People who do not take advantage of others display another kind of manifestation. For example, say that a relatively well-off person offers them something they have to spare or have lying around. Feeling that they cannot take advantage of others without giving something back, and not wanting to owe anyone a favor, they say, “I don’t really need it right now, but thank you for your kindness.” Do you think that people are greedy? When people see nice things, do they like them and want to enjoy them? Everyone likes and wants to enjoy them, but there are differences between people. For example, most people like to use name-brand computers that are of good quality, fast, and have a sharp display. Some people don’t have the money and can’t afford one, so they always want to take advantage of others. When they see that someone uses a name-brand computer, they frequently ask to borrow it, and even use it without the owner’s permission or when the owner is not there. When the owner needs to use it, they even make excuses and have the owner use their computer instead. The owner, seeing that they’re just going to keep using it and not return it, has no choice but to buy another one. Just like this, they seize the original owner’s computer, without feeling the slightest reproach from their conscience. Does such a person have humanity? Do they have a conscience? (No.) Are they an upright and kind person? (No.) An upright and kind person would absolutely not do such a thing. Suppose that someone else buys a new computer and, seeing that this upright and kind person is using a slow computer, offers them their old one. The upright and kind person feels that accepting it would be taking advantage and refuses. The other person says they can just pay them a few dozen yuan for it, but the upright person knows that this is clearly an act of charity, and feels that they cannot take advantage of this. So they think of ways to save up money, figuring that if they can even save up a few hundred yuan to buy it, then that can be considered buying it at a second-hand price. If the other person refuses the money, then they do not agree to the offer; they absolutely will not accept handouts. Tell Me, are they being stubborn? Nonbelievers say this kind of person is stubborn and uncompromising, but a merit in terms of the qualities of humanity is reflected within this unwillingness to compromise. What merit? They believe that no matter the circumstances, they must maintain their principles and boundaries for their self-conduct; only then can they have peace of mind and feel grounded. They think that if they were to take advantage of others, that would be unfair and they wouldn’t be able to bring themselves to face them, and that if they were to use other people’s things, it would make them feel uneasy, their face would get hot, and they would feel uncomfortable inside. Some people say, “But the other person is willing to let them use it.” Does the other person being willing mean it wouldn’t be taking advantage of them? Even if the other person is willing, it would still be taking advantage of them. Taking advantage is always taking advantage; the nature of it doesn’t change because of the other person’s willingness—the essence remains the same. They think, “Buying such a good computer for a few dozen yuan would clearly be taking advantage of them. I absolutely cannot accept it. If I save enough money, I’ll buy it. If I can’t, I’ll just use my own old computer, simply for the peace of mind.” You see, isn’t this a boundary for their self-conduct? (Yes.) They can maintain this boundary under any circumstances. Someone wants to give them something so great, they have the chance to land something this good—the way that nonbelievers see this is: “You’re a fool if you don’t take it. Not taking advantage would be a waste!” But they don’t think so. They believe that this isn’t being a fool, and that they cannot deceive themselves—taking advantage is taking advantage. They think that if they did take advantage, then they would feel uneasy at heart, not be able to live comfortably, and feel ill at ease using the computer, and that they cannot conduct themselves in that way. You see, they will not cross this boundary for their self-conduct—isn’t this conscience at work within them? (Yes.) They possess the qualities of uprightness and kindness in their humanity, and their conscience serves its function, so they are able to maintain this boundary. That is to say, the reason they can maintain this boundary is that their conscience constantly serves its function, giving them awareness, and making them feel, “Doing that is wrong, doing that is inappropriate. I cannot do that.” Their conscience constantly prompts, restrains, and regulates them, allowing them to maintain a boundary for their self-conduct. In the end, perhaps they can afford to buy what was offered and then they use it, or perhaps they can never afford it and it gets used by someone else, in which case they don’t feel upset. At the very least, in this matter, they have maintained this boundary and principle for their self-conduct. A person with the qualities of humanity establishes principles and boundaries for their self-conduct, and they maintain them constantly. Even if they encounter a situation that involves their interests and they feel tempted at the time, their conscience will constantly prompt and restrain them. In the end, even if others think that this person’s interests were harmed or that the advantage was taken by someone else, and this person might feel a bit upset or disgruntled for a moment, because of the function of their conscience, their heart will quickly settle down. They will ponder, “It’s always better to not take advantage of others. At least I have peace of mind, and do not feel accused by my conscience.” This is what they seek. This is the function conscience serves in people: It constantly regulates and restrains them, allowing them to make the right choices. In the face of one’s own interests, morality, or even some temptations, one’s conscience will constantly restrain, regulate, and correct their behavior. Ultimately, in the vast majority of cases, people with qualities of humanity will choose to forsake their own interests to gain peace and tranquility for their conscience. Under special circumstances, some of these people also have times when they cross the boundary of their conscience, but what follows is the accusation and uneasiness within their conscience; some even carry this uneasiness and guilt with them for the rest of their lives. This is the function of conscience. That is to say, people with the qualities of uprightness and kindness in their humanity may occasionally make mistakes, take advantage of others, and, under some special circumstances, overstep the boundary of their humanity and violate their own principles of self-conduct. But the consequence of this is that they will suffer the condemnation of their conscience. If they can’t find an opportunity to make amends for this, or their circumstances do not allow it, they will live with inner accusation, uneasiness, self-reproach, and guilt. These are normal manifestations possessed under all circumstances by a person who possesses conscience and reason, and possesses the qualities of uprightness and kindness in their humanity.

These manifestations of people who possess the qualities of uprightness and kindness—the manifestations we just fellowshipped on—are, from the perspective of humanity, relatively ordinary and commonplace, not lofty or supernatural, nor exactly noble, and in the eyes of man, just mean that someone has a bit of integrity and lives with a bit of dignity. However, in God’s eyes, the qualities of uprightness and kindness within humanity lived out by such people are precious. Because this mankind reveres wickedness, and no one cares about conscience or reason, people who are upright and kind are ostracized in society. The basic principles of self-conduct that they abide by and live out are mocked, despised, and condemned by the masses of society. How do people mock them? (People say they are fools, inflexible, and dim-witted.) That is exactly how it is. In this society, people with normal humanity are mocked, ridiculed, despised, and condemned by others; they cannot gain other people’s acknowledgment, nor their approval. If you always stick to your principles of self-conduct within a group of people, you live a very exhausting life. Every day, no matter what you encounter, you feel stifled and incensed, and you ponder, “What’s wrong with me conducting myself this way? Why do others mock me? People always say, ‘How much is conscience worth?’ Conscience is the most precious thing. Is someone even human if they don’t have a conscience?” People like you are objects of mockery and ostracism among any group of nonbelievers; no one approves of you, and no one takes your side. You are upright and stick to principles in your self-conduct, and people say, “Can sticking to principles pay the bills? Will sticking to principles earn you the appreciation of the higher-ups? Will everyone approve of you if you stick to principles? If you stick to principles in this society, you’re the biggest fool around; you’ll be kept down, and end up with no way to make ends meet!” So you ponder: “What’s wrong with me sticking to principles? Why is it that being an upright and kind person gets me mocked, ostracized, and kept down?” Ultimately, you conclude that humans are rotten to the core, that there isn’t a single good one among them, that they’re all devils and Satans! You say that you conduct yourself with a clear conscience, that you want to conduct yourself in a dignified and upright manner, want to handle everything by the book, and rely on your own skills to make a living without resorting to doing anything crooked, but by conducting yourself in this way, you’re prone to being pushed around in society; people can make short work of you with just a bit of maneuvering. No matter what skills you have, you are ostracized and suppressed. You feel that there’s no place to argue one’s case in this human world, and that living like this is too suffocating. Living among these people is not like being in a giant cesspool but in a meat grinder—you’ll be ground to death alive. Even if you don’t get ground to death, you’ll die of exhaustion, going against your will every day of your life in a state of physical and mental fatigue, each word you say and every thing you do a betrayal of your own will. Walking a constant tightrope like this, you are still mocked as a fool and as someone who’s inflexible, who doesn’t know to give gifts to their higher-ups or build connections with their colleagues. You conduct yourself based on the principle of not taking advantage of others, yet other people try every possible means to take advantage of you, and you can’t even avoid it. You end up doing plenty of work, but the higher-ups don’t notice you, with all the credit being snatched away by others. After you come to believe in God, you see that there is fairness in God’s house, that God is righteous, and that even if some people act unjustly, there is truth in God’s words, there is righteousness in God’s words, God has a righteous disposition, and it is the truth and righteousness that hold power in God’s house. You say: “So, good people can prosper in God’s house. I can open my heart and speak all the words I’ve been holding in. I can put whatever strengths and talents I have to use. Living in God’s house is truly peaceful and joyful; I will never again be suppressed and ostracized by other people. It’s so wonderful to believe in God and come to God’s house! If I didn’t believe in God, I’d be living like a walking corpse and the longer I lived, the more exhausted and agonized I’d feel; I wouldn’t be able to find a direction in life, my heart would grow dim, and I wouldn’t be able to see the light or the future. It would really be painful!” Before people like this come to believe in God and gain the truth, they feel that they have no path in life and that their future is bleak and devoid of light. After suffering some setbacks and failures, and experiencing many hardships, they not only doubt their life, but even more so feel that there’s no point in living. They feel even death would be preferable to living among such people and living in such a world! People do not even live as happily as the birds in the sky, nor as freely as the fish in the sea—at the very least, birds can chirp when they want to, fly in the sky without any hindrances, and have their own piece of pristine land. People living in this world do not even have the right or freedom to speak truthfully; they live every day wearing a mask, and can only say things they do not want to say, going against what they really feel inside—they have no choice but to say such things, but they feel disgusted once they do. Why does living have to be so difficult? People of this sort feel disgusted looking at the faces of those around them, with a sense of repulsion and loathing in their hearts, but they cannot avoid or steer clear of them, and still have to mingle with them too. Sometimes they entertain the idea of just muddling along like this in order to sustain themselves and support their families, but still can’t resign themselves to doing so. They feel that people have got to pursue something meaningful in life, that they’ve got to live out a human likeness, tell the truth, and uphold a boundary for their self-conduct, and that this is the very least people should achieve. They feel that if a person cannot even achieve this, then they aren’t human. But with no path to walk, they’re helpless, and can only muddle through life in a confused and dazed manner, just barely getting by. Especially when they encounter some difficulties and are at the end of their rope, they feel intensely tormented inside: “Why do we live? Is it just to tell lies every day, and to mingle with these people who do not even resemble humans and just muddle along waiting for death? Since I will die sooner or later anyway, rather than muddling along waiting for death, I might as well just die now and be free of it all sooner.” Although people want to be free of it all, it’s very rare that anyone dares to act on this; they worry that if they die like this, they’ll have no way to answer to their parents and loved ones, and they also have misgivings in their hearts: “Will dying like this really free me? If it truly frees me, that would be good, but if it doesn’t, that would be even worse.” Thus, people struggle in pain like this. This is just how pitiful those who have not gained the truth are. People feel that there is always hope and something to look forward to in living, but deep down in their hearts, they feel that these things are becoming increasingly elusive and distant. The more elusive and distant people feel these things to be, the more they struggle and suffer in their hearts. Such people all hope to maintain the boundary of their conscience and their principles of self-conduct, and to not live in a way that goes against their will. They don’t make stringent demands of themselves, nor do they set very high goals for their lives—they do not seek great fortune and high rank, but only to live with peace of mind. Yet they cannot even adhere to such simple principles and such a simple boundary for their self-conduct, so they live like walking corpses every day, feeling greatly exhausted. This exhaustion is not physical fatigue, nor is it the pain brought by illness, but an exhaustion of both body and mind. This exhaustion is a sense of heaviness brought about by the sinking of their hearts; it weighs on their hearts like a boulder, making them feel pent up and pained inside. But then, they still have to face life and all kinds of people, events, and things, so they just brace themselves and keep going day after day, passing their days amid hardship, living an extremely painful life. Some people want to go watch Peking opera. They see that the plots in Peking opera are all about the protagonist’s life being difficult and full of bumps and setbacks, with the performer finally crying out at the end, “What suffering...” and those who have pain in their hearts resonate with this. Why do they resonate with it? Because the performer has voiced what is in their hearts, and this has resonated with them. If you live by your conscience, living in this world is not easy and gets you nowhere; you will run up against walls, suffer setbacks, and be tormented at every turn. If you try to be a bad person, an evil person, or a wicked person, you’ll get on well wherever you go, not hitting any snags. If you are an upright and kind person, and you possess the qualities of uprightness and kindness in your humanity, then even if your uprightness and kindness become polluted or even tainted and contain some adulterations after you experience various things in society, the qualities of uprightness and kindness in your humanity will never change, and no one will be able to change them. Even if you no longer dare to tell the truth or uphold the principles and boundaries for your self-conduct, deep down in your heart you will long to tell the truth, to uphold your principles for self-conduct, to maintain the boundary of your conscience, and to gain a sense of inner peace and tranquility.

After this type of upright and kind person comes to believe in God, God’s house—the church—is a place of purity and stillness for them, as well as a place where their heart can find peace and liberation. Of course, it can also be said that it’s a place where they can pursue the realization of their life aspirations, and a place that enables them to see light in their life and no longer feel lost in terms of how they should orient their self-conduct. So, for someone with conscience and reason, God’s house is their true home. This home is not a home in the fleshly or material sense; rather, it is a safe place where they can believe in God and submit to Him with a heart that is simple, laid bare, and open. It can also be called a safe haven. How does the saying go? God’s house is a harbor where upright and kind people who possess qualities of humanity can moor themselves. That is, this is where they can drop their anchor; they don’t have to rush about anymore, and are able to accept the truth and find their direction and path in life, so that their hearts are content. Thus, a true human being only feels truly content at heart when they come to God’s house; a person with conscience and reason only feels that they’ve found their true home, a place that allows their heart to gain peace and tranquility, when they return to God’s house and return before the Creator. Although their aspirations for their self-conduct and the principles by which they conduct themselves are a far cry from practicing the truth, at the very least, they feel that in God’s house and in the church, their heart has gained peace and solace. This is the difference this type of person feels between being in God’s house and being in the world; it is a difference in their heart. Therefore, when this type of person comes to God’s house, their heart gains solace and peace; they feel that only God’s house is the place where they can pursue their direction in life, and is also the environment they are most in need of, and, of course, the place they yearn for. They love it here, and are willing to live and conduct themselves in this kind of environment; of course, it is their personal wish to do so. In terms of this personal wish of theirs, the environment of God’s house, the way God works, God’s requirements of people, and all other aspects are already enough to satisfy the needs of their humanity, so they pursue the truth with peace of mind and practice according to God’s requirements. Therefore, whether a person can pursue the truth depends entirely on their humanity. Only if their humanity possesses the qualities of kindness and uprightness, if they love fairness and righteousness, if they love coming to God’s house and gaining inner peace and tranquility, or if their heart has gained complete solace after coming to God’s house and coming before God, can they settle down to listen to, accept, and submit to God’s words; only then can they settle down to pursue the truth and to be a proper created being. That is to say, only when a person comes to the environment of God’s house and gains solace at heart, and feels inwardly fulfilled as a result of understanding the truth, and achieves the life aspirations and goals they pursue—only under these basic conditions do they have the opportunity to pursue the truth. This is a specific manifestation of those who possess qualities of humanity. Of course, when it comes to pursuing the truth, whether someone possesses qualities of humanity is very important. If one does not possess qualities of humanity, they basically do not satisfy the conditions for pursuing the truth.