3. I see that The Church of Almighty God does nothing more than spread the gospel and testify to God’s work of the last days, asking that people be honest and walk the right path of human life. But the CCP is disseminating information saying that the church’s ultimate aim in spreading the gospel is to overthrow CCP rule. How can I know whether the CCP’s words are true or false?
Relevant Words of God:
God does not partake in the politics of man, yet the fate of a country or nation is controlled by God. God controls this world and the entire universe. The fate of man and the plan of God are intimately connected, and no man, country or nation is exempt from the sovereignty of God. If man wishes to know his fate, then he must come before God. God shall cause those who follow and worship Him to prosper and shall bring decline and extinction upon those who resist and reject Him.
—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind
What is the purpose of propagating the gospel? As has been said continuously since this stage of work began, God has come to do His work this time to inaugurate a new era, to bring in a new era and end the old one, a fact that can now be seen in those of us now here and that has already been fulfilled. That is, God is doing new work, and the people here have already accepted this and have already emerged from the Age of Law and the Age of Grace, no longer reading the Bible, no longer living under the cross, no longer crying out the name of Lord Jesus the Savior, but at once praying to the name of God of the present day and accepting the words God now expresses and taking them as the principles of survival, the methods, and the objectives of human life. In this sense, have the people here not already entered a new era? In what era, then, do the many more people who have not accepted this gospel and these words live? They are still living in the Age of Grace. It is now your vocation to bring these people out from the Age of Grace and have them enter this new era. Can you accomplish this commission merely by praying and calling out God’s name? Is it enough merely to preach a few of the words of God? It is certainly not; this requires all of you to shoulder responsibility for the duty of spreading the gospel, of propagating the words of God, of spreading them forth and extending their reach. What does it mean to “extend their reach”? It means to spread God’s gospel beyond just the people who are here; it means to make more people aware of God’s new work, and then to preach God’s words to them. It means to use your experience to bear witness to the work of God and to bring them also into the new era. Then, they will be the same as you. God’s intention is quite obvious—He would not have only you who have heard and accepted His words and begun to follow Him enter the new age; He wants to lead the entire human race into the new age. This is God’s intention, and this is a truth that every person who currently follows God should understand. God is not leading a batch or a small tribe of people into the new age, but leading the whole of humanity into the new age. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to propagate the gospel, and to use many methods and channels to do so.
—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item One: They Try to Win People Over
All people need to understand the aims of My work on earth, that is, what I ultimately wish to gain, and what level I must achieve in this work before it can be complete. If, after walking with Me to this day, people do not understand what My work is all about, then have they not walked with Me in vain? If people follow Me, they should know My will. I have been working on earth for thousands of years, and to this day, I continue to carry out My work thus. Although My work contains many projects, its purpose remains unchanged; though I am filled with judgment and chastisement toward man, for example, what I do is still for the sake of saving him, and for the sake of better spreading My gospel and further expanding My work among all the Gentile nations once man has been made complete. So today, at a time when many people have long since sunk deep into dismay, I still continue with My work, I continue the work I must do to judge and chastise man. Despite the fact that man is fed up with what I say, and he has no desire to concern himself with My work, I am still carrying out My duty, for the purpose of My work remains unchanged, and My original plan will not be broken. The function of My judgment is to enable man to better obey Me, and the function of My chastisement is to allow man to more effectively be changed. Though what I do is for the sake of My management, I have never done anything that was without benefit to man, for I wish to make all the nations beyond Israel as obedient as the Israelites, to make them into real human beings, that I might have a foothold in the lands outside Israel. This is My management; it is the work I am accomplishing among the Gentile nations. Even now, many people still do not understand My management, because they have no interest in such things, and care only for their own futures and destinations. No matter what I say, they remain indifferent to the work that I do, instead focusing exclusively on their destinations of tomorrow. If things go on in this way, how can My work expand? How can My gospel be spread throughout the world? Know that when My work spreads, I will scatter you, and smite you just as Jehovah smote each of the tribes of Israel. All this will be done so that My gospel may spread across the earth, so that it may reach the Gentile nations, so that My name may be magnified by adults and children alike, and My holy name exalted in the mouths of people from all tribes and nations. It is so that, in this final era, My name may be magnified among the Gentile nations, so that My deeds may be seen by the Gentiles and they will call Me the Almighty on account of My deeds, and so that My words may soon come to pass. I will make all people know that I am not only the God of the Israelites, but also the God of all the nations of the Gentiles, even those that I have cursed. I will let all people see that I am the God of all creation. This is My greatest work, the purpose of My work plan for the last days, and the only work to be fulfilled in the last days.
—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Work of Spreading the Gospel Is Also the Work of Saving Man
Sermon and Fellowship Excerpts for Reference:
In our faith in God, we act according to God’s words, the truth, and God’s requirements. We do not get involved in politics, nor do we partake in any political activities. The very least that God asks of those who believe in Him is, first of all, that we pursue and practice the truth, and do not follow the wicked trends of the outside world and commit the evil done by corrupt mankind; our actions must be of benefit to others, we must be the light and the salt. What is more, as created beings we must follow God’s will, expending ourselves for God and performing our duty. Since God has graced us with salvation, it is our responsibility and obligation to spread the gospel and testify to God, so that all who do not believe in God, are yet to know God, and still live under Satan’s domain can come before God to investigate the true way, accept the truth, gain the truth, shed their corruption, and be saved by God. This is God’s commission, and it is the true significance of the work of spreading the gospel that we do. Our spreading of the gospel and bearing testimony to God has nothing to do with politics—there are no political intentions or motives involved in it, and it is not done for the sake of overthrowing a certain government or political party. It is done entirely for the sake of bringing corrupt mankind before God, so that people can accept God’s work of the last days and be made pure and saved, so that they are ultimately able to escape dark and evil influences and live in the light, being cared for, protected, and blessed by God. When we bring people before God so that they may accept the work and salvation of God, we are not making political requests; God’s words do not ask that His chosen people rise up and overthrow the CCP. All that God expresses is the truth, they are all words that expose the corrupt essence of mankind, they are all words that save people, change people, perfect people and allow people to know God and obey Him. Everything we do is based on the words and the requirements of God. Our church has never partaken in any political activities, nor does it have any political slogans. Living the church life involves nothing more than fellowshiping on the truth and knowing oneself, which are for the sake of gaining the truth, obeying God, living out the likeness of an authentic human being, and being saved by God. Moreover, we do not have the slightest interest in politics. Politics is not a positive thing, much less is it the truth. Politics cannot give people the truth, or the blessings of God, much less can politics enable people to be saved; it is plain for all to see that officialdom only makes people eviler and more corrupt. And so, in our faith in God we have never been involved in politics, for it is clear to us that only faith in God can make people change for the better and give them greater humanity, conscience, and sense. If people truly believe in God and pursue the truth, there is no question that they will be able to shed their corruption and live out the likeness of an authentic human being—which is precisely the standard for attaining salvation in one’s faith in God.
God is the Creator, and only God can save corrupt mankind. We spread the gospel and testify to God so that all mankind may know the Creator, and come before the Creator, and worship the one true God; this is the path of man’s blessing and, moreover, the path of man’s salvation. The world today grows ever darker and eviler, and mankind ever more corrupt. The world is in decline and morals are decaying. If mankind is to address these issues, then people must believe in God, they must accept the words of God, the work of God, and the judgment and chastisement of God, and gain the truth from God’s words. Only thus will the problems of the world’s darkness and evil and the corruption of mankind be solved at the source. As such, spreading the gospel is essential for the stability of society and happiness of mankind. There is only one way for mankind to achieve true happiness and for society to achieve long-lasting peace, and that is to accept the work and salvation of God. There is no path but this. You must not expect any country or political party to save mankind, much less should you pin your hopes on a politician, writer, or thinker; this is beyond the capabilities of corrupt mankind. Only the Creator, the one true God, is fully capable of saving humanity. And so, our spreading of the gospel and bearing testimony to God is of the utmost benefit to mankind, it is what is needed by mankind and society, and it is completely just. There is nothing more meaningful. We trust that all who are possessed of conscience, reason, and a sense of justice will support our spreading of the gospel and agree with our point of view.
It is because we accept the words of Almighty God, understand God’s will to save mankind, and are sure that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life that we began to spread the gospel and testify to God’s work of the last days. In spreading the gospel, we are sharing with people the true path to salvation, so that they may accept the true way and be saved by God during the last days. This is our duty as believers in God, and it is our truest love. The kingdom gospel of the last days that we preach is of the utmost benefit to man. As a ruling party, meanwhile, the CCP is not only incapable of doing anything of real value or solving real problems for the people and bringing them peace and happiness, but is also remiss in its obligations, persecuting, arresting, and abusing us, utterly devoid of conscience. Is this not against Heaven, a perverse abomination? Why, instead of following the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, does the CCP venerate evil and oppose righteousness? In this, is it not bereft of humanity? In the course of spreading the gospel and performing their duty, many of God’s chosen people are able to put aside the comforts and enjoyments of the flesh. Through biting wind and driving rain, bitter cold and searing heat, they continue to spread God’s kingdom gospel; despite hurtful insults, though people reject, beat and curse them, and though they are arrested and persecuted by the CCP, they persist in spreading the gospel and performing their duty. They do everything they could possibly be called upon to do, and whether people accept it or not, they treat them responsibly and compassionately. Our consciences could not rest if we knew of the true way and yet did not preach or bear witness to it; nor would this be fair to people. And so, all we do is spread the gospel and testify to God, making people aware of the true way, and the path of salvation of the last days. Our spreading of the gospel is absolutely not an engagement with politics, much less is it a disturbance of public order; it is, instead, the preparation of good deeds, it is entirely so that mankind can come before God and accept the cleansing and salvation of God, survive the great disasters, and enter the beautiful destination God has prepared for man—this is a fact.
—The Fellowship From the Above