the vision of believing in God love the truth? Those who do not understand the vision of believing in God are those who are unable to get the truth. It is useless to ask this sort of person whether or not they love the truth; they do not understand what it is to believe in God or to pursue the truth. They do not understand these things. Whether they have believed in God for three years or five, ten years or eight, none of them understand the truth. All they know is that to believe in God is to be a good person, to do good things, to be kind and charitable, and they think that this is an honorable way to live. Is this viewpoint not too superficial and out of date? This is incompatible with and totally unconnected to the truths of believing in God. Someone who has believed in God for many years, but still treats the matter of belief in God with the viewpoints, thoughts, and methods of unbelievers, Buddhists, and Taoists, who relies on traditional notions and imaginings to walk the path of belief in God, who mistakenly believes that their understanding is pure, who thinks that believing in God this way is the only way to pursue the truth—are they not lying to themselves?

Chinese people have the traditional cultural background of Taoism and Buddhism. Under this great traditional social background, it is very difficult for Chinese people to free their thoughts from these things, so when Chinese people mention belief in God, the first things they think of are the Buddhist and Taoist viewpoints of being vegetarian and praying to Buddha, not killing, giving alms and doing good, helping others, not attacking or yelling at others, not murdering or committing arson, being a good person, etc. Then how long does it take for a person to get rid of these things and understand the true meaning of belief in God? Which truths does a person need to pursue an understanding of in order to totally turn these incorrect thoughts and notions around, to completely eliminate them? Only by truly understanding God’s requirements and by believing in God according to the principles of the truth can a person step onto the right track of belief in God; only from then on does their life of belief in God formally begin. If someone still has feudal superstitions in their heart, or the notions, imaginings, and regulations of traditional religion, then these things they keep in their hearts are the very things God loathes and hates the most. They must seek the truth, discern these things, and then totally give them up. Only such people love the truth, only they can receive the work of the Holy Spirit. This is for certain. If you do not base your belief in God on the truth of His words, then you will never be able to obtain His blessings. Once someone has stepped onto the right track of belief in God, once they have crossed that threshold, there is a change in their inner state. First off, their thoughts and viewpoints are not illusory, but are real. Their state, thoughts, and ideas are not empty, but are in accord with the truth, they completely conform to God’s words. The goal and direction they pursue is not doctrinal, nor is it unreachable or invisible, rather, it is something positive, in accordance with God’s requirements, and is approved of by God. Their whole state, their thoughts, and their ideas are all practical and real. You believe in God now, so where are your thoughts? If they are still floating up in the air, without an accurate direction, if there are still many thoughts that do not correspond to reality, and many empty, doctrinal thoughts, with all kinds of human ideas, notions, and imaginings, then you are still living in the air of imagination, and you have not come down to the ground. This is very dangerous, because what you think, what you do, and the goals you pursue in your heart have nothing to do with the truth of belief in God or with God’s requirements—they do not even touch lightly. So on what basis do you act? You act on the basis of the summarized experiences of man, man’s philosophies for worldly dealings, as well as the things that you learn from society, your family, and all kinds of circumstances, and the things that you imagine up and summarize in your head. For example, when something happens to you, you act the way you think you ought to, and you think that to do so is in accordance with the truth, and that what you think is right and positive is the truth. One day, when you run into a wall or are pruned, then you will realize that your actions, thoughts, and ideas are all human imaginings and notions, which are fundamentally incompatible with the truth principles. That is to say, before a person has formally entered onto the right track of belief in God, many things they do have nothing to do with the truth principles. They come from the minds and imaginings of people, or their preferences, enthusiasm, and willpower, or their good wishes and hopes, or even their desires. All these things are the starting point and source of people’s actions.

As to which states a person must possess in order to enter onto the right track of belief in God, there is a standard, which is that they must possess a normal state while experiencing God’s words. Some people already live in this state, while others have not yet entered into it, or who occasionally have it, but after a time, they return to their old state. What is this state? It is when, after someone goes through a period of time relying on their enthusiasm, preferences, notions, and imaginings, they suddenly realize that believing in this way seems unacceptable, that they cannot obtain the truth, and that believing in this way is empty and unrealistic. They realize that they have always been a created being, that they ought to be a true created being, and sincerely do the duty of a created being with all their heart and strength. Then they start to do things with their feet on the ground, and they do their duty with all their loyalty. As they do things, they start to ponder and seek out how to act in accordance with the truth, how to satisfy God’s will, and how to be accepted by God. They do not act based on their notions, imaginings, or preferences. Only at this point do people have a desire to satisfy God and reciprocate His love. At this point, they start to seek the truth, seek the will of God, and start to satisfy His requirements. When you have this desire, when you have a normal state in your heart, in one respect, you are standing in your rightful place and being a true created being. In another respect, which is the primary one, you have truly accepted from the bottom of your heart that God is your Lord and your God, and you have accepted all God’s words, and have seen that they are the truth. You are also able to practice and experience God’s words, and you cause God’s words to become your life reality, which allows you to obtain truth and life. When you have this will and desire, as well as the need to accept the word of God and His requirements of you, and when you want to submit to God and satisfy His will, then your life’s state will start to change. Starting from this point, you will be walking onto the right track of belief in God.

These words I have just fellowshipped, to sum up, are quite simple; that is, once a person begins to recognize that they are a created being, that person will develop hopes of becoming a genuine created being in order to satisfy God. At the same time, such people will also accept God as their Lord and God, and desire to submit to all of God’s requirements, as well as His sovereignty. They therefore will stop acting wantonly, and will seek God’s intentions and seek the truth principles in everything they do. They will no longer simply do whatever they want to or do things according to their own plans. Rather than relying on their individual ideas to act, they will begin to have God constantly in their thoughts, and their subjective wish will be to satisfy God in all aspects, conform to the truth and meet God’s requirements in their actions. People in such a state have undoubtedly begun learning to seek the truth, practice the truth, and enter the truth reality. If you are in such a state and have such a will, then you will very naturally start to learn how to seek God’s will, and begin to seek how not to dishonor God’s name, how to honor God as great, how to fear God, and how to satisfy God; instead of satisfying your own selfish desires or satisfying someone else, you try to satisfy God. When someone enters this state, they are living in the presence of God, and they are no longer directed by their corrupt disposition. When you enter this state, the things you think of in your subjective desires are positive. Even if you occasionally reveal a corrupt disposition, you will be aware of it, and you will be able to self-reflect and seek the truth to resolve it. Thus, although you still have a corrupt disposition, your corrupt disposition will no longer be able to direct your everything, to control you. At this time, is the truth of God’s word not taking sovereignty within you? Are you not living within God’s words? Are you all able to let the truth exercise authority in your hearts? This depends on whether or not you have the will to pursue the truth. If someone clearly understands a lot of the truth, then the truth will naturally exercise authority in their heart. If they do not understand much of the truth, or they have too many of Satan’s poisons, then they cannot have the truth exercise authority in their heart. There are many people who are willing to practice the truth, but when things befall them, they involuntarily show themselves off, pursue fame, gain, and status, have no restraint or control, and they allow their corrupt disposition to reveal as it will. What state is this? This is when a person understands too little of the truth, their stature is too small, and they are unable to overcome the flesh or Satan’s influence. It is very difficult for this kind of person to allow the truth to exercise authority in their heart. So, pursuing the truth is no simple thing, and without even a few years of experience, it is very difficult to resolve the problem of a corrupt disposition. For example, some people are very deceitful, they never speak their innermost thoughts aloud, and they cannot say even a single true word. No matter what they discuss or how many words they say, they do not speak clearly, always going in circles, and they are not in control of themselves. In front of their corrupt dispositions, and in front of their disgusting, satanic nature essence, people reveal themselves to be so insignificant, weak, powerless, and entirely helpless, so they often sin, make mistakes, and are negative. What is going on here? (They have not walked onto the right track of belief in God.) They have not walked onto the right track of belief in God, and what does that imply? (They do not yet understand that they are created beings, and they are unwilling to submit to or satisfy God.) This is a consequence brought about by not pursuing the truth. You are in this situation, so can you say you have not yet started to enter the truth reality? (Yes.) Does a person who has not entered into the truth reality count as having obtained the truth? (They do not.) Does a person who has not obtained the truth have the truth in their heart? (They do not.) Without the truth, do people not act based on their corrupt dispositions? So in order to do some positive things as they do their duty, what must a person possess? Must they not understand the truth? If a person cannot practice the truth as they do their duty, instead only knowing how to act on their own will, what quality is that? Is it not rendering service? This is equivalent to God hiring an unbeliever to render service to Him. If you do not pursue the truth or enter into the truth reality, then you are rendering service. Do you think God is willing to see people He wants to save merely rendering service to Him, without practicing according to His words to achieve salvation? (He is not willing.) Why is He not willing? (God created man so that He could obtain them.) That is correct, God created man to manifest Himself, and even more so to obtain them. Why is God dissatisfied when people only render service to Him? (Because people’s actions are not what God wants.) So what does God want? (God wants people’s sincerity.) Is rendering service to God not sincerity itself? Regardless of whether or not the service you render is genuine and sincere, if you do not pursue the truth, then even if you render service your whole life, you will not obtain the truth. If you do not obtain the truth, that means you do not obtain God, and God does not obtain you, so the service you render is without value or meaning. No matter how many years you render service, if you do not pursue the truth, then God will not obtain you, which means that you still resist God. Who causes this? It is caused by people themselves not working hard to cooperate, by people themselves not pursuing the truth; that alone is the root cause. From the practical side of things, how can God not obtaining a person be explained? It is that they always have their own intents as they do their duty, and they do not offer up their heart to God, so their heart is not turned to Him, neither is their heart for Him. They do not take His will into consideration, much less try to satisfy Him by fulfilling their duty. The simplest explanation is that this person is not sincere toward God, so there is absolutely no hope for them. God scrutinizes people to see whether or not they sincerely believe in Him; He wants their sincerity. What does it mean to be sincere? (To have a heart that turns toward God, a heart that submits to God.) That is right. If a person does not have a heart that turns to God, that submits to Him, then can they be called a good person? Can God like such a person? Can a person who is not of one mind with God put the truth into practice? Do you have hearts that submit to God? Can you stand by God in all things? Do your hearts turn toward God? To say that you have no sincerity at all would be unjust to you, but to say that you truly hate Satan, that you can rebel against Satan and totally turn to God, would also be incorrect. This requires that you possess a heart of submission to God, that you pursue the truth, and attain an understanding of more truth. What kind of heart does God want people to have? First off, this heart must be honest, and they must be able to conscientiously do their duty with their feet on the ground, able to uphold the work of the church, no longer having so-called “great ambitions” or “lofty goals.” Every step leaves a footprint as they follow and worship God, they conduct themselves as created beings; they no longer pursue becoming an exceptional or great person, much less an especially functional person, and they do not worship the creations on alien planets. Additionally, this heart must love the truth. What is primarily meant by loving the truth? It means loving positive things, having a sense of justice, being able to sincerely expend yourself for God, truly love Him, submit to Him, and testify of Him. Of course, you can only accomplish these things after you understand the truth. Someone who has this kind of heart is a person who has normal humanity. Someone who has normal humanity must at the very least possess a conscience and reason. How can you tell if a person possesses a conscience and reason? If their speech and actions are basically in accordance with the standards of conscience and reason, then from a human perspective they are a good person, and they are someone who is up to an acceptable standard. If they can also understand the truth and act according to the truth principles, then they are fulfilling God’s requirements, which is higher than the standard of conscience and reason. Some people say: “Man was created by God. God gave us the breath of life, and it is God who provides for us, nourishes us, and leads us to grow into adults. People of conscience and reason cannot live for themselves or for Satan; they ought to live for God, and fulfill their duty.” This is true, but it is only a broad framework, a rough sketch. As to the details of how to live for God in reality, this involves conscience and reason. So how does one live for God? (Do well the duty that a created being ought to do.) Correct. Right now, all you do is to do the duty of man, but in reality, who are you doing it for? (For God.) It is for God, it is cooperation with Him! The commission God has given you is your duty. It is fated, predetermined, and governed by Him, or in other words, it is God who gives this task over to you, and wants you to complete it. So how can you rely on your conscience to complete it and do it well? (We have to use all our effort.) You have to use all your effort, which is a manifestation of relying on your conscience. Additionally, you must use your whole heart and fulfill your responsibilities—do not be perfunctory about it. God has His expectations and the price of His painstaking effort upon us. Seeing as God has predetermined that we should fulfill this responsibility and do this duty, we ought not to let Him down, disappoint Him, or make Him sad. We should do our duty well, and give God a perfect, satisfactory answer. We rely on God for that which we cannot do, we learn more about our professions, and we seek more after the truth principles. God gives us life, so we ought to do our duty well; for each day we live, we ought to do that day’s duty well. We should make what God has entrusted to us our primary mission, make doing our duty the number one thing in our lives in order to complete it well. Although we do not pursue perfection, we can put forth effort toward the truth, and act based on God’s words and the truth principles, so that we can satisfy God, make Satan ashamed, and have no regrets. This is the attitude that believers in God ought to have toward their duty. When you have lived to forty or fifty—or even seventy or eighty—when you look back at the things you did when you were young and ignorant, you will see that although you weren’t very old at the time, you did everything with all your heart and strength; you always acted based on your conscience, you did not let God down, you did not disappoint Him or make Him sad, and in your heart you accepted God’s scrutiny and inspection. When this is all accomplished and you give God your completed exam, God will say: “Although you did not do a great job, and your results were average, you nevertheless used all your strength, and you did not neglect your duty.” Is this not acting based on your conscience? So when people often reveal corruption, have their personal choices, desires, and preferences, even to the point that they completely violate the standard of their conscience, and lose their normal humanity, what is to be done? You must pray to God and rebel against yourself, you cannot allow those things to constrain you or control your conscience and reason. When your conscience is able to direct your actions, your livelihood, and your life, then it will be easy for you to conquer the selfish desires of the flesh, and you will be able to obtain this aspect of the truth. This is the bare minimum you should have. As to what kind of human heart God wants, how many aspects have I just spoken about? (Three aspects: an honest heart, a heart that loves the truth, and having conscience and reason.) Within an honest heart and a heart that loves the truth are some more details, you should ponder on this and summarize it later. At the very least, what a person should possess is the conscience and reason that someone with normal humanity ought to have. If someone does not have a conscience or reason, then they lose their normal humanity, they cannot do anything well, they cannot accomplish anything, and in the end, they will completely fail. But if they only have a conscience and reason, if they live based on their conscience and do not do anything evil, does this amount to entering onto the right track of belief in God? Can they attain God’s approval by living based on their conscience and reason alone? They absolutely cannot.

Entering the right track of belief in God also requires you to possess a God-fearing heart. First off, speaking with respect to status, people are created beings, and are very lowly; God is the Creator, the Most High. Speaking with respect to human reason, what do people need to do to fear God? For example, say something happens to you, and you think that acting one way is at odds with the truth, but you do not know what you should do to be in harmony with God’s will. If you have a God-fearing heart, what should you do? You must pray to God, seek the truth, find the path of practicing the truth, and then act. If someone does not have a God-fearing heart, how will they behave? They will do whatever they want, thinking: “In any case, my intent is good, so it’s fine if I do this.” They do not do what other people advise, nor do they listen to anyone else; they decide to do whatever they plan for themselves, and not even nine oxen can pull them back. Is this a person who has a God-fearing heart? (It is not.) There are some people who, although they know that God likes honest people and that they cannot lie, still think that in some matter, if they tell the truth, their face will be shamed, their profit will be lost, and maybe their status will not be maintained. They think back and forth and still lie, thinking: “Lying once doesn’t amount to anything, and it’s not as though I’m always lying. Even if I lie, I don’t see any consequences, so if I lie once more it will be fine.” After calculating it out, they decide to act, and they feel no reproach in their heart, nor do they want to pray and accept God’s scrutiny. Is this a person who has a God-fearing heart? (It is not.) So if there is a person who does have a God-fearing heart, how will they behave? (They will not act recklessly or willfully.) These two words are quite suitable. So how do you put not acting recklessly or willfully into practice? (We should have a seeking heart.) When confronted with a problem, some people do seek an answer from others, but when the other person speaks according to the truth, they don’t accept it, they are not able to obey, and in their hearts, they think, “I’m normally better than him. If I listen to his suggestion this time, won’t it look like he’s superior to me? No, I can’t listen to him on this matter. I’ll just do it my way.” Then they find a reason and an excuse to shoot down the other person’s point of view. What kind of disposition is it when a person sees someone who is better than them and they try to bring them down, spreading rumors about them, or employing despicable means to denigrate them and undermine their reputation—even trampling all over them—in order to protect their own place in people’s minds? This is not just arrogance and conceit, it is the disposition of Satan, it is a malicious disposition. That this person can attack and alienate people who are better and stronger than them is insidious and wicked. And that they will stop at nothing to bring people down shows that there is much of a devil in them! Living by the disposition of Satan, they are liable to belittle people, to try to stitch them up, to make things hard for them. Is this not evildoing? And living like this, they still think they’re okay, that they’re a good person—yet when they see someone better than them, they are liable to give them a hard time, to trample all over them. What is the issue here? Are people who are capable of committing such evil deeds not unscrupulous and willful? Such people only think of their own interests, they only consider their own feelings, and all they want is to achieve their own desires, ambitions, and aims. They don’t care how much damage they cause to the work of the church, and they would prefer to sacrifice the interests of the house of God to protect their status in people’s minds and their own reputation. Are people like this not arrogant and self-righteous, selfish and vile? Such people are not only arrogant and self-righteous, they are also extremely selfish and vile. They are not mindful of God’s will at all. Do such people have God-fearing hearts? They do not have God-fearing hearts at all. This is why they act wantonly and do whatever they want, without any sense of blame, without any trepidation, without any apprehension or worry, and without considering the consequences. This is what they often do, and how they have always behaved. What is the nature of such behavior? To put it lightly, such people are far too jealous and have too strong a desire for personal reputation and status; they are too deceitful and insidious. To put it more harshly, the essence of the problem is that such people have no God-fearing heart at all. They are not frightened of God, they believe themselves to be of utmost importance, and they regard every aspect of themselves as being higher than God and higher than the truth. In their hearts, God is not worthy of mention and is insignificant, and God does not have any status in their hearts at all. Can those who have no place for God in their hearts, and who do not have God-fearing hearts, put the truth into practice? Absolutely not. So, when they typically go around merrily keeping themselves busy and exerting quite a lot of energy, what are they doing? Such people even claim to have abandoned everything to expend for God and suffered a great deal, but actually, the motive, principle, and objective of all their actions are for the sake of their own status and prestige, of protecting all of their interests. Would you or would you not say that this sort of person is terrible? What kind of people have believed in God for many years, yet have no God-fearing hearts? Are they not arrogant? Are they not Satans? And what things most lack a God-fearing heart? Apart from the beasts, it is the evil and the antichrists, Satan and the devils’ ilk. They don’t accept the truth at all; they are entirely without a God-fearing heart. They are capable of any evil; they are the enemies of God, and the enemies of His chosen people.

In which matters in your daily lives do you have a God-fearing heart? And in which matters do you not? Are you able to hate someone when they offend you or impinge on your interests? And when you hate someone, are you capable of punishing them and getting revenge? (Yes.) Then you are quite scary! If you do not have a God-fearing heart, and are able to do evil things, then this vicious disposition of yours is far too severe! Love and hatred are things which normal humanity should possess, but you must differentiate clearly between what you love and what you hate. In your heart, you should love God, love the truth, love positive things, and love your brothers and sisters, whereas you should hate Satan and devils, hate negative things, hate antichrists, and hate evil people. If you are capable of suppressing and taking revenge on your brothers and sisters out of hatred, this would be very frightening, and this is the disposition of an evil person. Some people simply have hateful thoughts and ideas—evil ideas, but they would never do anything evil. These are not evil people because when something happens, they are able to seek the truth, and they pay attention to the principles in how they conduct themselves and deal with things. When interacting with others, they do not ask more of them than they should; if they get along with the person well, they will keep interacting with them; if they do not get along, then they won’t. It barely affects the performance of their duty or their life entry. God is in their heart and they have a God-fearing heart. They are unwilling to offend God, and are afraid to do so. Though these people might harbor certain incorrect thoughts and ideas, they are able to rebel against and abandon them. They exercise restraint in their actions, and do not utter a single word that is out of line, or which offends God. Someone who speaks and acts this way is someone who has principles and who practices the truth. Your personality might be incompatible with another person’s, and you may not like them, but when you work together with them, you remain impartial and will not vent your frustrations in doing your duty, or take out your frustrations on the interests of God’s family; you can handle affairs according to principles. What is this a manifestation of? It is a manifestation of having a basic God-fearing heart. If you have a bit more than that, when you see that someone else has some inadequacies or weaknesses, then even if they have offended you or have a bias against you, you still have it in you to treat them correctly and lovingly help them. This means there is love in you, that you are a person who possesses humanity, that you are someone who is kind and who can practice the truth, that you are an honest person who possesses truth realities, and that you are someone with a God-fearing heart. If you are still of small stature but you have a will, and are willing to strive for the truth, and to strive to do things according to principle, and you are able to deal with things and act toward others with principle, then this also counts as having somewhat of a God-fearing heart; this is most fundamental. If you cannot even achieve this, and cannot restrain yourself, then you are in great danger and are quite frightening. If you were given a position, you could punish people and give them a hard time; you would then be liable to turn into an antichrist at any moment. Regardless of whether a person is good or bad, no matter how they believe in God or what path they walk, they will be revealed in a matter of years. You must treat them in a principled way, no matter what their outcome might be, whether they ought to be punished or rewarded—that is a matter for God. As long as you are able to discern and treat them according to principles, that will do. No matter who you are dealing with, as long as God has not determined what sort of outcome such people will have, the church has not expelled them, and God has not punished them, and they are being saved, you should help them patiently, out of love; you should not determine the outcome of such people, nor should you use human means to punish them. If they have revelations of corruption, you may prune such people, or you may honestly open your heart and engage in fellowship to help them. However, if you contemplate punishing, ostracizing, and framing these people, trying to right wrongs in Heaven’s name, then you will be in trouble. Would doing so be in line with the truth? Having such thoughts would result from being hot-blooded; those thoughts come from Satan and originate from human resentment, as well as from human jealousy and loathing. Such conduct does not conform to the truth. This is something that would bring down retribution upon you, and you must not do it. Are you capable of thinking up various ways to punish people because they are not to your liking or because they do not get along with you? Have you ever done that sort of thing before? How much of it have you done? Were you not always indirectly belittling people, making cutting remarks, and being sarcastic toward them? What states were you in when you were doing such things? At the time, you were venting, and felt happy; you had gained the upper hand. Afterward, however, you thought to yourselves, “I did such a despicable thing. I do not have a God-fearing heart, and I have treated that person so unfairly.” Deep down, did you feel guilty? (Yes.) Though you don’t have a God-fearing heart, you at least have some sense of conscience. Thus, are you still capable of doing this kind of thing again in the future? Can you still attack and seek revenge against people whenever you despise them and fail to get along with them, or whenever they do not obey or listen to you? What sort of humanity is possessed by a person who does such a thing? In terms of their humanity, they are malicious. Measured against the truth, they do not have a God-fearing heart. In their speech and actions, they have no principles; they act wantonly, saying and doing whatever they please. Do such people have truth realities? Of course not; the answer is “no,” one hundred percent. Can a person who does not have a God-fearing heart truly submit to Him and worship Him? They absolutely cannot.

Some people say: “When I see disasters come, I frequently pray to God, I dare not leave God at any moment, and I ask for God’s guidance and protection. As I walk the road alone at night, when danger comes upon me, I always rely on God, I dare not leave Him, and I ask Him to help me. When I do my duty, my heart constantly prays to God and asks things of Him, so that He will not let me be perfunctory, and so that He will take command. I have tried before, and if God is not working, then I can do nothing, and I myself have nothing.” Is this a person who has a God-fearing heart? (No.) Is it a mistake to rely on God? Is it a mistake to ask God for protection? The words spoken here are not mistaken, but this kind of state is abnormal. It means that you only find God because you have nothing to support you and nowhere to go, you are compelled and have no choice in the matter, and you want to use God to do things for you in order to accomplish your goals. Is that fearing God? Once you have no problems, you will already have completely forgotten about God. When you are happiest, when you are flushed with success, when your status is elevated above everyone else so that they flatter and worship you, how is it that you do not then also rely on God? How is it that you do not accept God’s scrutiny or seek His guidance? How is it that you do not ask God whether or not all you do conforms to His will? When you do evil, when you exalt and testify of yourself, how do you not ask God whether or not this conforms to His will? How is it that you do not self-reflect, nor rely on God to restrain yourself? What kind of problem is this? What are all these states called? Not having a God-fearing heart. Can a person who does not have a God-fearing heart do their duty well? Can they become a truly good person? Can they enter into the truth reality? (No, they cannot.) They really cannot. Without a God-fearing heart, they absolutely cannot do their duty well, nor can they put the truth into practice or submit to God, even if they want to. Without a God-fearing heart, it is not easy to practice the truth. If they want to do their duty well, there will certainly be too many difficulties and disturbances, and they cannot successfully put the truth into practice. Right now, you must calm your hearts and think for a moment. Based on your current stature, it is still very difficult for you to do your duty to an acceptable standard, because the majority of you only have a grasp of the words, doctrines, and the regulations, as well as possess some personal desires, ideals, and enthusiasm. But your starting point and your standards of practice are not established on the foundation of the word of God. You still have not truly entered into the truth reality; you are only abiding by the regulations. If you do not pursue the truth, it will be very dangerous for you in the future. If you believe in God but do not practice the truth or submit to God, then sooner or later, you will be cast out. Whether a person believes truly or falsely is not calculated in years; just because you have believed in God for many years, for a long time, doesn’t mean that you believe truly, and that God will approve of you. In the end, God will not acknowledge people who do not practice the truth. He will reveal them and cast them out. You ought to understand this.

We just fellowshipped on four conditions that must be met in order to embark on the right track of believing in God. But there is one more, final condition, which is the most crucial of all, and is also something you often say. Ponder for a moment what it might be. (To love God.) For now, we will not touch on loving God, which most people fall far short of. Let us touch on something more practical and real, which involves a truth that people can actually live up to. (To submit to God.) Correct. It is having a heart of submission to God. Most of the time, when things befall people, they actually do not know the correct principles of practice, nor do they know which direction to face or which goal to work toward. But there is an issue here with their attitude and state: They must have a heart of submission to God. This is what people most need to possess. For example: Say something happens to you, and you do not know what to do, nor have you heard anyone else say what to do. This matter might not be in line with your notions and imaginings, and might not really be to your taste; so there is some resistance in your heart, and you are a bit upset. So, what should you do? There is one simplest way to practice, which is to first be submissive. Submission is not an outward action or saying, nor is it a verbal claim—there is a state that lies within it. This should not be unfamiliar to you. Based on your own real experiences, how do you think people talk, act, and think, and what state and attitude do they have, when they truly submit? (With the things they do not yet understand, they first set aside their notions and imaginings. They seek the truth and God’s will. If they still do not understand after seeking, then they learn to wait on God’s timing.) This is one aspect of it. What else? (When they are pruned, they do not reason or try to defend themselves.) This is another aspect of this state. Some people, although they do not reason or defend themselves to your face, are nevertheless full of complaints and discontent. They do not say it to your face, but talk carelessly behind your back, spreading it everywhere. Is this a submissive attitude? (It is not.) So what, exactly, is a submissive attitude? First off, you must have a positive attitude: When you are pruned, you do not analyze right and wrong at first—you just accept it, with a submissive heart. For example, someone might say that you did something wrong. Although you do not understand in your heart, and you do not know what you did wrong, you nevertheless accept it. Acceptance is primarily a positive attitude. Additionally, there is an attitude which is slightly more negative, which is to maintain silence and not offer any resistance. What kind of behaviors does this entail? You do not reason, defend yourself, or make objective excuses for yourself. If you always make excuses and offer reasons for yourself, and push the responsibility onto other people, is that resistance? That is a disposition of rebellion. You should not reject, resist, or reason. Even if you reason correctly, is that the truth? It is an objective excuse of man, not the truth. Right now, I am not asking you about objective excuses—why things happened, or how they came about. Rather, I am saying that the nature of your actions is not in line with the truth. If you have knowledge on this level, you will really be able to accept and not resist. First having a submissive attitude when things befall you is key. There are some people who always reason and defend themselves after they are faced with pruning: “I am not the only one to blame for this, so how did the responsibility get pushed onto my head? Why is no one speaking on my behalf? Why am I alone taking responsibility for this? This really is an ‘everyone reaps the benefits, but only one person takes the blame’ kind of situation. I am so unlucky!” What kind of emotion is this? This is resistance. Although on the outside they nod their head and admit their mistake, and they accept it with their words, they complain in their heart, “If you’re going to prune me then do it, but why do you have to speak so harshly? You’re criticizing me in front of so many people, but where am I supposed to put my face? You’re not dealing with me with love! I just made a small mistake, so why do you keep talking endlessly?” Thus, they resist and reject this treatment in their heart, stubbornly opposing it, and they are unreasonable and argumentative. Someone who has these thoughts and feelings is clearly resistant and antagonistic, so how can they have a truly submissive attitude? When faced with pruning, what actions constitute an accepting, submissive attitude? At the very least, you must be sensible and possess reason. You must first submit, and must not resist or reject it, and you must treat it with rationality. This way, you will have the bare minimum of reason. If you want to attain acceptance and submission, you must understand the truth. It is no simple thing to understand the truth. First, you must accept things from God: At the very least, you must know that being pruned is something God allows to happen to you, or it comes from God. Regardless of whether or not the pruning is totally reasonable, you should possess an accepting, submissive attitude. This is a manifestation of submission to God, and at the same time, it is also an acceptance of God’s scrutiny. If you just reason and defend yourself, thinking that the pruning comes from man and not from God, then your understanding is flawed. For one thing, you have not accepted God’s scrutiny, and for another, you have neither a submissive attitude nor submissive behavior in the environment that God has set up for you. This is someone who does not submit to God. Some people do not accept the truth or self-reflect when they are faced with pruning; they just blindly follow the regulations. Their actions clearly violate principles, and they put all of the blame onto Satan. They say: “Serves it right! Who let this old Satan blindly show itself, blindly act, blindly disrupt things, and blindly create disturbances? Satan should be pruned, made too ashamed to show its face, and humiliated! Satan should take responsibility for this; it has nothing to do with me! All the blame should go to Satan!” Then, their heart will be pleased, and they will think they have been victorious over Satan. Is this way of thinking not preposterous? Obviously, they themselves did something wrong, and they say Satan did it. So was it actually them, or was it Satan? (It was they themselves who did it.) Do they truly understand that they are Satan? (They do not.) So do they actually hate Satan, or themselves? They do not say clearly. In short, someone who does not accept being pruned is someone who is not submissive to God at all. Submission is the hardest lesson to learn of all. For the majority of people, when something happens to them that is in line with their own notions and imaginings, and in line with their own tastes, they feel pretty good, so they are pleased to submit, and everything goes smoothly. Their hearts are at ease and at peace, and they are happy and pleased. But when they encounter something that is not in line with their own notions, or something that is disadvantageous to them, they cannot submit even though they know they should. They feel pain, they have no choice but to suffer in silence, and they find it hard to talk about their difficulties. They feel depressed, and are filled with grievances that have no place to go, so their hearts seethe: “The others are right. They have higher status than me; how can I not listen to them? I may as well accept my fate. I’ll have to be more careful next time and not stick my neck out—people who stick their necks out get pruned. Submission is not easy. It is very hard! The fire of my enthusiasm has been doused with a bucket of cold water. I wanted to be simple and open, but the result was that I kept saying the wrong thing, and I kept being pruned. In the future, I will keep quiet, and be a people pleaser.” What kind of attitude is this? This is going from one extreme to the other. What is the ultimate goal of God letting people learn the lesson of submission? No matter how many wrongs and pains you suffer at the time, how much you are shamed, or how much injury you suffer to your face, vanity, or reputation, these are all secondary. The most important thing is to turn your state around. What state? Under normal circumstances, a kind of intransigent and rebellious state exists in the depths of people’s hearts—which is chiefly because, in their hearts, they have a certain kind of human logic and set of human notions, which are: “As long as my intentions are right, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is; you shouldn’t prune me, and if you do, I don’t have to obey.” They do not reflect on whether their actions are in line with the truth principles, or what the consequences will be. What they stick to is always, “As long as my intentions are good and right, God should accept me. Even if the outcome is not good, you must not prune me, much less ought you to condemn me.” This is human reasoning, is it not? These are the notions of man, are they not? Man always fixates on their own reasoning—is there any submission in it? You have made your own reasoning the truth and put the truth to one side. You believe that that which agrees with your reasoning is the truth, and that which doesn’t is not. Is there anyone more ridiculous? Is there anyone more arrogant and self-righteous? Which corrupt disposition must be resolved in order to learn the lesson of submission? It is actually the disposition of arrogance and self-righteousness, which is the greatest impediment to people practicing the truth and submitting to God. People with an arrogant and self-righteous disposition are most inclined to reasoning and disobedience, they always think they’re right, and so nothing is more urgent than resolving and pruning one’s arrogant and self-righteous disposition. Once people become well-behaved and stop reasoning on their own behalf, the problem of rebelliousness will be solved, and they will be capable of submission. If people are to be able to attain submission, do they not need to be possessed of a certain degree of rationality? They must be possessed of a normal person’s reason. In some matter, for example, regardless of whether we have done the right thing or not, if God is not satisfied, we should do as He says, and treat His words as the standard for everything. Is this rational? Such is the reason that ought to be found in people before anything else. No matter how much we suffer, and no matter what our intentions, aims, and reasons are, if God is not satisfied—if His requirements have not been met—then our actions have unquestionably not been in line with the truth, so we must listen to and submit to God, and we should not try to reason or rationalize with Him. When you possess such rationality, when you possess a normal person’s reason, it is easy to solve your problems, and you will be truly submissive. No matter what situation you are in, you will not be rebellious, and will not defy God’s requirements; you will not analyze whether what God asks is right or wrong, good or bad, and you will be able to obey—thus solving your state of reasoning, intransigence, and rebelliousness. Does everyone have these rebellious states within them? These states often appear in people, and they think to themselves, “As long as my approach, propositions, and suggestions are sensible, then even if I violate the truth principles, I should not be pruned, because I have not committed evil.” This is a common state in people. Their view is that if they have not committed evil, they should not be pruned; only people who have committed evil should be pruned. Is this view correct? Definitely not. Pruning is chiefly aimed at people’s corrupt dispositions. If someone has a corrupt disposition, they should be pruned. If they were only pruned after committing evil, it would already be too late, for the trouble would have already been caused. If God’s disposition has been offended, then you’re in trouble, and God may cease to work in you—in which case, what is the point in pruning you? There is no choice but to reveal you and cast you out. The main difficulty that prevents people from submitting to God is their arrogant disposition. If people are truly able to accept judgment and chastisement, they will be able to effectively resolve their own arrogant disposition. No matter the degree to which they are able to resolve it, this is beneficial to practicing the truth and submitting to God. Acceptance of judgment and chastisement is, above all, in order to resolve one’s corrupt disposition, in order to be saved by God. And if people are truly able to attain absolute submission to God, need they still experience judgment and chastisement? Need they still experience pruning? They need not, for their corrupt dispositions have already been resolved. When faced with the judgment, chastisement, and pruning of God, people always love to reason on their own behalf. No matter how much reasoning you do, none of it is the truth; it does not mean your corrupt disposition has been fixed, much less that you are truly submissive to God. So there’s no point in reasoning; solving the problem is what’s most important.

If someone does not have a heart of submission to God, they are in trouble. Sometimes God arranges circumstances for you that are not like you imagined they would be, so you resist. For example, say you are someone who loves cleanliness, and does not like sloppy, slovenly people; you think these people are disgusting when you see them. Are you able to keep yourself under control? What should you do? First, you need to have a correct attitude. What attitude? (A submissive attitude.) How do you submit? What inner thoughts constitute a submissive attitude? What constitutes the reality of submission? When you encounter this kind of thing, there must be mutual adjustment. None of this is a problem. In a person’s lifetime, nine out of ten things are not in line with their wishes. You might dislike this thing or that thing, and no matter what happens to you, you always reason on your own behalf and complain that God is unfair to you. In reality, this is your own problem, so do not make a fuss over nothing. When you have believed in God for a long time and have many experiences with failure, then you will know that you are not really respectable, no better than anyone else. Thinking of how you used to believe you were better, loftier, and more honorable than others, you will feel very foolish! When a person understands a little truth, they have more reason than before, so it is easy for them to accept the truth, and it is easy for them to seek the truth and submit to God when something happens to them. You must learn how to adjust to your environment. Believers in God must first have this knowledge: There are people in the church from every land, and every land has different customs and habits. These things do not represent the quality of one’s humanity; even if a person’s life habits are good, normal, and regulated, and they have a noble character, it does not mean that they understand the truth. You must understand this and have a positive understanding of it. Additionally, your own flaws are many, and you are too finicky. God gives you an environment that is good for you, so you must learn to adjust to it, not nitpick other people’s flaws, and moreover, get along with others with love, get close to them, see and learn their strengths, and then pray to God to help you overcome your own flaws. This is a submissive attitude and practice. If you dislike other people too much, and it impacts you doing your duty, then you should get some distance from them, and not meddle with them. What is meddling? It is when you say: “I have to change this flaw of theirs—if it doesn’t change, I won’t let it go!” What kind of a way to behave is this? It is insolent, arrogant, and ignorant. Do not be this kind of person. We are all ordinary people; we do not look special. We each have a head, two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Whether we are eating, walking, or working, we are all the same, with no differences; we are also not better than others, so we should not see ourselves as respectable or great. Even if you have a little skill or talent, there is nothing to boast about. First off, you must set your position straight, and when you encounter matters, you must look at them based on God’s words, then you will not make a fuss over nothing. If something special happens to you, and you really cannot submit, and it impacts doing your duty, then you should pray to God and seek the truth to resolve it. We do not insert ourselves where we do not belong. All things have God’s good intention. He trains people through all kinds of circumstances, causing them to receive tempering and learn to submit, and in the end, this tempering bears fruit: They are able to fear God and shun evil, satisfy God, and then they have a real change. To pursue the truth, you must first have the will to suffer, and you must learn to submit to your circumstances. Oftentimes, your circumstances are not so simple; you can come into contact with all kinds of people and encounter all kinds of strange things. No matter what happens to you, do not rely on your own will or impetuousness, but come before God in prayer. To do this, you must first have a submissive attitude, which is an inner quality that all normal people ought to possess. Additionally, if you pray and ask God to act, and He does not act or open a way out for you, then you must also submit. You should continue living in this kind of circumstance, letting God orchestrate you, and not forcing things by your own hand and walking before God. This is the only way to live a valuable life. The reality of submitting to God is not so easy to enter into, because no one lives in a vacuum. Looking at their lives, each person has their own habits and their own subjective thoughts, desires, and wishes. Looking at objective conditions, no one can totally conform to your will in their words and actions. Thus, the most essential lesson is to allow everyone to learn how to submit to their circumstances, and to seek God’s will in the life circumstances that befall them. Whether your life circumstances are good or bad, comfortable or poor, there are lessons you should learn. Those who covet comfort and ease must learn the lessons of submission and suffering; they must achieve the ability to survive in any circumstances, to do their duty well and stand firm in their testimony. Only then can they satisfy God’s will. Is this kind of life circumstance not orchestrated and arranged by God? Everyone yearns for a good life, but if they live in circumstances that are too comfortable and ideal, without suffering anything at all, then will they be able to submit to God and testify of Him? When God arranges some difficulties and poor circumstances for you, whether or not you are able to be submissive is the key question. If everyone is able to take God’s will into consideration under these circumstances and practice according to His requirements, then you have to endure all the things you are unwilling to see, the things you do not like; moreover, you have to not be constrained by these things and be able to do your duty normally. Experiencing this way will make your life grow. Some people say: “If others don’t practice the truth, then I won’t practice the truth, either. If they don’t submit, then why should I submit? If they have no tolerance, then why should I? Why do I always have to do the things they don’t do? Why should I always have to be the one to put in so much effort? I’m not going to do it, either.” What about this attitude? Your practice of the truth is your own business; it is a matter that is between you and God, and has nothing to do with anyone else. No one else has any obligation to cooperate with you. You are you, they are they. If they do not practice the truth and do not enter the truth reality, then, in the end, they will be the ones to be abandoned, not you, and you will not lose out. Would people who submit to God lose out? They would not lose out. If you cannot fathom this, then you are just too stupid!

As to the matter of life entry, even though it is just a few words of fellowship, if you sincerely accept them, are able to put them into practice in your real life, and make them your reality, then I will not have spoken in vain. So, no matter what aspect of reality it is, and even when it is just a few words, if the truth makes it into your heart, and if you practice it as the truth, then it will take root, flower, and bear fruit inside you. It will become your life, and you will be able to live it out, and bring it to fruition. This is a good result. If I were to fellowship with you every day, but however much I said, you did not make anything of it—if no one were to allow it into their heart, still did whatever they wanted, acted wantonly and recklessly, did not listen to what I said, and still lived according to their own will, imaginings, and notions—then would I not be speaking in vain? It does not matter how many words I speak to you about this—what matters is whether or not you diligently listen, accept, and practice them. The truth is really and truly the life of man. It is not a branch of scholarship, nor is it knowledge, nor a folk tradition, nor an argument—it is the life of man. It can allow you to escape from Satan’s bonds, to be free of your corrupt disposition, to live with strength and greater power, to live more comfortably, and to live with a direction and goal. The truth can really become man’s life. If you do not believe Me, then go experience it and put it into practice for a while, see whether or not there are results, and then you will know. If you often feel weak and negative, then all I can say is that you have not yet obtained the truth. If you had obtained the truth, you would not be in this state right now, so helpless, weak, and frail; you would not be negative so often, nor so often stuck at a crossroads, not knowing where to go. That is one hundred percent sure! Do you understand? (Yes.)

Right now, we have finished fellowshipping on the five conditions that must be met to embark on the right track of belief in God. What are those five conditions? (First, one must possess an honest heart; second, one must have a heart that loves the truth; third, one must have a conscience and reason; fourth, one must possess a God-fearing heart; fifth, one must have a heart of submission to God.) Remember these five conditions, fellowship about them and pray-read them when there is nothing else going on. See which truth principles you have put into practice during this time, whether or not your words and actions are honest, whether or not you have a God-fearing heart, whether or not you have an honest heart as you do your duty, whether or not you have a perfunctory state, whether or not you have thoughts of slacking off, shirking responsibility, or being deceptive, and whether or not you seek and are submissive to all God’s requirements. You must examine this periodically. Only by attaining results will your life progress.

September 15, 2015