God Is the Source of Life for All Things (IV)

We are fellowshipping on a special topic today. For each and every believer, there are only two main things that need to be known, experienced, and understood. What are these two things? The first is one’s individual life entry, and the second is on knowing God. Regarding the topic we have recently been fellowshipping about, on the subject of knowing God, do you think that it is attainable? To be precise, it is beyond most people’s reach. You might not be convinced by My words. Why do I say this? I say it because when you were listening to what I was saying before, regardless of how I said it or with what words, you were able, both literally and in terms of doctrine, to know what these words were about. However, for all of you, a very serious issue was that you did not understand why I said such things or why I spoke on such topics. This is the crux of the matter. Thus, having heard these things, although your understanding of God and His deeds has been increased somewhat and enriched, you still feel that knowing God entails strenuous effort. That is, after hearing what I say, most of you do not understand why I have said it or what connection it has to knowing God. The reason you are unable to understand its connection to knowing God is that your life experience is too superficial. If people’s knowledge and experience of God’s words remain at a very coarse and shallow level, then most of their knowledge of Him will be vague and abstract; it will all be general, doctrinal, and theoretical. In theory, it might appear or sound logical and reasonable, but the knowledge of God that comes out of most people’s mouths is actually empty. And why do I say that it is empty? It is because regarding the words spoken from your mouth—the knowledge of God spoken from your mouth—you are not actually clear in your own heart whether it is right or wrong, or whether it is truly accurate. As such, even though most people have heard a lot of information and topics about knowing God, their knowledge of God has yet to go beyond theory and beyond doctrine that is vague and abstract. How, then, can this problem be solved? Have you ever thought about that? If someone does not pursue the truth, can they be possessed of reality? If someone does not pursue the truth, then they are unquestionably without reality, and they therefore definitely have no knowledge or experience of God’s words. Can those who have no understanding of God’s words know God? Absolutely not; the two are interconnected. Therefore, most people say, “Why is knowing God so difficult? When I speak of knowing myself, I can go on for hours, but when it comes to knowing God, I’m lost for words. Even when I can say a bit on the subject, my words are forced and sound dull. It even sounds awkward when I hear myself saying them.” This is the root cause. If you feel that knowing God is too difficult, that knowing God is a real struggle for you; if you have no topics to bring up and cannot bring any practical things to fellowship to provide for others and for yourself, then this proves that you are not someone who has experience of God’s words. What are God’s words? Are His words not expressions of what God has and is? If you have not experienced God’s words, could you have any knowledge of what He has and is? Surely not. These things are all interconnected. If you have no experience of God’s words, then you cannot grasp God’s intentions, nor do you know what His disposition is, what He likes, what He loathes, what His requirements of people are, what sort of attitude He has toward those who are good, and what sort of attitude He has toward those who are evil; all of this is certainly ambiguous and obscure to you. If you believe in God amid such obscurity, then when you claim to be one of those who pursue the truth and follow God, are such claims realistic? They are not! Let us continue to fellowship about knowing God.

You are all eager to hear today’s topic for fellowship, right? This topic also relates to the subject, “God is the source of life for all things,” which we have recently been discussing. We have talked a lot about how “God is the source of life for all things,” using different means and perspectives to inform people about how God holds sovereignty over everything, by what means He does so, and according to what principles He administers all things so that they might exist on this planet that God created. We have also talked a lot about how God provides for mankind: by what means He gives such provision, what kinds of living environments He provides people with, and by what means and from which starting points He provides a stable living environment for man. Although I have not told you directly what kind of relationship God’s sovereignty over and administration of all things has with His management, I have indirectly discussed part of why He administers all things in this way, as well as part of why He provides for and nourishes mankind in this manner. All of this relates to His management. The content of which we have spoken has been very wide-ranging: from the macro environment, to small aspects such as people’s basic necessities and diet; from how God exercises sovereignty over all things and causes them to operate within the rules, to how He established the right and proper living environment for the people of every race; and so on. These diverse aspects all relate to how humans live in the flesh—that is, they all relate to things of the material world that are visible to the naked eye, and which people can feel, such as mountains, rivers, oceans, plains, and so on. These are all things that can be seen and touched. When I talk of air and temperature, you can use your breath to feel the existence of air directly, and your body to sense whether the temperature is high or low. The trees, grass, and the birds and beasts in the forests—the things that fly in the air and walk on land, and the various little animals that emerge from burrows—can all be seen with people’s own eyes and heard with their own ears. Though the scope touched upon by all these things is quite vast, of all the things God created, they represent only the material world. Material things are what people can see and feel, which is to say that when you touch them, you sense them, and when your eyes see them, your brain presents you with an image, a picture. They are things that are real and actual; to you they are not abstract, but have a shape. They may be square or round, or tall or short, and each object gives you a different impression. All of these things represent the material aspect of all things. And so, for God, what do the “all things” in the phrase, “God’s sovereignty over all things,” include? They do not simply include the things that humans can see and touch, they also include the things that humans cannot see or touch. This is one of the true meanings of God’s sovereignty over all things. Even if something cannot be seen or touched by humans, for God—as long as it is scrutinized by His eyes and is within the scope of His sovereignty—it actually exists. Despite the fact that it is abstract and unimaginable, and moreover cannot be seen or touched by humans, to God it actually and truly exists. This is another world among all the things over which God is sovereign, and it is another part of the scope of all the things over which He is sovereign. This is today’s topic for fellowshipping: how God holds sovereignty over and administers the spiritual realm. Since this topic covers how God holds sovereignty over and administers all things, it relates to the world outside of the material world—the spiritual realm—and, thus, is absolutely necessary for us to understand. Only after this content is fellowshipped, and people understand it, can they genuinely comprehend the true meaning of the words, “God is the source of life for all things.” This is the reason we are going to discuss this topic; its purpose is to complete the subject of “God holds sovereignty over all things, and God administers all things.” Perhaps, when you hear this topic, it may feel inconceivable or strange to you, but no matter what you feel, since the spiritual realm is one part of all things over which God holds sovereignty, it is necessary that you gain some understanding of this topic. Once you do, you will have a deeper appreciation, understanding, and knowledge of the phrase, “God is the source of life for all things.”

How God Rules and Administers the Spiritual Realm

For the material world, whenever people do not understand certain things or phenomena, they can search for relevant information or use various channels to find out those things’ origins and inner workings. But when it comes to the other world about which we are talking today—the spiritual realm, which exists outside of the material world—people have absolutely no means or channels by which to learn anything about it. Why do I say this? I say it because, as far as people are concerned, in the world of mankind, every single thing of the material world is indispensable to man’s physical survival. Because people feel that everything of the material world is indispensable to their physical living and physical lives, most people are only aware of, or see, the material things before their eyes that are visible to them. However, when it comes to the spiritual realm—which is to say, everything that is of that other world—to be precise, most people do not believe. Because people cannot see it, and believe there is no need to understand it or to know anything about it, to say nothing of how the spiritual realm is a completely different world from the material world—open to God but hidden and closed to humans—people have a very difficult time finding a path to understanding the various aspects of this world. The different aspects of the spiritual realm about which I am going to speak only concern God’s administration and sovereignty; I am not unveiling any mysteries, nor am I telling you any of the secrets that you wish to learn. Because this concerns God’s sovereignty, God’s administration, and God’s provision, I therefore shall only speak of the part that it is necessary for you to know.

First, let Me ask you a question: In your mind, what is the spiritual realm? Broadly speaking, it is a world outside the material world, one that is both invisible and intangible to people. In your imagination, though, what kind of world should the spiritual realm be? Perhaps, as a result of not being able to see it, you are incapable of thinking about it. However, when you hear some legends, you are still thinking about it, and you can’t stop thinking about it. Why do I say this? There is something that happens to a lot of people when they are young: When someone tells them a frightening story—about ghosts, or spirits—they feel terrified out of their wits. Why are they scared? It is because they are imagining those things; even though they cannot see them, they feel that they are all around their rooms, in some hidden or dark corner, and they are so frightened that they do not dare go to sleep. Especially at night, they feel too afraid to be alone in their rooms or to venture alone into their courtyards. That is the spiritual realm of your imagination, and it is a world that people think is frightening. The fact is that everyone imagines it to some extent, and everyone can feel it a little.

Let us begin with talking about the spiritual realm. What is it? Let Me give you a simple and concise explanation: The spiritual realm is an important place, one that is different from the material world. Why do I say that it is important? We are going to discuss this in detail. The existence of the spiritual realm is inextricably linked to the material world of mankind. It plays a major role in the cycle of human life and death among all things over which God holds sovereignty; this is its role, and this is an important aspect of its existence. Because it is a place that is indiscernible to the five senses, no one can accurately judge whether the spiritual realm exists or not. Its various dynamics are intimately connected to human survival, as a result of which the order of life of mankind is also hugely influenced by the spiritual realm. Does this involve God’s sovereignty or not? It does. When I say this, you understand why I am discussing this topic: It is because it concerns God’s sovereignty, as well as His administration. In a world such as this—one that is invisible to people—its every heavenly edict, statute, and administrative system is far above the laws and systems of any nation of the material world, and no being living in this world would dare to overstep or violate them. Does this relate to God’s sovereignty and administration? In the spiritual realm, there are clear administrative decrees, clear heavenly edicts, and clear statutes. Attendants working at different levels, and in different areas, strictly keep to their duties and observe rules and regulations in their different positions, for they know what the consequence of violating a heavenly edict is; they are clearly aware of how God punishes evil and rewards good, and of how He administers and holds sovereignty over all things. Moreover, they clearly see how He carries out His heavenly edicts and statutes. Are these different from the material world inhabited by mankind? They are enormously different. The spiritual realm is a world that is completely different from the material world. Since there are heavenly edicts and statutes, this touches upon God’s sovereignty, administration and, even more so, His disposition and what He has and is. Having heard this, do you not feel that it is highly necessary to speak of this topic? Do you not wish to learn the mysteries within it? (Yes, we do.) Such is the concept of the spiritual realm. Although it coexists with the material world, and is simultaneously subject to God’s administration and sovereignty, God’s administration and sovereignty of this world are far stricter than those of the material world. When it comes to details, we should begin with how the spiritual realm is responsible for the work of mankind’s cycle of life and death, for this is a key task of the beings of the spiritual realm.

Among mankind, I categorize all people into three types. The first are the nonbelievers, who are those without religious beliefs. They are called nonbelievers. The overwhelming majority of nonbelievers only have faith in money and only venerate their own interests. They are materialists, and only believe in the material world—they do not believe in the cycle of life and death, or in anything said about deities and ghosts. I categorize these people as nonbelievers, and they are the first type. The second type includes the various people of faith apart from the nonbelievers. Among mankind, I divide these people of faith into several major groups: The first are Jewish, the second are Catholic, the third are Christian, the fourth are Muslim, and the fifth are Buddhist; there are five kinds. These are the various kinds of people of faith. The third type is those who believe in God, and this concerns you. Such believers are those who follow God today. These people are divided into two kinds: God’s chosen people, and the service-doers. These main types have been clearly differentiated. Thus, you are now able to clearly differentiate in your minds between the types and rankings of humans, are you not? The first type is comprised of nonbelievers, and I have said what they are. Do those who have faith in the Old Man in the Sky count as nonbelievers? Many nonbelievers only believe in the Old Man in the Sky; they believe that the wind, rain, thunder, and so on are all this Old Man’s doing, and that the farming and the harvest rely on Him—yet when belief in God is mentioned, they will not accept it. Can this be called having faith? Such people are included among the nonbelievers. You understand this, right? Do not mistake these categories. The second type includes people of faith, and the third type is those who are currently following God. Why, then, have I divided all humans into these types? (Because the various types of people have different outcomes and destinations.) That is one aspect of it. Because these various races and types of people have a different place to go when they return to the spiritual realm, and because they are subject to different laws of the cycle of life and death. This is why I have categorized humans into these major types.

a. The Cycle of Life and Death of the Nonbelievers

Let us begin with the cycle of life and death of the nonbelievers. After dying, a person is taken away by an attendant from the spiritual realm. What exactly is taken away? Not one’s flesh, but one’s soul. When one’s soul is taken away, one arrives at a place that is an agency of the spiritual realm that specially receives the souls of people who have just died. That is the first place anyone goes after dying, which is strange to the soul. When they are taken to this place, an official carries out the first checks, confirming their name, address, age, and everything they did while alive. All of their lifelong exploits are recorded in a book and verified for accuracy. After it has all been checked, the person’s behavior and actions throughout their life are used to determine whether they will be punished or continue being reincarnated as a human, which is the first stage. Is this first stage frightening? It is not too frightening, because the person has merely arrived at a dark and unfamiliar place.

In the second stage, if this person has done a lot of bad things and committed many evil deeds throughout their life, then they are taken to a place of punishment to be dealt with. That is the place expressly used for the punishment of people. The specifics of how they are punished depend on how many sins they have committed and how many evil things they did before they died—this is the first situation that occurs in this second stage. Because of the bad things they did and the evil they committed before they died, when they are reincarnated after their punishment—when they are once more born into the material world—some people will continue to be human, while others will become animals. That is to say, after a person returns to the spiritual realm, they are punished because of the evil they have committed; moreover, because of the evil things they have done, in their next reincarnation they probably will not return as a human, but as an animal. The range of animals that they might become includes cattle, horses, pigs, and dogs. Some people could be reborn as birds, or ducks or geese…. After they have been reincarnated as animals, when they die again, they will return to the spiritual realm. There, as before, based on their behavior prior to their deaths, the spiritual realm will decide whether or not they are reincarnated as humans. Most people commit too much evil, and their sins are too grievous, so when they are reincarnated, they have to come back as animals seven to twelve times. Seven to twelve times—is that not frightful? (It’s frightful.) What frightens you? A person becoming an animal—that is terrifying. And for a person, what are the most painful things about becoming an animal? Having no language, having only simple thoughts, only being able to do the things that animals do and eat the food that animals eat, having the simple mindset and body language of an animal, not being able to walk upright, not being able to communicate with humans, and the fact that none of the behavior or activities of humans bear any relation to animals. That is to say, among all things, an animal is a very low level of living being, and being one involves suffering a great deal more than being a human. This is one aspect of the spiritual realm’s punishment of those who have done much evil and committed great sins. When it comes to the severity of their punishment, this is decided depending on whatever kind of animal they become. For example, is being a pig better than being a dog? Does a pig live better or worse than a dog? Worse, right? If people become cattle or horses, will they live better or worse than they would as pigs? (Better.) Will a person be more comfortable being reborn as a cat? As far as being an animal goes, being a cat would be much easier than being a cow or horse, because cats get to laze away most of their time in slumber. Being a cow or a horse is more laborious. Therefore, if a person is reincarnated as a cow or a horse, they have to work hard—which seems a harsh punishment. Becoming a dog would be a little better than becoming a cow or a horse, because a dog has a closer relationship with its master. Some dogs, after being raised for several years, are able to understand a lot of what their masters say. Sometimes, they can cater to their masters’ moods and requirements. Their masters then treat them better, so they can eat and drink better, and receive more care when they are sick. Do they not then enjoy a happy life? Thus, being a dog is better than being a cow or a horse. This is how the severity of a person’s punishment determines how many times one is reincarnated as an animal, as well as which type.

After people are punished by being reincarnated as animals seven to twelve times because they committed so many sins while they were alive, they have been punished enough. Upon returning to the spiritual realm, they are taken somewhere else—a place in which the various souls have already been punished and are of the type who are preparing to be reincarnated as humans. In this location, each soul is categorized by type according to what kind of family they will be born into, what sort of role they will play once they have been reincarnated, and so on. For example, some people will become singers when they come to this world, so are placed among singers; some will become businesspeople when they come to this world, and so they are placed among businesspeople; and if someone is to become a scientific researcher after becoming human, then they are placed among scientific researchers. After they are classified, they are sent out one by one at different periods and on appointed dates, just as people send e-mails today. This completes one cycle of life and death. From the day that a person arrives in the spiritual realm, until they are once again prepared to be reincarnated as a human after their punishment has ended or after they’ve been reincarnated as an animal many times—this process is a complete cycle.

As for those who are done being punished and are not reincarnated as animals, will they quickly be sent to the material world to reincarnate as humans? Or rather, how long will it be before they can arrive in the human world? What is the frequency with which this can happen? There are temporal restrictions to it. Everything that is done in the spiritual realm is subject to the precise temporal restrictions and rules. If these rules are explained using figures, you will understand. For those who are reincarnated within a short period of time, when they die, preparations will already have been made for them to reincarnate as humans. The shortest time in which this can happen is three days. For some people, it takes three months, for some it takes three years, for some it takes thirty years, for some it takes three hundred years, and so on. So, what is the basis or rationale for these temporal rules? They are based on the demand in the material world—the world of man—for a particular soul, and on the role that this soul is meant to play in this world. When people are reincarnated as ordinary humans, most of them are reincarnated very quickly, because the world of man has a pressing need for such ordinary people—and so, three days later, they are sent out again to a family that is completely different from the one they were in before they died. However, there are some who play a special role in this world. “Special” means that there is not a great demand for these people in the world of man; not many people are needed to play such a role, so it may take three hundred years. In other words, such a soul will only come once every three hundred years, or even just once every three thousand years. Why is this? It is due to the fact that for either three hundred or three thousand years, such a role is not required in the world of man, so they are kept somewhere in the spiritual realm. Take Confucius, for example: He had a profound impact on traditional Chinese culture, and his arrival deeply affected the culture, knowledge, tradition, and thinking of the people of that time. However, a person such as this is not needed in every era, so he has to remain in the spiritual realm, waiting there for three hundred or three thousand years before being reincarnated. Because the world of man is not in need of someone like this, he has to wait idly. There are very few roles such as his, and very little for him to do, so he has to be kept somewhere in the spiritual realm for most of that time, idle, to be sent out once the world of man has need of him. Such are the spiritual realm’s temporal rules for the frequency with which most people are reincarnated. Whether people are ordinary or special, the spiritual realm has appropriate rules and correct practices for processing their reincarnations. These rules and practices are sent down from God, and cannot be decided or controlled by any attendant or being of the spiritual realm. You understand this now, right?

For any soul, its reincarnation, what its role is in this life, what family it is born into, and what its life is like are closely related to the soul’s previous lifetimes. When all kinds of people come into the world of man, the roles they play vary, and so do the tasks they carry out. And what tasks are these? Some people have come to repay what they owe: In their past life they owed others too much, so in this life they come to repay it. Some people, meanwhile, have come to collect what is owed to them: They were scammed out of too many things and too much money in their previous lifetime; as a result, after they arrive in the spiritual realm, it gives them justice and allows them to collect what is owed in this lifetime. Some people have come to repay debts of gratitude: During their previous lifetime—that is, their previous reincarnation—someone did them a kindness, and having been given the great opportunity to be reincarnated in this life, they are reborn to repay those debts of gratitude. Others, meanwhile, have been reborn into this life to claim lives. And whose lives do they claim? They claim those of the people who killed them in their previous lives. In sum, there is a strong and inseverable connection between every person’s present life and their previous lifetimes. That is to say, every person’s present life is hugely affected by the previous ones. For example, let us say that before he died, Zhang cheated Li out of a large amount of money. Does Zhang then owe Li a debt? He does, so is it then not only proper that Li should collect his debt from Zhang? As such, after they die, there is a debt between them that must be settled. When they are reincarnated and Zhang becomes human, how does Li collect his debt from him? One method is to be reborn as Zhang’s son; Zhang earns a large amount of money, which is then squandered by Li. No matter how much money Zhang earns, his son Li squanders it, and Zhang never earns enough. It’s unclear why, but Li always uses different ways and means to throw his father’s money away. Zhang is mystified, wondering, “Why is this son of mine such a jinx? Why is it that other people’s sons are so good? Why does my own son have no ambition, why has he not learned a trade, why is he incapable of earning any money, and why do I always have to support him? I’ll support him if I have to—but why is it that no matter how much money I give him, he always needs more? Why is he incapable of doing an honest day’s work and always loafing about, getting up to all manner of things like eating, drinking, whoring, and betting? What on earth is going on?” Zhang then thinks for a while, “It could be that I owe him a debt from a previous lifetime. Well then, I’ll pay it off! This won’t end until I pay it in full!” The day might come when Li really has recouped his debt, and by the time he is in his forties or fifties, he might suddenly come to his senses, realizing, “I haven’t done a single good thing in the entire first half of my life! I’ve squandered all the money my father earned. I should start conducting myself properly! I’ll make a new resolution to be someone who does an honest day’s work and lives properly, and I will never bring grief to my father again!” Why does he think this? Why does he suddenly change for the better? Is there a reason for this? What is the reason? (It is because Li has collected his debt; Zhang has paid his debt.) In this, there is cause and effect. The story began long, long ago, before their current lifetimes; this story of their past lives has been brought to the present, and neither can blame the other. No matter what Zhang taught his son, his son never listened nor did an honest day’s work. Yet on the day the debt was repaid, there was no need to teach his son—he naturally understood. This is a simple example. Are there many such examples? (Yes, there are.) What does it tell people? (That they should be good and not commit evil.) That they should do no evil, and that there will be retribution for their evil deeds! Most nonbelievers commit much evil, and their evil deeds are met with retribution, correct? Then, is such retribution arbitrary? For every act of retribution, there is a background and a reason behind it. Do you think nothing will happen to you after you have cheated someone out of money? Do you think that after doing this and getting their money, you will not face any consequences? That would be impossible; there will indeed be consequences! Regardless of who they are or whether or not they believe that there is a God, all individuals must take responsibility for their own behavior and bear the consequences of their actions. With regard to this simple example—Zhang’s being punished, and Li’s being repaid—is this not fair? People getting this sort of result when they do such things is inseparable from the administration of the spiritual realm. Despite their being nonbelievers—those who do not believe in God—they are still living under these sorts of heavenly edicts and statutes. No one can escape from them, and no one can avoid this reality.

Those who have no faith often believe that everything visible to humans exists, while everything that cannot be seen, or which is very distant from people, does not. They prefer to believe that there is no “cycle of life and death,” and that there is no “punishment”; as such, they sin and commit evil without restraint. Afterward, they are punished, or they reincarnate as animals. Most of the various sorts of people among nonbelievers fall into this vicious circle. This is because they do not know that the spiritual realm is strict in its administration of all living beings. Whether you believe or not, this fact exists, because within the scope of what God scrutinizes with His eyes, not a single person or object can escape such a scope, and not a single person or object can escape the rules and scope of His heavenly edicts and statutes. Thus, this simple example tells everyone that regardless of whether or not you believe in God, to sin and commit evil is unacceptable and bears consequences. For someone who merely cheated another out of money to receive such a punishment, such a punishment is reasonable. Commonly seen behavior such as this is penalized by the spiritual realm and by the statutes and heavenly edicts of God. Therefore, grievously criminal and evil behavior—raping and looting, fraud and deception, theft and robbery, murder and arson, and so on—is even further subject to an array of punishments of varying severity. What do these punishments of varying severity include? For some, the severity of punishment is set using time; for some the severity of punishment is set using differing forms of punishment; and for still others, the severity of their punishment is set using the location of their reincarnation. For example, some people are foul-mouthed. What does being “foul-mouthed” refer to? It means frequently swearing at others and using malicious language that curses others. What does malicious language signify? It indicates that the person has a malicious heart. Malicious language that curses others often comes from the mouths of such people, and such malicious language brings severe consequences. After these people have died and received the appropriate punishment, they may be reborn as mutes. Some people are very calculating while still alive; they often take advantage of others, their little schemes are particularly well-planned, and they do many things that screw people over. When they are reborn, it could be as half-wits or people who are mentally disabled. Some people often peer into the private business of others; their eyes see much that they should not have been privy to, and they learn much that they ought not to know. When they are reborn, they may be blind. Some people are very nimble when they are alive; they often fight and do much that is evil. When they are reborn, they might be disabled, with a lame leg or a missing arm, a hunchback or a crooked neck, or they might walk with a limp, have one leg shorter than the other, and so on. These are the various punishments based on the levels of evil they committed while alive. Why do you think some people have a squint? Are there many such people? These days there are more than just a few. Some people have a squint because in their previous life they made too much use of their eyes and did too many bad things, so they were born into this life with a squint, and in serious cases, they were even born blind. This is retribution! Some people get on well with others before they die; they do many good things for their relatives, friends, colleagues, or the people connected to them. They give charity, help, and care to others, or provide material assistance to them, and they are fondly remembered by people. When such people return to the spiritual realm, they are not punished. For a nonbeliever to not be punished in any way means they were a very good person. Instead of believing in the existence of God, they only believe in the Old Man in the Sky. Such a person only believes that there is a god three feet above them—that is all this person believes in. The result is that this person does much fewer bad deeds. This person is kindhearted and charitable, and when they ultimately return to the spiritual realm, it handles them very well, and they will soon be reincarnated. When they are reborn, what sort of family do they arrive in? It is not a rich family, but it is a peaceful and harmonious one; its members lead safe and joyful lives, they are one big happy family, and life is good. When this person has reached adulthood, and enters the second half of their life, their family grows in size, their children make something of themselves, and their family enjoys good fortune—and such an outcome is hugely connected to their previous life. That is to say, where people are reincarnated after they die, whether they are male or female, what their missions are, what they will go through in life, what setbacks they will endure, what blessings they will enjoy, whom they will meet, and what will happen to them—no one can predict these things, avoid them, or hide from them. Which is to say, once your life has been set, whatever happens to you—however you try to avoid it, and by whatever means—you have no way of violating the life course that God set out for you in the spiritual realm. For when you are reincarnated, your life’s fate has already been set. Whether it be good or bad, everyone should face up to this and keep moving forward. This is an issue that no one who lives in this world can avoid, and no issue is more real. You have all understood everything I have been saying, right?

Having understood these things, have you now seen that God has very exacting and rigorous checks and administration for the cycle of life and death of nonbelievers? Firstly, He has established various heavenly edicts, statutes, and systems in the spiritual realm, and once these have been declared, they are strictly carried out, as set by God, by beings in various official positions in the spiritual realm, and no one would dare violate them. Therefore, in the world of man, mankind’s cycle of life and death—whether someone is reincarnated as an animal or a human—follows fixed laws. Because these laws come from God, no one dares to break them, nor is anyone able to break them. It is due to this sovereignty of God, and because such laws exist, that the material world that people see is orderly and well-organized; it is because of this sovereignty of God that humans are able to coexist peacefully with the other world that is completely invisible to them, and able to live in harmony with it—all of which is inextricable from God’s sovereignty. After a person’s fleshly life dies, the soul still has life, and so what would happen if it were without administration? The soul would wander all over the place, intruding everywhere, and would even harm the living things in the human world. Such harm would not only be done to mankind but could also be done to plants and animals—however, the first to be harmed would be people. Were this to happen—if such a soul were without administration, genuinely harmed people, and actually did evil things—then this soul would be properly handled in the spiritual realm: If things were serious, the soul would soon cease to exist, and would be destroyed. If possible, it would be placed somewhere and then reincarnated. That is to say, the spiritual realm’s administration of various souls is ordered, and is carried out in accordance with steps and rules. It is because of such administration that the material world of man has not fallen into chaos, that the humans of the material world possess a normal mentality, a normal rationality, and an ordered fleshly life. Only after mankind has such a normal life will those who live in the flesh be able to continue to reproduce and live throughout the generations.

What do you think of the topic you have just heard? Is it new to you? What sort of impressions has today’s topic of fellowship left you with? Apart from its novelty, do you feel anything else? (People should be well-behaved, and we can see that God is great and should be revered.) (Having just heard God’s fellowship about how God arranges the outcomes of various types of people, in one regard I feel that His disposition must not be offended, and that I should have a God-fearing heart; in another regard, I’m aware of what sort of people God likes, and what sort He doesn’t, so I want to be one of those that He likes.) Do you see from this that God is very principled in His actions? What are the principles by which He acts? (He sets people’s outcomes according to all that they do.) This is about the various outcomes for the nonbelievers of which we just spoke. When it comes to nonbelievers, is the principle behind God’s actions one of rewarding the good and punishing the evil? Does it go beyond this scope? (No.) Do you see that there is a principle behind God’s actions? Nonbelievers do not actually believe in God, nor do they submit to His orchestrations. In addition, they are unaware of His sovereignty, much less do they acknowledge Him. More seriously, they revile God and curse Him, and are hostile toward those who believe in God. Despite this attitude of theirs toward God, His administration of them still does not deviate from His principles; He administers them in an orderly manner, in accordance with His principles and His disposition. How does He regard their hostility? As ignorance! As a result, He has caused these people—that is, the vast majority of nonbelievers—to reincarnate as animals in the past. So, in God’s eyes, what exactly are nonbelievers? They are all animals. God administers animals as well as mankind, and for such people He has the same principles. In His administration of these people, His disposition can still be seen, as can the laws of His sovereignty over all things. And so, do you see God’s sovereignty in the principles by which He administers the nonbelievers I just mentioned? Do you see God’s righteous disposition? (We do.) In other words, no matter what among all things He is dealing with, God acts according to His own principles and disposition. This is God’s essence; He would never casually break the statutes or heavenly edicts that He has set because He regards such people as animals. God acts on principle, not recklessly in the least, and His actions are totally unaffected by any factor. No matter what He does, He always abides by His own principles. This is because God possesses the essence of God Himself; this is an aspect of His essence not possessed by any created being. God is conscientious and responsible in His handling of, approach to, management of, administration of, and sovereignty over every object, person, and living thing among all the things He created, and in this, He has never been careless. To those who are good, He is gracious and kind; upon those who are evil, He inflicts remorseless punishment; and for the various living beings, He makes appropriate arrangements in a timely and regular manner according to the varying requirements of the human world at different times, such that these various living beings are reincarnated according to the roles they play in an orderly manner and move between the material world and spiritual realm in a methodical way.

The death of a living being—the termination of a physical life—signifies that the living being has passed from the material world into the spiritual realm, whereas the birth of a new physical life signifies that a living being has come from the spiritual realm into the material world and begun to undertake and play its role. Whether it be the departure or arrival of a being, both are inseparable from the work of the spiritual realm. By the time someone comes into the material world, suitable arrangements and determinations have already been made by God in the spiritual realm as to which family that person will go to, the era in which they will arrive, the hour at which they will arrive, and the role they will play. As such, this person’s entire life—the things they do, and the paths they take—will proceed according to the arrangements made in the spiritual realm, without the slightest deviation. Furthermore, the time when a physical life terminates and the manner and place in which it ends are clear and fully known to the spiritual realm. God holds sovereignty over the material world, and He also holds sovereignty over the spiritual realm, and He will not delay a soul’s normal cycle of life and death, nor could He ever commit any errors in the arrangements of that cycle. Each of the attendants in the official posts of the spiritual realm carries out their individual tasks, and does that which they ought to do, in accordance with God’s instructions and what God has stipulated. Thus, in the world of mankind, every material phenomenon beheld by man is in order, and contains no chaos. All of this is due to God’s orderly sovereignty over all things, as well as the fact that His authority holds sovereignty over everything. That over which He holds sovereignty includes the material world that man lives in and, moreover, the invisible spiritual realm behind mankind. Therefore, if humans wish to have a good life, and hope to live in nice surroundings, in addition to being provided with the entire visible material world, even more so they need to be provided with the spiritual realm, which no one can see, which governs every living being for the sake of mankind, and which is orderly. Thus, regarding the statement that God is the source of life for all things, have we not learned and understood one more thing about “all things”? (Yes.)

b. The Cycle of Life and Death of the Various People of Faith

We just discussed the cycle of life and death of people in the first category, the nonbelievers. Now, let us discuss that of the second category, the various people of faith. “The cycle of life and death of the various people of faith” is yet another very important topic, and it is highly necessary for you to have some understanding of it. First, let us speak of which faiths the “faith” in “people of faith” refers to: the five major religions of Judaism, Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism. In addition to the nonbelievers, the people who believe in these five religions occupy a large proportion of the world’s population. Among these five religions, not many believers are full-time, yet these religions have many followers. They will go to a different place when they die. Different from whom? From the nonbelievers—the people of no faith—whom we were just talking about. After they die, the believers of these five religions go elsewhere, somewhere different from where the nonbelievers go. The process is the same; the spiritual realm will likewise judge them based on all that they did before they died, after which they will be processed accordingly. Why, though, are these people sent to a different location to be processed? There is an important reason for this. What is it? I will explain it to you with an example. Before I do, however, you might be thinking to yourselves, “Maybe it’s because they have a little belief in God! They’re not total nonbelievers.” This is not the reason, and there is a very important one.

Take Buddhism, for example. I will tell you a fact. A Buddhist is, firstly, someone who has converted to Buddhism, and they know what their belief is. When Buddhists cut their hair and become monks or nuns, it means that they have separated themselves from the secular world, leaving behind the clamor of the human world. Every day, they recite the sutras and chant the Buddhas’ names, eat only vegetarian food, live ascetic lives, and pass their days accompanied only by the cold, weak light of a butter lamp. They spend their entire lives like this. When a Buddhist’s physical life is over, they make a summary of their life, but in their heart they do not know where they will go after they die, who they will meet, or what their outcome will be: Deep down, they do not have a clear idea of such things. They have done nothing more than blindly live their life with a certain faith, after which they depart from the human world along with their blind wishes and aspirations. Such is the termination of a Buddhist’s physical life, when they leave the world of the living; after that, they return to their original place in the spiritual realm. Whether or not this person can be reincarnated and continue their self-cultivation depends on their behavior and practice prior to their death. If they did nothing wrong during their lifetime, they are quickly sent back to the human world for a second reincarnation, where this person once more becomes a monk or nun. That is, they practice self-cultivation during their physical life in line with how they practiced self-cultivation the first time, and then return to the spiritual realm after their physical life is concluded, where they are examined. After that, if no problems are found, they can return once more to the world of man and again convert to Buddhism, thus continuing their practice. After being reincarnated three to seven times, they will once more return to the spiritual realm, where they go after each physical life is over. If their various qualifications and their behavior in the human world have been in keeping with the heavenly edicts of the spiritual realm, then from this point onward, they will remain there; they will no longer be reincarnated as human, nor will there be any risk of them being punished for evildoing in the human world. They will never again go through this process. Rather, depending on their circumstances, they will take up a position in the spiritual realm. This is what Buddhists refer to as “attaining fruition.” Attaining fruition chiefly means being able to serve as an official of the spiritual realm, and no longer reincarnating or being at risk of being punished. Moreover, it means no longer suffering the afflictions of being reincarnated as a human. So, is there still any chance of them being reincarnated as an animal? (No.) This means that they will remain to take up a role in the spiritual realm and will no longer be reincarnated. This is one example of attaining fruition in Buddhism. As for those who do not attain fruition, upon their return to the spiritual realm, they become subject to examination and verification by the relevant attendant, who discovers that while still alive, they had not diligently practiced self-cultivation or been conscientious in reciting the sutras and chanting the Buddhas’ names as prescribed by Buddhism, and instead had committed many evil acts and engaged in a lot of evil behavior. Then, in the spiritual realm, a judgment is made about their evildoing, and following that, they are sure to be punished. In this, there are no exceptions. As such, when can such a person attain fruition? After achieving a lifetime in which they commit no evil, it is seen upon their return to the spiritual realm that they did nothing wrong before they died; they then continue to reincarnate, carrying on with reciting the sutras and chanting the Buddhas’ names, passing their days with the cold, weak light of a butter lamp, refraining from killing any living thing or eating any meat. They do not partake in the world of man, leaving its troubles far behind and having no disputes with others. In the process, they commit no evil, and then after they return to the spiritual realm and all of their actions and behavior have been examined, they are once more sent out into the human realm, in a cycle that continues for three to seven times. If no misconduct is committed during this time, then their attainment of fruition will remain unaffected, and will not be delayed. Regarding the cycle of life and death of all people of faith, there is this distinctive feature: They can “attain fruition” and take up a position in the spiritual realm. This is what makes them different from nonbelievers. Firstly, while they are still living on earth, how do those who are able to assume a position in the spiritual realm conduct themselves? They must be sure not to commit any evil at all: They must not murder, commit arson, rape, or plunder; if they engage in fraud, deception, theft, or robbery, then they cannot attain fruition. In other words, if they have any connection or affiliation with evildoing whatsoever, they will not be able to escape punishment meted out to them by the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm makes suitable arrangements for Buddhists who attain fruition: These Buddhists may be assigned to administer those who seem to believe in Buddhism and yet also seem to believe in the Old Man in the Sky, and these Buddhists may be allocated a jurisdiction. They may also only be in charge of the nonbelievers or serve merely as low-ranking attendants. Such allocation happens according to the various natures of their souls. This is an example of Buddhism.

Among the five categories of faith of which we have spoken, Christianity is relatively special. What makes Christianity special? Christians believe in the true God. How can those who believe in the true God be listed here? In saying that Christianity is a kind of faith, it undoubtedly would only have to do with faith; it would merely be a kind of ceremony, a kind of religion, and be a completely different thing from the faith of those who genuinely follow God. The reason I have listed Christianity among the five major religions is that it has been reduced to the same level as Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. Most people here do not believe there is a God, or that He holds sovereignty over all things; much less do they believe in His existence. Instead, they merely employ the Scriptures to explain theology and use theology to teach people to be kind, to endure suffering, and to do good things. That is just the kind of religion Christianity is: It only concentrates on theological theories, bearing absolutely no relation to God’s work of managing and saving man. It is a religion of people who follow God but who are not acknowledged by God. However, God also has a principle in His approach to such people. He does not casually handle or deal with them at will as He does with the nonbelievers. He treats them the same as He treats Buddhists: If, while living, a Christian can exercise self-discipline, if they can strictly regulate their own behavior in accordance with the Ten Commandments, the laws and commandments, and adhere to them their entire lives, then they also must spend the same amount of time going through the cycles of life and death before they can truly attain the so-called “rapture.” After achieving this rapture, they remain in the spiritual realm, where they take up a position and become one of its attendants. Likewise, if they commit evil on earth—if they are too sinful and commit too many sins—then they will inevitably be punished and handled with varying severity. In Buddhism, attaining fruition means passing on to the Pure Land of Utmost Bliss, but what do they call it in Christianity? It is called “entering heaven” and being “raptured.” Those who are truly raptured also go through the cycle of life and death three to seven times, after which, having died, they come to the spiritual realm, as if they had fallen asleep. If they are up to standard, they can remain there to take up a position and, in this way, they will no longer undergo simple or conventional reincarnation like worldly people.

Among all these religions, the outcomes they speak of and pursue are different in form but similar in essence to the attainment of fruition in Buddhism; they are basically the same. For the portion of followers of these religions who are able to strictly abide by religious precepts in their behavior, God provides a suitable destination, a suitable place to go to, and handles them appropriately. This is entirely reasonable, but it is not in line with people’s imaginings. Now, having heard about the treatment of people in Christianity, how do you feel? Do you feel that their plight is unfair? Do you sympathize with them? (A little.) There is nothing that can be done; they have only themselves to blame. Why do I say this? God’s work is true; He is alive and practical, and His work is aimed at all mankind and every individual. Why, then, do they not accept the truth? Why do they even frantically condemn and deny God’s work? Why do they even arrest and persecute the Christians who preach the gospel to them? It is quite good for them to have this sort of outcome, so why do you feel sorry for them? Their being handled in this way shows great forbearance. Given the extent to which they oppose God, they should all be destroyed, yet God does not do this; He instead simply treats Christianity as an ordinary religion. So, is there any need to go into further detail about the other religions? The ethos of all these religions is for people to suffer more hardship, do no evil, do good things, not swear at others, not pass judgment on others, distance themselves from disputes, and be good people—most religious teachings are like this. Therefore, if these people of faith—these followers of various religions and denominations—are able to strictly abide by their religious precepts, then they will not commit great errors or sins during the time that they are on earth; and, after being reincarnated for three to seven times, these people—the ones who are able to strictly abide by religious precepts—will, by and large, remain to take up a position in the spiritual realm. Are there many such people? (No, there are not.) What do you base your answer on? It is not easy to do good and to abide by religious rules and laws. Buddhism does not allow people to eat meat—could you commit to that? If you had to wear gray robes and recite sutras and chant the Buddhas’ names in a Buddhist temple all day, could you commit to it? It would not be easy. Christianity has the Ten Commandments, the commandments and laws; are these easy to abide by? They are not, right? Take not swearing at others, for example: People are incapable of even abiding by this rule. Unable to stop themselves, they swear—and after swearing, they cannot take those words back, so what do they do? At night, they confess their sins. Sometimes after they swear at others, they still harbor hatred in their hearts, and they even go so far as to plan out a time to do further harm to those people. In short, for those who live among this dead dogma, it is not easy to refrain from sinning or committing evil. Therefore, in every religion, only a handful of people are actually able to attain fruition. Do you assume that because so many people follow these religions, a good portion will be able to remain to take up a role in the spiritual realm? There are not that many; only a few are actually able to achieve this. That is generally it for the cycle of life and death of people of faith. What’s special about them is that they can attain fruition, and this is what sets them apart from nonbelievers.

c. The Cycle of Life and Death of God’s Followers

Next, let us speak of the cycle of life and death of those who follow God. This concerns you, so pay attention. First, think about how God’s followers can be categorized. (God’s chosen people, and the service-doers.) There are two: God’s chosen people, and the service-doers. First, let us talk about God’s chosen people, of whom there are but a few. To whom does “God’s chosen people” refer? It refers to the group of people selected by God to follow Him at the time when He created all things and mankind came into existence, called “God’s chosen people” for short. There is a special scope and a special significance to God’s selection of these people. The scope is such that this group of people has to come whenever God carries out important work. This is the first special characteristic. And what is the significance? Since they are a group selected by God, the significance is great. That is, God wishes to make these people complete and perfect them. When His work of management is finished, He will gain these people. Is this significance not great? Thus, these chosen people are of great importance to God, for they are the ones whom God intends to gain. As for the service-doers, well, let us take a break for a moment from the subject of God’s preordination, and first talk of their origins. A “service-doer” is literally one who serves. Those who serve are transient; they do not do so long-term or forever, but are hired or recruited temporarily. The origin of most of them is that they were selected from among the nonbelievers. When they were born, it was decreed that they would assume the role of service-doers in God’s work. They may have been animals in the previous lifetime, but they may also have been nonbelievers. Such are the origins of the service-doers.

Let us talk further of God’s chosen people. When they die, they go to a place. This place is a completely different location from that of the nonbelievers and various people of faith. It is a place where they are accompanied by angels and God’s messengers; it is a place that is personally administered by God. Even though God’s chosen people cannot behold God with their own eyes in this place, it is unlike anywhere else in the spiritual realm; this is a different location, where this portion of people go after they die. When they die, they, too, are subject to a stringent examination by God’s messengers. And what is examined? God’s messengers examine the paths these people have taken throughout their lives in their belief in God, whether or not they ever opposed God or cursed Him during that time, and whether or not they committed any grievous sins or evil. This examination will settle the question of whether a particular person is allowed to stay or must leave. What does “leave” mean? And what does “stay” mean? “Leave” means whether, based on their behavior, they remain among the ranks of God’s chosen people; “stay” means that they can remain among the ones who will be made complete by God during the last days. For those who stay, God has special arrangements. During each period of His work, He will send such people to act as apostles or to do the work of reviving or shepherding the churches. However, people who are capable of such work are not reincarnated as frequently as nonbelievers, who are reborn generation after generation; rather, they are reincarnated in accordance with the requirements and steps of God’s work, and they are not reincarnated frequently. So are there any rules to when they are reincarnated? Do they come once every few years? Do they come with such frequency? They do not. This is all based on God’s work, on its steps and on His needs, and there are no set rules. The only rule is that when God does the final stage of His work during the last days, these chosen people will all come, and this coming will be their last reincarnation. And why is that? This is based on the outcome to be achieved during God’s last stage of work—for during this last stage of work, God will make these chosen people entirely complete. What does this mean? If, during this final phase, these people are made complete and perfected, then they will not be reincarnated as before; their process of being human will have come to a complete finish, as will their process of reincarnation. This relates to those who will stay. So where do those who cannot stay go? Those who are not allowed to stay have an appropriate place to go. First of all, as a result of their evildoing, the mistakes they have made, and the sins they have committed, they, too, will be punished. After they have been punished, God will, as appropriate under the circumstances, either make arrangements to send them out among the nonbelievers, or arrange for them to go among the various people of faith. In other words, after being punished and reincarnated again, they may either live among the people of a certain religion or become nonbelievers. If they become nonbelievers, then they will lose all opportunity; however, if they become people of faith—if, for example, they become Christians—then they will still have a chance to return among the ranks of God’s chosen people. There are very complex relationships to this. In short, if one of God’s chosen people does something that commits an offense against God, they will be punished just like everybody else. Take Paul, for example, whom we previously talked about. Paul is an example of a person who is being punished. Are you getting an idea of what I am talking about? Is the scope of God’s chosen people a fixed group? (It is, mostly.) Mostly it is fixed, but why is a small part of this group not fixed? Here I have referred to the most obvious reason: committing evil. When they commit evil, God does not want them, and when God does not want them, He throws them among various races and types of people. This leaves them without hope and makes it difficult for them to return. All of this relates to the cycle of life and death of God’s chosen people.

This next part relates to the cycle of life and death of service-doers. We just talked about the origins of service-doers; that is, the fact that in their previous lives they were reincarnated alternately between nonbelievers and animals. At the final stage of work, God has selected from the nonbelievers a group of such people, and this group is special. God’s aim in choosing these people is for them to render service for His work. “Service” is not a very elegant-sounding word, nor is it in line with everyone’s wishes, but we should look at whom it is aimed at. The existence of God’s service-doers also has a special significance. In the role that they play, no one else could take their place, for they were chosen by God. And what is the role of service-doers? It is to serve God’s chosen people—it is primarily to render service for God’s work, that is, to cooperate with God’s work, and to cooperate with God’s completion of His chosen people. Regardless of whether they are toiling, carrying out some aspect of work, or taking up certain posts, what is God’s requirement of these service-doers? Is He very demanding in His requirements of them? (No, He asks that they be loyal.) Service-doers, too, must be loyal. Regardless of your origin or why God selected you, you must be loyal to God, to any commissions God entrusts to you, and to the work which you undertake and the duty you do. For service-doers who are capable of being loyal and satisfying God, what will their outcomes be? They will be able to survive. Is it a blessing to be a service-doer who survives? What does it mean to survive? What is the meaning of this blessing? In status, they seem unlike God’s chosen people; they seem different. But in fact, is what they enjoy in this life not the same as that of God’s chosen people? At the very least, it is the same in this lifetime. You do not deny this, do you? God’s utterances, God’s grace, God’s provision, God’s blessings—who does not enjoy these things? Everyone enjoys such abundance. The identity of a service-doer is one who renders service, but to God, they are just one among His created beings; it is simply that their role is that of service-doer. Being that they are both God’s created beings, is there any difference between a service-doer and one of God’s chosen people? In effect, there is not. Nominally speaking, there is a difference; in essence and in terms of the role they play, there is a difference—but God does not treat this group of people unfairly. So why are these people defined as service-doers? You must have some understanding of this! Service-doers come from among the nonbelievers. Speaking of coming from among the nonbelievers, these people are bad at their core: They are all atheists, and they are atheists at their core; they do not believe in God, and are hostile to Him, to the truth, and to all things positive. They do not believe in God or in His existence. As such, are they capable of understanding God’s words? It is fair to say that to a large extent, they are not. Just as animals are incapable of understanding human words, service-doers cannot understand what God is saying, what He requires, or why He makes such demands. They do not understand; these things are incomprehensible to them, and they remain unenlightened. For this reason, these people do not possess the life of which we have spoken. Without the life, can people understand the truth? Are they equipped with the truth? Do they have experience and knowledge of God’s words? (No.) Such are the origins of service-doers. However, since God makes these people render service, and has standards He requires them to meet, He does not look down upon them, nor is He perfunctory toward them. Even though they do not comprehend His words and are not in possession of the life, God still treats them kindly and has standards He requires them to meet. You just spoke of these required standards: They must be loyal to God, be able to obey Him, render service exactly as they should, and render service to the very end. If you can be a loyal service-doer, are able to serve right up to the very end and can fulfill the commission entrusted to you by God, then you will live a life of value, and you will be able to survive. If you put in a bit more effort, if you try a bit harder, can redouble your endeavors to know God, can speak a little about knowing God, can bear testimony to Him, and, moreover, if you can understand something of His intentions, can cooperate with God’s work, and can be somewhat considerate of God’s intentions, then you, as a service-doer, will experience a change in fortune. And what will this change in fortune be? You will no longer simply be able to survive. Depending on your conduct and your personal willingness and pursuit, God will make you one of God’s chosen people. This will be your change in fortune. For service-doers, what is the best thing about this? It is that they can become God’s chosen people. If they do so, it means that they will no longer be reincarnated as animals the way nonbelievers are. Is that good? It is, and it is also good news. It means that service-doers can be molded. It is not the case that for a service-doer, once God has preordained them to serve, they will do so forever; that is not necessarily so. God will handle them and respond to them in a way that befits this person’s individual conduct.

However, there are service-doers who are unable to serve to the very end; that is, there are those who, during their service, give up halfway and forsake God, as well as people who commit multiple wrongdoings. There are even those who cause tremendous harm and bring tremendous losses to God’s work during their service, and there are even service-doers who curse God and so on. What do these irremediable consequences indicate? Any such evil acts will signify the termination of their service. Because your conduct during your service has been overly poor and because you have gone too far, upon seeing that your service is too far below the standard, God will strip you of your eligibility to serve. He will no longer allow you to serve; He will remove you from before His very eyes and from the house of God. Are you not unwilling to serve? Are you not constantly wanting to do evil? Are you not consistently disloyal? Well then, there is an easy solution: You will be stripped of your eligibility to serve. To God, stripping a service-doer of their eligibility to serve means that this service-doer’s outcome has been proclaimed, and they will no longer be eligible to serve God. God no longer uses them to serve, and no matter what nice things they might say, those words will be in vain. When things have gotten to this point, the situation will have become irremediable; service-doers like these will have no way back. And how does God deal with them? Does He merely stop them from serving? No. Does He merely prevent them from remaining? Or, does He put them to one side and wait for them to make a turnaround? He does not. God is not so loving when it comes to service-doers; this is true. If a person has this kind of attitude in their service to God, God will, as a result of this attitude, strip them of their eligibility to serve, and will once more toss them back among the nonbelievers. And once this service-doer is tossed back among the nonbelievers, what will their fate be? It is the same as that of the nonbelievers: They will be reincarnated as an animal and receive the same punishment in the spiritual realm as a nonbeliever. As for how they are punished, God will not concern Himself with it, for such a person no longer has any relevance to God’s work. This is not only the end of their life of faith in God, but also the end of their own fate, as well as the proclamation of their fate. Thus, if service-doers serve poorly, they will have to bear the consequences themselves. If a service-doer is incapable of serving to the very end, or is stripped of their eligibility to serve midway, then they will be thrown among the nonbelievers—and if this happens, such a person will be dealt with in the same way as animals, in the same way as people without any thoughts and without rationality. When I put it like that, you can understand, yes?

The aforementioned is how God handles the cycle of life and death of His chosen people and the service-doers. After having heard this, how do you feel? This topic I have just spoken about—the topic of God’s chosen people and the service-doers—have I spoken about it before? I actually have, but you do not remember. God is righteous toward His chosen people and the service-doers. In all regards, He is righteous. Is there anywhere you can find fault in this? Are there people who will say, “Why is God so forbearing toward the chosen people? And why is He only a little patient toward service-doers?” Does anyone wish to stand up for the service-doers? “Can God give the service-doers more time, and be more patient and forbearing toward them?” Is it right to voice such a question? (No, it is not.) And why not? (Because being a service-doer is actually us being shown favor.) Being a service-doer is actually them being shown favor! Without the title of “service-doers,” and without this work involving service-doers, where would these people be? They would be among the nonbelievers, living and dying with the animals. What great graces they enjoy today, being allowed to come before God and come to the house of God! This is such a tremendous grace! If God did not give you the opportunity to serve, you would never have the chance to come before Him. To say the least, even if you are someone who is a Buddhist and has attained fruition, at most, you are but a gofer in the spiritual realm; you will never meet God, hear His voice or His words, or feel His love and blessings, nor could you ever possibly come face-to-face with Him. The only things such people have before them are simple tasks. They cannot possibly know God, and they just comply and submit, whereas the service-doers gain so much during this stage of work! Firstly, they are able to come face-to-face with God, hear His voice, hear His words, and experience the graces and blessings that He bestows upon people. Even more, they are able to enjoy the words and truths bestowed by God. Service-doers truly gain so much! Thus, if, as a service-doer, you cannot even serve effectively, then can God still keep you? He cannot keep you. He does not ask much of you, yet you do nothing that He asks properly; you have not adhered to your duty. As such, without a doubt, God cannot keep you. Such is God’s righteous disposition. God does not mollycoddle you, but neither does He discriminate against you. These are the principles by which God acts. God treats all people and created beings in this manner.

When it comes to the spiritual realm, if the various beings in it do something wrong or do not do their jobs correctly, God also has corresponding heavenly edicts and statutes with which to deal with them; this is absolutely certain. Therefore, during God’s several-thousand-year management work, some attendants who committed wrongdoings have been destroyed, while some—to this very day—are still being detained and punished. This is what must be faced by every being. If they do something wrong or commit evil, then they must be punished—and this is the same as God’s approach to His chosen people and the service-doers. Thus, whether in the spiritual realm or the material world, the principles by which God acts remain the same. Whether or not you can see God’s actions, their principles do not change. God has consistently acted according to His principles in His treatment and handling of all things. This is immutable. God is kind toward those comparatively good people who live among the nonbelievers, and saves opportunities for those in each religion who behave well and do no evil, allowing them to play their roles and do what they ought to do within all things managed by God. Similarly, among those who follow God, and among His chosen people, God abides by these principles of His and does not discriminate against any person. He is kind toward everyone who is able to sincerely follow Him, and He loves everyone who sincerely follows Him. It is just that for these several types of people—nonbelievers, the various people of faith, and God’s chosen people—that which He bestows upon them varies. Take the nonbelievers, for example: Although they do not believe in God, and God sees them as animals, among all things each of them has food to eat, a place of their own, and a normal cycle of life and death. Those who do evil are punished, and those who do good are blessed and receive God’s kindness. Is this not how it is? For people of faith, if they are able to strictly abide by their religious precepts through rebirth after rebirth, then after all those reincarnations, God will ultimately give them His verdict. Similarly, for you today, whether you are one of God’s chosen people or a service-doer, God will likewise regulate you and determine your outcome in accordance with the regulations and administrative decrees that He has set. Among these types of people, the different types of people of faith—that is, the ones who belong to various religions—has God given them space in which to live? Where are the Jews? Has God interfered in their faith? He has not. And what about Christians? He has not interfered with them, either. He allows them to abide by their own order; He does not talk to them or give them any revelation and, moreover, He does not manifest anything to them. If you think it is right, then believe in this way. Catholics believe in Mary, and that it was through her that the message was passed on to Jesus; such is their form of belief. Has God ever corrected their faith? He gives them free rein; He pays them no heed and gives them a certain space in which to live. With regard to Muslims and Buddhists, is He not the same? He has set boundaries for them, too, and allows them to have their own living space, without interfering in their respective beliefs. All is well-ordered. And what do you see in all this? That God is possessed of authority, but He does not abuse it. God arranges all things in perfect order and does it in an orderly manner, and herein lies His wisdom and almightiness.

Today we have touched upon a new and special topic, which concerns some matters of the spiritual realm—matters of God’s administration of and sovereignty over the spiritual realm. Before you understood these things, you may have said, “These matters are all mysteries, and have nothing to do with our life entry; these things are divorced from how people actually live, and we do not need to understand them, nor do we wish to hear of them. They have absolutely no connection with knowing God.” Now, do you think there is a problem with such thinking? Is it correct? (No.) Such thinking is not right and has serious problems. The reason for this is that if you wish to comprehend how God holds sovereignty over all things, you cannot simply and only understand that which you can see and what your thinking can grasp; you must also understand some of the other world that is invisible to you but which is inextricably linked to this world that you can see. This concerns God’s sovereignty, and it concerns the topic, “God is the source of life for all things.” This content is part of that topic. Without this content, there would be flaws and deficiencies in people’s knowledge of how God is the source of life for all things. Thus, what we have spoken of today can be said to have rounded off all the content we previously discussed, as well as the content of “God is the source of life for all things.” Having understood this, are you now able to know God through this content? More importantly, today I have passed on to you a very crucial piece of information concerning service-doers. I know that you really enjoy listening to topics such as this, and that you really care about these things. Do you therefore feel satisfied with what I have talked about today? (Yes, we do.) Some of the other things may not have made a strong impression on you, but what I have said about service-doers has made a particularly strong impression, for this topic touches the soul of every one of you.

God’s Requirements of Mankind

a. The Identity and Status of God Himself

We have come to the end of the topic of “God is the source of life for all things.” We have also finished discussing “God is the unique God Himself” for the time being. Having done so, we need to sum things up. What kind of summary must we make? It is a conclusion about God Himself. That being the case, it must have an inevitable connection to every aspect of God, as well as to how people believe in God. And so, first I have to ask you: Having heard these sermons, who is the God in your mind’s eye? (The Creator.) The God in your mind’s eye is the Creator. Is there anything else? God is the Sovereign of all things. Are these words appropriate? (Yes.) God is the One who holds sovereignty over all things and administers all things. He created all that there is, and He administers all that there is; at the same time, He holds sovereignty over all that there is, and He provides for all that there is. This is the status of God, and it is His identity. For all things and all that there is, God’s true identity is the Creator and the Sovereign of all things. Such is the identity possessed by God, who is unique among all things. None of the creatures—whether they be among mankind or in the spiritual realm—can use any means or excuse to impersonate or replace God’s identity and status, for there is only One, among all things, who is possessed of this identity, power, authority, and ability to hold sovereignty over all things: our unique God Himself. He lives and walks among all things; He can also rise to the highest place, above all things. He can humble Himself and become human, become one among those of flesh and blood, come face-to-face with people and share weal and woe with them, while at the same time, He governs all that there is, and decides the fate of all that there is and in what direction it all proceeds. Moreover, He guides the fate of all mankind, and steers the direction in which mankind proceeds. A God such as this should be worshiped, submitted to, and known by all people who have life. Thus, regardless of which group or type among mankind you belong to, believing in God, following God, fearing God, accepting His sovereignty, and accepting His arrangements for your fate is the only choice—the necessary choice—for any person, for anyone with life. In God’s uniqueness, people see that His authority, His righteous disposition, His essence, and the means by which He provides to all things are all unique; this uniqueness determines the true identity of God Himself, and it also determines His status. Therefore, among all creatures, if any living being in the spiritual realm or among mankind wished to stand in God’s stead, success would be impossible, as would be that of any attempt to impersonate God. This is fact. What such a Creator and Sovereign, who possesses the identity, power, and status of God Himself, requires of mankind is something everyone must clearly understand and keep in mind—this is very important to both God and man!

b. Mankind’s Various Attitudes Toward God

How people treat God decides their fate, as well as how God will treat them and deal with them. At this point, I am going to list some ways in which people treat God. Listen and see whether the manners and attitudes with which they treat God are correct or not. Let us consider the conduct of the following seven types of people.

1) There is a type of person whose attitude toward God is particularly absurd. These people think God is like a Bodhisattva or a holy being of human lore, and needs humans to bow three times upon meeting Him and light incense after each meal. As a result, when they feel extremely thankful for His grace and feel gratitude toward Him, they often have this sort of impulse. They so wish that the God they believe in today can, like the holy being they yearn for in their hearts, accept the way they bow three times upon meeting Him and light incense after every meal.

2) Some people see God as a living Buddha capable of delivering all the living from suffering and saving them; they see Him as a living Buddha capable of taking them away from the sea of affliction. These people believe in God as if they are worshiping a Buddha. Although they do not light incense, kowtow, or give offerings, in these people’s hearts, their god is simply such a Buddha who only asks that they do good, give alms, kill no living thing, refrain from swearing at others, and outwardly live a well-behaved life and commit no wrongdoings, and that’s all there is to it. This is the god in their hearts.

3) Some people consider God as a great or famous person whom they worship. For example, however this great person likes to speak, with whatever intonation he speaks, what vocabulary he uses, his phrasing, his tone, his hand gestures, his words and actions, his bearing—they copy all of them, and in the course of their belief in God, they must fashion themselves entirely after this person.

4) Some people see God as a ruler, feeling that He is above all else and that no one dares to commit an offense against Him—and that if anyone goes against Him, that person will be sanctioned. They worship such a ruler because this kind of ruler holds a certain place in their hearts. Their thoughts, manner, authority, and nature—even their interests and personal life—all become something these people feel they must understand; they become issues and matters about which they are concerned. As a result, they worship God as a ruler. Such a form of belief is ridiculous.

5) Some people have particular faith in the existence of God, and they believe firmly and with no doubt whatsoever. Because their knowledge of God is so superficial, and they do not have much experience of His words, they worship Him as an idol. In their hearts, this idol is their god; it is something that they must fear and bow down to, and which they must follow and imitate. They see God as their idol, and they consider this idol as something that they must follow their whole life. They copy the tone in which God speaks and, externally, they imitate those whom God likes. They often do things that appear naive, pure, and honest, and they even follow this idol as though it were a partner or companion that they can never part with. Such is their form of belief.

6) There is one type of person who, despite having read many of God’s words and heard many sermons, feels in their heart that their sole guiding principle in treating God is that they must be obsequious and engage in flattery, or engage in unrealistic praise and commendation. They believe that God is a God who requires them to behave in such a way. Moreover, they believe that if they do not do so, then at any time they may provoke His anger or offend Him, and that as a result of this “offense,” God will punish them. Such is the god in their heart.

7) And then there are the vast majority of people, who treat God as their own spiritual sustenance. This is because they live in this world, they are without peace or happiness, and nowhere do they find comfort. Once they find God, after they have seen and heard His words, they begin to harbor secret joy and feel fortunate in their hearts. This is because they believe that they have finally found a place that will make their spirits happy, and that they have finally found a god who will give them spiritual sustenance. After they have accepted God and begun to follow Him, they become happy, and their lives are fulfilled. They no longer pass their days in a drunken stupor like the nonbelievers, living like animals, and they feel they have something to look forward to in life. Thus, they think that this god can hugely satisfy their spiritual needs and bring them great happiness in both mind and spirit. Without realizing it, they become unable to leave this god who gives them such spiritual sustenance, and who brings happiness to their spirits and to all the members of their families. They believe that belief in God is satisfied merely by having spiritual sustenance, and needs nothing more.

Do any among you possess these various aforementioned attitudes toward God? (Yes.) If, in their belief in God, a person’s heart harbors any of those attitudes, are they able to truly come before God? If someone has any of these attitudes in their heart, do they believe in God? Do they believe in the unique God Himself? (No.) Since what you believe in is not the unique God Himself, who do you believe in? If what you believe in is not the unique God Himself, then it is possible that you believe in an idol, or a great man, or a Bodhisattva, or that you worship the Buddha that is in your heart. Moreover, it is possible that you believe in an ordinary person. In short, because of people’s various forms of belief and their attitudes toward God, they place the god of their own cognitions in their hearts, impose their imaginings upon God, place their attitudes and imaginings about God side-by-side with the unique God Himself, and, afterward, hold them up to be consecrated. What does it mean when people have such improper attitudes toward God? It means that they have rejected the true God Himself and are worshiping a false god; it indicates that while believing in God, they are rejecting and opposing Him, and that they are in denial of the existence of the true God. If people keep holding onto such forms of belief, what consequences will they face? With such forms of belief, will they be able to draw ever closer to God’s requirements? (No, they will not.) On the contrary, because of their notions and imaginings, they will stray ever farther from God’s way, for the direction they seek is the opposite of the direction God requires them to take. Have you ever heard the story of “going south by driving the chariot north”? This may well be just such a case of going south by driving the chariot north. If people believe in God in such a ludicrous fashion, then the harder they try, the farther they will get from God. As such, I admonish you thusly: Before you get stuck in, you must first discern whether you are actually going in the right direction. Do not strive recklessly, and be sure to ask yourself, “Is the God I believe in the Sovereign of all things? Is the God I believe in merely my spiritual sustenance? Is He my idol? What does this God I believe in ask of me? Does God approve of everything I do? Are all my actions and my pursuits in pursuit of knowing God? Are they aimed at meeting God’s requirements of me? Is the path I walk recognized and approved of by God? Is He satisfied with my faith?” You should often and repeatedly ask yourself these questions. If you wish to seek knowledge of God, then you must have a clear consciousness and clear objectives before you can succeed in satisfying Him.

Is it possible that, as a result of His forbearance, God might grudgingly accept these improper attitudes toward God of which I have just spoken? Could God approve of these attitudes of people? (No.) What are God’s requirements of humans and of those who follow Him? What sort of attitude does He require people to have? Do you have a clear idea of these? At this point, I have said so much; I have spoken a great deal on the topic of God Himself, as well as about His deeds and what He has and is. Do you now know what God wishes to gain from people? Do you know what He wants from you? Speak up. If your knowledge from experiences and practice is still lacking or still very superficial, then you can say something about your knowledge of these words. Do you have a summary knowledge? What does God want of man? (During these several fellowships, God has made a point of requiring that we know Him, know His deeds, know that He is the source of life for all things, and know His status and identity.) What is the ultimate effect achieved by God requiring people to know Him? (They understand that God is the Creator, and that humans are created beings.) When people attain such knowledge, what changes are there in their attitude toward God, in their performance of duties, or in their life dispositions? Have you ever thought about this? Could it be said that, upon knowing God and understanding Him, they become good people? (Belief in God does not involve seeking to be a good person. Rather, it is the pursuit of becoming a created being who is up to standard, and of being an honest person.) Is there anything else? (After truly and correctly knowing God, we are able to treat Him as God; we know that God is always God, that we are created beings, that we should worship God. We are able to stay in our proper places.) Very good! Let us hear from some others. (We know God, and are ultimately able to be people who truly submit to God, fear God, and shun evil.) That is correct!

c. The Attitude That God Requires Mankind to Have Toward Him

Actually, God is not very demanding of mankind—or, at least, He is not as demanding as people imagine. If God had not expressed any words, and if He had not expressed His disposition or any deeds, then knowing God would be extremely difficult for you, for people would have to infer His desires and intentions; this would be very hard to do. However, in the final stage of His work, God has spoken many words, done a great amount of work, and made many requirements of man. In His words, and His great amount of work, He has informed people of what He likes, what He loathes, and what kind of people God requires them to be. After understanding these things, people should have an accurate idea in their hearts of God’s requirements, for they do not believe in God in vagueness and no longer believe in a fanciful god, nor do they follow God amid vagueness or nothingness. Rather, they are able to hear His utterances, understand the standards of His requirements, and attain them, and God uses the language of mankind to tell them all that they should know and understand. Today, if people still do not know what God is all about, nor what He requires of them; if they do not know why they should believe in God, nor how to believe in Him or treat Him—then there is a problem with this. Just now, each of you spoke of one particular aspect; you are aware of some things, whether these things are specific or general. However, I wish to tell you the precise, complete, and specific requirements God has of mankind. They are just a few words, and very simple; you may already know them. God’s precise requirements of mankind and those who follow God are as follows. He requires five things of those who follow Him: genuine belief, loyal following, absolute submission, true knowledge, and heartfelt fear.

In these five things, God requires that people no longer doubt Him or follow Him using their imaginings or fanciful viewpoints; they must not follow God based on any imaginings or notions. He requires that every one of those who follow Him do so loyally, not half-heartedly or with a foot in two camps. When God makes any requirements of you, tries you, judges you, prunes you, or disciplines and smites you, you should submit to Him absolutely. You should not ask for a justification or make conditions, much less should you speak of reasons. Your submission must be absolute. Knowledge of God is the area in which people are most lacking. They often impose upon God words, sayings, and statements that are unrelated to Him, believing that such words are the most accurate definition of the knowledge of God. Little do they know that these sayings, which come from human imaginings, their own reasoning, and their own knowledge, bear not the slightest relation to God’s essence. Thus, I want to tell you that, when it comes to the knowledge God desires for people to have, He does not merely ask that you recognize Him and His words, but also that your knowledge of Him be correct. Even if you can only say one sentence, or know only a tiny bit, this tiny bit of knowledge is correct and true, and is in line with the essence of God Himself. This is because God detests any praise or commendation of Him that is unrealistic or arbitrary. More than that, He detests it when people treat Him like air. He detests it when, during discussion of topics about God, people make baseless claims, speaking and discussing at will and without the slightest scruple; He even more so detests those who believe they know God and talk big in the matter of knowing Him, discussing topics related to Him without any restraint or scruple. The last of those aforementioned five requirements is heartfelt fear: This is God’s ultimate requirement of all those who follow Him. When someone possesses a correct and true knowledge of God, they are able to truly fear God and shun evil. This fear comes from the depths of their heart; this fear stems from their own willingness, and is not demanded by God. God does not need you to give any nice attitude, any nice conduct, or any outward good behavior to Him as alms; rather, He needs that you fear Him and dread Him in the depths of your heart. Such fear is attained as a result of changes in your life disposition, of gaining knowledge of God and an understanding of God’s deeds, of coming to understand God’s essence, and of your acknowledgment of the fact that you are one of His created beings. Therefore, My aim in using the word “heartfelt” to define fear here is for humans to understand that the fear of God people ought to have comes from the depths of their hearts.

Now consider those five requirements: Are any among you capable of attaining the first three? By this, I am referring to genuine belief, loyal following, and absolute submission. Are any among you capable of these things? I know that if I said all five, there would unquestionably be none among you who are, but I have reduced the number to three. Weigh up whether you have achieved these things or not. Is “genuine belief” easy to attain? (No, it is not.) It is not easy, for people often doubt God. And how about “loyal following”? What does this “loyal” refer to? (Not being half-hearted, but instead being wholehearted.) Not being half-hearted, but wholehearted. Well said! So, are you capable of achieving this requirement? You have got to try harder, right? At the moment, you have yet to succeed in this requirement. What about “absolute submission”—have you achieved that? (No.) You have not achieved that, either. You frequently do not submit, and are often rebellious; you often do not listen, do not wish to submit, or do not want to hear. These are the three most fundamental requirements people meet after gaining life entry, but you have yet to achieve them. Thus, at the moment, do you have great potential? Today, having heard Me say these words, do you feel anxious? (Yes.) It is right that you should feel anxious. Do not fail to feel anxious. I feel anxious on your behalf. I will not go into the other two requirements; without doubt, none of you are capable of achieving them. You are anxious. So, have you determined your objectives? With what objectives, and in what direction, should you pursue and devote your efforts? Do you have an objective? I tell you the truth: Once you have achieved these five requirements, you will have satisfied God. Each of them is an indicator—an indicator and a final objective of the maturation of a person’s life entry. If I were to take any one of these requirements to speak of in detail, and require you to meet it, it would not be easy to achieve; you must endure some hardship and apply some effort. What sort of mentality should you have? It should be the same as that of a cancer patient waiting to go onto the operating table. Why do I say this? If you want to believe in God, and you want to gain God and gain His satisfaction, then you must endure some hardship and put in some effort, otherwise you will not be able to gain these things. Although you’ve listened to many sermons, just listening doesn’t mean they are yours; you must absorb them and transform them into something that belongs to you. You must assimilate them into your life and bring them into your existence, allowing these words and sermons to guide the direction of your living, to imbue your life with the value of existence and the meaning of being alive. In this way, it will be worthwhile for you to listen to these words. If the words I speak do not bring about a turning point in your day-to-day life or add the value of existence to your life, then you listen to them in vain. You understand this, right? Having understood it, the rest is up to you. You have to put in some effort! You have to take everything seriously! Don’t be muddleheaded; time is flying by! Most among you have already believed in God for more than a decade. Look back on this time: How much have you gained? How many more decades are left for you in this lifetime? You don’t have long. Let’s not mention whether God’s work awaits you, whether He has left you a chance, or whether He will do the same work again—put these things aside for now. Can you rewind the past ten years of your life? With every day that passes, and with every step you take, you have one fewer day. Time waits for no one! You must treat believing in God as a major matter in your life, more important than food, clothing, or anything else—in this way, you will reap results. If you only believe in your spare time, and you don’t devote yourself to believing, and are always muddled, then you will gain nothing. You understand this, right? We will stop here for today. See you next time!

February 15, 2014