Whether a person truly has faith in God is revealed through their performance of duty. To determine if someone pursues the truth, observe whether they perform their duty with principle. Some people lack any principles when performing their duty. They consistently follow their own inclinations and act arbitrarily. Is this not a display of perfunctoriness? Are they not deceiving God? Have you ever considered the consequences of such behavior? You show no consideration for God’s intentions through your performance of duty. You are thoughtless and inefficient in everything you do, lacking wholehearted dedication and effort. Can you gain God’s approval this way? Many people perform their duty reluctantly, and they cannot persevere. They cannot endure even the slightest suffering and they always feel that they have been done a great disservice, nor do they seek the truth to resolve difficulties. Can they follow God to the end by performing their duty in this way? Is it alright to be perfunctory in whatever they do? Can this be acceptable to the conscience? Even measured by human standards, such behavior is unacceptable—so may it be accounted as the satisfactory performance of duty? If you perform your duty in this way, you will never gain the truth. Your laboring will be unsatisfactory. How, then, could you gain God’s approval? Many people fear hardship when performing their duty, they are too lazy and crave physical comfort. They never invest any effort into learning specialized skills or contemplating the truths in God’s words. They believe that being perfunctory in this way saves them trouble. They don’t need to do any research or seek advice from others. They don’t need to use their minds or think deeply. This seems to save them a lot of effort and physical discomfort, and they still manage to complete the task. And if you prune them, they become defiant and argue, saying: “I wasn’t lazy or idle, the task was done—why are you nitpicking? Aren’t you just trying to find fault with me? I’m already doing well enough by performing my duty like this. How are you not satisfied?” Do you think people like this can make any further progress? They consistently perform their duties in a perfunctory manner, and always come up with excuses. When problems arise they refuse to let anyone point them out. What kind of disposition is this? Is it not the disposition of Satan? Can people perform their duty acceptably with such a disposition? Can they satisfy God? Is this how you perform your duty? From the outside you appear busy, working well with others without any disputes. However, none of you are putting effort into your duty, racking your brains over it, concerning yourselves about it. None of you are losing your appetites or losing sleep because you haven’t performed your duty well. None of you are seeking the truth or adhering to principles to resolve problems. You are all just getting by, going through the motions in a perfunctory manner. Too few of you take true responsibility in your duty. Regardless of the difficulties that arise, you do not come together to pray earnestly or face problems and solve them collectively. There is no consideration for the outcome. You simply complete a task, only to find that it needs to be redone. Doing your duty this way is simply acting perfunctorily and is no different from how nonbelievers do their jobs. This is the attitude of someone who is a laborer. By performing your duties in this way, you are not experiencing God’s work, nor are you sincerely expending yourselves for God. If you do not change this mindset, you will only end up revealed and eliminated.

With each task you undertake, with each project you complete, what hardships do you endure? Have you ever experienced days without proper meals, without good sleep, days where you’ve sacrificed rest and food? Have you overcome any personal difficulties? Have you paid any price? Some people, after performing their duty, are so strained that they cannot sleep through the night. Why can’t they sleep? It’s because they feel that they lack the truth needed to perform their duty well, and it becomes laborious for them. They become anxious, feeling that if they cannot perform their duty well, it means they haven’t performed it loyally. Their conscience is made uneasy and accuses them. While others are eating, they wonder: “How can I do better? Last time, I made a mistake again in that same area. I didn’t check on things properly. What should I do about this? This isn’t just a matter of enduring being pruned; it’s about me not fulfilling my responsibilities.” They see others enjoying their meals, but they have no appetite themselves. Their mind is always preoccupied with how to perform their duty well. Is this not putting their heart into it? Is this not making an effort? (Yes.) Have you ever made that kind of effort? If you do not have the slightest sense of responsibility, if you can do wrong things or act perfunctorily without any feelings of reproach in your conscience, without any awareness, then how can you speak of devotion? You simply cannot. If the house of God entrusts you with a duty that is on a tight schedule and must be completed as soon as possible, how would you carry it out? If you simply go through the motions without thinking, without researching, without seeking fellowship from knowledgeable individuals; if you just while away the time, then what kind of attitude are you taking toward your duty? You are merely paying lip service without a sincere heart. What does it mean to be all talk? It means that what you say sounds nice, but it is just for show; it gives people a false impression or intentionally misleads them so that they think you’re suffering, that you are very careful and hardworking, when in reality you have not put any thought into things at all. If you truly put in thought, if you throw your heart into it, if you are genuinely committed to your duty, then you should take action. How should you take action? You need to get busy, do research, or read more about the principles of God’s house. Or you should consult with knowledgeable people who are adept in that field. Sometimes you will be so busy that you won’t have time to eat, but while you’re busy, you still must not forget to pray to and rely on God. Once you have found a path forward and have more or less grasped the principles, it’s time to start working. Several days later you will have produced something up to standard, and that will be an achievement. If you don’t put that kind of effort into it and instead approach it with a perfunctory attitude, you might be able to produce something after a few days, but what will be its quality? On the surface it might look acceptable, with no obvious flaws. But it won’t be any kind of masterpiece. It won’t be something that has been meticulously crafted, but a rough piece of work. If you submit something that you have completed in a perfunctory manner, can it ever be considered satisfactory? In the end, you will just have to redo it, and will that not just delay things?

Some people do things in a rough manner. They don’t put their heart into anything; they have a perfunctory attitude. Such people have a bad mindset. Does someone with a bad mindset feel any responsibility? (No.) Conversely, is someone with no sense of responsibility likely to have a good or bad mindset? (Bad.) An irresponsible person is someone with a bad mindset! They approach everything with a perfunctory attitude, without wanting to take responsibility or pay any sort of a price to achieve results. Is performing your duty with that kind of attitude considered satisfactory? (No, it is not.) Are there requirements and standards for performing your duty satisfactorily when it comes to time? Are there requirements or standards for performing your duty, when it comes to your attitude? Some people say: “I have standards. The first is not to wear myself out, the second is not to go hungry, and the third is not to stick my neck out. If others have not arrived, I can’t arrive early; I won’t be the first one there. If others are still performing their duty, I’ll think about how I can wrap things up and get some rest. I won’t endure any suffering that others aren’t enduring, and I will only suffer as much as others can handle. If everyone is doing something, I’ll do it too. But if no one is doing anything, then neither will I.” What sort of standards are these? (Bad standards.) Some people say: “If I’m in a bad mood, I’ll put my duty off for a little while. I’ll shorten my work time and when my help is wanted, I won’t have to be quite so proactive. Then, when I’m in a better mood, I’ll be more engaged.” How about these standards? (It’s no good; their work is dependent on their mood.) And there are others who say: “If everyone treats me well and does what I want when I’m performing my duty, and if no one prunes me even if I make a mistake, then that’s fine, and I’ll put in about 70 percent effort. But if someone criticizes me or points out my faults, I won’t feel like performing my duty properly anymore, and I’ll just hide out.” What do you think of this attitude? (It’s bad.) There are also some who say, “No one can demand anything from me when it comes to performing my duty. I will only do it voluntarily. I have my own dignity, and if anyone keeps pushing me to perform my duty, demanding efficiency, I won’t take it. If they’re always saying I’m going against principles, then they’re creating difficulties for me and giving me a hard time. If they continue to use the truth principles of God’s house to make demands of me, then my small stature will prevent me from achieving them. I’ll do my best to achieve what I can, but don’t force me when something is beyond me. If you do, I’ll just throw in the towel and go, and I’ll come back when you stop forcing me.” How is that attitude? (Bad.) None of these attitudes are any good—that is obvious and everyone knows. Then how are all of you performing your duties? Do you display any of these behaviors? You are unrestrained, willful, arrogant and self-righteous, refusing to listen to anyone, just acting perfunctorily. You do not have a serious attitude toward anything. You put on airs when you have the slightest talent and when any little thing does not go your way, you throw a tantrum and pout, and do not want to work anymore. You are always thinking of giving up on performing your duty. Have you ever acted this way? (Yes.) When you do act this way, do you fellowship with each other and try to resolve these issues? Are people able to perform their duty well with those issues present? Are they able to perform their duty up to standard and satisfy God? Obviously, they cannot.

Whatever sort of corrupt disposition one reveals as they perform their duty, it is a practical problem, and it will undermine their effective performance of that duty. They need to seek the truth and resolve it promptly. If such practical problems go unresolved, they will not disappear on their own; they will worsen over time. What does it mean that they will “worsen”? It means that if these corrupt dispositions go unresolved, they will interfere with your state, and they will interfere with other people. In time, these problems will obstruct you from performing your duty well, from understanding and practicing the truth, and from coming before God. This is no trifling issue, but a serious problem. And as time goes on from there, the grievances and resentments in your heart, your notions and misunderstandings of God, and your biases against others, as well as your estrangement from others, will grow in you. This will surely lead you onto a mistaken path. These things can do nothing but disturb one at heart, and make one negative, and make one shun God. Why is this? It is because such things as people’s notions and misunderstandings are all negative things, all Satan’s poisons. If they build up for a long time in someone’s heart, they corrode that person’s faith, and they deplete their zeal and sincerity. And without faith or zeal, does one’s energy to perform their duty not shrink over time? When one does not feel the peace and joy of believing in God, and they do not feel God’s blessing and guidance in performing their duty, they cannot muster the strength in them, and they will be controlled by negative things such as notions, misunderstandings, grievances, and negativity. When one is in these states, they can do nothing but exert themselves in performing their duty, hanging on and coping, doing everything by force of will—but not seeking the truth to resolve it. One cannot see God’s guidance or His blessings in this way. And what follows close after that? However they perform their duty, they cannot find its principles. They just act as they will, with less and less assuredness, and lose the energy to perform their duty. Some people say, “When I’d just begun performing my duty, I felt quite moved and enlightened, and I felt that God was with me. There was joy in my heart; my sight could penetrate everything and I was able to do everything with a sense of ease. After a while, though, my heart was too far from God, there was no more prayer in my heart, and I couldn’t feel God anymore.” What is going on here? This person is diseased at heart. And what disease is that? It is the corrupt dispositions inside them always acting out and causing disturbances. If these corrupt dispositions go unresolved, problems will always arise in the performance of their duty, and when they grow serious, they will disrupt and disturb the work of the church. If one wishes to achieve the satisfactory performance of their duty, they must seek the truth often and resolve their corrupt disposition, and put effort into resolving their corrupt disposition, they must be able to suffer and pay a price, until they have resolved their corrupt disposition. They will then be able to perform their duty unobstructed and unhindered. Some people cannot seek the truth to resolve their corrupt dispositions. They can only restrain themselves by means of goodness and zeal, by means of human will; they can only prevent momentary revelations of their corrupt disposition. But can they resolve the problem of a corrupt disposition at its root? If one does not seek the truth, they have no way to resolve a corrupt disposition, and if one lives in a corrupt disposition, they have no way to put the truth into practice, and no way to achieve the satisfactory performance of duty.

Is someone who is a natural people pleaser a genuinely good person? What kind of person is seen by God to be a genuinely good person who possesses the truth? First and foremost, one must understand God’s intentions and understand the truth. Secondly, one must be able to put the truth into practice, based on one’s understanding of it. They are able to resolve the things within themselves that do not conform to the truth—their notions and imaginings, their prejudices about others and the misunderstandings they have about other people and about God—the moment they are discovered. And when they live within bad states or negative states, they are able to turn themselves around in good time; they don’t cling to these corrupt things. That is, the moment this person discovers they have a problem, they are able to come before God to search for a solution, and are able to maintain a normal relationship with Him. Such a person may be weak and rebellious, and may reveal all manner of corrupt dispositions such as arrogance, self-righteousness, crookedness, and deceitfulness. However, once they have examined themselves and become aware of these things, they can resolve them in a timely manner and make a turnaround. What kind of person is this? This is one who loves the truth and who practices the truth. How is such a person viewed in God’s eyes? This, in God’s eyes, is a good person. Some people always hold on to their old notions, stubbornly clinging to their personal biases and misunderstandings. They always perform their duty with negative emotions, knowing full well they are wrong but still persisting in their ideas. Even when pruned, they are resistant and defensive, saying, “This is just how I do things. I’m not letting go of my own way. I think God’s house is handling this unfairly so I won’t resolve this issue. Even if you talk about fairness, I won’t accept it. Your words are not the truth! You claim I don’t have the proper attitude in performing my duty, but I haven’t done any evil. You say I’m being perfunctory in performing my duty. Then what should I do to not be perfunctory? Doing my duty this way is good enough. If God is not pleased with me performing my duty this way, then God isn’t fair, and His righteousness is also fake.” Is this the kind of person who accepts the truth? Is this the attitude of someone who accepts the truth? How is a person who speaks like this any different from a nonbeliever? How does God view such a person? What is God’s attitude? (He detests them.) Isn’t this a person who is stubborn and rebellious? Although you have corruptions, God does not remember them. God does not reject or condemn you because you are a corrupt human being. But it is because you are well aware of the truth, but still intentionally resist and rebel against it. It is your attitude that saddens God, that He detests, and that makes Him repulsed. This is the attitude of God. Such a person is not a good person in God’s eyes or in the eyes of others.

If you believe in God and want to attain His salvation, you must perform your duty well. Firstly, in the course of performing your duty you need to foster a sense of responsibility and give your best effort. When God sees you as a good person, you are halfway there. If, while performing your duty, you are able to pursue the truth, and no matter how much corrupt disposition is revealed or how many difficulties you face, you can still seek the truth to resolve them; and if you have an attitude of acceptance and submission when you are being pruned, then your hope of attaining God’s salvation will be fully intact. To be seen by God as someone who pursues the truth is a lofty requirement that you may still be unable to meet. You lack the will and stature, and your faith is too weak. So, start by letting the brothers and sisters around you see you as a good person, as someone who is right, who relatively loves positive things, who loves fairness and righteousness, and who is relatively upright. When you make mistakes, you correct them. When you recognize your rebellious state, you quickly turn it around. When you discover your corrupt disposition, you promptly seek the truth and fellowship with others. Once you gain understanding, then you can repent. By pursuing in this way, you are sure to make progress. First, let your brothers and sisters see you as a good person, as someone who is right, someone who has life entry. Then, step by step, strive to become a person who loves the truth and pursues the truth. By putting this into practice it will become easier to gain entry, and it will be more practical for you to make such demands of yourself. First and foremost, you must bring your brothers and sisters to acknowledge you as a good person. What are the criteria for being a good person? First, you must look at the performance of your duty. How many standards and requirements should be met in the performance of your duty? You must be diligent, responsible, willing to endure hardship, willing to pay the price, and be meticulous when handling affairs, not acting perfunctorily. On a slightly higher level, you must be able to find the right principles in every matter and act according to these principles. Regardless of who speaks, even if a brother or sister whom you least admire expresses a principle that is right and in line with the truth, you should listen to it, try to accept it, and attempt to rebel against your own opinions and notions. What do you think of this attitude? (It is good.) It is easy to talk about the need to perform your duty well, it is an easy thing to say; but it is difficult to actually perform one’s duty up to standard. It requires you to pay a price and to give up certain things. What should you give? At the most basic level, you need to invest some time and energy. Every day, you should spend more time and put in more energy than other people. You should keep going a little longer and put in a little more effort. If you want to foster a sense of responsibility and perform your duty well, you need to constantly be pondering how to fulfill your duty properly. You need to consider what truths you must equip yourself with and what kind of problems you should address. Then seek the truth through prayer, expressing your aspirations to God, and earnestly beseech God, asking Him to enlighten and guide you. While others are resting at night, you ought to spend more time pondering on the problems that were present while performing your duty that day and what corruption you revealed. You should reflect on these things, and only take your rest after you have figured out a way forward, so that that day is proven fruitful and not wasted. If you do not contemplate how to solve these problems, you will not be able to eat or sleep well. This is suffering, this is the price you pay. You will have to endure more hardships and pay a greater price than others, and invest more time and energy in striving for the truth. Is this a practical price to pay? (Yes.) Have you paid such a price before? Some sisters love to dress up, spending at least one or two hours each day on their makeup and various hairstyles. They never sacrifice anything in the indulgence of their physical desires, always striking a bright and beautiful figure and dressing impeccably. But when it comes to performing their duty, they never take it seriously and never put in any effort. Where is their lack of effort reflected? It is in the absence of sincerity and thoughtfulness in the performance of their duty. Even if they occasionally stay up late, it is only because everyone else is staying up late, not because they want to, or because they have unfinished tasks and cannot leave. But personally, they have never dedicated any extra time or energy, never paid any additional price, and never endured any hardships in performing their duty. Although they have been performing their duty along with everyone else, spending the same amount of time, there hasn’t been any fruitful result. It has all been simply a matter of being perfunctory and going through the motions, and yet they still feel quite miserable inside. What do you think of this attitude? Does it conform to the truth to perform your duty with this kind of attitude? Definitely not. How do you typically go about performing your duty? Have you ever taken it seriously? Knowing that you lack such determination or dedication, knowing that your performance of duty relies solely on willpower and self-restraint, and realizing that there is something wrong with this situation, have you made any changes? What should be done to make it right? Firstly, you need to pay the price. Sometimes that means staying up late, and other times it means getting up early. This is the suffering of the flesh. In addition, you should invest more thought and energy, think more, ponder more, and come before God more to pray and seek Him, dedicating your time and energy to God, expending yourself for God, spending that time and energy on the performance of your duty, on carrying out the commission God has set upon you, and on pursuing the truth. Is this not the price that must be paid while performing your duty? (Yes.)

What do you lack most in your performance of duty? God has said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). You have only exerted your strength, but not your heart, soul, and mind—you have not achieved these three aspects. You know only to exert strength in the performance of your duty. In the eyes of God, what sort of person is this? (A laborer.) Are you willing to be laborers? (No.) Even though you are unwilling to be laborers, you are still laboring, and this you do tirelessly. This is the path you tread. Is it not contradictory that you are unwilling to be laborers, yet you labor voluntarily? How did this come about? It is because people take the wrong path. The path you choose determines your ultimate goal, in other words, you reap what you sow. If you choose the path of laboring, the ultimate result is to become a laborer. Because you always wish to receive blessings by putting forth effort, and are unwilling to seek the truth and handle things according to principle in performing your duty, in order to fulfill your duty satisfactorily; because you are unwilling to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind in your fulfillment of your duty, and you are satisfied with simply putting forth strength, then the result is that you become a laborer. There is no contradiction here. However, contradictions do arise within the hearts of laborers. What contradictions? People are unwilling to be laborers, yet they are also unwilling to pursue the truth or pursue loving God. They still wish for blessings. If they hear that they are laborers, they do not want that, thinking, “Are they not trying to demean and belittle me? Is this not a kind of prejudice? I’ve put in so much effort and exhausted so much of my strength. How could I possibly be a laborer?” But it is correct. You do not practice any truth at all; you are satisfied only with exerting effort, and that makes you a laborer. Do not think that performing your duty is just about putting forth a bit of effort. You cannot perform your duty well if you do not do so with your whole heart. Acting wholeheartedly means giving all your heart, soul and mind. You must measure up to this standard. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This statement is applicable in its entirety to the fulfillment of duty. If you are a true believer in God, you should perform your duty well with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then, in the eyes of God you will be considered a good person. How should a person who is good in the eyes of God be measured? From what perspective should they be evaluated? (From the perspective of performing duties.) They should first be evaluated from the perspective of their performance of duty, from their attitude and viewpoint in the performance of their duty, their intent and purpose, whether they have the truth principles in the performance of their duty, and what results they can achieve by handling matters. By assessing these aspects, we can determine whether someone loves the truth, pursues the truth, and is an honest person in the eyes of God, a person whom God loves. These are the most direct principles and criteria for assessing a person. Do you understand this? Do you have the determination to pursue the truth and become the people of God? Don’t just be content with exerting effort to perform your duty; you should strive for the truth and to meet God’s requirements. Only this aligns with God’s intentions. If you are only satisfied with putting in effort, the standard of this requirement is too low. Performing one’s duties is not about doing simple tasks that can be done with a little effort. Tasks which require technical expertise cannot be done well without the required expertise. In particular, the duties within God’s house involve bearing witness to God and cannot be done if you are lacking the truth. If you do not perform your duty in line with the truth principles, you cannot achieve the desired results in bearing witness to God. Therefore, to perform their duties well, people must understand the truth and grasp the principles. If a person does not love the truth but merely wishes to put in a little effort in order to win God’s blessings, such a mindset is untenable. If you do not fulfill your duty satisfactorily, God will not use someone like you. God will eliminate you, because the standard for God’s salvation of people is for them to be able to fulfill their duties satisfactorily, and not merely labor. If you, as a laborer, feel any discomfort about this in your heart, in reality, God is saddened and grieved for you also. You really don’t have any understanding of God’s heart. Would God pay such a great price to save a group of laborers? Absolutely not. God desires to perfect a group of individuals who know Him and align with His intentions. Do laborers possess the truth and life? Is it worthwhile for God to save laborers? Is this a sign of God’s gaining glory? Is laboring alone a testimony for God? Being a laborer does not constitute bearing witness to God. That is not the path that humans should walk. Some may say, “I am willing to labor for God. No matter how much effort is required, I am willing to give it all. I will give 100 percent effort instead of 80 percent. I have already given my utmost, though my caliber is a bit poor and I don’t understand the truth. God knows my heart, and He should approve of me, shouldn’t He?” Does this statement align with God’s requirements? God approves of those who satisfactorily fulfill their duty, those who perform their duty with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. If you merely exert strength without putting your heart into it, then you have not performed your duty with all your heart. Can you practice the truth without your whole heart? Can you manage affairs with principle? If you only put in strength without your whole heart, then you can only be a laborer. Can laborers earn God’s approval? That is impossible. What does God’s word require for the performance of duty? (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”) This pertains to the truth, to the truth principles, and to the principles of practice. What are the principles of practice? They’re what you should do in your life and in the performance of your duty, your path of practice, and the direction and goal of your life. Engrave the words “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” as your motto. In whatever you do, use these words to assess yourself. Ask yourself, “Which of these have I attained? Which ones have I not yet achieved? What is my inward state? Is there any rebelliousness? Any selfishness? Am I bargaining or negotiating terms with God? Am I being stubborn? Is there any element of negativity or slacking off within me? Am I acting in a perfunctory manner?” When you engrave the words “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” on your heart, you are remembering these words of God, these words of the truth, in your heart. What is the purpose of keeping them in your heart? It is not to say them for others to hear, but to rectify your own state, regulate your behavior, and to guide your every action. For example, if there is something you do not know how to do, quickly consider what God’s word says and think, “God said to do it with all my heart, so how can I do it with all my heart? Someone else understands this better than I do, so I should ask them and fellowship with them.” After fellowshipping, pray and examine yourself to see if you have any wrong intents. If you are without any personal aims or selfishness, and you are sure that doing this aligns completely with the truth, and you become able to practice the truth, then your heart will be at peace, indicating that you have acted with all your heart, that is to the fullest extent possible. In order to achieve wholeheartedness, you need to seek the truth in your heart, ponder over God’s words, pray to God, and be in communion with Him. This is a matter of the heart. When your heart draws near to God, always contemplating and striving toward the truth, then you are someone who lives before God. Once you do something with all your heart, doing it with all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength will naturally follow. The words “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” will become your reality.

Why is it said that God’s word is a lamp to guide people? It is because God’s word is not spoken in vain, it is spoken in order to address people’s real problems. It is not theory, high-sounding rhetoric, or discourse. God’s word is meant for you to apply and to put into practice. When you encounter a situation where you have no way forward and do not know what to do, you can recall how God’s word requires you to act. By pondering over God’s word you find a way, you understand the meaning of God’s word, and then proceed to put it into practice according to God’s intentions. After putting it into practice you receive confirmation, and discover that through this action you experience peace and joy in your spirit, and that others are edified as well. In the process of putting God’s word into practice, you gain enlightenments and experiences, you learn from your own experiences, and you come to understand certain things. What do you understand? You understand the purpose behind God’s word and behind His intention to let people act in a certain manner. When you discover the principles of practice underlying all this, you discover the source and significance of His words. This is understanding the truth. After understanding the truth, you are no longer confused, not so ignorant, and no longer timid when you do things. What does it mean to not be timid? It means that when faced with difficulties, you are able to seek the truth, know how to resolve them, and know exactly how to proceed. What does it mean to have a way forward when putting God’s word into practice? It means that you understand the principles of practicing His word, you comprehend the situations to which His words refer, and you know how to put them into practice. Why is it said that God’s word is the life and path of human beings? It is because God’s word can be people’s life, and only His word, only the truth, can lead people onto the right path in life. God’s word is straightforward and easy to understand. It is given in order to allow people to easily understand and accept the truth. When people are able to acknowledge and accept the truth, they unconsciously find themselves on the right path in life. Some of God’s words may seem simple or easily understandable, but they are all instructions on how to live, how to handle various situations, and how to resolve difficulties. This is the truth. It can become your path, providing you with wisdom, principles, and a path of practice when faced with challenges. If you have a path in performing your duty or in other matters, if you can approach tasks with principle and understand God’s intentions, does this mean you understand the truth? (Yes.) It means you understand the truth and understand God’s word. Laborers don’t necessarily need to understand God’s word; they simply need to put forth effort. Therefore, laboring is a simple task. Some people are not even good at laboring, and what a poor show such people make of themselves! What does it mean to make a poor show of themselves? It means they can’t even properly handle the task of laboring, they can’t put forth good effort, and they are always mischievous, disruptive, negative, and lazy. They always need to be coaxed and supervised. Such people fail to fulfill their duty satisfactorily and do not meet the standards of being a person. Now, which path do you intend to take? What kind of person do you plan to become? Will you strive to be a benchmark laborer, or will you aim to be someone who fulfills their duty with all their heart, soul, and mind? (To be someone who fulfills their duty with all their heart, soul, and mind.) That is a good thing and a right goal. You do not wish to be a laborer, you do not wish to merely exert effort. Then you should strive toward the truth! Which truths are the most important to understand when striving for the truth? This depends on the difficulties you are facing, and it is crucial to address the immediate problems first. Currently, the majority of people are focusing on pursuing the truth and fulfilling their duty, and the truth of fulfilling one’s duty is quite crucial. As long as you can fulfill your duty according to principles, you will feel peace and assurance in your heart. And if you can also know God’s work, experience His work, and resolve some of your corrupt dispositions, then you will taste the sweetness of following God and find it easier to walk the path of pursuing the truth. The key issue in following and submitting to God is to fulfill your duty properly. God’s word says, “You shall fulfill your duty with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Is this statement not the truth? If you can confirm that this statement is the truth, then you should put effort into fulfilling your duty. The more you understand the truth in the fulfillment of your duty, the more principled and effective your fulfillment of it will be. If you fulfill your duty satisfactorily, you will not only have peace and joy in your heart but also genuine faith. This is the result of following God and fulfilling your duty. It is absolutely true that the path of following God becomes brighter as you walk it. Therefore, fulfilling your duty is the most meaningful thing to do. If you make efforts to strive toward the truth in accordance with God’s requirements, you have struck out from the right place. As you strive in this direction, you will gradually see results and come to have a human likeness. Gradually, your relationship with God will grow closer. When you face trials and tribulations and feel a bit negative or weak, and some notions and misunderstandings arise, you will easily seek out the truth to resolve those issues, and they will no longer be significant problems.

Most of you live in countries with a democratic system, unlike the brothers and sisters in the mainland Chinese church who have suffered persecution and hardships. Having a comfortable life is not necessarily a good thing for you. It may require some effort for you to pursue the truth, and it may be a bit challenging to endure hardships and pay the price in the performance of your duty. People who grew up under a democratic and free system tend to have the fault of being self-indulgent. They do not allow others to criticize or rebuke them. They have relatively more freedom and openness in their thinking. They always demand personal space, freedom, they always want to pursue their every desire, and they always demand all manner of things concerned with the pleasures of the flesh. If you are unwilling to let go of these things, it will be difficult for you to break free from the state and condition of merely exerting effort without pursuing the truth. Constantly emphasizing autonomy and personal space will bring trouble. You must talk about the truth, about God’s words, and about what is positive and what is the correct path in life. Although freedom, democracy, and independence are good and are progressive social systems, they are not the truth. They are merely progressive ideas and systems in this dark and evil world. They are systems that are relatively suitable for human survival and which uphold human rights. They are not the truth at all, and you must see this clearly. Do not think, “I was born under such a social system, so I have these rights. I can think, say, and do whatever I want, and no one can interfere. This is my human right, the right granted me by society and my country.” If you regard this as the supreme truth, it will bring trouble. Can these thoughts demonstrate that you possess the truth? Where do these things come from? They come from humans and arise from corrupt humanity. They are not God’s words, much less are they the truth that God requires people to possess. If you treat the idea of democracy and freedom as the truth, and in God’s house you only focus on pursuing freedom and refuse to be restrained, acting recklessly in the performance of your duties, then you will encounter trouble. Will you be receptive to the truth if you hold such thoughts? Will you be able to practice the truth easily? Will you still be able to truly follow God? Following God requires understanding the truth, understanding how to submit, and being subject to the restraints of the truth. You cannot act willfully. If you pursue democracy and freedom, you cannot enter into the truth reality. You will not become a follower of God nor consider yourself one who follows Christ. This will bring you trouble, and this is the difficulty you face. People have certain notions and imaginings, certain traditional cultural viewpoints, and ideas promoted in social trends. These are created by the social background and environment. If you fail to see the essence and seriousness of these issues and always treat performing duties, believing in God, and the commission given to you by God in the manner of human rights and freedom, then you will never walk the right path and will not enter onto the correct track of faith in God. People in mainland China now live under the dark pall of authoritarian rule and do not possess any feeling of superiority. They are born with a habit of enduring hardships and working diligently like an ox, and this kind of social background and environment shapes their life habits or principles of conduct. On the other hand, people living in democratic and free countries do not have such ideas. They do not want to be confined, they feel that that is oppressive and they desire to break free from any restraints or regulations. When they come to God’s house they even want to break free from the administrative systems, work arrangements, and rules of the church. They do not want to be confined. They refuse being pruned by anyone and reject all criticism. They refuse to be a little busier with work or to endure a little fatigue. This will bring trouble! This is not the demeanor a Christian should have, nor is it the demeanor of a good soldier of Christ. The decency of the saints was always talked about in the Age of Grace. Is it still applicable now? Absolutely! This is a positive thing that is applicable everywhere and at all times. Let’s first not even talk about the likeness created mankind should have, which is God’s most basic requirement for man to achieve. Just consider, as a Christian, should you not have the decency of a Christian? If you do not, then you are not worthy to be a follower of God, and God does not acknowledge you. If you want to follow God, whether you want to be a created being or just an ordinary person, you must live as a human being. Your heart must be presented before God. You can say, “God, this is how I plan to follow You. This is my determination and my goal. Does it align with Your intention?” Or perhaps you do not say it directly to God, but you can accept God’s scrutiny and secretly set your resolve, allowing God to observe what you do next. Regardless of the country or social background you were born into, now that you are following God, you no longer belong to that country or those people. You are a follower of God, a believer in God, a member of God’s house. You must always and in every way consider yourself as a person of God’s house, a follower of God. You should strive to be a good soldier of Christ, measuring yourself by the standards of saints. If you constantly say, “I am Korean,” “I am Taiwanese,” “I am American,” “We all have our own ways of living,” then are you still a follower of God? Your perspective is incorrect; it clearly belongs to the nonbelievers. These are disbelievers! If you are a disbeliever, what are you doing bumming around God’s house? Are you trying to pretend to be a Christian? There shall be no pretending here. Trying to blend in is absolutely futile. If you are a Christian, you must accept the truth and perform your duty well. That is what it means to follow God. If you cannot perform your duty well, it doesn’t matter which country you come from; God will not acknowledge you. Regardless of one’s nationality, those who believe in God must perform their duty well and accept the truth. That is what it means to follow God. If you claim to believe in God but do not accept the truth or perform your duty, then you are a disbeliever, just like the nonbelievers. You are neither this nor that. People who are neither this nor that must quickly be cleansed away from God’s house, this type of person is not wanted in God’s house. If you consider yourself a person of the kingdom, then you must hold yourself to the standards of the people of the kingdom. If you say, “What people of the kingdom? I am a citizen of a democratic country. I have dignity and human rights. You must make demands of me according to the standards of a democratic country. Otherwise, there can be no discussion!” I am sorry, but this is the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of Satan. God wants His chosen people, the people of the kingdom. Do you understand? (Yes, I understand.) If you believe in God and follow Him, you must listen to His words. If you say, “I can follow God, but I need the freedom to choose. I like to listen to what people say, to listen for what I like, and follow those whom I prefer. Do not interfere with me. I prioritize obedience to the policies and regulations of my country; that is the most important thing. I cannot prioritize submission to God’s words, the truth. For me, my country and nationality come first, and the truth comes second or third. I can accept it or reject it,” then what is God’s attitude toward such a person? Well, I’m sorry, but you should leave the house of God! God’s house does not need someone like you. You are not following God; you are not a person of the kingdom of heaven. You are a citizen of the world, and God does not speak to people like you, nor does He save people like you. Such individuals cannot perform their duties as created beings. You should leave as soon as possible, the sooner, the better!

Some people worship famous and eminent people. They always have doubts about whether God’s words really can save people, and they always believe that only the words of famous and eminent people have weight and charisma. They are always thinking to themselves, “Look how impressive the head of our state is! Look at the pomp, the spectacle, the grandeur of our national assemblies! Can God’s house compare with that at all?” That you could say such a thing shows that you are a nonbeliever. You cannot clearly see the evil of politics, or the darkness of a nation, or the corruption of humanity. You cannot see that the truth reigns in God’s house, and you cannot see or understand what the experiential testimonies of God’s chosen people demonstrate. God’s house has the truth and so many testimonies, and all God’s chosen people are waking up and changing, all of them beginning to experience God’s work and enter the truth reality. Can you see the sight to come of God’s people submitting to Him and worshiping Him? It is beyond your imagination. All that God’s house has is a hundred times, a thousand times, better than the world, and in the future, all that God’s house has can only continue getting better, and more regular, and more perfect. All these things are achieved gradually, and they are what God’s word will accomplish. God’s chosen people are all selected by Him and preordained by Him, so certainly, they are much better than the people of the world. If someone cannot see these facts, are they not blind? Some people always feel the world is great, and deep down they worship the famous and eminent people of the world. Are they not worshiping devils and Satans? Do these famous and eminent people believe in God? Are they people who submit to God? Do they have God-fearing hearts? Do they accept the truth? They are all demons that resist God—can you really not see that? Why do you believe in God, seeing as you worship the famous and eminent people of the world? How do you really view all the words that God expresses? How do you view God’s sovereignty over all? Some people do not just have no fear of God—they do not even have the least respect for Him. Are they not disbelievers? Should such people not be asked to leave at once? (They should.) And if they do not leave, what is to be done? Rush to drive them out, clear them out. Disbelievers are like foul flies, too disgusting to behold. God’s house is reigned over by the truth and by His words, and acts are taken according to the truth principles. Such people should be cleared out. They say with their words that they believe in God, but at heart, they look down on God’s house and despise God. Are you willing to have such disbelievers mingling among you? (No.) That is why they must be cleared out at once. No matter how educated or capable they are, they must be cleared out. Some people ask, “Is that not unloving?” No, it is acting according to the principles. What do I mean by this? That no matter how large your stature, no matter how great your will to pursue the truth or whether you have faith in God, one thing is certain: Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. This is forever unchanging. This should be your rock, the most solid foundation of your belief in God; you should be certain and doubtless about this in your heart. If you doubt even this, you are unfit to remain in God’s house. Some people say, “Our nation is a great one, and our race is a noble one; our customs and culture are noble beyond compare. We don’t need to accept the truth.” Is that not the voice of disbelievers? It is the voice of disbelievers, and such disbelievers must be cleared out. Some people often reveal a corrupt disposition, and at times, their disposition is wanton and unrestrained, yet their faith in God is true, and they can accept the truth. If they undergo a measure of pruning, they are able to repent. Such people should be given a chance. People are a bit foolish, or they cannot see things clearly, or they are misled, or, in a foolish moment, they may say something confused or behave in a confused way because they do not understand the truth. This is caused by a corrupt disposition; it is caused by foolishness, ignorance, and a lack of understanding of the truth. Such people, however, are not of an ilk with disbelievers. What is needed here is to draw on fellowship about the truth to resolve these problems. Some people who have believed in God for several years do not accept the truth at all and have not changed a bit. They are disbelievers. They are not people of God’s house, and God does not acknowledge them. What does it mean when I say these things? It means that I am telling you to diligently pursue the truth. Do not simply exert effort. God saves people through His words, through the truth. The most direct way is to allow you to comprehend the truth and solve practical problems while performing your duties. This enables you to put the truth into practice and submit to God. In this way, God will be satisfied, and His heart will be comforted. What does God dislike seeing the most? God has spoken many words, expressed many truths, and invested a great deal of effort and paid a great price for you. In the end, what He gains is a group of people who merely exert effort, and all that remains is a group of people who labor. These people do not understand the truth, they do not understand God’s intentions, but only exert effort. These people, although they may remain, do not accord with God’s intentions. They cannot be considered true created beings. This is what God is most unwilling to look at, and it is not in the original intention of God’s management plan to save humanity.

You must wholeheartedly accept the truth and not follow the trends of the world or live according to Satan’s philosophy. Following God requires performing your duty, and performing your duty well requires accepting the truth. This is crucial. Many people disregard the truth in their belief in God. They do not put the truth into practice even after many years of faith, and they show a complete lack of concern. These people are disbelievers and will be eliminated sooner or later. Some people live solely for the flesh, for personal gain, and exhaust themselves on interpersonal relationships, relinquishing their duties, not taking them seriously, and pursuing fleshly pleasures. Is this not extremely selfish and despicable? Such individuals do not love the truth; they only love personal gain and vanity. They become red-faced and agitated over trivial benefits, forfeiting their integrity and human dignity. Are they not ignorant and foolish? Those who genuinely love the truth, regardless of the circumstances they face, should first seek the truth in the presence of God. They should steer clear of entangling themselves in disputes or getting into verbal battles with others. Such behavior is immature and lacks insights. When many people gather together, various issues will arise because there are all kinds of people and matters of right and wrong are never-ending. This is exactly what corrupt humanity is like. Among the nonbelievers, the situation is even more serious. Each day is filled with hostility and simmering tension. The world is just that treacherous. Within the household of God, because everyone believes in God, there are fewer evil people and fewer incidents where people are taken advantage of. There is only a small number of disputes and quarrels. If you do not understand the truth and constantly dwell on these matters, your heart will become occupied and entangled by them, and you will be unable to come before God. You must break free from such states, and such behavior demonstrates an immature stature. Those with immature statures often focus on matters of the flesh, their own preferences, and satisfying their selfish desires. As a result, they neglect the legitimate business of performing their duties. Such people are incapable of managing things properly and often make mistakes, displaying the immaturity of children. You must pursue maturity in life. What do I mean by maturity? I mean to understand the truth, to have the stature of an adult, and to be able to meet God’s requirements and fulfill His entrusted tasks. I mean being capable of shouldering the duty of a human being and being able to shoulder general duties, being able to perform duties just as well as others and achieve what others can achieve, emulating those who are submissive to God and pursue the truth, doing what people should do and performing duties that people should, exploring and seeking toward the path of pursuing truth. This is the process of growth in a person’s life. You must seek and know how to explore things such as how normal people act, and how people who attend to their proper duties act, as well as what styles, approaches, and principles those kinds of people employ while doing things. Adults must handle their responsibilities properly. No matter what happens, even if the sky were to fall, they must fulfill their duties and not allow their proper tasks to suffer delays. On the other hand, children are easily curious about things happening around them. They want to go out and see what’s going on. Any incident can affect them and distract them from doing what is right. Isn’t this a lack of commitment to their responsibilities? The slightest problem can disrupt them. A single remark from someone can disturb their hearts or a joke can lead to misunderstandings and emotional outbursts that cause them to behave negatively for two or three days, delaying the performance of their duties. They may even consider quitting and leaders and workers must constantly coax and persuade them, fellowshipping the truths and reasoning with them. Isn’t this a sign of a small stature and immaturity? People never seem to grow up, remaining immature like children—naive and ridiculous. They are looked down upon, they lack dignity and integrity, and God is not pleased with them.

You must focus on the truth—only then can you have life entry, and only when you have life entry can you provide for others and lead them. If it is discovered that others’ actions are at odds with the truth, we must lovingly help them to strive for the truth. If others are able to practice the truth, and there are principles to the way they do things, we should try to learn from and emulate them. This is what mutual love is. This is the sort of atmosphere you must have within the church—everyone focusing on the truth and striving to attain it. It does not matter how old or young people are, or whether or not they are veteran believers. Nor does it matter whether they have high or low caliber. These things do not matter. Before the truth, everyone is equal. The things you must look at are who speaks correctly and in conformity with the truth, who thinks of the interests of God’s house, who bears the greatest burden in the work of God’s house, who understands the truth more clearly, who shares a sense of justice, and who is willing to pay the price. Such people should be supported and applauded by their brothers and sisters. This atmosphere of uprightness that comes from pursuing the truth must prevail within the church; in this way, you will have the work of the Holy Spirit, and God will bestow blessings and guidance. If the atmosphere that prevails within the church is one of telling tales, making a fuss about one another, bearing grudges against each other, being jealous of each other, and arguing with each other, then the Holy Spirit will certainly not work in you. Struggling against each other and secretly fighting, deceiving, tricking, and plotting against one another—this is an atmosphere of evil! If such an atmosphere prevails within the church, then the Holy Spirit will certainly not do His work. In the Bible, the Lord Jesus said the following: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the middle of them” (Matthew 18:19–20). This is the word of God, this is the truth. When God speaks, it is done. If you go against God’s intention and do not follow His words, God will distance Himself from you. If you do not read God’s word, do not accept exposure, judgment, or pruning through His words, and you reject the help of your brothers and sisters, constantly focusing on the flaws and problems in others while thinking that you yourself are not that bad, considering yourself better than everyone else, then you are in trouble. Firstly, the Holy Spirit will not work in you, and you will miss out on God’s blessings. Secondly, your brothers and sisters will also distance themselves from you, leaving you without anyone to help you, making it difficult for you to benefit from their support. Without the work and blessings of God, without the help and benefit of your brothers and sisters, you will find yourself in a predicament, unable to make progress. Can you effectively do the work of the church relying solely on human gift and skill? It will all be in vain, all wasted effort. Is it not dangerous to come to such a point? How much agony will you experience in your heart? In any case, you must walk the right path, the path of pursuing the truth, in order to receive God’s blessings and the help of your brothers and sisters. Walking your own path leads to a dead end, and those who do not pursue the truth will eventually be eliminated. You will begin to appreciate this as you experience it gradually over time. In all your endeavors, you must seek out the truth principles until you come to be of one heart and one mind, only then can you work together harmoniously, just like strands of a rope twisted together. When there is harmonious cooperation, then you can perform your duties well and satisfy God.

September 19, 2017