We have already fellowshipped some truths concerning God incarnate. Do you feel that fellowshipping on this aspect of the truth is helpful for knowing God? (Yes.) That’s good, then. We have fellowshipped a bit on this topic before, but we did not fellowship on it in detail, going item by item; rather, we fellowshipped on it in a piecemeal fashion. What we are fellowshipping on this time are the truths within the topic of God incarnate that involve man’s notions about God, as well as his attitudes toward God and his knowledge of God. For one thing, fellowshipping on these truths is so that man can understand and know God, and understand the truths involving his attitudes and viewpoints toward God that he must know. For another thing, it’s because these topics are very important. What makes them important? Well, man cannot see or touch the God in heaven and can barely even feel Him; the God in heaven is so far away from man. If one were to try to establish a relationship with God, it would be very hollow and nebulous for them. This hollowness and nebulousness is, on the one hand, due to man being full of notions and imaginings about God. On the other hand, it’s due to man having no understanding whatsoever of the realness and practicality of God, or of God’s identity and essence, and living entirely amid the notions and imaginings that grow out of his own wishful thinking. So, after man starts to follow God, the relationship he establishes with God is basically built upon his notions and imaginings, upon the foundation of his wishful thinking, and also upon his various demands of and desires for God. The relationship between man and God that is built upon this kind of foundation is very unstable, very insecure, and, of course, very unreliable. With the slightest rustle of the wind, or with the occurrence of some unusual situation, this kind of relationship can easily rupture, and it can easily be severed. For example, when man encounters things that don’t go as he wishes, when he encounters suffering, setbacks, and failures, or when he encounters all kinds of things that do not conform to his notions or serve his fleshly interests—when man is faced with any of these situations which he believes should not happen according to his notions—he will instinctively doubt God. He will doubt God’s existence, he will doubt whether the ways in which God holds sovereignty over man—and the ways in which God orchestrates and arranges things for him—are correct, and of course, he will doubt whether it is right for God to act this way, as well as whether or not God has some ulterior motives or ill intents toward man, and so on. In short, this kind of relationship between man and God is very unstable and insecure; in human terms, it’s full of uncertainty. Because this kind of relationship between man and God is built upon man’s notions and imaginings, and upon the foundation of the various demands man makes of God out of wishful thinking, no matter how great man feels his faith in God is, or how great he feels his resolve to follow God is, from God’s perspective, He does not recognize this kind of relationship. Of course, in terms of the objective facts, it is unstable; it can rupture or be severed anytime and anywhere, due to changes in all kinds of environments and various people, events, and things, as well as the emergence of various special situations. Even if one understands some truths, they will still doubt God when they do not understand or know Him. Even if they do not doubt God’s existence, they will still doubt what God’s aim is in acting this way toward them, and whether it is correct for Him to act this way. Therefore, it can be said that this relationship man establishes with God when he does not understand or know God cannot withstand any test, and that it can hardly withstand the tempering of any special environment. The cause of this is not that there are mistakes or inaccuracies in God’s sovereignty and arrangements, or that God is inconsiderate, failing to take into account man’s weaknesses or his various needs; rather, it’s that corrupt humans are inherently full of notions and imaginings about God. From the get-go, because man has corrupt dispositions, this relationship he has with God is not built upon the foundation of a normal relationship between a created being and the Creator. Thus, man takes the wrong stance and views and establishes his relationship with God using erroneous viewpoints, and he also uses erroneous thoughts and views, as well as erroneous methods, to maintain this relationship. In this way, this relationship between man and God becomes abnormal. Not only does it fail to help man better submit to God, His orchestrations, and His arrangements so as to meet God’s requirements for him, but it also makes God detest him and be repulsed by him, and even causes man to lose his chance to attain salvation. As man follows God for longer periods of time, as he understands more and more truths, and as he accumulates some capital and derives some experiences and lessons in the course of doing his duty, he increasingly feels that his relationship with God is correct and secure. However, in terms of man’s knowledge of God, this kind of relationship between man and God is still abnormal in God’s eyes. It still needs to be corrected and tested, and man still has to understand more truths and have a greater understanding and knowledge of God. Only in this way can the relationship between man and God truly be up to standard in God’s eyes, and of course, only then can man more accurately and rationally assume the position of a created being in how he treats the Creator, in how he treats God. Therefore, the truth regarding knowing the incarnate God—knowing the God on earth—is not some kind of academic knowledge or a type of common sense, much less is it a kind of theory or slogan. Rather, it is an aspect of the truth that man must understand in order to establish a normal relationship with God, to establish the relationship between a created being and the Creator. It is an aspect of the truth that involves knowing God’s essence, knowing the ways in which God works and speaks, and knowing the principles by which God does all kinds of things. Once man understands this aspect of the truth, knows the incarnate God, and has a basic understanding of God, he will establish a relationship with God that is the most proper and the most suitable—the relationship between a created being and the Creator. Only on the foundation of this sort of relationship will man’s pursuit of practicing the truth to satisfy God, and his pursuit of submitting to God and worshiping Him, develop in a positive direction; only then will man increasingly shun evil, and embark on the path of salvation.

Ponder this: If one has no knowledge of God whatsoever—that is, although they believe in God, they are full of notions and imaginings about the principles and ways by which God does things, and His purpose in doing them, and they’re full of notions and imaginings about the specific details of how God does all kinds of things—then when they encounter various things, how will they approach them? How will they seek the truth? What will their basis be? What will their principles be? What will their goals be? These are not simple questions. If one is full of notions and imaginings about God, and doesn’t have the slightest understanding of the principles and ways by which God does things, and doesn’t understand at all what His purpose in doing all kinds of things is, and they treat God entirely based on human notions and imaginings, traditional culture, and knowledge-based reasoning, can they come to know and submit to God? (No.) If one’s pursuit of knowing God is on the whole based on human notions and imaginings, knowledge and philosophy, and traditional culture, and their pursuit is built upon this foundation and restricted by these things, wouldn’t this pursuit be very far from meeting God’s requirements? Wouldn’t it be running counter to what God requires? (Yes.) Once you understand these aspects—the normality and practicality of God incarnate; the principles and ways by which He speaks and acts; and the purpose, motives, and goals behind His speaking and acting—through fellowship, you will have a basic understanding of the principles and ways by which God works and speaks, as well as His purpose in doing so. This understanding does not come from man’s notions and imaginings about God, nor is it something man deduces based on his knowledge, much less is it something man imagines based on traditional culture; rather, it consists of the eminently practical manifestations of the God on earth that man sees, comes into contact with, and experiences. The principles and ways by which God incarnate speaks and acts—as well as His purpose in doing so—which He exhibits in wholly practical ways, are more than enough to allow you to understand and know God’s essence and disposition, as well as the specific principles and ways by which God acts, works, and speaks, along with His purpose in doing so. Therefore, understanding the various aspects of God incarnate is a pathway to understanding God—the Creator. Although knowing the incarnate God cannot lead to a complete and comprehensive knowledge of the Creator, at the very least, knowing the incarnate God is a pathway to knowing the God in heaven and knowing the Creator. What is My aim in telling you these things? Although understanding and knowing God are things man must spend his whole life trying to learn, and although man cannot know God completely and thoroughly even if he devotes a lifetime of effort, through coming to know the incarnate God, you will understand the God in heaven and the Creator in a more practical way, with more precision and objectivity—this is enough. That is, it is sufficient for you to understand and know God through knowing the incarnate God; that’s already enough to satisfy the conditions for you to know God and establish a normal relationship with Him. Knowing the incarnate God is sufficient to allow you to come to know the God in heaven and the Creator.

If one wanted to know the God in heaven completely, hoping to obtain a full, comprehensive knowledge of Him, would that be possible? (No.) They would never be able to accomplish that. Since this is impossible, why is man still asked to know God? Because, if you can know God accurately and practically, this is beneficial and helpful for you in following God, pursuing the truth, and coming to fear God and shun evil. In addition, knowing God is extremely crucial and important for you to practice the truth and attain salvation. So what should you do? (We should attach importance to the truths concerning knowing God. We should not try to understand this aspect of the truth as if it were just an ordinary truth.) For one thing, you must treat the incarnate God with a correct attitude. Additionally, you must examine what notions and imaginings you have about the incarnate God and about God, and find out how to let go of them. In your interactions and associations with God, whether in daily life, in the course of doing your duty, or as you experience your life, you should examine what notions and imaginings you have about God, and whether your attitude toward God has these two problems: One is comparing the incarnate God with the God in heaven, and the other is putting the incarnate God on a par with corrupt humankind. Examining these two problems can enable you to recognize some of your notions and imaginings about God, or discover what problems there are between you and God; or, it can also allow you to uncover some of your incorrect thoughts and views and incorrect attitudes toward God. The point of examining yourself like this is to help you clearly recognize your various erroneous thoughts, views, and attitudes regarding God, so that you can relinquish them, and treat God’s words, God’s work, and God Himself with correct thoughts and views, with a correct attitude, and in the correct ways. Only by practicing in this way can the relationship between you and God gradually become normal and satisfy God—right? (Yes.) If you practice in this way, your relationship with God will gradually develop based on the relationship between a created being and the Creator, and upon the foundation of the standard God requires of man. Only after meeting this standard can the relationship between man and God become increasingly normal. What does “normal” refer to here? Do you know? (It means that man can better assume the position of a created being in how he treats the Creator. He no longer has any guardedness and suspicion toward God, but is able to treat God with openness and honesty.) Does anyone else have something to add? (After someone’s relationship with God becomes normal, not only are they no longer guarded or suspicious toward God, but they also no longer make demands of God, have no extravagant desires, and can truly submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements.) You hit the nail on the head. The ultimate manifestation seen in people who attain salvation is that they can stand in the proper position of a created being and submit to the Creator. When man submits to God, he truly worships God; only by truly worshiping God can he attain a fear of God, and truly come to fear God and shun evil. Therefore, when it comes to the kind of relationship man has with God, or the kind of relationship he establishes with God, what does it depend on? It depends on man’s pursuit and his attitude toward God, and on how much he knows God. If you have no knowledge of God, and are full of notions and imaginings about Him, and extravagant desires for Him, then even if you can practice some truths and do some duties that a created being ought to do, as far as your relationship with God is concerned, the duties you do or the truths you practice are very limited. For example, in doing your duty, you are able to forsake things and expend yourself, and suffer and pay a price, or you can do some work that’s within your capabilities in the church. But when God does things to you that do not conform to your notions, or when He deprives you, or chastens and disciplines you, are you able to submit? If you have a genuine understanding and knowledge of God, you will very naturally assume the position of a created being and have an attitude of submission. But if you do not have a genuine understanding and knowledge of God, when you’re confronted with things that don’t go as you wish, or when you face things that involve your personal interests, you will very naturally develop all kinds of ideas and all kinds of notions and imaginings about God. In this way, it will be very difficult for you, as a created being, to attain true submission to God. Even if you have some superficial submission or a willingness to submit, if it does not conform to God’s requirements, then this submission of yours is not what God wants. If this submission of yours stems entirely from human notions and imaginings, conflicts with your knowledge of God and of God’s work, and violates the truth principles, then it is an adulterated submission; it is not true submission, and it is not the submission God wants. God does not approve of such submission. In His eyes, you are entirely devoid of submission. If you are unable to genuinely submit to God, then what that means is that your so-called “pursuit” and so-called “practice of the truth” have fundamentally failed to help you establish a relationship with God that is a relationship between a created being and the Creator. In most of what you do, you are living amid your personal wishes, notions, and imaginings, which cannot gain God’s approval. Not gaining God’s approval ultimately leads to one thing: What you do and what you practice fall far short of what God requires, and you live amid your own wishful thinking, or amid your notions and imaginings. In the end, what you do and practice, and the path you walk, will not be able to lead you to embark on the path of salvation and attain salvation. Then won’t your actions have been in vain? (Yes.) Under these circumstances, your actions will have been in vain. Then won’t you basically have gained nothing from your belief in God all these years? (Yes.) What is the reason for having gained nothing? (People walk the path of believing in God while always living amid their personal wishes, notions, and imaginings.) The fact that you gain nothing after believing in God for many years is not because you have not paid a price, have been unwilling to endure hardship, or have been unwilling to expend yourself, much less is it because you have not done your duty. Rather, what is the reason? It’s that, in the course of suffering and paying a price, forsaking things and expending yourself, and doing your duty, most of what you do is only done as a result of your wishful thinking, and you do it while you’re living amid your notions and imaginings, rather than acting according to God’s requirements. Yet you always believe that you are acting according to God’s requirements. Because this belief of yours is full of notions, you ultimately fail to gain the truth and achieve the result of attaining salvation. All your actions, then, were in vain. If someone ultimately reaches this point, wouldn’t you say that’s quite lamentable? (Yes.) On the surface, it seems that people have been doing their duties, preaching God’s words, and suffering and paying a price, but in fact, they’ve been following and serving God while having many notions and imaginings, and many incorrect thoughts, views, and attitudes. If you do your duty with these adulterations, ultimately, when God tests you, you won’t know why God acts this way, or what God expects of you and what result He intends to achieve in you by testing you like this. In the end, when God tests you, the words you say to God and your prayers will be full of complaints, incomprehension, and doubt, and even full of sadness and pain, and notions and imaginings about God. Then won’t your pursuit all this time have resulted in failure, and won’t the suffering you endured and the price you paid have been in vain? (Yes.) For example, let’s say you’ve believed in God for many years and have always endured hardship and paid a price; you have outwardly done everything God told you to do and held fast to these words. But one day, a trial like Job’s comes upon you, and you suddenly become doubtful: “Could my belief be wrong? Could I be walking the wrong path? Why would God set up an environment like this for me? Why would God do this kind of work on me? Why would He let such a thing happen to me?” You don’t understand, and don’t know what’s going on. For one thing, subjectively, there is a lot you don’t understand. Additionally, what is the biggest problem people have? When they encounter all manner of things, all they know to do is pray and seek to extricate themselves from these situations. Those who are a bit better will try to know themselves to figure out whether they have offended God, whether God is disciplining them, whether there is anything about themselves that does not accord with God’s intentions, or whether their actions and deeds have earned themselves God’s loathing. However, when most people encounter such things, they don’t know—in a positive sense—how to proactively do their part for God’s work and cooperate with God, how to practice according to the principles a created being ought to follow or according to the Creator’s instructions, or how to proactively seek a path of practice and the truth principles to resolve the problem at hand. This is beyond most people. Isn’t this so? (Yes.) You see, when people encounter things, they try to find causes in different places—they may look to themselves, they may try to find objective causes, they may try to come up with some excuses they can use to argue and justify themselves, or they may suspect other people and look to them for causes. But very rarely does anyone come before God to proactively seek the truth principles and proactively resolve the problem. Ultimately, when God gets rid of the situation or the environment people are facing, how much can people gain? Most people only know that they must be careful the next time they encounter such things, and they only know how to avoid or neutralize these things when there are signs that they might come up again. But very few people ponder how they should proactively cooperate when they encounter such things, how to practice according to the principles God tells people, and how to resolve the problem according to the truth principles. This is not easy for most people to do, right? (Yes.)

Does fellowshipping on the topic of letting go of one’s notions and imaginings about God incarnate have anything to do with knowing the incarnate God? (It does.) What is the connection? (If we do not know the incarnate God, and only believe in God based on our own notions and imaginings, in the end it is very likely that we will be left empty-handed and that all our efforts will have been in vain, with us having gained nothing. So, if we want to get on the right track in our belief in God, we must know the incarnate God. This truth is very important.) This is what you should understand in terms of theory—how should you practice, then? This is an important question. After you gain knowledge of the incarnate God, you should handle and resolve all kinds of things in real life based on this knowledge, and use it to work out what the principles of practice for all kinds of things should be. No matter what kind of knowledge you have, the point of having this knowledge is to resolve problems, not for you to master a theory. You see, we have fellowshipped on so many topics involving the incarnate God, but no matter which topic it is, it involves actual problems in real life. When you face these actual problems, you should give them some thought. What do you think about them? What is your attitude toward them? How do you plan to resolve them? Will you just let them pass, or will you seek the truth to resolve them? If, after listening to My fellowship on these topics, you only remember some theories, but cannot apply My words to real life to resolve your difficulties and problems, then what you’ve gained is just doctrine, which is of no help to you. But if, after listening to My fellowship on these topics, you apply My words to real life, correcting your erroneous viewpoints and erroneous attitudes regarding God, getting rid of your notions and imaginings about God, and improving your relationship with God, then what you’ve gained is the truth. If you use the words and content I have fellowshipped with you to resolve your notions and imaginings, your erroneous thoughts and views, and your erroneous attitudes regarding God, you will be able to establish a normal relationship with God. But if you treat the problems you have indifferently and don’t care about them, you never reflect by seeing how you match up to God’s words, and you clearly know there are problems with your attitude toward God yet do not seek the truth to resolve this actual problem, then My words have meant nothing to you, and you’ve listened to them in vain, right? (Yes.) What is your situation like? (Although we know we should not treat God’s words as doctrines, and that we should practice them in real life, our entry is still relatively shallow right now.) That your life entry is shallow is nothing to worry about—as long as you continuously seek the truth, you will gradually achieve deeper entry. On this foundation, gradually ponder things and examine yourself, and match yourself up against God’s words, and then correct your erroneous thoughts and views—and your erroneous attitudes regarding God—and come to treat and know God with correct thoughts and views, and a correct attitude. In this way, step by step, your relationship with God will become ever more normal.

What we have spoken about regarding the topic of God incarnate is not abstract or hollow. It is very specific, involves real life, and is not at all divorced from real life, which is why I say it is not hollow or abstract. If you listen and ponder with your heart, you will become increasingly clear on this aspect of the truth. In short, if one wants to attain genuine knowledge of God, and wants to establish the normal relationship between a created being and the Creator, this lesson of knowing God is something they must learn, and the process of knowing God is something they must experience. This lesson of knowing God should start with two things: knowing the normality and practicality of God incarnate, and letting go of notions and imaginings about God incarnate. It can also be said that this lesson should start with the most basic aspects that there are. Once you have established with the incarnate God the normal relationship between a created being and the Creator, and established a normal relationship between man and God, you will take a human perspective and treat the incarnate God, His words and work, and whatever attitude He has toward you with correct thoughts and views, and with a correct attitude. Once you have established the normal relationship with God incarnate—the relationship between man and God—it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to be open and honest with God, respectful toward Him, and obedient to Him, right? (Yes.) This is a goal man should pursue, and it is also a principle man should practice. Establishing a normal relationship with God incarnate should begin with interacting, associating, communicating, and having dealings with Him. On this foundation, you should enhance your understanding of God incarnate, frequently conversing and communicating with Him, and thus attain genuine understanding and knowledge of God. If conversing, communicating, and interacting with the God in heaven is something very distant and even out of reach for man, and is also unrealistic and unobjective, then how can man manage to interact, communicate, and associate with God on the foundation of having established a normal relationship with Him? During this period in which God incarnate is speaking and working, the conditions exist for man to achieve these things; whether in life or in doing work, these conditions are available. Since these conditions are available, man should not miss out. This is a fine opportunity for man to train in how to treat the Creator correctly. If man seizes this opportunity and makes good use of it, he will have the opportunity and the means to understand and know the God in heaven in a more practical way. For man, understanding and knowing the God in heaven then becomes something that is no longer nebulous and hollow, and of course, it ceases being something he can only think about but cannot achieve. In the process of humans coming into contact and associating with the incarnate God, for one thing, they gradually learn about themselves and come to know the various notions and imaginings they have about God. Additionally, they also gradually learn about the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness of God, God’s various attitudes toward man, and the principles and ways by which God speaks and works, as well as His purpose in doing so. What is important here is allowing man, through what he sees with his eyes, hears with his ears, and experiences with his heart, to more practically and accurately understand the various aspects of God’s words and actions. Under these circumstances, man will no longer be living amid his notions and imaginings about God. Had God not become flesh in the last days, even if man still believed in the Lord Jesus of the Age of Grace, and had done so for many years, his understanding and knowledge of God would be practically zero; he would not have the slightest bit of genuine knowledge of God. So, there is no one in the religious world who genuinely knows God. The knowledge of God gained by those who accept the incarnate God of the last days is different; those who possess it know much more about God than those who believed in the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace. Because God incarnate of the last days has been working for a long time, expresses many truths, does a massive amount of work, has interacted, associated, and lived with man for a long time, and comes into contact with a wide range of people, the conditions for man to understand and know God are consequently more favorable. That is, this incarnation has provided man with more favorable conditions and opportunities to come into contact with God, allowing him to hear God’s voice with his own ears, and witness with his own eyes God’s every move, the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness of God, as well as the many details of the various aspects of God’s daily life. Besides the outward appearance of God incarnate’s humanity that man can come into contact with, the details involving God’s life and His essence should all be sufficient to allow man to have a deeper and more accurate understanding of God. Of course, this deeper and more accurate understanding should enable man to establish a better, healthier relationship with God and break free from various notions and imaginings, casting off all of the notions and imaginings he has about God. Right? (Yes.) Therefore, no matter what I fellowship on, the aim of the fellowship is to help man better understand and know God. Of course, I have never spoken about the family of God incarnate as a person, the education He received, or the environment in which He grew up, much less have I ever talked about His family history, His family’s customs, His home environment, or the specific lifestyle and educational methods His family adopted. Of course, I have also never told you what kind of personality I have or what My living habits are, nor have I ever talked about the trivial details of My life regarding basic necessities. Rather, what have I talked about? (Some of the principles by which God incarnate conducts Himself and does things.) Whether it was giving examples, speaking about the facts in some regard, or speaking about some aspect of the truth, everything I’ve covered has involved God’s work, God’s essence, and God’s identity; it all pertains to man’s knowledge of God. Even if I give some examples involving basic necessities, My aim is not to have you focus on what I eat, what I wear, or what My living habits are, but rather to help you know what God’s principles for conducting Himself and doing things are when He comes in the flesh and lives together with people. Even if what I speak about involves some of God incarnate’s ways of living, it’s to help you understand His viewpoints and principles regarding these things, understand and grasp the principles in one regard, and, on this foundation, better understand God’s normality and practicality, as well as His principles for conducting Himself and doing things. Understanding the specific details of these principles is precisely to enable you to understand what kind of life God incarnate, this ordinary person, has, and how His life is related to God. I fellowship according to this principle. My aim is not to have you imitate My choices regarding basic necessities, My specific lifestyle, or what colors I like. That is not My aim. I am merely telling you My principles. For example, when I tell you what I eat or what My daily habits are, it’s not so you can imitate Me or keep to a certain rule, but rather to let you know what is contained within the ordinariness and normality of God incarnate when He comes to earth, and what His principles for conducting Himself and doing things are. It is enough that, through the examples I give and through some facts, you understand the principles, this aspect of the truth, and the life and disposition of God that you ought to know. So, I never tell you whether I like long hair or short hair; I only tell you what the reasons and principles are for letting one’s hair grow long or keeping it short, so that you can understand the principles. Fellowshipping on these truths about God incarnate involves man’s knowledge of God’s essence and God’s identity, and it involves God’s normality and practicality. If someone believes that the God on earth merely pertains to God’s work and words, and it’s only the God in heaven who pertains to God’s deeds, is this comprehension correct? (No.) Then do the words spoken and the work done by the God on earth originate from the God in heaven? (Yes.) It’s good if you can comprehend it this way. I have never told you where I was born, what growing up was like for Me, or what kind of education I received, nor have I ever talked about the environment I grew up in, the educational environment I was exposed to, or My family history, have I? (No.) Some people say, “Your family is not a prominent one. You grew up just like an ordinary person. It’s not worth talking about, so You don’t bring it up.” Is this the reason I don’t talk about these things? (No.) Then why do I not talk about them? (Talking about those things would be of no help to us in knowing the incarnate God.) They have nothing to do with knowing the incarnate God, so I don’t talk about them. If I were to talk about those things, you could leave and not listen. But if I tell you about the work, words, disposition, and essence of God incarnate, as well as the various manifestations and revelations of His life, you should listen carefully and earnestly. You must listen to that which involves the truth; listening to this content is helpful for you to know God. Some people say, “What does knowing God have to do with my pursuit of the truth?” Tell Me, is there a connection? (Yes.) Can knowing God replace pursuing the truth? What is the connection between knowing God and pursuing the truth? Do you think the principles for doing things and speaking manifested in the normality and practicality of God incarnate, which I am now fellowshipping with you on, have anything to do with the truth? (Yes.) Then what does knowing God have to do with pursuing the truth? (I think that knowing God is in itself pursuing the truth. This is because knowing God allows us to know the various principles by which God does things and the various dispositions God reveals, and helps us reflect on our own actions and deeds and the corrupt dispositions we reveal. It also gives us a direction for our practice. This is one point. Another point is that knowing God can spur man to pursue the truth. When one has some knowledge of God’s essence and disposition, a positive desire and resolve will arise in their heart—they will want to know God more, and will want to embark on the path of pursuing the truth—and they will gradually cast off their corrupt dispositions and live out the likeness required by God. Therefore, I think that knowing God is in itself pursuing the truth, and it can spur man to pursue the truth.) When someone is pursuing knowledge of God, they’re also actually pursuing the truth; they’re taking the truth seriously, and seeing exactly how God acts and what God requires in various areas. Once man understands these things in detail, he will have a clearer goal and a more accurate direction in his practice. Pursuing knowledge of God is in itself pursuing the truth—this statement is not wrong, and these two things do not clash. So, can pursuing the truth allow you to come to know God? (Yes.) While you pursue the truth, you also gradually come to know God. The process of pursuing the truth is the process of practicing the truth. While you practice the truth, you gradually understand God’s intentions and God’s requirements of you, and you also understand what God’s required standards, desires, and intentions are in specific matters. Once you understand these things, you gradually come to know God. This process of understanding is the very process of knowing God. These two things complement each other; neither exists in isolation. No matter in which aspect of the truth you have genuine experience, knowledge, and appreciation, no matter in which aspect of the truth you have these gains, what you gain will also include knowledge of God. When you have experience and knowledge of the truth, you also have knowledge and understanding of God at the same time. Once you have knowledge of God, you can be more certain of God’s intentions and God’s required standards. Afterward, when you practice the truth, you will be more accurate, and you will not be holding onto notions and imaginings; you will clearly know what God’s intentions are and what God would have you do. Knowing God and pursuing the truth are not independent of each other, and they do not clash with one another; rather, they complement each other. Therefore, knowing the incarnate God is helpful and beneficial to your pursuit and practice of the truth. It can serve as a driving force in this regard. Before this, many people thought, “Now that I have these words expressed by the incarnate God, I have gained God. When I encounter things, I just need to practice according to these words. Even if I don’t have an understanding or knowledge of God, it’s fine; it won’t affect my practice of the truth.” But when they tried to practice the truth in real life, they could all feel that, although God spoke with great specificity, and from His words they could understand what the principles of practice and God’s required standards are for many specific matters, when it came to many of the things that happened to them in their daily lives, they still lacked certainty. They were not one hundred percent certain that doing things this way was right, or that doing things this way was in accordance with God’s intentions. But when you understand the precise principles by which the incarnate God conducts Himself and acts, you will feel completely at ease. When you encounter similar things again, you will not handle them as you did before, acting based on guesswork, as if you were gambling, and not knowing afterward whether what you did was right or wrong. Through understanding the principles by which the incarnate God speaks and acts, man’s notions and imaginings about God will decrease and diminish without him even realizing it, and they will gradually be resolved. That is to say, when you know the incarnate God, and especially when you know the principles and ways by which He conducts Himself and acts, you will have a more accurate goal and direction for practicing the truth and handling all kinds of things in life. When God had not become flesh and it was the God in heaven or the Holy Spirit working on man, man would never get answers to these things, nor would he ever receive any benefit from the God in heaven by understanding the various specific issues of human life that man ought to understand. Even if man can adhere to some laws and commandments, as for the truth principles and the path he walks, if God had not been incarnated to work and speak, humankind would never be able to know or understand them. Man cannot gain them from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, nor can he gain them from the God in heaven. The only pathway is to gain from the incarnate God these truth principles that man must understand in order to live and survive. In short, knowing the incarnate God is a pathway to knowing God, a pathway to understanding God, and even more so, a necessary pathway for man to establish or maintain a relationship with God.

Last time, we fellowshipped on “God not enticing man,” a subject included within the broader topic of not putting the incarnate God on a par with corrupt humankind. Where did we leave off? (God fellowshipped on three specific manifestations of God not enticing man: not coaxing information out of man, not instigating man, and not inciting man. We finished the fellowship on not inciting man.) These three topics—not coaxing information out of man, not instigating man, and not inciting man—all involve specific manifestations of God not enticing man. Did you have any reflections after our last fellowship? Look at the things I’ve said to you over the years—do they reflect God’s principle of not enticing man? (Yes. God has never tried to coax information out of us when speaking to us. You are always straightforward. You instruct us patiently and progressively, always guiding us and providing for us, and supporting and helping us.) One of My principles when speaking to you is to not entice you, the specific manifestations of which are not coaxing information out of you, not instigating you, and not inciting you. Sometimes I may ask you about some things, but there’s no enticement in this whatsoever. So, when you misunderstand God, you must ponder, “There’s no enticement or coaxing of information in any of God’s words. I mustn’t misunderstand God. The literal meaning of God’s words is exactly what He means. Whatever God asks me, I will answer truthfully and tell Him openly and honestly. I’ll say however much I know, and if I don’t know something, I’ll say as much, and tell God that I need to look into it before answering.” This is called being open and honest. In speaking and taking care of matters with you, if I see that you’re facing difficulties or I discover any problems with you—whether they are problems you have with doing your duty or problems in your humanity—I will find an opportunity to converse with you. My aim in doing this is to help you clearly see what the essence of your problems is, so that you can resolve them after coming to know them. My aim in helping you resolve your problems is, in one respect, for the defects or problems in your humanity to be corrected, and for you to not live by corrupt dispositions and to live out a human likeness. In another respect, it’s for you to do your duty better. My aim is not to use you to exert effort for God’s house, but to help you to come, more seamlessly, to do your duty up to standard, to not cause disruptions and disturbances, do the things you ought to do to the best of your ability, play your role, and do your duty well. If you have problems with your humanity, I will speak to you briefly about them. If you can accept it, that is naturally for the best; if you cannot accept it at the time, I will use My own way to inform you, so that you know what your problems are. In short, My aim is always to support and help you. It is never My intent to entice you to walk a path that is wrong or evil, making you degenerate or commit evil. My aim is just to help you; I’m well-intentioned, and the intent behind this is correct and positive. Of course, when I say these words and do these things, there is no coercion involved. That is, after you hear these words, you should not be constrained by Me. Even if I speak with certainty about the problems with your humanity or dissect the problems in your performance of your duty, you can still say, “I cannot yet recognize these problems You have exposed in me; I need to reflect on them.” I say that you should reflect in this way, or fellowship on this problem with everyone. I do not forcefully demand that you do anything according to My personal wishes; rather, I give you ample freedom. When I expose your problems, I’m giving you a reminder. This method of reminding you does not entail speaking vaguely, but fellowshipping on some fact—by exposing the words or behaviors you reveal and exhibit—to let you know you indeed have these problems. I will tell you clearly and plainly. I will absolutely not use vague words to give you a false impression, causing you to fall into negativity, weakness, and disorientation, or making you feel that My words are so profound, difficult to understand, and unfathomable, so as to make you think highly of Me. I will not do that. I will tell you straightforwardly and clearly; I will not beat around the bush and leave you guessing. For example, some people are highly sentimental and are prone to speaking with adulteration. I tell them straightforwardly, “Your words are highly adulterated, you speak entirely based on your feelings, and you do not safeguard the interests of God’s house. You are just a people pleaser.” This is just how straightforward I am. When some people don’t know how to practice upon encountering some situation, I tell them directly, “With this matter, you must act this way; for that matter, practice like this.” That’s how clear I am when I tell them. After hearing this, people who put their heart into things and people who are rational can understand clearly; they are not muddled or confused, and they truly know in their hearts what to do. Of course, some muddleheaded people with distorted comprehension become confused after hearing Me speak like this. No matter how they try to listen, they can’t make sense of it or understand the principles; they still need Me to give examples and explain things in detail. But even if I give an example and teach them again, they still cannot understand and do not know how to practice. This is not because I didn’t explain things clearly, but because their caliber is too poor and they themselves are too muddled. In short, My principle for speaking is to make it so that, after you listen to Me speak, you aren’t confused, and you have a clear path of practice in mind, and know how to practice accurately. This is My aim in speaking to you.

Within this principle of not enticing man, aside from these three manifestations—not coaxing information out of man, not instigating man, and not inciting man—there is another manifestation: not being vague. What does being vague mean? It means saying specious things, not speaking in clear and unequivocal terms, making things sound hazy, and speaking words that sound right, but cannot be practiced or implemented, and that are just empty talk. This is called being vague and unclear. Not being vague, then, means that one’s words are free of these qualities and do not have this essence; rather, they are clear and plain, precise in meaning, and they give man a path to follow. You see, when I fellowship on various aspects of the truth, every time I introduce a new topic, I try to first provide you with a definition for this aspect of the truth. What is My aim in providing you with a definition? It’s to make the concept clear to you, and enable you to know the accurate definition of the truth I am speaking about. Once you are clear on this accurate definition and you’re able to pin it down, you will have a goal and a direction. By achieving this result with man through the definitions I provide to him, he’s able to know more clearly in his heart what he should practice and adhere to. Then, I give some specific examples. My aim in giving examples is to help man gain more clarity on this aspect of the truth, to help him have accurate knowledge of it, and to help him know how to practice it. Then, My speaking will have achieved its effect and its purpose. What is the best way for this purpose to be achieved? It’s to let you know, through definitions and examples, what truth principles you ought to adhere to. There may be many people who don’t have spiritual understanding and can’t make sense of the truth principles within what’s being discussed, only knowing how to follow certain regulations, but at the very least, the regulations they follow are clear. For example, when fellowshipping on a certain aspect of the truth principles, I may give some examples, saying that it’s unhealthy for man to eat certain things, and that certain choices man makes and certain things he does are wrong. People who have spiritual understanding and comprehension ability will then know, “So this is the accurate understanding of this kind of thing. I know the principles now, and I know how to practice, how to choose, and what to accept or reject.” However, when people who don’t have spiritual understanding hear this, they say, “I get it. God doesn’t let us eat this, and He doesn’t let us use that.” The manifestations of these people who don’t have spiritual understanding also illustrate something: They show that the examples I give are very specific and are things man can encounter in his real life. They are not hollow at all, and they are not theories, slogans, or profound knowledge.

The incarnate God does not speak vaguely or ambiguously; this is true not only when I fellowship during gatherings, but also when I speak with you ordinarily. Sometimes I talk about your duties, sometimes I talk about church work, and sometimes I talk about man’s corrupt states and the deviations he has in his practice. No matter what issue I fellowship on, I always base My fellowship on your states, your stature, and your current problems. When I fellowship with you, I never shout slogans; rather, I provide specific explanations and elucidate things in detail, and then point out a path for you. Sometimes I speak so much that even I feel I am being long-winded, but in the end, you still get it. This is quite a good result. What do I mean by saying this? What I mean is that, when I fellowship on something with you in daily life, even if the fellowship only consists of assigning a simple task to you, I make sure what I say is clear to you and that you understand it, without any vagueness. What does it mean that there’s not any vagueness in My words? It means I don’t spout high-sounding ideas, I don’t talk like a bureaucrat, and I don’t speak words and doctrines, or empty, boastful words. The meaning of what I say is definite and clear, without any ambiguity. Not only do I speak clearly and plainly, but I also let you know how to practice. For example, when living overseas, if we need to build some structures for daily use in the yard, I will tell the person handling this to consult the government about what requirements and conditions there are for building such structures. After they understand everything clearly, they are to build the structures strictly according to the conditions and specifications required by the government. If we cannot meet the conditions required by the government, then we can simply choose not to build them. When handling this matter, I tell the person a few things to pay attention to, and also instruct them on how to deal with some special situations they might not have thought of. I say everything clearly, and they know how to handle the matter after they hear Me speak. When some people assign tasks to others, they speak vaguely and unclearly; they do nothing but talk like a bureaucrat and spout doctrines and empty words. For example, when they arrange for someone to go to a government department to handle something, they just say, “Go to the government and ask around to see what regulations there are.” After hearing this, the person handling the matter doesn’t know what to do or how they should inquire about this matter; they just simply ask around and that’s it, and don’t end up achieving any results. Isn’t assigning tasks to people like this acting like a bureaucrat? (Yes.) When I’m doing specific work, I will fellowship on and resolve the problems that exist in the work, as well as the foreseeable problems and the problems you raise, one by one. When fellowshipping on each problem, for one thing, I am aiming to resolve it according to the truth principles; and additionally, when some special situations are involved, I will handle them and fellowship on them accordingly. The principles I lay out and the content I fellowship on are never vague. At the very least, My motive is to strive for clarity, giving you a broad principle so that when you encounter such things, you can apply this principle and act according to it. This ensures you have a path to follow, and that you are not at a loss when encountering things in daily life, but know how to handle problems and do work. I do not give high-sounding speeches about specious doctrines and theories to mislead or suppress you, or teach you with specious pieces of knowledge or theory to make you accept and submit; I do not do this. I have never sat people down in front of Me to listen to Me speak bombastically about theories, only to leave them all completely baffled after I finish, feeling as if they had understood and gained something, yet also feeling as if no problems were resolved at all, giving them a sense that these few hours of fellowship were a waste of time. I do not do this. If you have problems, I resolve them; if you don’t have any problems, I try My best not to disturb you. What I say to you is all very specific. For example, when there are problems with hymn work, I fellowship with you on the issues regarding hymns. Although I have not studied the relevant professional knowledge in this field, I can fellowship on the principles. When there are problems with the translation work, although I am not proficient in English, I will fellowship with you on the principles of translation, and help you resolve the problems of principle that you cannot handle, and strive to ensure that through My fellowship you can understand some principles of practicing the truth. Perhaps, after you listen to Me, you don’t understand any profound truths or mysteries, but you do come to know an aspect of the principles of practice or a path to resolving problems in the work you are engaged in—this is the result I aim to achieve in you when I come into contact, interact, and handle matters with you.

There’s another item included within the subject of not being vague: When it comes to discerning a certain type of person or a certain type of thing, the principles I fellowship with you are meant to help you clearly recognize the essence of that type of person and the nature of that type of thing, and to help you have clarity in your heart about what the essence of that type of person is, what the nature of that type of thing is, how you should treat them, and what correct viewpoints and attitudes you should have concerning them. My aim in fellowshipping on these issues is to help you have correct viewpoints, attitudes, and stances toward all kinds of people, events, and things, thereby ensuring that when you uphold principles, you are upholding the right ones, not principles that are wrong. My aim is to enable you to discern people, events, and things, so that you know just what the essence and true colors of all kinds of people, events, and things are; to allow you to know positive things and—at the same time—negative things; and to help you have your own correct stance no matter what kind of people, events, and things you encounter in your daily life. What does it mean to have a correct stance? It means that you can take the right stance to uphold principles, not taking a middle-of-the-road approach, and not being a confused person, a muddleheaded person, or a people pleaser. You see, in the beginning, when the serpent enticed Adam and Eve, it said to them, “God does not let you eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said that after eating it you will surely die, but actually, you shall not necessarily die.” Although this statement from the serpent was very vague, it had an enticing effect on Adam and Eve, bringing about a pernicious consequence. What was this consequence? Adam and Eve no longer listened to God’s words, no longer believed God’s words, no longer had a correct stance, and no longer upheld their original stance and original principles. Instead, on the basis of their doubt in God, they did not believe God’s instructions, and did not believe that they would die if they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then they started getting ideas, and while this was going on they reached out and plucked the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was a process of enticement, and it was also the result of Adam and Eve being enticed. This process of enticement consisted of them listening to and believing Satan’s words, getting ideas, starting to doubt God, and no longer believing God’s words. The result of Adam and Eve being enticed was that they went against God’s words and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Although the serpent did not say, “You definitely will not die if you eat it; what God said is wrong, and God is deceiving you,” in the serpent’s statement that “you shall not necessarily die if you eat it,” this “not necessarily” was vague wording. This vague wording was enticing in nature; it caused man to doubt God and disbelieve God’s words. This vague wording also caused man to lose his correct stance, as well as his drive and faith to uphold principles. What happened in the end? Man embarked on the path of being enticed by the serpent, betrayed God, and lived in sin. Seen in this light, the phrase “not necessarily” spoken by the serpent when it enticed man had simply too great of a negative effect. It did not directly deny God’s words or directly tell man to not listen to God’s words, and it did not directly tell man to suspect and doubt God, much less did it tell man unequivocally that “you will not die after eating it.” Yet just a vague phrase like “not necessarily” was enough to get man’s mind working, to deceive him, and to entice him into eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These are the consequences that vague wording brought upon man. Where did this vague phrase “not necessarily” come from? In the very beginning, this phrase came from the words the serpent spoke when enticing Eve. Before this, you cannot find a single vague word, nor can you find the slightest hint of vagueness, in the few instructions God gave to Adam and Eve. That is, the words God speaks are all sincere, genuine, and accurate. Every sentence He speaks represents a correct stance, and a correct and accurate viewpoint, all of which man should uphold, and which man should submit to forever, without ever doubting them. None of God’s words are vague, so none of God’s words entice man. Speaking in a negative sense, God’s words don’t contain the slightest enticement or deception for man; in a positive sense, it can be said that everything God says serves to protect and safeguard man, and is capable of preserving man’s life and maintaining this most intimate relationship between him and God. However, this vague phrase of the serpent—“not necessarily”—completely ruptured this relationship, and completely pulled man away from God, making him doubt God and distance himself from God, and making him feel too ashamed to be seen by God. On this foundation, the serpent further enticed, corrupted, and devastated man. Judging from the passage containing God’s instructions to Adam and Eve, the essence of God’s words and His aim in speaking are immensely beneficial to man—listening to God’s words and submitting to God is the stance man should have, and it is also a truth principle that man should forever adhere to. God forever loves, cares for, protects, and cherishes man, whereas Satan’s aim in speaking and acting is to entice and corrupt man, to entice man to doubt and distance himself from God, and then to entice man to worship it and be corrupted by it. Since the incarnate God has God’s life and God’s essence, He likewise possesses this specific manifestation and principle of not being vague in His words and actions. Through all My sermons, and through coming into contact with the incarnate God in your daily lives, you will certainly gradually discover that in all the truths God provides to man, there isn’t any vague vocabulary of the sort you find in Satan’s words, and there aren’t any vague expressions like the ones Satan uses, right? (Yes.) Not being vague is a revelation of the genuineness and faithfulness of God when He speaks and works, and it is also a revelation of God’s essence. That is, with God, there is no essence of the kind that Satan has when it speaks to entice man; God’s essence is free of this. Therefore, even if the words of the incarnate God are not very detailed or clear when it comes to certain minor things, by no means will He use any of the vague words similar to those that Satan uses to entice man, and by no means will He use a type of language, a manner of speaking, or a way of working that leaves you at a loss or makes it so you harbor suspicions about God and distance yourself from God. Rather, however God speaks and whatever He says, the ultimate goal He aims to achieve is for you to get closer and closer to God, for you to understand God’s intentions from His words, for you to have correct thoughts and views and a correct stance, and for you to be more motivated to uphold the truth principles. This is one aspect of the matter. For another thing, God aims for you to get a goal, a correct direction in life, and a direction for moving forward, from these clear and explicit words. Of course, an even more important point is that when you have correct viewpoints and stances toward all kinds of people, events, and things, and you uphold the truth principles, you will gain God’s protection and care, and subsequently God’s recognition and acceptance. Then, are you not the beneficiaries? (Yes.) Just the fact that God’s words and actions are not vague has brought you such great benefits. Have you come to appreciate this a bit by now? (Yes.) Without Me saying all this, you might never appreciate it your whole lives. You would just feel, “Your words are the truth. Your words are relatively accurate and objective, and Your understanding of us is relatively deep,” but you probably would not be able to recognize that the incarnate God is not vague when He speaks, right? (Yes.)

The incarnate God’s lack of vagueness in His words has another manifestation, which is that, in the various subjects I fellowship with you, whether they involve professional work or life entry, My fellowship does not include any knowledge, philosophy, or theology—it is totally free of these things. Even if it involves an item of professional work, with the majority of the things I fellowship on, the crux of what I say is primarily telling you how to grasp the relevant truth principles, and how to correctly apply the professional knowledge and skills in this area, so that you may better bear witness to God and do your duty in a way that is up to standard. I do not instill knowledge in you. Sometimes I share some common sense with you, such as common sense for preventing a cold: Be sure to keep warm in the winter. Don’t catch a chill. When the window is open, do not sit near it, so as to avoid sitting in a draft. This is all common sense. What does common sense refer to? (Some life experience that one ought to know in their daily life.) It’s life experience and insight about how to maintain one’s health, right? (Yes.) I do not instill social knowledge or theological knowledge in you. Why do I not instill these things in you? (These things are of no benefit to us.) That answers one side of it. What else? (Social knowledge is of Satan; God would not instill these things in us to lead us astray.) Tell Me, do I possess anything that is of Satan? (No.) What is it that I talk about when I fellowship and chat with you? (It’s all positive things, and it’s all the truth.) Satan’s knowledge, philosophy, logic, reasoning, and theology—I never try to learn these things, and you won’t find them within Me. Some people say, “Why don’t You try to learn a bit?” That’s really not a hobby of Mine. I don’t like those things. I feel a sense of disgust and aversion when I hear people talk about theology. Theology is all specious doctrines and theories; it’s not practical, right? Some people know the Bible inside and out, and are always studying the books of the prophets, and books of prophecy—what is prophesied in a certain chapter and verse, how it is to be fulfilled, and what the mysteries within it are. I never study these things, and there isn’t any need for Me to put effort into studying them. I inherently dislike these things. When I encounter things in daily life, I just ponder how to act appropriately, how to act so that these issues can be resolved, and what the best way to resolve them is. For many people, when they encounter things, they complain, feel regretful, or become confused, or they spout lofty doctrines and shout slogans. When I encounter things, I calmly ponder the appropriate way to resolve them; what I ponder are solutions. Therefore, when I speak and fellowship with you, I like to talk about real things, about things that come up when you’re doing your duties, and even about things involved in daily life, such as certain people, events, and things, basic necessities, and so on. I only talk about real things. I don’t give high-sounding speeches full of empty talk. Once you’ve spent a long time with Me, you’ll see that I am very serious and earnest about real things and real problems in life. That’s just the kind of person I am. I am not vague about anything—in particular, when it involves your performance of duty or your life entry, this is even more so the case, right? (Yes.) That covers one aspect of not being vague.

God incarnate not being vague also pertains to the topic of God not enticing man. God not being vague means that the way I speak and work is very clear. I call a spade a spade; I don’t use any specious words, or have any specious ways of doing things. Even when there are some things that cannot be rushed to a conclusion at the time, I will tell you, “Let’s observe this person for a while. Let’s wait a bit on this matter. For now, all we can do is what is humanly possible. For the next step, let’s see in which direction things develop. We can gradually formulate plans and set goals based on the direction things develop.” As you can see, I will explain things clearly to you, and clearly state the principles at hand and how you should orient your actions. I will absolutely not use specious words to make you feel like you don’t know what to do or you don’t know how to handle certain things. Even when characterizing some people, I fellowship based on some special things they have done and based on their various manifestations, so as to help you clearly recognize the essence of this type of person, and know how to treat them. Right? (Yes.) That is, I never mix personal feelings or private grievances into the way I handle matters. Even when handling some people, if you are not clear on the essence of this type of person, I will fellowship on it specifically, clearly explain to you the problems they have, and then use the truth to identify where they fit and dissect their essence, helping you gain clarity on why God’s house handles them this way, why the principles of God’s house for treating this type of person are like this, and why the result of handling them is a certain way. Even if some people do not admit their sins or repent after being handled, and do not know why they were dismissed or sent away, or why they were cleared out, this is just them not knowing themselves and having no remorse. However, as for why God’s house handled them and why the result of handling them was a certain way, we need to lay the issues out in the open so that you can know the details of these issues, what problems these people have, what the house of God’s reasons for handling them are, and what the basis for handling them is. In short, in all the words I have fellowshipped with you from the beginning until now, aside from the part spoken in the language of divinity, where people do not know what is being said, cannot see through, and are ignorant as to the truth within, when it comes to any issue involving your life entry—whether it’s exposing man’s antichrist disposition or exposing the various manifestations and revelations of man’s corrupt dispositions—I always pinpoint and explain these things particularly clearly and accurately, helping you know what things are positive, what things are negative, what you should uphold, and what you should correct, rebel against, and reject. In short, My consistent principle for speaking is to clearly fellowship the truth, God’s intentions, God’s required standards for man, and the various aspects of the principles of practice that man ought to adhere to, so that you are given an accurate goal, accurate direction, and accurate principles of practice and path of practice. Moreover, while speaking to you, I also clearly fellowship on the final outcome and end for people who do not adhere to the various principles; in particular, I tell you explicitly how the various problems that are found in everyone are characterized. For example, some people are perfunctory in doing their duties, do not pursue the truth, and never have life entry, to which I say, “Your performance of duty has been characterized: You are laboring. If you continue believing in this way to the very end, it will be impossible for you to attain salvation. You must pursue the truth, have life entry, cast off this state of being a laborer, and strive to embark on the path of salvation. The purpose of doing your duty is to attain salvation, not to exert effort or to labor.” You see, isn’t this very clear? (Yes.) It clearly lets you know what the consequences of not practicing the truth and not having life entry are. In addition, no matter which aspect of the truth I fellowship, I do not fellowship it from just one angle or one perspective, but from multiple angles and perspectives, using various methods and giving multiple examples. I strive to enable you to understand the truth principles at hand, rather than have you just understand some aspect of doctrine or regulations, or learn about some aspect of knowledge in a simple way. Since God first came into contact with humankind and provided His first instruction to man up to now, God’s principle for speaking has remained unchanged. Whether God speaks and works as the Spirit or speaks and works in the flesh, He has always followed this principle: to speak clearly and rigorously. From a human perspective, what He says and provides to man are all instructions, and of course, they are also provisions. That is, as created humans, people should keep every word God speaks firmly in mind, and strictly adhere to it in their daily lives, especially when it comes to doing their duties, rather than treating God’s words as a set of theological theories. Every word spoken by God and every aspect of the truth God provides to man are meant to lead man onto the right path, and to give man a clear goal and direction. If man adheres to them, he will become a created human being who is up to standard and recognized by God.

Are there any other issues regarding this aspect of not being vague? What else can you think of? Previously in mainland China, before this stage of work officially began, when some so-called leaders discovered that someone had engaged in sexual immorality, they would seize upon it fiercely. They would make the person involved kneel on the ground and confess their sins, and those leaders would listen to everything they said. They would play the role of God, listening to this ordinary believer confess their sins, and when they heard parts that were not explained clearly enough, they would even press for details. Actually, doing that was unnecessary—as long as the individual confesses their sins, repents, and won’t commit them again, that should be enough. People confess their sins to God, not to man. People should not act as judges, much less try to represent God. But these so-called leaders would specifically press for the details of the person’s sins, making others feel disgusted and uncomfortable just listening to it. They would not rest until they had interrogated the person to the point of extreme embarrassment. How do you feel hearing this? (We feel very disgusted.) Such leaders are false leaders, and they have the essence of evil people. They would even want to act as judges and try cases; they truly have no sense of shame! When ordinary believers committed sins, especially the sin of sexual immorality, these leaders became particularly interested, asking detailed questions and pressing for specifics. They would never approach church work this way, but when they discovered issues of sexual immorality, they became unusually fascinated and extremely earnest, interrogating the person who sinned so much that they wished the ground would swallow them up. They even felt that they were taking things seriously and not being vague, and felt that they were capable of doing real work. Isn’t this too absurd? Some people think that since they have status, they can represent God, so they take advantage of their status to do certain things. Because ordinary believers don’t have much discernment, do not know right from wrong, and do not know what God’s requirements for man are, they would obey whatever those so-called leaders asked them to do, thinking that not obeying the leaders would be rebelling against God. Even when interrogated to the point of extreme embarrassment, they did not complain, even believing that they were submitting to God and being honest and candid with God. Those so-called leaders thought, “Such a major thing has happened—we cannot be vague in how we treat it. You engaged in sexual immorality; all the details must be brought to light. You must confess your sins to everyone!” In the end, they would interrogate the person until they were extremely embarrassed and in pain, to the point where they would not even want to live anymore. What do you think of the work they did? (It was not done well.) Do you ever see Me doing such things? When I interact with you, have I ever tried to learn about your private matters? (Never.) Tell Me, do I want to know about your private matters or what bad deeds you’ve done in secret? I do not want to know about these things. When I say I do not want to know about them, is it that I’m pretending, or that I don’t have any opportunities to learn about these things? (Neither; God does not want to know about them.) I do not want to know about them because I’m uninterested in them, and because there’s no need for Me to know about them. If you have any problems, you should pray to God yourselves or seek the truth to resolve them; this is best. Once some people become leaders, they want to take advantage of their status to do things that people with status want to do, trying to get a grasp of people’s thoughts and private matters. They don’t do any of the real work that leaders and workers ought to do, yet they are quite serious about prying into people’s private matters. They even think that everyone is won over by them doing work this way; they feel quite honored. Do such people have any reason? They are completely devoid of reason, and have no humanity whatsoever.

From God’s words and work, everyone can appreciate the fact that God is not vague. If you earnestly appreciate every sentence God says and every instance of His speech, and earnestly appreciate and experience God’s work on you, you will believe even more that God is faithful, and that His work and words contain His love and concern for man. God’s provision of life for man has never misled him. That is, God has never given man wrong guidance or wrong demonstrations, nor has He ever made wrong statements, much less specious ones that make man confused. Rather, no matter what the content is or what aspect of the truth it involves, He tirelessly provides man with positive and correct statements. Even when it involves content regarding people’s daily lives, I will share some tidbits of common sense about life, drawing on My personal experience. In particular, when I’m guiding some young people, I will tell them some tidbits of common sense for living so that they avoid taking unnecessary detours, and do not adopt erroneous ways of living or develop erroneous living habits. Therefore, whether it comes to fellowshipping the truth or in daily life, the incarnate God absolutely serves to provide for you, support you, and help you. In terms of God incarnate doing work and fellowshipping the truth, the work He does and the words He speaks deserve that you adhere to them, and that you adhere to and submit to them absolutely and unequivocally. This is because these words come from God’s life and God’s essence—they guide you onto the path of salvation, and they are words that guide you to turn to God. You do not have to take some of the words I say in daily life to heart, but as for Me personally, My motive is absolutely not to hurt anyone. Even if I do not quite like your personality, your disposition, your way of doing things, or some aspect of you, I will absolutely not hurt you, nor will I ever do anything to entice you like the serpent did. I will not entice you to walk a path that is wrong or evil, nor will I entice you to degenerate, commit sins, or do things that resist God; I will absolutely not do this. Even if there’s something about you that I don’t quite like or which is not quite compatible with My personality, and even if I will not associate or interact with you in daily life, given My identity, I will absolutely treat you correctly. If you seek something that involves the truth or life entry, I will absolutely tell you the path of practice in a manner that is clear and not vague. One thing is certain: Even if I do not like you, I will not lead you astray. I will treat you in the correct manner. If you are willing to pursue the truth and willing to embark on the path of salvation, I will fellowship with you on the principles of practice that you ought to adhere to; this is certain.

The topic of God not enticing man also involves how humans treat the incarnate God, right? (Yes.) Because these revelations of corrupt dispositions—instigating people, inciting people, trying to coax information out of people, and speaking ambiguously and vaguely—are very common in man, and these are all revelations of humankind’s corrupt essence, man treats the incarnate God with these same methods, perspectives, and viewpoints. It is necessary, then, that man knows these aspects, and it is also necessary to clearly explain to man these manifestations exhibited by the incarnate God: not instigating man, not inciting man, not coaxing information out of man, and not being vague. After understanding these things, man will come to know the incarnate God in a new light. In one respect, this can allow man to have more knowledge of the aspects of the incarnate God that involve God’s essence, allowing him to better know and understand the God in heaven. In another respect, it can also prevent human beings from treating the incarnate God in the way they treat other corrupt humans. Fellowshipping on these things will greatly help man treat the incarnate God in the correct way, and also greatly help him rectify his attitude toward God, allowing him to treat the incarnate God using the correct attitude and methods. Similarly, treating the incarnate God in the correct way will also help man treat the Creator in the correct way. That is, if you want to treat the Creator using the correct attitude and correct methods, and if you want to establish a normal relationship with the Creator as a created being, and treat the Creator with the correct attitude of a created being, then you must first treat the incarnate God using the correct attitude and methods. Once you treat the incarnate God using the correct attitude and methods, you will have the opportunity or the basic means to treat the Creator in the correct way. Therefore, how to treat the incarnate God is a hurdle that man cannot get around. If you want to smoothly clear this hurdle of treating the incarnate God correctly, you must know the essence of the incarnate God, know the normality and practicality of the incarnate God, and know and understand just what the life essence, the living out of His life, and the life revelations of the incarnate God are. Only when you know and understand these things will you have the opportunity and the means to treat the incarnate God correctly. This is a hurdle man must clear in believing in and following God if he wants to submit to and worship God. If you can clear this hurdle, there will be hope for you to become a created being who is up to standard in God’s eyes, and hope for you to become someone accepted by God.

Besides the several topics we fellowshipped just now, there is another topic you need to understand, which is exactly how the incarnate God approaches status. This is a very important topic for humankind, an unavoidable subject in life experience. This directly involves the actual mentality in man’s spiritual life, which involves all aspects of his life. Therefore, it is also necessary to fellowship with you on the incarnate God’s attitude and principles regarding the issue of how He approaches status. Among humankind, status can be called an issue that people cannot avoid throughout their lives, and it is also something the vast majority of people pursue. Speaking of status, it occupies a certain place and carries a certain weight in everyone’s heart. For everyone, having status is a symbol of noble standing, as well as a symbol of class and power in society. With status, man can enjoy the honor and the superior lifestyle that it brings, as well as the various benefits and powers it affords; therefore, status is of vital importance to everyone. But no matter how highly humankind values status, or how important status is to humankind, does the incarnate God view it the same way? (No.) Definitely not. Status is very important to humankind, but for the incarnate God, this ordinary person—that is, for Me personally—I have no concept of status at all, nor do I have any desire to pursue it. Of course, there is no question of My having any thoughts or awareness of it—I have none of these things. I have been free of such feelings from birth; that is, ever since I was old enough to remember and could figure out how things worked, I have not had this awareness. Whether it is status in the family, status in school, or My position and worth among people, My heart is free of these things; I simply do not have this awareness. How is this lack of awareness exhibited? I never think to vie with others, and I never entertain the idea of vying for status with anyone. When someone tries to vie with Me, I say, “What are you vying for? What’s the point of doing this?” As I gradually grew older, I learned how to view people and things more clearly. In the process of experiencing and encountering all kinds of people and things, I came to know that people all like to vie with one another. What people vie for is status, power, prestige, and interests; people vie for these things. When I was young, I had no concept of vying for these things. After growing up, I merely became able to discern such vying, and merely understood why people vied with Me, but I still had no desire to vie with anyone else Myself. What manifestations of not vying with people do I show? When others try to vie with Me, I think to Myself, “If you can get what you want out of vying with Me, then you have outdone Me; if you cannot, then I have outdone you, but I do not feel that I am greater than you. Even if I outdo you, I will not bully you or torment you; I won’t gain any benefit by it, nor will I feel much nobler than you.” You see, this is just the kind of mentality, the kind of usual state, that I have; this is what My awareness and concept of status are like. It was the same after I came to the church. Because I was quite enthusiastic when I first became an ordinary believer, and was appreciated by the higher-level leaders, some people became jealous of Me. I thought, “What is there to be jealous of? If you are just as enthusiastic and also pay a price, learn more hymns, pray more, participate more in church life, and help the brothers and sisters more, wouldn’t you also be appreciated by the higher-level leaders?” Under those circumstances, I did not feel that being appreciated was any kind of honor, a symbol of having status, or of having obtained an exalted identity of some kind; I did not feel any of this. Later, little by little, My status became increasingly special, and it became higher and higher. When I began to work formally, I still did not feel that My status was that high, or that I was nobler than others or different from others. Subjectively, I did not have this awareness Myself, but the way some people looked at Me and treated Me was different from before. Only then did I realize that this is what it feels like to be among people after one gains status. When I had status and began to work, the way people looked at Me was different, their attitude when speaking to Me was different, and their choice of words, tone, and every other aspect were all different. I haven’t changed as a person. I still have the same appearance, and My personality, My living habits, and My way of speaking have not changed. So why is people’s attitude toward Me different? This is people’s desire for status acting up. People all esteem status; once I had status, people’s attitude toward Me changed. It was status that people liked, not Me—because I had not changed. The only thing that had changed was My position. I went from being an ordinary believer listening to sermons to someone preaching from the pulpit, and people’s attitude toward Me became different. Only when people’s attitude toward Me became different did I realize that I had status. People spoke to Me more politely and referred to Me with respectful titles. When I sat there speaking, someone would pour water for Me; when it was time to eat, someone would serve Me food and fetch chopsticks for Me. Only then did I notice that people treated Me this way just because I had status. As for Me, however, I still did not feel that “having status means having power; having status creates distance between oneself and others, gives one superiority, and allows one to have one’s way, doing whatever one wants.” I did not have this awareness, nor did I feel like this. Therefore, when I was an ordinary believer, I could interact normally with people, and when I had status, My way of interacting with people did not change; I could still get along normally with them.

Having status symbolizes having power, but I have never used power to suppress anyone or used My status to lecture anyone. I have also never felt that because I have status, I can have the final say in everything, and I can take advantage of My status and use the power I wield to do the things I want to do. I’ve never had such thoughts, and I’ve never acted this way. I still adhere to the church’s administrative decrees, the church’s rules, and the church’s work arrangements. I have no awareness of status, nor any awareness of using power to do something or to seek some benefit for Myself. I have never said such things, nor have I ever done such things. Suppose someone comes to Me and says they are having some difficulties in doing their duty, and asks if I could reassign them to another duty. What would a person with power generally say? “All I’ve got to do is say the word, no? I’m the one who has the final say in this!” This is a mantra corrupt humans use often, but I have never said anything like this. I say, “You have difficulties in doing this duty, so I have to ask about the specific situation. The church usually adjusts people’s duty assignments based on principles and based on the individual’s conditions. I have to go to the leaders and workers to find out about this and resolve it.” What are My principles regarding this matter? What are My considerations? They bring this matter to My attention, and I have only heard what they have to say, and do not know what they have done or what manifestations they have behind the scenes; I can’t just take their word for it. Even if they have a good relationship with Me or never offend Me, I can’t arbitrarily arrange their duty on My own to display My power. I have to ask the church leaders how they usually behave, whether it was appropriate to arrange for them to do this duty, whether the leaders had any considerations, and whether it was based on principles. If it is based on principles, their duty cannot be arbitrarily adjusted, right? (Yes.) I would absolutely not say, “All I’ve got to do is say the word. I have the power to do this. I’ll go tell the leaders—watch how they do what I say.” I would not do this, nor have I ever said such things. I did not do this kind of thing when I was in the church in My hometown, and later, when doing the overall work of the church and traveling to churches in various provinces, I didn’t do such things either. That is, I have never used the power I wield to bestow unprincipled favors on individuals; I have never set such a precedent. Regardless of the number of people in our church now, or how many races they belong to and countries they come from, just in terms of My identity, wouldn’t you say My status is quite high? Isn’t My power quite immense? (Yes.) Among corrupt humankind, this status would be a huge deal, and this power would be immense! An average person wouldn’t be able to handle it; they wouldn’t know how to make use of this power, and they wouldn’t even know what to eat or what to do. But look at how I speak and interact with you. I interact with everyone, whether they are leaders and workers or ordinary believers. I have even interacted with those who exert effort and do manual labor, the most inconspicuous people, and new believers. When I see that you have problems, I fellowship and talk with you. Sometimes, when interacting with new believers, I try My best to keep them from knowing My identity. It’s best to let them see Me as just an ordinary person. If they are willing to listen to Me, they can listen a bit; if they are unwilling, I do not force them. I give them freedom. I will absolutely not place Myself above others, nor will I put on airs. I will absolutely not give a self-introduction to let them know who I am, let them know how high My status is or how great My power is, and make them afraid of Me. I do not like doing this, and I have never done so. Sometimes when I meet brothers and sisters I am not familiar with and chat with them, they look Me up and down and think to themselves, “Who do you think you are? Why are you fellowshipping with us?” I see that this person is a stranger, that they regard Me with some hostility, and that they want to scrutinize Me and look down on Me, but I do not mind. If they look down on Me and aren’t willing to listen to My fellowship, then I will just cut My fellowship short; if they are willing to listen to Me, I will chat with them a bit more. Some people enjoy listening to My fellowship and become interested, and they even ask Me to stay for a meal and take the initiative to chat with Me. Afterward, I do not ask which church they are from, what duty they do, or what their situation is; I just treat them normally and correctly.

No matter who I interact with—whether it be people who pursue the truth or those who do not, whether it be people with status in society or those without it, whether it be leaders and workers or ordinary believers—I never position Myself as superior when fellowshipping with you about work or interacting with you in daily life. For example, if you say you are thirsty, I will pour you a glass of water. It’s not as though I have to put on airs and make you wait on Me, nor will I say, “There is a difference in status and worth between us; I will absolutely not do this kind of work waiting on someone.” I do not have such thoughts. If you pour water for Me, I regard it as a brotherly or sisterly act; if you are thirsty and need Me to pour you water, I can also pour you a glass. When I am fellowshipping in gatherings, some people harbor notions and hostility, or have a bad attitude, or are uninterested and ignore Me. In that case, I go by the book; I fellowship if fellowshipping is called for, and resolve problems if resolving problems is called for. I do not position Myself as superior or put on airs. Even if you harbor hostility toward Me, I still do the work I ought to do and speak the words I ought to speak. I am not affected by you at all, and I do not delay the work in the slightest; what you are supposed to gain is also not affected in the slightest. If it is part of My ministry, and it involves the truth, the principles, and the church’s work, no matter who comes to Me about a problem, I absolutely will not say, “Is your rank high enough? Who are you anyway? Are you a regional leader or a district leader? Or are you a team leader or supervisor at a certain level?” I do not ask these things. If you come to Me about a problem or report a problem with a certain leader or a certain aspect of the church’s work, I will fellowship with you as needed. I will not position Myself as superior, and I will not ask about your rank. Perhaps you have not believed in God for long, and you feel that your status in God’s house is not high, so you are too embarrassed to ask. But that’s not how I see things; I do not treat man based on his status. So, whether you are leaders and workers or ordinary brothers and sisters, when I fellowship with you on life entry or guide your work, I will absolutely not talk like a bureaucrat or keep you guessing, nor will I ask all kinds of questions to make things difficult for you. I spare no effort when working on and speaking to you. I tell it like it is, and I say as much as I know. I do not position Myself as superior, I do not laugh at your expense, and I do not make things difficult for you. When I see that you have difficulties in your work and do not know how to do it, I provide you with guidance and counsel. I say and do things to help you learn more and grasp some principles in your professional skills, and also gain a bit more understanding of the truth. Whether in public or in private, this is how I act. Whether interacting face-to-face, or fellowshipping and chatting with you online, I never posture. What does it mean to posture? It means always putting on airs and having an imposing presence, making you feel that I am extraordinary and overbearing, and that I am above you. I never posture like this. In addition, during gatherings, I am not particular about having a lofty image or being intolerant of offense, and I do not play the role of the God in heaven; I do not do such things. Someone once asked Me if a table needed to be specially made for Me to use during gatherings. I said, “There’s no need for that; any table will do.” Then they found a very old table, and I just made do with it. I did not say, “What kind of table is this that you found for Me! Given My identity, why didn’t you find Me a good table? Is this how you handle things!” I did not say anything, nor did I demand to use a high-end or gold-plated table; I have never been fussy about these things. Later, when gathering online, I also sat on an ordinary stool and used an ordinary desk, with a desk lamp on it, and a notebook to jot down the topic and outline of each fellowship. It is just that simple. When gathering in a church, I wear simple professional attire—usually a suit jacket, dress pants, and leather shoes, and in winter I also wear a woolen overcoat—which is just very ordinary attire, only looking a bit more formal than everyday clothes. The high-end equipment used during gatherings is just the microphone, the amplifier, and the computer; these are the only high-end, valuable things. You see, it is just that simple. This is thanks to being overseas, where there is freedom of belief and these conditions exist. By using an amplifier, the brothers and sisters can hear clearly even from the corners of the room, and it makes speaking much less strenuous for Me. Back in mainland China, these conditions didn’t exist. I have a weak constitution and a soft voice. When there were lots of people at a gathering, I had to speak loudly, and even then, the audience still felt My voice was soft. For a gathering lasting a day or two, I would have to keep speaking loudly like this the whole time. Tell Me, isn’t that tiring? (Yes.) When we used to have large gatherings in mainland China, I would get very tired. Now that we have come overseas and are free, by using an amplifier, I do not have to speak so loudly. It saves Me a lot of effort, and people can hear extremely clearly, too. When I preach sermons to you in gatherings and fellowship on the various aspects of the truth that man needs, there is no formality, and I do not try to put on some grand display. I just fellowship with you on the various aspects of the truth that you ought to understand and which you need, so that you may understand them, lay a foundation on the true way, gradually gain clarity and develop an interest in the various aspects of the truth, and then know how to practice them, be able to turn your hearts to God little by little, and submit to God. This is enough. You see, isn’t this how I have acted over the years? (Yes.) The words I fellowship in gatherings are printed into books. According to the imaginings of corrupt humans, since these words are the truth and are God’s expressions, they must have been expressed with some sort of formality or with a grand display of some kind. In fact, it is very ordinary. When I preach in gatherings, there is no one around to wait on Me. When My mouth gets dry from speaking, I pour Myself some water to drink. Sometimes I drink some honey water to soothe My throat, and sometimes I just drink plain water. My life is particularly simple; it is simpler than you could ever imagine. Some people might think, “You’re putting on an act. What could You possibly be lacking? With Your identity and status, it’s impossible for You to live so simply.” My life really is just this simple. I’ll use a single drinking cup for years, only replacing it when it breaks or gets too old, and then I’ll use the replacement for another several years. This is the reality. From birth until now, this is how I have approached status. It’s the same for Me whether I have status or not; I just live in a simple and routine fashion. People who do not know would think, “You have this status and these means; who knows how much You’re indulging Yourself!” I really haven’t indulged in anything. Sometimes the brothers and sisters bring some vegetables, and I eat whatever they bring. It is just that simple. I don’t complicate what I eat. I don’t eat random meat, nor do I eat bizarre and unusual foods. I eat very simply; it’s all just ordinary home-cooked dishes. Moreover, having worked for so many years, I have never felt, “There are so many people in our church; I have a sense of honor and a sense of superiority.” I do not feel any sense of honor, nor do I feel that I have made contributions to the church, or that I wear a halo. I do not have these feelings, nor do I take pleasure in these things. Outsiders might think, “Although You look ordinary and normal on the outside, given the work You do and Your current conditions, with so many people following You, Your status is high enough and Your power is great enough—You should enjoy Your status, have priority in everything You do, and have a sense of superiority.” I say that I have never had any sense of superiority, nor do I enjoy the benefits of status. This is not to say that I rebel against this awareness or these thoughts and feelings, but rather that these thoughts are simply nowhere to be found in Me; I do not feel the existence of such things. Therefore, sometimes when I encounter things in life that I can handle Myself, I just go and handle them, without having others do them for Me. Someone might say, “Brother So-and-so or Sister So-and-so is in a position to help You handle this matter.” I say, “Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t My mind go there?” In people’s eyes, I am very foolish and do not know how to indulge Myself. They think, “With so many people following You, and having such favorable conditions, You still handle minor matters personally. Do You not know how to enjoy Your status, are You above worldly matters, or are You putting on an act? Why is it that You don’t understand? Why is it that You don’t know to do this?” It’s because I have never had this awareness in My mind; this is a fact.

When nonbelievers get a little power, they start acting like they are a big deal. When they get a little status, they act as though no one is their equal. Not only do they have private cars to pick them up and drop them off, and special personnel to escort them, but when they go out, they also have people to carry their bags and hold their clothes. They also have people to bathe them, massage them, and prepare nutritious meals for them. I have none of these things, and I have never asked people to treat Me this way. When corrupt humans have a bit of capability or achieve a little something, they start acting like they are a big deal. They feel they wear a halo, act as though no one is their equal, and start acting like royalty. When people gain status, they feel their worth has increased—but why do they become so incompetent? They become unable to do anything themselves anymore. A perfectly healthy, able-bodied person can’t even walk without someone to support them. I say I definitely do not need anyone to support Me. When getting into a car, I avoid having anyone nearby open the door for Me whenever possible. I’ve got two hands and two feet—I can do everything Myself; I do not need your help. You see, when it comes to approaching status, the attitudes of the incarnate God and corrupt humans are completely different. Judging from the various manifestations and revelations of corrupt humans, they attach particular importance to status and are particularly obsessed with it, thus giving rise to an adverse atmosphere and trend among man. It can be said that status determines everything about a person—it determines their worth, how much weight their words carry, and the benefits and power they can enjoy. Those without status are not qualified to consider or enjoy these things, so man pursues status with all his might. Then what does status symbolize in God’s house? How does God view status? If God gives you status, it is equivalent to God giving you a commission and a responsibility. It is a symbol of responsibility, a symbol of you as a created being fulfilling your responsibilities and obligations; it does not mean anything else. If you have this status and do a good job of fulfilling your responsibilities, then you have not failed to live up to God’s expectations of you, nor have you failed to live up to this status and responsibility God has given you. If you do not properly tend to this responsibility, and you fail to fulfill it, then you have failed to live up to this status and responsibility given to you by God. God gives people status merely to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities, complete their missions, and make better use of this status to do what they ought to do and fulfill their due responsibilities. When God gives you status, He is not endowing you with some special power, nor is He granting you the power to enjoy status or enjoy any kind of special treatment. Furthermore, if you can fulfill this responsibility and do right by your mission, then your identity and worth will match this status. But if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, if you fail to live up to this mission, and if you do not complete this mission or commission well, then you are unworthy of possessing this status, and you are of no value. If you fulfill your responsibility, you are of noble worth in God’s eyes; if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, your worth is lowly in God’s eyes. It can be said that whether a person is noble and whether their life is valuable does not depend on how high or low their status is, but on whether they have fulfilled the commission given by God and whether they have fulfilled their responsibilities. God entrusts a commission to you and asks you to fulfill this responsibility, and also gives you the various conditions required to fulfill this responsibility: If you fulfill your responsibility, you will live up to your mission, and God will be satisfied; but, if you do not fulfill your responsibility and instead assert your status and act for the sake of satisfying your own interests, ambitions, and desires, this is the thing that God is most repulsed by and detests. If you use the power you wield to do things entirely for the sake of your own fame, gain, and status, scheme for personal gain, suppress others, and indulge in the benefits of status, then you have failed to live up to this commission God has entrusted to you, and you are unworthy of this commission. If, having accepted God’s commission, you fulfill your responsibilities and do the work well, without indulging in the benefits of status or using your status or the powers of your position to seek personal gain, then you are completing your mission, you are fulfilling your responsibilities, and you will be able to gain God’s approval.

Corrupt humans all like status; once they have status, they all indulge in the benefits of status. If someone is a leader at any level, or they just have a bit of prestige among people and have a tiny bit of power, they will start acting like they are a big deal. From the moment they gain status, they will use their power to seek personal gain, and they will do many things that violate the truth principles, and even some absurd things. Even if a few individuals can speak some words and doctrines, when they interact and fellowship with people, they will play favorites. If they see someone who is wealthy and has status, who supports them, gets along with them, and flatters them, they will speak more with that person. If they see someone who is poor, does not know how to flatter, whom they find displeasing, or who is a new believer with no foundation, they will come up with excuses to ignore them. You see, do they have any principles in how they act? (No.) Once they have status, they start acting like they are a big deal, know how to talk like a bureaucrat and shout slogans, and know how to assert their status and put on airs. Are there not many such manifestations in people? (Yes.) For example, if there is a problem that others do not understand but they do, and they don’t see anyone asking them about it, they think to themselves: “None of you are begging me or coaxing me, and no one is exalting me or thinking highly of me. If you beg me, I might tell you, but it still depends on my mood. If no one begs me, I won’t say anything; I just won’t let you know. It would only take one sentence from me, but if I do not say it, none of you will understand!” Are people like this kind? (No.) In addition, once people have status, they will do whatever they please. If they see someone who doesn’t yield to them or has complaints about them, they will ponder how to torment and attack that person, and subdue them. You see, I have status and power, but do I have those manifestations in how I treat people, including nonbelievers? (No.) Evil people will think of ways to belittle and torment those they do not like, and even trample them underfoot. I have never done these things to people I do not like, and I rarely ask others to take care of things for Me. I have seen that when some people distribute daily vegetables and food to Me, they specifically pick the bad and inferior ones for Me. When others pick out some good ones, they even swap them for bad ones. When someone sends Me some food, the person in charge of storage just leaves it sitting there and lets it expire and rot. In their hearts, these people think, “You are just an ordinary person, yet you want me to handle things for you. It’s already good enough that I do it this way. I’d only labor a bit for you if you had superhuman abilities, or you were the grand county magistrate.” I figured it out: They were unwilling to do things for Me. I assumed that since they were brothers and sisters in the church, they would at least have a bit of respect for Me. I didn’t expect that they would be unwilling, that they would look down on Me and treat Me like dirt. They would do things for their parents, for their bosses, for government officials, and for people with status. But I was nothing to them, so they wouldn’t do things for Me. I thought to Myself: “So this is the kind of person you are. Then I won’t ask you to do things for Me. If you are unwilling to do it, I won’t force you, and I won’t use My status to suppress you. I am just an ordinary person, and I treat you as brothers and sisters, yet you turn around and treat Me like this. Then I will just find someone else to do it; I won’t use you anymore.” There are quite a few people like this in the church; they are all disbelievers. No matter how many sermons they hear, they do not understand the truth, and they do not have God-fearing hearts at all. Through these kinds of situations, they are revealed. Such people have heard so many sermons, so why do they still treat Me this way? Why do they treat Me worse than their relatives and friends? Aren’t such people too mercenary? (Yes.) There are people like this in churches everywhere. They do not love the truth, so how could they have the slightest bit of true submission to God? Not only are they devoid of submission, but they even harbor hatred. They can give other people good vegetables and food, so why do they specifically give Me the most inferior ones? Who exactly paid for these vegetables and food? Who paid to set up this farm? No one considers these things. Later, when these matters were dissected, some people finally woke up, but at the time, no one took the initiative to expose and handle these people.

In the human world, the highest-ranking ruler of a country is the person with the highest status among people. What do those with the highest status eat and enjoy? Basically, they eat the flesh of the people and drink their blood. Why do I say this? Look at how the dragon robes worn by Chinese emperors in the past were made. They were all custom-made; a single dragon robe was meticulously embroidered using various fabrics and weaving methods for over three years, yet some of these garments might only be worn once or twice in a lifetime. If the emperors did not have that status, could they enjoy these things? (No.) Having status means having power, and having power means one can do whatever one pleases and enjoy all the wealth and glory, without anyone daring to say a word against them. People even feel, “The emperor of our country ought to enjoy these things; it is only right that he does! If he doesn’t enjoy a good life, it reflects badly on us commoners. It is our honor that the emperor is dressed so magnificently!” How lowly these people are! Have they not been conditioned by their rulers? (Yes.) If the incarnate God, having come to earth, enjoys a slightly better life, what would people think? “That won’t do. You are God—You must suffer. If You don’t suffer, are You worthy of us following You? You mustn’t eat well or dress nicely; You must suffer a great deal—only then are You God!” Do such humans have any humanity? (No.) Does this humankind have any good intentions toward God? Aren’t their hearts so rotten? Rulers exploit, control, and grievously harm people, yet people willingly allow themselves to be controlled and grievously harmed by them. God, on the other hand, works to save man; He is concerned for man, loves and pities man, and He bestows everything upon man. Yet what is man’s attitude toward God? Man feels, “It is only right for God to suffer. The more He suffers, the happier I am; I don’t feel bad at all. Since God has come, He ought to suffer like this.” Isn’t this the mentality of human beings? But in fact, no matter which incarnation it is, God has this status and power, yet He has never indulged in them, nor has He coveted worldly pleasures or man’s tributes. You see, anyone in the human world with a bit of status wants to enjoy special treatment; the food they eat and the water they drink are specially provided to them. Does God have anything specially provided to Him? (No.) I eat whatever vegetables the farm grows; it’s all just ordinary home-cooked food. Some kind-hearted people might pick some good vegetables for Me according to the season, but otherwise, there is no difference—I basically eat whatever you eat. Even when you secretly eat some good things and don’t send Me any, have I ever made an issue of it with you? (No.) Some people are never willing to provide Me with good vegetables; they only pick out for Me the leftovers they are unwilling to eat. Seeing Me eat some good vegetables makes them uncomfortable. No matter what I eat, I am eating My own food; I am not eating yours, so why are you unhappy? I’ve never enjoyed anything specially provided to Me, and I have never divided the offerings into portions, setting aside a portion for maintaining My health, a portion for My daily clothing and grooming, and a portion for My travel and entertainment—I have never done this. My life is simple. Most of the offerings are used for the work of God’s house, and to take care of your lives and your basic necessities; I have kept nothing for Myself. Right? (Yes.) Look, what do ordinary government officials enjoy? Those media mouthpieces spend tens of thousands of yuan a year just on cosmetics, and they have special funds for every work expense. Look at what I wear, what I use, and what I enjoy—compared to them, does it even amount to a drop in the bucket? It’s not even that. Let Me give another example. Take the wealthy people with financial means among the brothers and sisters in our church—what do they enjoy? What do they wear and use? (Name brands.) They wear name-brand clothes and accessories, enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and the upper class. In China, some people particularly worship imported goods; they specifically buy foreign products to wear and use. Other than the air they breathe being local, everything they eat, wear, and use is an international name brand. Some of what they enjoy are things we’ve never even seen. What do the rich buy when they have status? Luxury mansions, cars, and cruise ships, as well as private jets, private golf courses, private clubs, and so on. Isn’t what they enjoy extravagant? (Yes.) Do you see Me enjoying these things? (No.) I’ll wear the same pair of shoes for several years, and if they aren’t worn out, I’ll keep wearing them. It really isn’t that I don’t have the money to buy new ones; it’s just one of My living habits. This is how I approach status and power. I have no lofty and grand desires; My life is ordinary, simple, and highly regular. In the eyes of some people, My life is particularly monotonous. It’s characterized only by a regular routine, frugality, and being rather quiet and neat—there is nothing luxurious, high-end, or particularly exquisite about it. But once some people in the church become leaders of a certain level, what kind of manifestations do they have? (They want to enjoy the best of everything.) Once they become leaders, they start acting like they are a big deal and feel they have status. Wherever they go, someone must offer them a seat; if no one does, they get angry. When they speak, others must always let them have their way. Wherever they go, there are always people following them around, someone carrying their bag, and an entourage. If they are out somewhere for a long time and get thirsty or hungry, someone brings food and drink right to them; if they get tired, someone gives them a massage. I say, this is quite something; once they have status, they become special, and they are no longer human beings, right? (Yes.) So, why do I feel nothing about having status? Without status, I get by quite comfortably. When I have status, others always treat Me as a special figure, and I feel awkward and uncomfortable all over. It’s quite nice to not have status, so I just act as if I have no status at all, and interact with people as an ordinary person, feeling particularly free. You feel free, and I feel free too; getting along with people like this is quite good. Generally, after corrupt humans gain status, they always have to have a few people around to wait on them. When they want water, someone must pour it for them; when they want to eat, someone must hand them their chopsticks; when they go out, someone must trail behind them. They also have to buy name-brand clothes, getting a whole new wardrobe from head to toe to match their status. I say, “Serving as a leader is a commission and a responsibility God gives you—is that having status? What real work can you do, that you are already putting on airs? If you can truly do the work, God’s house will provide you with clothing and work equipment, as well as a good cell phone and computer. But you cannot do any real work, and yet you still blindly show off. Do you believe in God just to pursue these things—status, fame, and gain? Why are you so shallow?” I have worked for so many years, and the scale of My work is quite large, but I do not feel that I have status. I do not have any customary perks, nor do I have special personnel to wait on and take care of Me. I am not fussy about these things at all. Would you say I don’t know how to be particular about things? (No, God simply doesn’t care about these things.) If I wanted to be particular, I could be, and I would also know how to pick out nice things. But what is one way in which I am different from you? I approach these things correctly. I will not use My clothing and grooming to match My status just because I have it, nor use it to validate My status and worth. Whatever I buy or own, it is simply because I like it or need it, and I find it suitable for My use. I will not buy or possess something because I have status and power, or because of My worth.

I am talking with you about the topic of how the incarnate God approaches status, so that you can understand Me a bit and know exactly what My viewpoint on status is and how I approach it. Of course, what is it that I most want to tell you here? For one thing, it is necessary for you to know the difference between the incarnate God Himself and corrupt humans in how they approach status. For another, it is to allow man to accurately understand what status actually is, and how he should keep to his proper place and fulfill his responsibilities and his duty. These are the correct thoughts and views everyone should possess. With such correct thoughts and views, when it comes to your duty, your responsibilities, and even the status given to you by God’s house, you will approach these things in accordance with the truth and the principles. I have fellowshipped quite a lot with you on the topic of how the incarnate God approaches status. Some of these things you have already seen and can match up with reality. As for others, you have only heard Me speak of them but have not come into contact with Me, so you have no way to match them up with reality. Whether you have seen them or only heard the facts I have spoken of, it is enough as long as you can comprehend them correctly and believe them. If you still have doubts, then observe things in your daily life over time to see whether what I have said is factual and accurate. When you obtain confirmation, you will know what status actually means to God, how God approaches status, how this differs from the approach of ordinary corrupt humans, and what the truth is that man ought to understand or practice in this regard. Having a basic understanding of this content will enable you to better understand God and more accurately know God. Besides this, it will also help you approach the issue of status correctly, while giving you a correct viewpoint and a correct way to handle it, right? (Yes.)

Alright, let’s end our fellowship here for today. Goodbye!

October 26, 2024