For a while now, we have been fellowshipping on the topic of how to pursue the truth. We haven’t finished fellowshipping on it yet; it is a very big topic, and there are truly so many issues involved in pursuing the truth, aren’t there? (Yes.) Regarding the topic of how to pursue the truth, we have fellowshipped on two aspects of practice: One aspect of practice is letting go, and the other aspect of practice is dedicating oneself. We previously fellowshipped a lot on the topic of “letting go.” What we have fellowshipped on recently is “letting go of the barriers between oneself and God and one’s hostility toward God,” which is divided into several aspects: notions and imaginings, unreasonable demands, guardedness and suspicion, and scrutinizing and prying. Haven’t we fellowshipped quite a lot on the first aspect, notions and imaginings? Within the aspect of notions and imaginings, the content involving people’s notions and imaginings about God consists of their notions about God’s work, God’s disposition essence, and the incarnate God. Previously, we mainly fellowshipped on people’s notions about God’s work. Although we did not fellowship on people’s notions about God’s disposition essence explicitly and in a targeted manner, we did fellowship on some issues involving various aspects of humankind. After fellowshipping on these things, shouldn’t people understand God’s attitude toward humankind’s various issues? Shouldn’t people then understand how God treats people’s innate conditions, corrupt dispositions, and humanity? (Yes.) After understanding these things, people’s notions about God’s work and God’s disposition essence should be resolved. Recently, we have fellowshipped on the classifications of all kinds of people. Tell Me, why do you think we fellowshipped on this topic? (Fellowshipping on the classifications of all kinds of people is, in one respect, to help us learn to discern all kinds of people—who is reincarnated from humans, who is reincarnated from animals, and who is reincarnated from devils. Once we have discernment, we will have principles in how we treat people. In another respect, it enables us to have some understanding of the truth regarding exactly what kind of people God saves, so that we will not treat God’s work based on our notions and imaginings.) In short, fellowshipping on these things allows people to understand how God views all kinds of people, how He treats all kinds of people, and how He handles all kinds of people. By understanding the essences of all kinds of people, or by understanding the various issues of humankind—both the kind people have innately and those that develop later—people can basically have accurate knowledge of what God’s principles for treating the various issues of humankind are. Once people know these things, their notions and imaginings involving God’s work and God’s disposition essence are largely resolved. We have finished fellowshipping on the issues involving God’s work and God’s disposition essence under the topic of people’s notions and imaginings. You should slowly experience and appreciate what has been fellowshipped for yourselves, and over time, you will gain some knowledge of God. When you encounter these kinds of issues in life, you should take these words and match them up against such issues, seek and pray-read more, and then resolve the problems you’ve encountered in real life based on the principles or content that have been fellowshipped.

Regarding people’s notions and imaginings, there is still one last point we haven’t fellowshipped on, which is people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God. Is there a need to fellowship on this issue? (Yes.) What notions and imaginings do you have regarding the incarnate God, this special identity? Do you know what exactly your biggest problem or difficulty regarding the incarnate God is? For most people, direct contact with the incarnate God is nothing more than listening to sermons and the fellowship during gatherings. Only a small number of people have actual face-to-face contact with the incarnate God, or even have some limited interactions with Him in life. Then, when listening to fellowship during gatherings, or when coming into contact and interacting with Him in work or in life, what are your notions and imaginings about the incarnate God? What are your actual problems and difficulties? People definitely have notions and imaginings about the incarnate God; it is impossible for them not to. People do not live in a vacuum, nor are they like robots that cannot think. If you can think, you have an active mind, and if you have an active mind, you will definitely have thoughts when coming into contact with the incarnate God. These thoughts are often people’s notions and imaginings; they do not involve the truth, nor are they in line with the truth. It’s just that most people, after believing in God for three to five years, basically have a certain degree of recognition and acceptance of the incarnate God. Therefore, even if they have some notions, because they have heard a lot of the truth, when they encounter these things, they can resolve them on their own using a basic principle or their own unique methods—perhaps by reading God’s words, or pruning themselves, or praying—and most of the time, their notions and imaginings about God can be resolved. Then, are they resolved because people have understood the truth, or is it because they have temporarily defused them using human methods and means? (They are temporarily defused.) That is, this problem remains unresolved. On the surface, everything seems calm and tranquil with them, and for a while they have no notions, but the root of this problem still lies hidden inside of them and has not been eradicated. Tell Me, is it good that this problem has not been eradicated? (No.) Why is it not good? What impact will it have on people? (People have notions and imaginings about the incarnate God, and once the circumstances line up, they will erupt. For example, when they encounter things that don’t go as they expect, they will misunderstand and complain about God, or they will rebel against and resist God.) This is a real problem. If notions and imaginings about the incarnate God cannot be resolved at their root, they will always exist within you as a problem and they will have some impact on you. When you haven’t encountered any particular circumstances, and you just read God’s words and, in your heart, believe in God’s identity and essence, as well as His disposition, then this problem has not yet had any impact on you. If, when the incarnate God interacts with you, talks with you, or assigns work to you, you encounter pruning or things that don’t go as you expect, your notions and imaginings can exert some negative effects within you. If your notions and imaginings about the incarnate God are resolved, when you encounter these things, you might still feel pain and discomfort, and in more serious cases you might even develop rebelliousness, but you will proactively come before God to seek the truth to resolve these issues, rather than treating the incarnate God as an ordinary person, or rebelling against Him, resisting Him, and standing in opposition to Him.

Let’s fellowship on how people should resolve their notions and imaginings about the incarnate God. Actually, this problem is easier to resolve than people’s notions and imaginings involving God’s work and God’s disposition essence, which we fellowshipped on previously. God’s work is very broad in scope, and includes lots of content, with many truths that people need to know and understand. Furthermore, God’s disposition essence is even more so the most profound truth among all the truths that believers in God should understand, and it is also the hardest for people to know. However, compared to those two aspects of the truth, the truth regarding the incarnate God is more direct for people, so notions and imaginings involving the incarnate God are also easier to resolve. This is because, compared to God’s work and God’s disposition essence, God incarnate is, after all, thoroughly real—He can be seen and touched by people. He is not abstract; rather, He has a specific voice and can express Himself verbally, and has a specific outward appearance, image, disposition, and personality that people can come into contact with, in addition to the various aspects of the truth that He expresses. Therefore, compared to people’s notions and imaginings about God’s work and God’s disposition essence, people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God are more concrete. The more concrete something is, the easier it is for people to know, the easier it is for them to match themselves up against, and the easier it is for them to resolve. This is how it works in theory, but specifically, how should people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God be resolved? There are two paths of practice, which is to say, there are two principles of practice regarding the correct attitude people should adopt toward the incarnate God. The first is to not compare Him with the God in heaven. The second, which is also very important, is to not put Him on a par with corrupt humankind. If you can do these two things, your notions and imaginings about the incarnate God will basically be considered resolved at their root. Look, is this path of practicing according to these two principles correct? (Yes.) Why are these two paths the way to resolve people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God? (Because people are most prone to making these two mistakes. When God becomes flesh, people imagine the incarnate God to be very nebulous, thinking He can perform signs and wonders like the God in heaven, and so on. People are also prone to putting the incarnate God on a par with corrupt humankind, which easily offends God’s disposition.) You see this matter clearly, right? (Yes.) The reason why these two items form the paths and principles for resolving people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God is that the notions and imaginings people develop about the incarnate God mainly consist of these two aspects. In one respect, regarding the incarnate God, if people determine that He is the God who comes from heaven, that He has God’s Spirit indwelling Him as His life, and that He is God’s Spirit realized in the flesh, and if they determine that His identity is special and that He is the expression of the God in heaven, then they will compare Him with the God in heaven. In another respect, because the incarnate God looks no different from human beings on the outside and is just an ordinary person, people cannot help but treat Him as a member of corrupt humankind. People are very fond of comparing Him or putting Him on a par with corrupt humankind, and even regard the incarnate God as a member of humankind who is no different from corrupt man. These two aspects are the origin of the notions and imaginings people develop about the incarnate God. These two aspects are also the root cause of the mistakes people often make in their treatment of the incarnate God, and of the various problems of rebelliousness, resistance, and opposition that arise in their treatment of the incarnate God. Therefore, if these two problems are resolved, the notions and imaginings, as well as the rebelliousness and opposition, that you develop regarding the incarnate God will also gradually be resolved. Since these two paths of practice are so important, let’s fellowship on the details one by one.

To resolve people’s notions and imaginings about the incarnate God, the first principle of practice is to not compare Him with the God in heaven. The God in heaven is a spiritual body, and the God on earth is flesh. Not comparing Him with the God in heaven certainly means not trying to look at the God in heaven and the incarnate God side by side. Because the identity and essence of the incarnate God, as well as the work He does, all represent the God in heaven, it’s natural for people to often place the incarnate God and the God in heaven together to compare Them. So what is wrong with comparing Them? Why can’t They be compared? First, look at what people generally compare, and then you will know whether it is right for people to compare Them in this way. So, what do people compare when they compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven? They compare Their power, Their authority, and Their dispositions, and they even go more specific, comparing whether They perform signs and wonders, the power of Their words, and the results achieved by Their words. What else do they compare? (The God in heaven speaks like thunder, making everyone feel scared, whereas the incarnate God speaks in an ordinary, normal, and very real way. People also make comparisons in this regard.) That is, they compare many supernatural abilities. The God in heaven created all things; the God in heaven speaks like thunder; the God in heaven can bring the dead back to life; the God in heaven sees from the beginning to the present; the God in heaven speaks, and it comes into being, He commands, and it is established; the God in heaven can turn something into nothing, and nothing into something; the God in heaven can perform various signs and wonders, and so on. People compare all these things: what the God in heaven does and says, the power, authority, almightiness, and disposition He exhibits, as well as His supremacy and omnipotence. What else? The God in heaven holds sovereignty over all things and orchestrates all things, and He also holds sovereignty over and arranges people’s fates; the God in heaven sets up all kinds of environments for people; He scrutinizes all things, scrutinizes the whole earth, and scrutinizes people’s every move and every word and deed, knowing what every person thinks and feels. Whether all such things are imagined in people’s notions or whether they’re things people have had a profound sense of, ultimately, they are all part of the essence possessed by the God in heaven and some actual phenomena He can exhibit, which people can imagine within the scope of their ability to understand. These are the manifestations of how the God in heaven acts; specifically, they are what God’s Spirit can do. Some of these aspects match and are related to God’s Spirit, while some are adulterated with people’s notions and imaginings. But whether they are people’s notions and imaginings or what is true of God’s Spirit, ultimately, these things are all part of the living out, or the essence and revelations, that the God in heaven possesses and bears, and which He can achieve. Precisely because they are the essence, disposition, or power possessed and borne by the God in heaven, these manifestations and revelations are only related to God’s Spirit—that is, they are related to God’s inherent identity and essence. The essence, disposition, or power possessed and borne by the God in heaven that people can imagine, feel, or know is extraordinary and great relative to created humankind, and it is even more so beyond the reach of any human being with the attributes of a created being; He transcends all created and non-created beings. The essence and power that the incarnate God Himself possesses and bears or reveals are all inherent to God; they are some of God’s disposition or God’s essence that surpass what all created and non-created beings can imagine, know, or grasp. As for exactly how great God is, exactly how much power He has, and exactly how much He transcends all things, to created humankind, this will always be an unsolvable mystery. People cannot possibly know God completely; what they see is simply too limited. Setting aside the part regarding people’s unrealistic notions and imaginings about God, and just speaking of the true power, authority, and essence that God possesses, what the incarnate God can do, live out, and reveal is simply too limited. To use an inapt human metaphor to describe it, perhaps what the incarnate God lives out, reveals, and can do is merely a drop in the ocean or the tip of the iceberg of God’s inherent identity and essence, and nothing more. That is, what the incarnate God can live out and reveal of God’s identity, God’s disposition essence, and God’s power is very limited. Because the incarnate God is God living among people in the form of a created human being, what He can do, and the instincts and innate nature He can live out, are very limited. Even though He is God’s Spirit realized in the flesh and has God’s Spirit indwelling Him, because this flesh is in the form of a member of created humankind, the essence of God and the disposition of God that He can live out, reveal, and express are very limited. This is one reason. In another respect, each time God becomes flesh, it is an inevitable result of the needs of God’s work—that is, an inevitable need of a stage of God’s work, which is to say, this stage of God’s work requires God to become flesh, meaning God must become flesh to do this stage of work. Since God needs to become flesh, He does this stage of work by way of His incarnation, and there are the various aspects of God’s disposition, essence, and power that God is to express and that are needed for this stage of work. Whatever aspects of disposition, essence, and power God needs in this stage of work, when He becomes flesh, He realizes the disposition, essence, and power of God related to the needs of this stage of work in this flesh. Simply put, this flesh can achieve whatever work is needed by this stage of the work of God’s incarnation. For example, this stage of work in the last days requires doing the work of chastisement and judgment. The incarnate God can then express God’s wrath, majesty, and God’s righteous disposition; He can express this kind of disposition, and can also do this kind of work. During this incarnation of God, what people see and experience includes God’s chastisement and judgment, God’s wrath, God’s majesty, and God’s righteous disposition. When the work done by the incarnate God is the work of redemption, bestowing grace and blessings upon humankind and pardoning people’s sins, then the image of God represented by the incarnate God is one full of mercy and lovingkindness, full of patience and forbearance, and full of love, and He also bestows abundant grace upon people—such are the obvious characteristics of the disposition and essence of God in that stage of work. Therefore, no matter which of God’s incarnations it is, it is impossible for people to see or know the disposition and essence of the God in heaven comprehensively. For example, one of the characteristics of the Lord Jesus that believers during the Age of Grace saw was that He had immense forbearance, patience, and forgiveness for people, as well as abundant mercy and lovingkindness. Therefore, some believers in the Lord could experience the patience, forbearance, and boundless, measureless love that came from God—that is, the mercy and lovingkindness that came from God. In the Age of Grace, the main characteristic of the incarnate God doing the work of redemption was mercy and lovingkindness. However, in this stage of work in the last days, because the incarnate God intends to resolve people’s corrupt dispositions rather than pardon people’s sins, what people experience from the incarnate God in this stage of work is God’s majesty, wrath, judgment, and chastisement. People even see God’s unsparing side, seeing Him judge and expose people unsparingly—practically each time He speaks, the basic content is the continuous, ceaseless, and tireless exposure of the various corrupt dispositions, revelations of corruption, and corrupt states in people. What people see in God incarnate this time is God’s majesty and wrath, God’s intolerance of offense, and God’s righteous disposition; what they experience is God’s chastisement and judgment, and trials and refinement. In everything God says, people experience God’s righteousness, majesty, and intolerance of offense, and also often feel God’s anger, hatred, detestation, and rejection toward humankind, and even His curses and condemnation. Although the incarnate God is fully capable of representing God Himself, representing God’s identity, God’s disposition, and God’s essence, because this form of God’s incarnated flesh is different from the form of God’s inherent identity, He is limited by this form of the flesh and by the instincts of this form. What people can see of God’s essence, God’s disposition, and God’s power in the incarnate God is limited relative to God’s inherent identity and essence. This is very normal. People should understand this, and should not blindly compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven, and then, when they cannot match Them up, become greatly disappointed, judge and condemn Him, reject God, and deny God’s identity, God’s work, or God’s essence. Some people even develop notions because of a single matter, try to match the incarnate God up with the God in heaven, and when they fail to make a match, become negative and weak, with some even entertaining the idea of giving up on their belief. This is a very foolish manifestation, and also a very ignorant one.

In terms of His identity and essence, the incarnate God is related to God; He possesses God’s identity and essence. However, because His fleshly form and the attributes of the flesh itself are related to the instincts of created humankind and are limited to the scope of these instincts, no matter what work the incarnate God does this time, what He can do, what He can achieve, and the identity and essence of God that He can represent are only related to His work and ministry in this incarnation. He can represent whatever identity and essence of God correspond to His ministry and work this time. The work to be done this time represents God’s identity and essence, and represents God’s disposition. Whatever disposition of God He is to represent, whatever disposition of God He is to express, and whatever work of God He is to do, He will represent the relevant disposition of God; He will be able to represent the relevant disposition of God and do the relevant work that God intends to do, but it is impossible for Him to represent all of it. The work done in any of God’s incarnations is sufficient to represent the disposition God intends to express in that incarnation, and is also sufficient to express the work God intends to do in that incarnation. Moreover, the disposition God expresses and the essence He reveals are not at all contradictory to God’s inherent identity and essence, nor does He make any mistakes in this regard. Because the identity and essence of the incarnate God are completely one with God’s inherent essence or the essence of the God in heaven, whether in terms of His words, the life He lives, or His work, or in terms of God’s disposition, essence, and other aspects that people can see, the incarnate God is identical to the God in heaven; They are the same. Regardless of whether He can represent God in His entirety, and regardless of whether people can see God in His entirety, in short, His identity and essence originate from the God in heaven. Even if, in your view, the incarnate God cannot represent the God in heaven in His entirety, His identity and essence are still that of God Himself. Even if, after comparing Them for many years, you still cannot discover any relationship between the incarnate God and the God in heaven that you know, the identity and essence of the incarnate God still do not change, because this is a fact. And what is this fact? It is that the essence of the incarnate God is the essence of the God in heaven, and His identity never changes because of His essence—it is the identity of God. Perhaps thirty years ago, most people would not have believed Me if I had said this, but after thirty years, I think I am qualified to say this. Why do I say that? If these thirty years of work had not been done, and if these truths had not been expressed, it would be a bit premature to say “the incarnate God represents God Himself.” This is because without the expression of God’s words, the expression of God’s disposition, and the expression of God’s identity and essence, if you said “the incarnate God represents God Himself,” people would think you were abnormal, or they would think you were outrageously rebellious. But with so much expression of God’s words, and so much expression of God’s disposition essence and God’s inherent identity, do you think it’s going too far to say “the incarnate God represents God Himself”? (No.) Is this an exaggeration? Is it inappropriate? (No.) It is not a boast. Therefore, whether the incarnate God can represent the God in heaven, whether He possesses the disposition and essence of the God in heaven, and whether He possesses the identity of the God in heaven cannot be judged by His outward appearance. Perhaps His outward appearance is very insignificant, and He looks very ordinary and normal, even being dismissed by some people; perhaps He has no qualities that are above average, nor any supernatural manifestations, much less any so-called unique traits in the eyes of corrupt humankind, or anything that corrupt humankind admires, looks up to, or marvels at. But because the work He does, His essence, and His disposition are capable of expressing the disposition and essence of the God in heaven, it can be determined that His identity is that of God incarnate, that of God Himself.

Let’s continue fellowshipping on the topic of not comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven. We just mentioned that when most people come into contact with the incarnate God, they like to compare Him with the God in heaven. Having fellowshipped up to this point, tell Me, is it appropriate to compare Them like this? (No.) Isn’t this making a huge mistake? (Yes.) Is it foolish to make this mistake? Are there any adverse consequences? (Yes.) What are they? (When people delimit God based on their notions and imaginings, they are liable to rebel against and resist God, and they are also liable to not accept God’s work or God’s salvation; the consequences are very serious.) You must treat the incarnate God rationally. So what should you do to be rational? You must ponder: What does it mean that the God in heaven has now become flesh to do His work? Right now, it is the incarnate God who has the final say. He can represent the God in heaven with full authority to do the work of judgment in the last days. Therefore, if you have any issues or problems, you must seek from the incarnate God. Since He can represent the God in heaven, He can resolve your problems; He can represent the God in heaven in resolving the problems in your life, the problems with your belief in God, the problems regarding your salvation, and the problems regarding your future destination and fate. On the other hand, if you pray to and seek from the God in heaven, but ignore this God on earth, and ignore the incarnate God, then go ahead and see if you can still receive clear instructions, clear enlightenment and light, and a clear path of practice. If you can gain these things by praying to and looking to the God in heaven, then that is actually quite good, and you won’t need to seek from the incarnate God. But if, after praying to, seeking from, and looking to the God in heaven for a long time, you still haven’t received clear light, a path of practice, or a clear solution, what should you do? (Seek the truth principles within God’s words.) Then there is no other way; you can only seek the words spoken and the work done by the incarnate God. Get off your high horse; your self-importance cannot save you, it can only harm you. The God in heaven is almighty, lofty, great, extraordinary, and transcendent, but humankind cannot reach Him. When He speaks, you cannot understand or hear Him. If God really spoke to you, your mortal flesh would simply not be able to bear it or withstand it. So what should you do? You must seek from the incarnate God, and see what words the incarnate God has spoken and what work He has done on earth, and what His various requirements for you are. Understanding these things is the most important. Do not always pray to and look to the God in heaven, always waiting for the God in heaven to give you revelations. If you do this, the God in heaven will ignore you. The God in heaven has said, “I am now doing work on earth, making utterances and speaking. You can hear and understand the words I speak, and these words can resolve the problems in your practice and resolve your corrupt dispositions.” So what should you do? You cannot always wait for the God in heaven to speak to you personally. You must “condescend” to come before the incarnate God and come before His words to seek the truth, so that you may gain provision and help. This is called having rationality; this is treating the incarnate God rationally. In one respect, when you see the outward appearance and looks of the incarnate God or hear Him speak, do not compare Him with the God in heaven; just treat Him as an ordinary, normal, real person who can represent God. In another respect, you do not need to take the words He speaks, His requirements of you, and His instructions to you and scrutinize them, puzzle over them, verify them, discuss them, or subject them to processing. Just practice and implement them directly, and submit directly; there is no need to pray to, seek from, or verify them with the God in heaven behind the incarnate God’s back. If you insist on getting verification so that you feel at ease in your spirit and willing in your heart before you practice, implement, and submit, isn’t this very troublesome? (Yes.) Are there people who do this? Most people who have believed in God for eight or ten years and have become completely certain about God in their hearts do not do this; they find it too troublesome. It’s always people who have believed for less than three years who tend to do this. How do they pray to the God in heaven? They say, “God, please let me submit to Your incarnate flesh. God, please let me submit to the words You speak on earth. God, please let me submit to what You express on earth. God, please help me let go of the notions I have about Your incarnate flesh.” When they pray like this, who are they praying to? (The God in heaven.) Tell Me, do people who usually pray like this have the moving of the Holy Spirit? Do they have God’s presence? (No.) They do not, and it is not easy for them to gain it. Does God pay any attention to such people? (No.)

Since the incarnate God is flesh, He is an ordinary, normal Son of man. When speaking of an ordinary, normal Son of man, it means He possesses the instincts and innate conditions of an ordinary, normal person, as well as the personality, range of emotions, manner of expression, and style of speech of normal humanity. What else? A way of thinking, a lifestyle, and living habits, as well as the various choices of normal humanity regarding all aspects of life. What do these choices include? For example, a preferred living environment, favorite colors, and some preferences and choices regarding basic necessities. With this outward appearance, these instincts, and innate conditions of normal humanity, as well as the various manifestations that are within the scope of normal human life, it can be said with certainty that the incarnate God is a completely standard, normal person, an ordinary member of created humankind. In terms of His attributes and form of existence, the incarnate God is completely different from the God in heaven, that is, from God’s Spirit; His outward appearance is also completely different from that of God’s Spirit. During the period of the incarnate God’s work, what He reveals and is capable of doing is something that human eyes can see and human minds can comprehend. However, people’s knowledge of God’s disposition, God’s essence, and God’s inherent identity is very limited. Coupled with the fact that people themselves harbor many notions and imaginings about God, the various manifestations of the incarnate God’s humanity pose some difficulties for people. For example, the words I use when I speak are everyday language, and I also often use some colloquialisms and vernacular. People will then compare Me with the God in heaven, saying, “The God in heaven should speak eloquently and use elegant words. Why are the words this person uses not elegant? He even uses some colloquialisms and vernacular language, and sometimes uses vocabulary and expressions related to daily necessities.” For example, I like a certain color, and someone says, “How can You like this color? This color doesn’t look pure or holy! Shouldn’t God like white? Shouldn’t God like sky blue or green? How can You like this color? This color doesn’t represent God’s identity and essence!” They then develop notions in their heart. But I say I really do like this color—how should you approach this? (We should approach it correctly.) The incarnate God has normal humanity. Living within normal humanity, He has to come into contact with all kinds of things that fall within the scope of a normal human life. So, regarding basic necessities, He has His personal preferences. These preferences might align with those of the God in your notions and imaginings, or they might not. What if they don’t align? Are you wrong, or am I wrong? I think that I am not wrong, because I have the right to choose the things I like. I haven’t forced them on you, nor have I said they are the truth and you must accept them. You also have your rights, and I never interfere with them. I never condemn you for liking white or blue, so you shouldn’t condemn Me for liking other colors either, should you? Some people say, “That won’t do. What You represent is different from what I represent. I represent corrupt humans, and You represent the God in heaven. How can that be the same?” I do represent the God in heaven, but the God in heaven does not condemn the colors I like. You think white is holy, but look at all the things created by the God in heaven—they come in all colors. The flowers God created come in a medley of colors. Sometimes there are even dark clouds among the others in the sky, and dark clouds are gray. In the summer when it’s too hot, as soon as dark clouds block the sun, you feel cool and comfortable, and you thank God for His grace. Isn’t this a good thing? (Yes.) Some other people say, “Green is good; the green created by God represents life.” This is incorrect. Look at the grains God created. For example, doesn’t corn come in many colors? There is yellow, white, purple, and black corn. Can you say that corn doesn’t represent life? Corn is created by God. It can take root, sprout, flower, and bear fruit. It is organic, and it also represents life. Also, are all tree leaves green? (No, there are also purple, yellow, and red leaves.) These are all colors of leaves; do they not represent life? (They do.) So, when some people say “green represents life,” aren’t they wrong? (Yes.) Then is it appropriate for some people to say “white represents purity”? Isn’t this nonsense? White just looks a bit cleaner and brighter; it doesn’t represent purity. Even if you wear white clothes your whole life, it doesn’t mean you are pure; you are still a corrupt human being. Therefore, there are no regulations when it comes to choosing colors. It’s just based on one’s skin tone, personal preference, and personality, and of course on the season, climate, and temperature. White is just a color; it doesn’t represent anything. What about black? Some people say, “Black represents darkness, death, and the devil, so black is bad!” Tell Me, is it good to condemn black? (No.) Sometimes I also wear black clothes, such as a black woolen overcoat, windbreaker, sweater, or pants, and in winter, I sometimes wear a black scarf and black gloves. Some people say, “Doesn’t black represent darkness and Satan? How can You wear black clothes? Don’t You represent God? If You wear black while representing God, isn’t that misrepresenting Him? The God in heaven definitely doesn’t like black.” I say you are wrong. How do you know the God in heaven doesn’t like black? When did you hear God say He doesn’t like black? Is it recorded in the Bible, or did a messenger convey it to you? Look at the black foods among the grains and legumes, such as black beans, black rice, and black sesame seeds—weren’t they created by God? (Yes.) People like to eat these black foods, and they supposedly nourish the body. Also, silkie chickens are completely black, and their nutritional value is greater than that of ordinary chickens. There are also snakeheads among fish, black bears among mammals, and crows among birds—are they not black? (Yes.) There are black stones, people with black hair, and people with black skin. When some people have shiny black hair, they always show it off in front of others, saying, “Look how black my hair is; it’s so beautiful!” When white hairs increase, they start to worry, feeling that they have grown old. What does white represent then? (Aging.) It represents aging, a decline in bodily functions, and even the march toward death. The more white hairs people have, the more gloomy, despondent, and distressed they become, and they reminisce about how good it was to have black hair when they were young. At this time, they realize how foolish they were to say “white represents holiness,” and they no longer say that black represents darkness, the devil, and Satan; they no longer speak blindly based on their notions. People will understand these things after going through some experiences, but some people never understand them even when they reach old age. People harbor notions in their hearts about many things. When they hear what I say, or see what I am going to do or what choices I make, they cannot help but try to match Me up against the God in heaven, and they develop some notions. They often develop notions especially regarding things in life that they can come into contact with and see. You see, people cannot help but develop notions regarding the choice of colors, and they cannot even approach this minor matter rationally and make a correct judgment. For example, you see that the clothes worn by Buddhist nuns and monks are gray, so you think gray represents Buddhist nuns and monks. Therefore, if I choose a gray top for you, you think, “Aren’t we Christians? Aren’t You the incarnate God? How can You still choose gray clothes? Only Buddhist nuns and monks wear gray! How can believers in God wear the color worn by Buddhist nuns and monks? Isn’t this equating us with Buddhism? You don’t even avoid this taboo!” I say, what is there to avoid? All colors were created by God. I have My reasons for whatever color I like, and moreover, it is definitely good for you and beneficial to you. You always draw correlations between monks and nuns with the color gray, or with believers in God, or with yourself—that is your problem. I don’t think of it in such a complicated way. Thinking that way means you are irrational. You are viewing this color from the perspective of your notions and imaginings, you have added your own meaning to this color, and you have interpreted this color in a distorted way. Ultimately, you restrict yourself to only liking white and only wearing white. But when you see your head full of white hair, your skin and complexion turning pale, or you develop vitiligo, you become unhappy, and you no longer say you like white, nor do you say white represents purity. People are even brimming with notions about what colors the incarnate God likes and chooses. Tell Me, isn’t this very troublesome? I wonder: Have these people actually understood the many truths I have fellowshipped? If they cannot even understand this minor matter, can they understand the truth, which is so complex? I doubt whether they actually understand the truth. It’s hard to say, right? (Yes.) They only understand some doctrines but do not understand the truth, yet they still blindly apply regulations to and pass judgment on some things in real life. Isn’t this people’s distortion? (Yes.)

Tell Me, how should people view and understand the various colors? Look at this human world: The objects and living things that people can see with the naked eye—whether mobile or stationary—come in all kinds of colors, and they were all created by God. Fish, birds, fierce animals, herbivores, poultry, and livestock come in all kinds of colors; the fruits borne on trees and on the ground come in all kinds of colors. What have you understood from these abundant colors? God created the colors of various stationary objects to provide a suitable living environment for created humankind; these colors are beneficial to people’s eyes and senses, as well as to the survival of their entire body. God has considered all of this. For God, there is a particular reason for using a certain color, or in designing the form and size of something, as well as its living habits and patterns; there are no regulations with God. Not only does God not abide by regulations in creating all things, but there is also a most fundamental principle: Judging from their colors, forms, living habits, and functions, as well as the role each plays among all things, they all make people suited to surviving in such an environment, and enable people to absorb the different nutrients they need from various foods; they were created based on these things. Because people are too insignificant and what they can see with their naked eyes is limited, within the scope of what they can see with their naked eyes, they delimit God as being like this or like that, and think that God should act this way or that way. For example, in people’s imaginings, Satan generally emerges from the darkness, so people think, “Black is bad. God doesn’t like black; God doesn’t create black things.” You are wrong to think this way! There are many black things that are beneficial to people. For example, some foods, like black beans and black sesame seeds, are black, but they are beneficial to the human body. Also, the colors of some birds and animals are black, and they even make up some state-protected species. Therefore, it is wrong for you to determine whether something is good or bad based on its color. Satan’s choice of black does not prove that black is bad, nor does it prove that black is something God dislikes or condemns. Then why does Satan choose black? Because Satan is wicked and vicious, it cannot bear the light, and it likes to conceal itself in darkness. Only by concealing itself in darkness can it avoid being discovered by people. It chooses black to make it easier to hide, deceive, do bad things, and commit evil. But you cannot condemn black just because Satan chooses it. Compared to white, black at most just makes it easier for Satan to hide, and is utilized by Satan, so Satan prefers black. Because God is light, He often walks in the light, speaks to people in the light, and appears to people in the light. God lives in the light, and God always chooses white light. So people think, “God doesn’t like other colors; God only likes white.” Isn’t this viewpoint wrong? (Yes.) Look at all the things created by God—they come in all kinds of colors. So where do all these different colors come from? They all originate from God’s thoughts. If you condemn the various colors that originate from God’s thoughts, what kind of problem is this? Isn’t this rebellion? (Yes.) This is too idiotic! If you can come into contact with, see, or hear the manifestations of the incarnate God’s normal humanity, you should treat them correctly. As long as they do not affect or hinder your acceptance of the truth, you should not make these things into a big deal, researching and analyzing them, then blowing them out of proportion, and ultimately developing notions, and judging, condemning, resisting, and rejecting the incarnate God. That would be so wrong! Such people are without conscience and reason.

Since the incarnate God is an ordinary, normal person, He has His fixed, normal scope of life, living habits, and even living patterns, as well as all the various choices, trade-offs, and range of emotions involved in human life. Regarding the normal humanity of the incarnate God, in one respect, people should approach it correctly from a rational perspective; in another respect, they should have a correct understanding of it. If you develop notions because you see, hear, or come into contact with what the incarnate God does regarding His life and normal humanity, the simplest method to ensure this does not affect your life entry or your acceptance of God’s words is to not try to match the incarnate God up against the God in heaven. The incarnate God lives in normal humanity; He has His freedom, He has the ministry He ought to perform, and He also has a normal human life. You should approach this correctly. You see, God’s third stage of work to save people requires the expression of many truths. When fellowshipping on various aspects of the truth, He uses everyday language, often incorporating colloquialisms, vernacular language, and local dialects, and sometimes employing special ways of expression. As long as the words spoken are all the truth, and are all truths you should understand and enter into, then you should submit; in this way, you can attain salvation. If you are always nitpicking, always scrutinizing, and always having doubts, then you will not gain the truth, and you will miss the precious opportunity of the incarnate God saving people. So how should you correctly approach the work of the incarnate God? First, you must have reason, you must learn to submit to God’s work, you must focus on your proper tasks and walk the path of pursuing the truth, and you must focus on resolving your corrupt dispositions to attain salvation. This is the most important thing. There is no need for you to scrutinize God all day long. No matter how many notions and imaginings you have, they are not the truth. You could cling to your notions for a lifetime and still not gain the truth, still having to go to hell in the end. Once you see through these issues, you will be able to enter the right track of believing in God, and you will be able to let go of your notions and imaginings when reading God’s words. First, see if there is truth to be sought in these words. If these words contain the truth and God’s intentions, and they can enable you to understand an aspect of the truth principles, then be more broad-minded; don’t fuss over every detail, don’t be small-minded, and don’t get hung up on it. What should you think in your heart? “Although the incarnate God is an ordinary person with normal humanity, He can express the truth, and He can represent God. Even if we have some learning and can speak eloquently, we cannot express the truth, nor can we express God’s disposition and what God has and is, nor can we fellowship the truth principles clearly. No matter how much knowledge we have or how high our status is, it does not mean we possess the truth, nor can we represent God. Although the incarnate God speaks in everyday language that is simple and easy to understand, the words He speaks are all the truth. He can also fellowship the truth principles thoroughly and resolve people’s various problems. This is enough. Don’t people believe in God to gain the truth? I should not always nitpick and try to find fault; that is neglecting my proper tasks.” If you have this attitude, you will be able to understand the truth when you read God’s words, and you will be able to pursue the truth. If you do not possess this attitude, and do not seek the truth and always nitpick over the words when listening to sermons, and you always have notions about the incarnate God’s words and work, this will affect your understanding of the truth. Some people always compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven, always asking, “Why isn’t the incarnate God a spiritual body? Why doesn’t the flesh speak with a voice of thunder like the God in heaven?” They also believe that it is impossible for the incarnate God to be the true God making utterances and speaking. They believe that the true God’s actions must exceed people’s imaginings—if He speaks just like a normal person, how could that be God’s appearance and work? They just don’t ponder, “Can a human express the truth? The incarnate God can express so many truths; is this something a person can achieve? Not many people can see this clearly. God expressing so many truths is the greatest thing God has done among mankind, and it is something no person can achieve.” In order for people to understand, when I fellowship the truth, I must fellowship it in a way that is plain and easy to understand; I must speak in detail, say things repeatedly, and also give examples. This causes many people to develop notions. If I really fellowshipped in a generalized way, how many people would be able to grasp what I say? Not a single person would be able to grasp it, mainly because your stature is too small. I explain things in such detail, so detailed that it becomes long‑winded, and even I Myself feel sick of it and don’t want to keep talking about it, but some people still don’t get what I’m saying, and think to themselves, “Why not give a couple more examples?” I have spoken to the point of feeling sick of it and not wanting to continue, so how come you still don’t get it? That proves you don’t have a human brain, you do not have the ability to comprehend the truth, and no matter how much detail I go into, you still won’t understand it. Fellowshipping like this, striving to ensure that anyone with a bit of comprehension ability can understand and have a path of practice, will inevitably be a bit long-winded. On top of that, the energy and other aspects of normal humanity are limited. Especially when fellowshipping the truth, some things are very difficult to put into words, and human language is too lacking. Therefore, sometimes it is very difficult to find the right word within two or three seconds, and I can only use a word that’s roughly equivalent to achieve a bit of an effect, and that is enough. But every time I fellowship, I strive to ensure that the words I fellowship can revolve around one topic, so that you can have an understanding of this aspect of the truth, and ultimately have a path to follow when you encounter all kinds of things in your actual experience. This is extremely beneficial to your life experience. Although speaking in such detail makes Me seem long-winded, when you encounter these kinds of problems, you will not feel lost—you will have a path to follow. You will no longer live amid words and doctrines, but instead have a practical path, a practical basis, and practical truth principles that you can match up to the situations you encounter to resolve your problems. Therefore, I do My utmost to do what the normal humanity of the incarnate God can achieve, and I do My utmost to say everything I can think of. When I speak to the point that you say you all understand and there is no need for Me to fellowship anymore, then I will stop speaking; I really do not want to keep speaking at such length.

You see, the God in heaven speaks simply. For example, Jehovah God told Moses, “Moses, come, I have something to say to you.” Moses quickly knelt down, God told him a few things to proclaim, and Moses proclaimed them according to Jehovah God’s instructions. Today, if the incarnate God tells you a few things and asks you to do them, during your practice, you will reveal all kinds of corrupt dispositions. At this time, will you be able to have principles of practice and a path of practice? (No.) You will not. So, you see that God’s Spirit speaks simply, but when God’s Spirit works and speaks some words, it is only when doing some special, singular things on special occasions and in special contexts that He has no choice but to do so. The work done by the incarnate God, however, is concrete and comprehensive. It’s not like God’s Spirit saying a few things to give people revelations, or saying a few things to issue a command or express a prophecy, and then concluding after having done this simple, singular item of work. The work of the incarnate God is to speak over a long period of time. The transformation of people’s dispositions and the casting off of their corrupt dispositions are not things that can be accomplished by saying a couple of things simply. Because humankind has been corrupted so very deeply, and the various poisons and dispositions of Satan have become deeply entrenched within people, to completely cleanse people’s corruption, the incarnate God must do concrete work, speak concrete words, and express the various aspects of the truth required for people to attain salvation. It is by working like this over such a long period of time that the words He speaks and the work He carries out appear very concrete, and perhaps even—in people’s eyes—very long-winded and protracted. Going by their notions, people think, “Oh, the incarnate God is not lightning fast in His work, nor does He resolve things swiftly. He speaks in too much detail and says too much; He’s a bit long-winded. He treats people like three-year-olds!” Given your stature, I don’t think you’re even at the level of a three-year-old—perhaps you’re at the level of a one- or two-year-old, or maybe even that of a baby. Treating you as a three-year-old is actually exalting you. When God speaks like thunder from heaven to tell people things, what kind of people is He addressing? He is addressing His messengers and the people used by Him. And what group of people is the incarnate God now facing? He is facing corrupt humankind, the humankind He intends to save, rather than speaking to and working on specific individuals. The nature of the work done by God’s Spirit and that done by the incarnate God are completely different. God’s Spirit could never live with corrupt humankind. Only the incarnate God can live with people, and tirelessly keep speaking to and working on corrupt humankind like this. The incarnate God comes among people and lives with them. Since He lives with them, He oversees everything. What is meant by overseeing everything? It means that issues involving how people conduct themselves, live, work, do their duties, and the path they walk, as well as issues involving people’s salvation, how people treat God, and how people know God, must all be resolved. The last time God became flesh, it was to be nailed to the cross to redeem people from sin. This time, God has become flesh to resolve people’s sinful nature at its root. So this stage of work requires God to speak many words and express many truths, and the duration of God’s work must also extend over a much greater span of time. God’s Spirit cannot live with humankind, because humankind’s attributes are different from those of God’s Spirit and God’s inherent identity. There is no way for them to live together. So, to put it somewhat inaptly, you look up to God in heaven, but God in heaven is a spiritual body, and He cannot always accompany humankind. Only when God becomes flesh and becomes an ordinary person can He accompany humankind in this way. It’s easy to understand when put this way, isn’t it? (Yes.) The incarnate God lives together with humankind, tirelessly speaking and working like this year after year. The incarnate God lives with people, and those around Him who can come into contact with Him have probably experienced some things: He has resolved all the problems regarding basic necessities that needed to be resolved for people, and He has also done a lot beyond the work He ought to do, including making films, revising scripts, directing videos, writing lines, writing interview scripts, and revising important articles. I have done all this work that I was not originally supposed to do. Doing this extra work physically and mentally exhausts Me, has made Me unable to rest, and has even delayed My preaching of sermons. Many people see these things but have no sense of them. I speak and work so tirelessly, yet most people still fall short and do not quite understand. I see that this humankind is truly pitiful, truly insignificant, and truly ignorant. Regardless of gender or age, people are nothing. If I’d said this before I did this work, you might have thought, “Aren’t You acting all high and mighty? You’re looking down on us.” But after interacting with these people for many years, I sigh from the bottom of My heart, “You people have truly made Me take such great pains for you! Your caliber is poor, and your rebelliousness is great. I’m really not looking down on you.” I am the most inconspicuous and least noticeable among you, and whether in terms of speech, looks, height, or learning, you find Me to be inferior to you, but through My actual contact and interactions with you over these years, what is the only thing I can say? Aside from the fact that the path you have chosen to walk of following the incarnate God is correct, you possess nothing else. You are just empty shells without life reality. As for your human life, it is simply a complete mess and in total disarray. Most people have no true skills or genuine learning, do not know how to live, do not know how to manage the environment or manage animals, and do not know how to take care of their personal hygiene. In everything they do they have no procedures, are disorganized, and don’t know how to get things started or wrap things up. Their character is also poor. They lack a serious, responsible, rigorous, and meticulous attitude in doing things. They just act perfunctorily to freeload, muddling through one day at a time. Yet these people all have extravagant desires, feel they’re better than others, and want to be in charge and issue commands for others to do things, but much to their regret, none of them have that ability. I do not like to be in charge issuing commands, nor do I like to sit on high giving orders and telling people what to do. I just like doing actual work, doing every job neatly and efficiently, methodically doing them well, and taking responsibility for them with the utmost seriousness to the very end. But most people really don’t have what it takes. They aren’t able to bear this responsibility, and they don’t have the skills or the capability to give orders. I’ve got to say that you cannot manage or maintain the environment. I have a certain blueprint and a certain plan in My mind, so I tell you My plan. I tell you how to work, how to arrange things, where to plant trees, where to lay grass, what to build where, where it’s suitable to place certain things, and how to manage certain things, and then you go and do it—that’s all it takes. When you’re finished, everyone sees that what’s been done indeed looks quite good. I have interacted with these people for five or six years, and their skills and capabilities have all been laid bare. I now know that the members of this humankind are probably all like this. Although I haven’t lived with the chosen people from all the different countries, your actual situation should be about the same as that of God’s chosen people in the Chinese churches in the US. I interact with these people, so they end up getting a bit of extra benefit and basking in My favor a little. You are far away, and I cannot come into contact with you, so you can only pursue the truth. The result is the same.

In becoming flesh to do work this time, what God does is primarily fellowship the various truths, allowing people to embark on the path of salvation by understanding, accepting, and practicing each truth, and ultimately attain salvation, which would thus bring to a close the work of God’s six-thousand-year management plan; this is the work that falls to God to do. As for how many parts of this work do not accord with people’s notions or are not quite in line with the God in heaven as people see it, they should let this all go. No matter what notions you have, as long as the words spoken and the work done by the incarnate God express the truth and God’s intentions, can represent God Himself, and represent God’s disposition and identity, then you should accept them and not nitpick. Furthermore, if you do constantly nitpick and have this or that notion about the incarnate God, which always hinders you from accepting the truth, then this is the most troublesome thing for you; it will bring you nothing but harm without the slightest benefit. Therefore, you should not treat the incarnate God based on your notions and imaginings, nor should you evaluate the incarnate God using your notions and imaginings. Instead, you should let go of your initial notions and imaginings about the incarnate God, as well as your current notions and imaginings about Him. No matter what notions and imaginings you have, you should reject them; you should dissect and come to know them, and then condemn and let go of them. Only after letting go of them can you have a clear heart with which to accept God’s words and the work of salvation God does on you, and only then can you come before God and have hope of attaining salvation. In addition to speaking to provide people with the truth and doing the work of chastising, judging, and saving people, the incarnate God actually also gives some helpful guidance regarding some matters in people’s lives. Although this work does not involve the truth or the work of saving people, and is not work included within the incarnate God’s ministry, in My contact and interactions with people in the Chinese churches in the US, I have also given plenty of guidance, criticism, and correction regarding the problems in their lives. Right? (Yes.) This is work I just do in passing. Most people seem on the outside as if they’re somewhat capable, but they cannot shoulder a single item of work, and even their living environments are a total mess. Seeing that there seemed to be basically no hope of getting these people to keep their living environments tidy and get their lives on the right track even within ten years, I participated in and guided them in some things, helping them tidy up the yard and arrange the environment. In some places, the tables, chairs, sofas, and potted plants in the rooms, the paintings and mirrors hanging on the walls, and the things in the bathrooms were all in complete disarray. To describe it with two phrases, it was “completely disorganized,” leaving you with “nowhere to even stand.” Even just trying to walk around inside would have you worried you might bump into something. Every time I went there, I felt unbearably stifled inside. Seeing how things were arranged inside made Me feel uncomfortable. All kinds of stuff were piled up in heaps, with many things having been put in the wrong place. Buckets and buckets of rice and flour were piled up in the study, yet there was nothing in the kitchen cabinets that were meant for storing grain. There were screwdrivers on the dish rack, and toolboxes in the refrigerator. I told the people there, “Do your tools need to be frozen? Are you afraid they’ll get too hot outside?” I just found it inconceivable. I have a habit: Upon stepping indoors, I like to first see if a place is arranged orderly and appropriately, and whether each item has been put where it should be. I observed their place a few times and really couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore. I said, “I have some free time today, so I will tidy up your place for you. After I finish tidying up, if you think it’s suitable, then keep it this way; if you think it’s not suitable, you can change it.” I roughly observed what basic furnishings there were, and then, based on the size and structure of the place, I got everyone to put the furniture, the various kitchen utensils, and their clothes in their respective places, arranging them properly. I also had them clear away the cobwebs and the sand and dust on the floor. After tidying up, everyone felt pretty good about it. They later maintained this basic arrangement; they just needed to keep it clean. I’ve also helped people design the environment of their yards. We put down flowering trees in some places, and maple trees in others, and put some flowers in flower beds. This kind of landscaping is quite nice. After everything is arranged, in some places, it’s maintained quite well, while in other places, no one takes things seriously and they don’t maintain anything. When the flowers and plants grow taller and branch out, they don’t even know they should trim them. I’ve wondered, are these people thickheaded or what? After the environment is arranged, they don’t know whether it is good or not, and they can’t tell what should be placed where. You put a table in the room, put a desk lamp on it, and put a few chairs around it. At night, reading books and listening to hymns under the lamp, it’s rather nice for someone to do their spiritual devotions in quiet here. People who don’t get this feel that there isn’t enough stuff in the room, so they put two more small tables in, and pile some rice, flour, and dog food on the tables. Wherever there is a bit of space, they stuff things in, cluttering the room until it looks like a warehouse. They feel it’s inconvenient to get things when they’re all sorted and stored away, and that it’s convenient to grab them at any time when everything is piled together. I say, “This is an environment for people to live in. If you don’t know how to take care of it or maintain it, what’s the difference between living like this and living in a pigsty?” Some people watch how I keep the living environment tidy and learn from this; they can pick some things up and understand a bit. But some people don’t even try to learn; they never maintain their own living environment or their personal hygiene. Wherever I go, if I see that the place is quite clean, there isn’t a surfeit of things, and it isn’t luxurious, but it’s quite neat, not a total mess, and there isn’t any trash, I feel quite willing to stay there. I feel that this place is really nice; it’s bright and clean, and tranquil. The place where I Myself live doesn’t need luxurious items or lavish furnishings. Chandeliers, Simmons mattresses, European-style furniture—I don’t need these. Just a simple bed, a dressing table, a desk, and a chair. Sitting there, I can read books, use the computer, and listen to songs. This is quite nice and quite simple. Having simple things is not the main thing. What is the main thing? It’s that everything is placed neatly. The books are arranged neatly there. Even with the clothes I’m not currently wearing, I don’t just throw them aside casually; rather, I fold them and put them away neatly—looking at them you can tell they’ve been organized. There’s no dust on the tables or dresser; if there is, I wipe it away. When I go to some places and see that the rooms are quite clean, it shows that the owner of the house is quite serious about cleanliness. In some places, the things in the rooms are in total disarray, and it’s also particularly dirty, with hairs, dust, cobwebs, insects, and everything else; it looks disgusting. I wouldn’t be willing to go to such a place. The places I like to stay are not necessarily especially comfortable, but they’ll certainly be neat and clean. In some places, you can smell a strange odor as soon as you go inside, and no one’s organized the things in the room; it’s a total mess. I wouldn’t be willing to stay in such a place. If I do have to go there to take care of something, I can try to endure it, but when I reach my limit, I would have them tidy it up. Some people are unwilling to tidy up, in which case I don’t mince words. I say, “Tidy up that pigsty of yours!” Tell Me, if someone doesn’t even know how to maintain their own living environment, what can they accomplish? In some places, the kitchen is kept quite clean. There are basically no flies, there’s no dust on the dining table, leftovers are covered with mesh food covers, there are no water stains around the sink, every rag is clean and neat, and there are no grease stains on any of the cabinet door handles. It’s so clean! This is knowing how to maintain a living environment. However, most people don’t know how to maintain their living environments. Even if you help them tidy up their rooms, they can only keep them like that for a few days. If you go back a few days later, they will be completely unrecognizable from before; you’ll think you’ve walked into the wrong room. However, in most places, I don’t go into anyone’s bedroom; I just go to common areas like the living room, kitchen, and dining room. If I find unsanitary areas, I’ll tidy up one or two of them. As for the places I don’t often go, they can arrange them however they please.

Some people get themselves cleaned up very nicely when filming movies or song and dance programs, looking quite sharp. But sometimes, under special circumstances, we need to have a video call to discuss work matters, and without having prepared, put on makeup, or groomed themselves, they get on the video call; as soon as I see them, I think, “Why are these people so unkempt? They don’t even tidy themselves up. Are they really that busy?” Some people keep lots of junk hidden throughout their bedrooms. They stash a bunch of food under their pillows and blankets, like cookies, sunflower seeds, and so on, as well as underwear, socks, and even computers, cell phones, notebooks, and so forth. When they go to sleep at night, they have to shove these things to the side to make room to sleep. These people cannot even keep the less than four square meters of space on their beds tidy. They put everything on their beds, and who knows how many days they might go without cleaning it up. When their blankets get damp and smell musty, they don’t air them out in the sun. As soon as you go in the room, you can smell the stench, which is also bad for their health. No matter what kind of house it is, the bedroom has to be ventilated. The air can only be fresh when you let the sun in. The mattress pads you lie on and the blankets you cover yourself with have to be aired out in the sun every so often. If they develop a strange odor or get dirty, they must be washed. This is the only way to stay hygienic. Also, putting a mess of things under the pillow is absolutely unacceptable; with those things there, I cannot sleep. Some people have this habit: They stuff all their personal items under their pillows and under their bedding. If they can’t find something, they’re guaranteed to be able to find it there. It’s not just men who have these bad habits; surprisingly, some are young women. These people usually look quite clean on the outside. When filming videos and making programs, they look very presentable, and their looks are not bad either. They look quite lively and glamorous. How come they don’t even know how to maintain their personal living environments and cannot even keep up basic hygiene? Tell Me, what could such people accomplish? Doing anything requires self-discipline; you should do things methodically and systematically, and be rigorous, meticulous, earnest, and responsible—you must possess these qualities of humanity. If, when it comes to your own private space and environment, you have a lazy, slack, casual, and irresponsible attitude, then how could you do the various items of church work well? Some people say, “I’m too busy with work. I have no time to take care of these things.” Isn’t this an excuse? (Yes.) To put it bluntly, such people are just lazy.

People with normal humanity all have requirements for their living environments. I also have requirements for My living environment. At the very least, it must be sanitary, clean, and neat, and be comfortable to look at. I won’t dwell on this further. Let’s just take God’s creation and management of all things—does He manage them well? All things created by God—the rivers and lakes with everything in them, the mountains, basins, and plains, and all kinds of animals and plants—are managed by Him. Tell Me, does God manage them well? (Yes.) Is every sort of living thing managed well? (Yes.) Is there anything chaotic or murky? (No, God manages them in a very orderly, systematic way.) God manages them with regularity, order, organization, and clarity, with exceptional rigor and precision. To put it in human terms, His management of these things is particularly neat and ordered, with nothing interfering with anything else, and nothing topsy-turvy. You see, the oceans have their boundaries, the rivers have their range, and the mountains, land, and plains have their respective functions. What kind of trees grow in which places, and what environments and zones animals, birds, and beasts grow in—these are all ordered and scoped. God manages them with perfect order. Fish and various other living things in the sea also live with exceptional regularity. God set everything in place for them. Based on the living scope of each kind of living thing, He established its living habits, routine, and the temperature it is suited to, and He also created the food it needs. God is especially thorough in His consideration of each matter, and manages all things in a particularly organized way. Now look: How do people maintain their environments? Forget about having you manage a church or a region—you can’t even maintain your own bedroom or where you rest well. Some people cannot even keep a space as small as their own bed tidy. Tell Me, what could you possibly be capable of? This is a defect of humanity. Let alone measuring up to the standards required by the God in heaven, if you can measure up to what the incarnate God—that is, what I—require you to do, that’s not bad. These are all things that people with normal humanity should achieve. If you cannot even measure up to the standards of normal humanity, then it will truly be a bit difficult for you to attain salvation. These are the requirements for people when it comes to maintaining one’s environment. If people put a bit of effort into this, they can satisfy these requirements; it’s not something difficult. Start your entry with maintaining your own living environment; then, learn to manage your work and the duty you do. Enter into these things bit by bit, develop some good habits in terms of normal humanity, and cultivate some working or living abilities that people with normal humanity can achieve. Little by little, as you try to live within this normal humanity, you should adapt to some positive, good living habits and living environments, and gradually make them a part of your normal humanity. This will be beneficial to your performance of duty, your work, and your survival. Right? (Yes.) These are some issues relating to daily life.

Given that the incarnate God is flesh, He must possess normal humanity and the instincts of created mankind, and live within the scope of the life of created mankind. Thus, the incarnate God also has some of the needs and manifestations of normal humanity. Although outwardly these needs and manifestations are not directly related to God’s identity and essence, or to the disposition of God which God represents—they are at least in line with the normal humanity that the God in heaven requires of people; they don’t contradict it, nor do these things clash at all. Furthermore, the revelations and expressions of the incarnate God’s normal humanity do not cause any harm to mankind. No matter what the incarnate God requires of you within the scope of normal humanity, and no matter what He reveals while interacting with you, these things definitely will not hurt you, and they certainly won’t harm you. Not only will God not do things that harm you, but He will also, within the scope of His humanity—which possesses normal humanity—do the work He intends to do, speak the words He intends to speak, and express the disposition and essence He intends to express, leading people before God, and onto the path of attaining salvation. No matter how insignificant, and how normal and practical the outward appearance of such an incarnate God may seem to you, and no matter how unremarkable and unexceptional He is among created mankind, the normal humanity He lives out still represents God Himself, and is related to God Himself. So, just because He reveals normal humanity or does some things related to normal humanity—such as helping you tidy up your living environment or manage your surroundings—you should not think, “How can God do these things? Isn’t He the God in heaven? Shouldn’t He be doing the work of God Himself? How could He be managing these things? Isn’t this using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?” If you have these thoughts, then you are completely and utterly mistaken. There might also be some people who think, “God is the incarnate God—is this incarnate God high and mighty? Is He detached from worldly things? Is the environment He lives in, the scope of His life, or His requirements for life different from those of us ordinary people?” Let Me tell you, the manifestations of every aspect of this incarnate God’s life are all too ordinary and all too normal; they are not lofty at all, and are even simply insignificant in the eyes of many. He has no stringent requirements or extravagant desires for His quality of life; He just likes living in the simplest, plainest way. Some people say, “Does the incarnate God not know how to enjoy a high standard of living?” It’s really not that I don’t know how, nor is it that I’m not familiar with nice things. I just don’t like such things. I don’t have those kinds of requirements. My requirements and standards for life are the same as those of ordinary people: eating some stir-fried dishes and salads in the summer, eating some stews and stewed tofu in the winter, having some dumplings when it gets cold and snows. Some people say, “Then do You know how to cook?” I also know how to cook, and I can make hand-rolled noodles. Some years ago, I would also make steamed buns and twisted rolls, do dishes and clean up. I fold My blankets very neatly. I’ll want to wash My clothes as soon as they get a little dirty, and I don’t like smelling strange odors. I don’t have stringent requirements when it comes to life. I like quiet and do not like noise. I am unwilling to stay in places where there are lots of people talking very loudly and where there’s a lot of noise, and I don’t like cities. Tell Me, is this having high standards? (No.) When I ride in a car, it just has to be quiet inside and that’s fine. I don’t like to set the air conditioning too cold, and with heating, as long as it’s slightly warm and I don’t feel cold wearing a padded jacket, that’s fine. When buying furniture, I like to buy large cabinets that can hold a lot of things, so that whatever I put inside can be arranged neatly. I like to keep the things I use clean. Even when they become worn after being used for a long time, there are no sweat stains on them and they don’t give off strange odors, much less is there any hair or dandruff on them. I’ll definitely wash the clothes I’ve worn before putting them in the closet; I never put dirty clothes in the closet. I don’t have strict requirements when it comes to living. When I keep a dog, I don’t keep any distinguished breeds; as long as it is obedient, kind, and sensible, doesn’t cause trouble, and doesn’t constantly want to go out for walks or to play, that’s enough. Some people say, “Does the incarnate God only like high-end, fancy things?” I’m not a stranger to such things, but I really do not like them. I like practical things—whether it’s My clothes, the things I use, or My living space, as long as it’s practical, that’s enough. If there’s a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes that can be worn for many years and it’s something I need, I will definitely buy it. If an item is very high-end, precious, and valuable, but is something I’d barely use once in a decade, I wouldn’t want it even if it were given to Me for free. I do not like such things. Some people say, “For Your computer, do You use one that’s the most expensive, the most high-end, the most state-of-the-art, and the fastest?” The computer I use is decently fast, but it’s not the most high-end. As long as I can use it to check the weather and read messages, and do some daily tasks, that’s enough. Whatever devices I use, I never use the most high-end; ordinary, practical ones are fine. Even if My ordinary items become worn from use, I try My best to keep them completely clean and undamaged, and to ensure they can be used normally.

The incarnate God is also selective when it comes to interacting with people. He does not like to socialize widely, nor does He like to have overly deep connections with people. However, when interacting with others, He also has some basic opinions about people and requirements of them; at the very least, those He interacts with must treat others with sincerity. There is a certain type of person who only boasts and talks big when they speak. Nine out of ten things they say sound untrue and impractical, or their words are tinged with contempt and belittlement toward others, and they harbor ill intentions. Every time you speak and interact with such people, this is how they are; you can never get to the bottom of what they’re really like, and you cannot feel their sincerity. Such people are untrustworthy and frivolous; they’re loafers, and I don’t like associating with them. There is another type of person who lies all the time and likes to engage in idle chatter and spout nonsense, never saying anything real. If you ask them about something and try to get a serious answer, they beat around the bush and don’t tell you the truth. I always speak to them in a totally genuine way and do not disparage them, much less would I ever harm them, yet they still don’t tell Me the truth; there is no way to converse with such people. One type is the loafers who boast, talk big, and are frivolous—I’m not willing to interact with such people. The other type is those who lie all the time and never say anything real; I also do not like to interact with this kind of people—I am disgusted by and detest such people. If I have to deal with such people during the course of doing church work, I can endure it—that’s just keeping things strictly business. If there isn’t any work that needs to be handled, I try My best to steer clear from such people and not interact with them. There’s also another type of person: Before you even have any real dealings with them, they start calculating how they could use you, how they could get some useful information out of you, how they could make money off you, or how they could deceive you to gain your sympathy, trust, and high regard. They think of every possible means to scheme against you. I am unwilling to interact with such people; I find them disgusting, and I stay as far away from them as I can. There’s another type of person as well: All you have to do is have some contact with them and they will try to see how they stack up against you and compare themselves with you, and will even be jealous of you. For example, if you get a haircut, they’ll say your haircut looks bad, but a couple of days later, they’ll get the exact same haircut. Or they’ll see you wearing nice clothes and ask where you bought them, while saying to your face that the color is too dark, the style is outdated, they don’t look good on you, and so on, but a few days later, they buy the exact same clothes and constantly parade around you showing them off. With everything you have, as long as they see it, they must have it too. If you buy some cabbage for fifty cents a pound, they say, “That’s so expensive!” But they turn around and go to another store to buy cabbage for a dollar a pound, and even say, “The vegetables I bought are cheaper than yours.” Aren’t they lying through their teeth? You’re not very familiar with them, and you don’t have any close dealings with them, yet they try to vie with you and envy you like this, comparing themselves with you in every respect; they even try to outdo you in whatever you say. Isn’t this like encountering a mad dog? When I encounter such people, I avoid them and ignore them; it’s impossible to get along with this type of person who doesn’t have normal humanity. There’s also another type of person, whom you might have also encountered; this type of person is extremely difficult to deal with. For example, they complain that it’s hot in the room. If you tell them to open the door for ventilation, they say, “No, flies will get in if the door is open.” If you suggest they install a screen door, they say that’ll make coming and going a hassle. If you tell them to turn the fan on, they say they’re afraid of catching a cold from the draft and that it wastes electricity. If you encounter someone like this, who shoots down every suggestion you make when they complain that the room is hot, you’ll know that this person is a real hard case. Just what sort of wretch are they? Can they accept words that are right? (No. They don’t have normal humanity.) Then would you still speak to them? (No.) When I encounter this type of person, I form an impression of them in My heart: “Oh, so this is the type of person you are. You don’t have normal humanity, you don’t accept words that are right, you always nitpick and find fault, and you like to pose difficult problems to deliberately make things hard for others. You are no good.” How should this type of person be characterized? In popular terms, such people are called “naysayers”; people like this are impervious to reason. They complain the room is hot, but whatever solution you propose, they say it’s wrong or that it won’t work. However, as soon as you leave the room, they immediately open the door and the windows, and turn on the fan, not worrying about flies getting in or catching a cold from the draft. Such people are not on the same wavelength as Me. It’s impossible to communicate with them, and I don’t like interacting with them. Some people say, “You don’t like this type of person, You don’t like that type of person—You can’t deal with someone just because You don’t like them?” I’m not saying I can’t deal with them just because I don’t like them. If I have to interact with them for work or in daily life, I can endure it. I cannot refuse to interact with such people just because I don’t like them, thereby delaying work or affecting certain things that must be done. However, when it’s not necessary, I absolutely will not interact with such people.

There is another type of person who just likes to eat, drink, and have fun, neglecting proper tasks. If it’s because they are young and immature, haven’t yet settled into their character, or because they were pampered at home, that they don’t know how to attend to proper matters or focus on proper tasks—and they don’t try to learn any technical skills or acquire knowledge and expertise—this can be excused. However, some people are already in their twenties, thirties, or forties, and still neglect proper tasks and fool around all day long. When they have nothing to do, they like to shoot the breeze, chat, and wander around muddling through life. They never think about proper matters or focus on proper tasks, and they don’t try to learn any technical skills or acquire any knowledge and expertise. They don’t read God’s words, consider the matters of life, or ponder what path people should walk. They never reflect on how they should avoid walking the wrong path after seeing others go down it, nor do they look at those who have had entry into God’s words and the truth and have gained something from them so that they can learn from these people. They never ponder these proper matters. When they’re free, they just eat, drink, and have fun, reading entertainment news and following developments from different industries. Immersed in all kinds of news sources, magazines, and social trends, they just drift along and coast through life, taking each day as it comes. Even after muddling along for a decade or so, they have no awareness whatsoever and never feel distressed. No matter who prunes them or exposes them, they think nothing of it, remaining numb and dull-witted, and do not know to seek the truth. Such people are just muddling through life, just freeloading and waiting to die. This type of person is also often cynical, feeling that everything is unfair and that wherever they go, their talent has no outlet. Yet they fail to learn anything due to their lack of effort, have never treated any item of work seriously, have never taken a single word that is right seriously, and never think about what they should do in the future. They express themselves quite clearly, and have ideas, ideals, and wishes, but they just do not put them into action. The doctrines they speak are quite good and lofty, and people find them sensible and reasonable, and even quite pleasing to hear, but when it comes to doing practical things in real life, they cannot muster any energy and take no practical action. I do not like such people. It may be that your caliber is very average, or you are quite slow-witted, your natural aptitude is lacking, and you do not have any gifts or talents. However, you are particularly steady, you put a lot of effort into things and do them diligently, you are willing to endure hardship, and you can pay a price. No matter who entrusts you with a task, you are particularly earnest and responsible, and you can take responsibility for it to the very end. You also strictly adhere to principles, to the point that sometimes you even cause others to be constrained; people feel that you’re too serious and adhere too strictly to principles, but you are able to persist in doing so. I like this kind of person. It is of little consequence that your caliber is a bit poor and you’re a bit slow-witted—at least you’re not a smooth-talking, sly, deceitful person, or someone who muddles through life. Although your caliber is not high and your natural aptitude is lacking, you like learning things, and you learn in an especially serious, down-to-earth manner, without being perfunctory. When others have stopped trying to learn something, you continue to try until you have grasped it. I like this kind of person. They conduct themselves and act with steady, measured steps, never aim too high, and are particularly earnest. They treat people and things with sincerity. Even when washing a dog, they wash it completely clean and thoroughly; otherwise, they feel they are being perfunctory—they do right even by a dog. I like people like this. Some people can deceive others, and they can also deceive God and be perfunctory with Him; they speak very nicely but do not do practical things. I am unwilling to pay attention to or interact with such people. It may be that you are eloquent, and you know how to flatter and say nice-sounding things, but I am unwilling to listen to such words—I won’t fall for such things.

I say these words so that you can understand Me. I am just an ordinary person living in normal humanity. Compared to the God in heaven, I am very insignificant; I am a very common, very ordinary person. I do not have a lofty image, and I do not have extraordinary abilities. I do not tower over others, much less do I wish to stand out from the crowd. I am just a very common person, and also a very simple person. I feel that an ordinary person like Me, living in normal humanity, is fully capable of shouldering this stage of God’s work in the last days, and is also able to express all the truths that God intends to express in the last days, so that you can gain from Me all aspects of the truth coming from God that are needed to attain salvation. For you, the incarnate flesh of God is enough to allow you to attain salvation; any aspect or facet of this flesh that you can see and come into contact with is actually already enough for this purpose. Therefore, as a normal person, if you have conscience and rationality, you should not constantly compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven. If you do this, for one thing, it is of no benefit to you, and for another, the God in heaven will not like you doing this. Furthermore, if you constantly compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven, to a large extent, it will affect your acceptance of the words spoken and the work done by the incarnate God, as well as the provision of all aspects of the truth that you need coming from Him. There’s also an even more important aspect, which is that no matter how insignificant, how normal, or how ordinary the incarnate God is, He is, after all, God’s expression on earth, God’s manifestation on earth, and God’s representative on earth. Regardless of how much of God He can represent or how much of God He can manifest, at the very least, in God’s eyes, He represents God, and He is a partial representative of God’s identity, God’s essence, and God’s disposition. Therefore, at the very least, He represents God’s identity, and He also represents the work God intends to do on earth; He stands in for God, or it could be said that He stands in for God to do the work on earth. No matter how much you look up to the God in heaven or how much you worship the God in heaven, God does not like you comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven, nor does He like you separating the incarnate God from the God in heaven. Even less does He like it if, when comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven, you think highly of the God in heaven but look down on the God on earth, or if you are full of admiration and reverence for the God in heaven but full of hostility and discrimination toward the God on earth, and even judge, condemn, and attack Him. Therefore, when it comes to how people treat the incarnate God, for one thing, they must treat Him correctly and accept His normal humanity; for another, they must accept the truth He expresses and the disposition He expresses according to God’s identity and status. When He reveals normal humanity and expresses God’s disposition or manifests God’s essence, what you see and what you can comprehend are exactly that. Ultimately you must, with the perspective and attitude of a created being, submit to and accept the words of God He expresses, or the disposition and essence of God He reveals. While not comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven, you should also not treat the incarnate God and the God in heaven differently. Since the God in heaven and the incarnate God are, after all, essentially one—it’s just that there is a difference in the form of Their appearance when viewed directly with the naked eye—regardless of whether or not you compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven, ultimately, how you treat the incarnate God must come down to the fact that He has God’s identity and God’s essence. No matter what kind of normal humanity or what kind of revelations and manifestations you see the incarnate God has with the naked eye, or how normal, ordinary, and practical He seems, you must accept, embrace, and submit to Him from the perspective of a created being, rather than defy Him. People always like to compare the incarnate God with the God in heaven. The worst thing about this is that people are most prone to using human notions and imaginings about God to judge, condemn, or reject the incarnate God. Therefore, comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven is a path that leads to death for you. What does a path that leads to death mean? This refers to what I’ve said before—you must have a death wish! And what is having a death wish? It does not mean that God’s house will clear you out or expel you—rather, it means the evil you have committed is so severe that you will suffer punishment and be destroyed; it’s tempting fate. When you commit such evil, people cannot do anything to you, but God will condemn you based on your evil deeds. Then why do I say that this is having a death wish? There is a reason I use the phrase “you must have a death wish”: This approach of yours represents the path you walk. What kind of path are you now walking? This approach of yours represents that you are walking a path that leads to destruction. What does this path that leads to destruction mean? It means that God clearly testifies that this incarnate God on earth represents Him and represents His intentions in the last days, and that this incarnate God is His manifestation and the bearer of His work in the last days, yet you do not accept these words. You stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the identity and essence of this incarnate God, and you do not accept His words and work. Not only do you not accept them, but you even reject them, and you even frequently pray to and beseech the God in heaven, wanting to bypass the incarnate God to gain approval from the God in heaven and thereby attain salvation. That is, you only believe in the God in heaven, while as for the incarnate God—the One entrusted with God’s work on earth—you do not accept Him. In that case, you are rejecting the work done and the words spoken by the God in heaven after He came to earth; you are rejecting the person God has become on earth, and so the path you walk is a path of destruction. No matter how much you worship and look up to the God in heaven, God does not accept or recognize it. The path you are walking is a path of destruction; this is called having a death wish. What does having a death wish mean? It means the evil you have committed is too great and can cause you to be punished; this is tempting fate. The path you walk and the path of practice you take are wrong. You are setting yourself against God, you are being hostile toward God. Do not think: “I trust in the God in heaven. The incarnate God is just an ordinary person. I accept the words He speaks, but as for the person Himself, I do not accept that He is Christ, that He is God. How can He represent God’s identity? I just do not acknowledge that He is the God on earth. There is no other God besides the God in heaven.” If you say these words, then you are in trouble. You are walking a path of destruction; this is having a death wish. Were there people in history who “had a death wish”? Were there people who obviously walked a path of destruction? Was Paul one of them? (Yes.) Paul was such a person, and so were those scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests. They only believed in the name of Jehovah, and only believed in the God in heaven. When God became flesh and came to earth, they saw that the Lord Jesus was just an ordinary person, and the son of a poor carpenter at that, and so they refused to accept Him no matter what: “I just will not accept you. I only believe in the God in heaven!” And what did the God in heaven say to them? “You must have a death wish!” The same phrase I used just now. What was the result? The facts prove they had a death wish, do they not? (They do.) Do you want to walk such a path? (No.) Then do not walk such a path. If you have walked this kind of path before, then hurry up and turn back, repent, and confess your sins; it is still not too late to turn back now. However, you should not use the phrase “you must have a death wish” carelessly. Whenever you say it, there’s impetuousness in it. People in the crime world often say, “You must have a death wish!” What they mean is they want to kill someone. But when I say this, it’s different from when they say it. When I say this, there’s no impetuousness in it, and I’m not trying to talk tough. I just want to remind you: Don’t walk Paul’s path; that would mean having a death wish, and it is a path of destruction. If you walk this path, you will be destroyed, and you will end up with the same outcome as Paul; that would be terrible. Paul did not hear many truths back then. His having a death wish was his own fault and dictated by his nature. But now you have the cautionary tale of Paul, so you must not have a death wish—do not walk that path of destruction. The truth of the incarnation has been explained so clearly now, and the various truths about attaining salvation have also been explained so clearly. If you still deliberately resist and stubbornly refuse to accept the incarnate God, is this not having a death wish? This proves that you are a person of Paul’s ilk. You absolutely must not walk this path!

Now that I have fellowshipped so much, are you clear on how you should treat God incarnate, and how to properly handle the relationship between God incarnate and the God in heaven? (Yes.) Then what are the principles in this regard? How many principles are there? Give a summary. (Through God’s fellowship today, the first principle I have come to understand is to accept the normal humanity of God incarnate, and correctly approach the normal humanity of the flesh worn by God, including correctly approaching His basic necessities and choices within His normal humanity. Another principle is that the God on earth has God’s essence, so as long as He can express the truth and save people, we should accept Him and submit to Him. This is key.) Let Me emphasize a few more things. In theory, the normal humanity of God incarnate does not involve the truth, nor does it involve the work God intends to do. Strictly speaking, normal humanity refers to the things that are within the scope of God incarnate’s life. As for this person—what He likes, His personality, the range of emotions He experiences, as well as His various opinions, viewpoints, understandings, choices, and other things regarding life and society—judging from the perspective of humanity, are these manifestations of His in line with the conscience and rationality of normal humanity? (Yes.) Those who say “yes” must take accountability for that. You must explain clearly: Where does this “yes” of yours come from? Is it doctrine, an echo, or do you truly have experience and knowledge of this? (God, my viewpoint is that, whether God guides us in living out normal humanity or has us discern some people, events, and things we encounter, it all tells us how to live out normal humanity and how to be honest people; it’s all leading us onto the right path. Therefore, God’s guidance of people in all aspects is beneficial to them.) I’d be cautious of saying it’s all beneficial to people, but at the very least, I Myself believe that the word “normal” in “normal humanity” is worth explaining. So how should “normal” be explained? In one respect, it means that the perspective and stance from which God incarnate views people, events, and things are correct. I have already spoken in My fellowships about how I treat all kinds of people and all kinds of things. It can be said that My various views on the world, on humankind, and on various evil trends and ideological trends are possessed by Me as a person, but it can also be said that they come from God. It’s not possible to go into detail about these things here—ponder them slowly on your own. The stance and perspective from which God incarnate views people, events, and things are normal—this is in one regard. In another, the viewpoints and thoughts He develops from His understanding of various things are normal; they are not distorted or extreme. I won’t venture to say how much you might benefit from the revelations of My normal humanity while I live and interact with you, or that they can give you the same benefits as the truth, but at the very least, I will not harm you. There is also a most basic point, which is that, out of My personal thoughts and wishes, I never want to do harm to anyone. If I see that you make mistakes in your speech or have some erroneous ways of living, living habits, or attitudes toward life—for example, you have a distorted understanding about eating some kind of food—I will talk to you and correct your thoughts and views. In one respect, out of the understanding of normal humanity, I help you correct some erroneous living habits, so that you have correct thoughts and views and can approach this matter rationally. In another, deeper respect, I do this to enable you to understand and enter into some truths. This is also a manifestation of the normal humanity of God incarnate. Furthermore, the various needs in the life of God in normal humanity, and how He interacts with all kinds of people, are also normal. What does this “normal” refer to? Have you ever heard of Me bullying anyone, doing harm to anyone, suppressing anyone, or deceiving anyone? (No.) I really have never done such things. With My identity and status, wouldn’t it be too easy for Me to say some cruel words or suppress someone? I would be within My rights to do so, but I really have never bullied anyone, quarreled with anyone, contended with anyone, or made a fuss about anyone behind their back—I’ve never had any of these manifestations. When among people, I just interact with them normally; I get a bit closer to those with good humanity, and steer clear of those with bad humanity. I help when I can, and let things take their natural course when I cannot. Regarding these manifestations of normal humanity—whether they be My range of emotions or living habits, or My ways and principles of interacting with people—from what you can see, come into contact with, comprehend, and learn first-hand, do you see any aspect that is abnormal? (There is nothing abnormal; it is all really practical.) “It is all really practical”—some people might not quite understand this, so let Me correct you: These manifestations of the normal humanity of God incarnate all have principles; there is nothing hollow or pretentious about them. I Myself believe that I never put on airs, and I particularly dislike issuing orders; rather, I like to do real work. I teach everything I know and understand, holding nothing back. You see, when instructing you on a certain item of work involving professional skills, I say as much as I know. Have I ever held anything back? (No, You haven’t.) I don’t keep things hidden or tucked away; I do My best to guide and teach you. You learn very seriously, put in a lot of effort, and can endure a lot of hardship, and in the end, you master what I’ve taught and can act independently, no longer needing My guidance. This makes Me quite happy, and I don’t feel jealous. I even encourage you to do things independently, and I am willing to let you have achievements. When you have achievements and everyone admires you, I even congratulate you. When you learn things from Me and have achievements, and everyone thinks highly of you, this proves you are capable, and I am truly not jealous; I do not try to steal your thunder, nor do I try to take the credit from you. I will not say, “Why don’t you tell everyone that you learned this from Me? Why aren’t you grateful to Me?” I say, “I just fellowshipped the principles and didn’t teach that much; it is you who comprehended it well.” There are many practical things within the normal humanity of God incarnate, and within this practicality, there are many concrete things. Perhaps with Me introducing Myself like this, those of you who have interacted with Me will slowly come to understand. I am very simple in My interactions with people; I am straightforward, I don’t play any tricks, I do not scheme against people, and I do not use people, much less do I lord My status over others while doing work, or use the advantages of My status to seek any personal benefits. If you try to curry favor with Me and flatter Me, I feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy, and I have to steer clear of you. If you interact with Me normally, without trying to curry favor with Me or flatter Me, I feel quite comfortable, and I am quite willing to interact with you.

Over My years of interacting with people, having lived this long, I have come into contact with quite a few people of all stripes in My normal humanity. I’ve seen them all—people of great complexity, and people of great foolishness; people of great arrogance and irrationality, and people of great evil. Later, little by little, I discovered that people really are different from one another. I am simple in My interactions with people; I speak very simply and straightforwardly, and I can also open up. Yet, encountering people of all stripes, I saw that humanity is far too complex within. But no matter how complex the people I face are, when expressing something or resolving some matter in My normal humanity, My stance, principles, methods, and personal preferences never change. No matter what kind of people I deal with, ultimately, the way I treat people is based on the principles that are already within Me. If you are someone who pursues the truth and has humanity, then we can interact more, come into contact more, and fellowship more, speaking heart-to-heart. If you are not someone who pursues the truth, you do not do your duty, and your humanity is very evil, then I will try My best to have less contact and interaction with you; I do enough just to keep things civil. If you can seek the truth and sincerely seek when you have problems, I can fellowship with you, but whether you can accept it is your own business. As for those who harbor malicious intentions or ill will, I also have suitable methods and principles to handle and treat them. On the outside, the way I treat them doesn’t change; I still fellowship those words and still do these things, and it is still the revelation of My normal humanity—but this does not mean I cannot see what kind of person they are. From the outside, you see that I am always like this, simple in how I treat people, treating everyone rationally in normal humanity. This is what you see from the outside, but do you know what I think of them in My heart? I have principles and views regarding this kind of person. What are these principles and views? If I measure them from the perspective of the conscience and reason of My normal humanity, their problem is not a big one; but if I view the path they walk and their future outcome from the perspective of My divinity, then their problem is very serious. Therefore, with Me, sometimes My normal humanity and My divinity are being reconciled. While I’m reconciling them, it may be that I am being lenient with you, giving you an opportunity, observing you, and waiting for you to reverse course, and it may also be that the God in heaven is giving you an opportunity. With Me, it is a process of reconciliation between My normal humanity and My divinity. I am not willing to come into contact with you, but because, perhaps, you have not violated the administrative decrees or the principles of God’s house, you are still in God’s house. For Me, from the perspective of My humanity, I can be patient with you and not make an issue of what you did, but from the perspective of My divinity, I have already condemned you. While I am condemning people, and at the same time sparing and excusing them, and letting things slide, some are revealed by God, and others commit great evil, bring about serious consequences, and get expelled. While I wait, some people still do their duties in God’s house. In the course of doing their duties, they gradually turn things around, change, and strive toward the truth; they reverse course in their hearts. From the perspective of My normal humanity, I may—when it’s appropriate—interact and converse with those who reverse course, giving them some fellowship and help. However, during this process, some people still do not change at all. They still have the same manifestations as before, not pursuing the truth and still walking their original path. From My perspective, then, no matter what you have done to Me or how you view Me, I merely treat you as someone who believes in God. However, in the judgment of My normal humanity, since you still have not changed even now, it will be very difficult for you to do so in the future. Actually, in My divinity, it has already been determined that someone like this is of the sort that will perish and is an object of destruction, and it is fundamentally impossible for them to change. But this is looking at it from the perspective of My divinity. Humanity, after all, has its limitations—sometimes, under the limitations of His conscience or rationality, God incarnate will have some human good intentions and hope for the best for people; He will hope that some people will make a turnaround during a certain period, or in a certain future matter, or during a major event—perhaps they will be able to change. Under such circumstances, He gives some people opportunities in terms of how He treats them.

In one respect, this normal humanity of God incarnate is cooperating with some of the work of His divinity or expressing some opinions and viewpoints. In another respect, it is also providing assistance, or constantly verifying some of the essences, natures, or paths of people, which God’s divinity sees. Therefore, this normal humanity of God incarnate is not just for shouldering the ministry of Christ and the Son of man. For people, what is more important is that it enables them to gain a greater understanding of the God in heaven. That is, it gives people more opportunities to better understand the God in heaven and see more of His essence from God incarnate. In yet another respect, it serves to better reconcile the relationship between corrupt humankind and the God in heaven. Perhaps you do not quite understand the word “reconcile.” If you do not understand it, there is nothing that can be done; there is no more suitable word. I will give an example. When you develop notions about a certain aspect of God’s intentions or God’s requirements, you cannot accept these intentions or requirements. You start having thoughts and you develop rebelliousness, and then you are unable to submit. At this time, God incarnate understands and shows consideration for your difficulties and weaknesses. He speaks some words, does some work, and gives some examples. Through fellowship, He helps you see what God’s intentions are, where the errors in your attitude toward God lie, and how you should reverse this rebellious state to achieve submission to God. Through the humanized fellowship or humanized help and support of God incarnate, your notions and misunderstandings about God are dispelled. Afterward, your attitude toward God undergoes somewhat of a shift; it changes from being rebellious and defiant to being willing to submit. Then you come to know yourself, hate yourself, and understand that it is appropriate for God to act this way, and that God has painstaking intentions. Through such fellowship, reconciliation, support, and help from God incarnate, He enables you to understand God’s intentions by introducing what the disposition, essence, and intentions of the God in heaven are, and He also enables you to know where you are wrong and how to repent. Once these two aspects are fellowshipped clearly, and you ultimately reach the point where you no longer rebel against God or defy Him, and you have a willingness to submit, the attitude of the God in heaven toward you will change somewhat. He will no longer condemn you and no longer hate you; His anger toward you will be lifted. Once God’s anger is lifted, you feel peace, comfort, and enjoyment in your heart; when you come before God to pray again, you feel you have things to say to Him, you feel God’s presence, and your heart is calm and at peace. Thinking back, you realize you were too rebellious toward God before, and your own will was too strong, causing God to hate you. You then feel remorse, and when you encounter such things again in the future, you will never rebel against God again. Through the fellowship and support of God incarnate, your attitude toward God is completely turned around, and your relationship with God makes a complete turnaround and improves, such that your relationship with God is no longer in its previous state, but develops in a positive direction. You see, if God incarnate did not speak these words or do this work, perhaps, given your own will and your nature, you would forever live in a state of defiance against God. Then your relationship with God would remain deadlocked, and it would stay in such a vicious cycle. Would the God in heaven change His attitude toward you because you remain deadlocked with God like this? That would be impossible. If you remain deadlocked with God like this, God will go from being averse to you and hating you to spurning you. Once it reaches the point where He spurns you, do you still have a chance to attain salvation? (No.) You will have no chance, and God will let you go. Once He lets you go, your life as a believer ends right there. I will no longer want to save you, and there will be no need for Me to come into contact with you. You will be completely cleared out from the ranks of those I save. I will not want to see you again, because during the time I waited, you never reversed course. Your conscience and reason did not function, and no one could make you reverse course. I gave you opportunities for such a long time, yet you did not reverse course. Therefore, in situations like this, if no one emerged to reconcile the relationship between God and man, then your relationship with God would be torn asunder. The final result would be that God would spurn you, you would be forever apart from the light of God’s countenance, and you would no longer be a created being in God’s eyes; you would completely perish, then. However, the presence of God incarnate gives you an opportunity to reconcile your relationship with God. If God incarnate did not appear and work, once the relationship between people and the God in heaven became deadlocked, it would easily lead to God spurning humankind. It would be impossible for people to gain an opportunity or some kind of message from a third party or the outside world to smooth their relationship with God. Only God incarnate can play this role and do this work; He becomes a reconciler between the God in heaven and humankind. With such reconciliation, all of humankind imperceptibly gains many more opportunities during the period of God’s incarnation. These opportunities are necessary for people to attain salvation, and no one can do without them. Whether you are currently pursuing the truth or will pursue the truth in the future, as long as you want to attain salvation, these opportunities are the most important things to you. Therefore, this role of God incarnate is so important to you! The normal humanity of God incarnate is an indispensable part of God incarnate. Only the normal humanity of God incarnate can see such an opportunity, grasp such an opportunity, know that humankind needs such an opportunity, and secure such an opportunity for humankind, thereby resolving the problem of the deadlocked relationship between people and God. But if God incarnate didn’t have normal humanity and only had divinity, then the relationship between man and God would remain the relationship between humankind and the God in heaven. In that case, it could be said that it would be very difficult for people to gain the opportunity to attain salvation and smooth their relationship with God. Because God incarnate has normal humanity, and because this normal humanity possesses the conscience and reason of humanity, He can see—within the scope of the conscience and reason of normal humanity—what the focal points, reasons, and root causes are for the various conflicts that arise between people and God. As for how these conflicts and root problems are to be resolved so that there are no longer any conflicts between people and God, and so that their relationship is no longer deadlocked, only the Son of man living within the scope of the conscience and rationality of normal humanity—God incarnate—can see this, can actually resolve this problem, and can do this work. In this way, in the process of rebelling against God and in the process of attaining salvation, people can constantly resolve their rebelliousness toward God, their defiance against God, and their opposition to God, right? (Yes.) As you resolve these problems of rebelliousness, opposition, and defiance against God, God continuously pardons you, accepts you, and grants you recognition. You go from rebelliousness, opposition, and defiance to constantly confessing your sins and repenting, and then having the willingness to accept the truth, attaining sincere submission, and no longer rebelling against God. In this process, you’re pardoned by God, and then you gain the truth, gradually coming before God, gradually improving your relationship with God, and gradually being accepted by God. You see, who is the ultimate beneficiary here? (People.) People benefit so much! This process enables you to see the hope of living, and the hope of surviving. But before God incarnate did His work, people had many notions and imaginings about God, as well as all kinds of rebelliousness; there were many problems in the relationship between man and God. During the period when God incarnate has worked and expressed so many truths, these problems of humankind have gradually been resolved. People’s viewpoints, attitudes, stances, and perspectives toward God have gradually improved, and as they’ve gradually improved, people’s attitudes toward God have also changed. Only when people change will God gradually grant them recognition, gradually accept and like them, and gradually let go of His hatred, detestation, rejection, and curses toward them. If God had not become flesh, no matter how much energy you expended or how much of a price you paid in your belief in God over these years, would you have been able to make these gains? (No.) Without God incarnate, the relationship between people and God would never be improved. The most important point about God incarnate is that He has normal humanity and lives within normal humanity. Only by living within normal humanity, possessing the conscience and rationality of normal humanity, and being able to correctly think, judge, and make decisions, as well as understand and know all kinds of people, events, and things, can He normally, bit by bit, provide the various truths people need, so that people can gradually be accepted and recognized by God. Only in this way can people emerge from their various corrupt dispositions, no longer rebel against God, and no longer live under Satan’s bondage to defy God, but instead, in the process of God expressing the truth—that is, in the process of God doing His work—they gradually come to have true submission toward God and true fear of God. Thus, no matter how you look at it, the significance of God incarnate to humankind is simply too great!

The main representation of God incarnate is the normal humanity of God incarnate, and this normal humanity is indispensable. So, if you have many notions about the normal humanity of God incarnate that you can never let go of, and you often compare God incarnate with the God in heaven, then I say you are totally devoid of humanity. You have gained so much from this normal humanity of God, yet you do not even know how you gained these various aspects of the truth. Are you not blind? You are devoid of conscience, are you not? (Yes.) You are devoid of conscience and don’t know how things work. Some people say, “If God had not become flesh to speak and work, we would have attained salvation long ago, and we would have been caught up before God long ago.” Are these not fallacious things to say? Isn’t it far too absurd to say such things? (Yes.) Without the words and work of God incarnate over these years, would you still be alive today? So, if after following God incarnate for so many years, and listening to Him fellowship the truth for so many years, you have deeply felt and appreciated, “The work done by God incarnate is of such great benefit to me! I have truly benefited immensely!”—if you can truly appreciate this, what does this show? It shows that you have a conscience, and your appreciation is correct. People without conscience and reason still cannot appreciate this even now, which is dangerous. If they have not appreciated it by now, will they be able to appreciate it in another twenty years? Definitely not. It is obvious that someone like this is devoid of conscience. Not only can they not appreciate that the words and work of God incarnate are all salvation for people, but they will also say, “What have I gained from believing in God for so many years?” God has expressed so many truths—have you not gained them? Do you not feel that the truth is the most precious thing? If you do not feel that the truth is the most precious thing, then you are not a true believer; you are just a freeloader. If you have not felt that you have gained the truth, then you don’t have a conscience. Is someone without a conscience a human being? (No.) A person without a conscience is not a human being. You see, no matter how many years an animal lives, it will never know that the Creator exists; and no matter how many tens of thousands or hundreds of millions of years a devil lives, it will never acknowledge God’s existence. Will animals be condemned for not knowing that God exists? (No.) Dogs live for about ten years, horses live for twenty or thirty years, and elephants might even live for over a hundred years. They do not know of the Creator’s existence, yet none of them are condemned for this, because their classification is that of animals. God has no requirements of them, and He does not save them either. Humans are different. God has expectations of people and has placed His hopes in them. Having experienced the work of God incarnate for so many years, you should be able to appreciate this, right? Then how should people treat God incarnate? It all goes back to what I’ve said before: No matter how much God incarnate seems to not conform to your notions and imaginings or to what you want—perhaps He’s not as tall as you, not as good-looking as you, does not have as much knowledge and education as you, and does not have as high a social status as you—if you can appreciate that the truths He has fellowshipped over these years have allowed you to reap a great harvest and gain the truth, then you should accept the fact that He is God and that He has God’s identity. If you truly have rationality, you should not always compare God incarnate with the God in heaven. Is there any point in comparing Them like that? By always comparing Them like this, you’ll only be putting yourself in a difficult position; also, God will loathe you, and ultimately you will gain nothing. Always comparing Them like this will affect your gaining the truth and attaining salvation. Therefore, simply because the truths expressed by God incarnate can enable you to attain salvation, you should no longer compare God incarnate with the God in heaven, and you should accept God incarnate; it’s still not too late to accept Him now. Some people say, “Then what does acceptance mean? I’ve been listening to Your sermons all along, haven’t I? Isn’t that acceptance?” Listening to sermons does not equate to acceptance. Then what exactly is acceptance? Ponder this yourselves: What are the manifestations of not having accepted Him, and what are the manifestations of having accepted Him? Ponder it and fellowship on it among yourselves. Let’s end our fellowship here for today. Goodbye!

July 27, 2024