Last time, we fellowshipped on the issue of people having notions and imaginings about the incarnate God, which is involved in “letting go of the barriers between oneself and God and one’s hostility toward God,” one of the ways of practicing “letting go” found within the topic of “How to Pursue the Truth,” right? (Yes.) We fellowshipped on how people should treat the incarnate God. So, what truths involving God’s incarnation did we fellowship last time? (Last time we fellowshipped on God not speaking vaguely, which is part of God not enticing people, as well as God’s attitude toward status.) We fellowshipped on the topic of not putting the incarnate God on a par with corrupt humankind, which involves God not enticing people, and we also fellowshipped on how the incarnate God treats status. What did we fellowship regarding this topic? Tell Me what you have come to know. (In the past, I felt that God’s identity was that of the Creator and that His status was very high. Through God’s fellowship, I have come to see that God never carries Himself as having a high status, nor does He ever take pleasure in this status. It’s also not because of this status that God pays a price to save humankind; rather, in doing so He is fulfilling His responsibility to humankind. Furthermore, in the past, I thought that if someone has high status, they have power. It was only through God’s fellowship that I realized that status actually just represents a title, and that for a person to be a leader or a worker in God’s house is equivalent to God giving that person a commission and a responsibility. These are the understandings I’ve gained after listening to God’s fellowship.) No matter what I fellowship, in one respect, it is to allow people to more clearly and accurately know what God’s viewpoints and principles are regarding all kinds of things, and what true manifestations and revelations there are of God’s disposition essence—this is what people need to know. In another respect, fellowshipping on this content gives people some correct viewpoints for treating all kinds of things, allowing them to understand the principles for treating and handling them. Take the way God treats status, for example. In one respect, fellowshipping on this helps you understand what God’s thoughts and views on status are like, and what His principles for handling status are like, when He becomes flesh and comes to earth to become a member of humankind—that is, when He lives within normal humanity. This is something people need to understand. In another respect, fellowshipping on how God treats status is not just so that people understand these truths that they ought to know; more importantly, it’s so that people have correct thoughts and views and principles of practice for approaching and handling this issue, after they understand the truth. In short, no matter what kind of issue we fellowship on, in one respect, it’s to let you know the correct viewpoints for treating this kind of issue, and in another respect, it’s to let you know the principles of practice and the path of practice for handling this kind of issue.

Although the incarnate God has God’s identity and also has status among God’s chosen people, this status is completely different from the status that corrupt humans talk about. To God, in one respect, this status is merely a formulation that involves the truth; in another respect, as far as the life and essence of the incarnate God are concerned, this status is not a kind of position, but is spoken of in terms of the life essence possessed by the incarnate God. In essence, then, the status corrupt humans talk about is actually different from this status of the incarnate God. What is status among corrupt humankind? (A symbol of power.) Among corrupt humankind, status has nothing to do with a person’s identity and essence; it is merely a title. For example, among corrupt humankind, some people are CEOs, managers, or have a certain social status. This is just a title or a division of class and rank among people; it has nothing to do with one’s true identity and essence. Therefore, the so-called “status” of the incarnate God among people is not the same as that of rulers in human society; He is not a ruler, nor is He someone with vested interests. Among people, God’s status is merely spoken of in terms of His essence and identity, and God’s identity and essence is only spoken of because of God’s life, and God’s authority, power, and disposition. God’s status is not a kind of title among people. Therefore, people cannot put the incarnate God on a par with people of status in various social classes. People of status in various social classes, regardless of which class they belong to, are collectively referred to as the ruling class. The essence of the ruling class is that, in one respect, they have work that corresponds to their status; in another respect, regardless of the period or the social environment, this ruling class basically consists of the leaders, standouts, those with vested interests, and so on, among people. This was especially the case more than a hundred years ago—the vast majority of the ruling class with status and prestige in society were those with vested interests. So what is meant by “those with vested interests”? It refers to people who use their power and status to seek benefits for themselves. By what means do they seek benefits? Through their political influence and power, they rule over their subjects; under their rule and governance, these subjects pay tribute to them, or more specifically, pay taxes. However, there is a difference in essence between the status of the incarnate God and the status of the ruling class. Regardless of which class of rulers or individuals with power and status they may be in society or among groups of people, the status of the ruling class is merely a position and a title. They only govern the people they rule over, or those within the scope of their governance and administration in a simple manner—broadly speaking, this is called ruling, and in a narrower sense, it is called governing and administrating. Through ruling, governing, and administrating, they obtain the power and various benefits that their status brings them. Although the incarnate God possesses God’s identity and essence, and has God’s status, the work He does, the essence of His work, and the essence of His status itself are different from those of the various ruling classes in society and among humankind. The work the incarnate God does on people is not ruling or administering them, but rather leading, providing for, guiding, supporting, helping, pruning, judging, and chastising them. God’s aim in doing all this work is to enable people to cast off their corrupt dispositions and break free from them. With all of the work He does on people, its most basic nature is that of providing them with the truth and life, so as to bring them before God. This is the work He does. He takes the work and words that God wants to perform and speak on earth, and performs that work on people and speaks those words to people, so that they can listen and understand, and have a path of practice, and ultimately cast off their corrupt dispositions, submit to God, and become people who truly worship God. In this process, what corrupt humans gain from the incarnate God is primarily the provision of the truth, the provision of life, and the provision of the way. Ultimately, they are able to truly submit to God, become true created beings—created beings that are up to standard—and come to satisfy God, gain God’s recognition and acceptance, and become human beings who worship God. These are the things human beings gain from the incarnate God. Although the incarnate God has this status and has done this work, He does not enjoy the tributes of humankind. Although the incarnate God has status, He does not enjoy the benefits of status that any member of the ruling class enjoys, nor does He enjoy the various kinds of generous treatment afforded to Him by His status. So, although God incarnate has the status of the incarnate God, He is not someone with vested interests, nor is He part of the exploiting class. In doing His work—just as the God in heaven, God’s Spirit, leads all of humankind—the incarnate God provides for, guides, supports, and helps humankind, and never demands any material or non-material things from humankind. Therefore, when the incarnate God comes among people to work, even if He does have the status humans see with their eyes or the status that He holds according to their thoughts and notions, He does not enjoy tributes from people. The work He does and His provision for humankind are free of charge; He does not demand any fees, taxes, or remuneration from humankind. Up to now, have you given Him a single cent? (No.) Have you ever paid to listen to sermons? (No.) Our gathering places do not require access cards, you don’t have to buy tickets to attend gatherings, and you don’t have to pay a single cent. Furthermore, the books you read, the videos you watch, and the sermon recordings you listen to are all free of charge. You have never been charged a single cent. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) No one has been charged a single cent; everything is free of charge. Some people ask, “Do personal offerings have to be a set percentage of one’s income?” That is not the case; offerings are all given voluntarily. The tithe is simply what believers ought to offer, but regardless of whether someone offers a tenth or a fifth of their income, it is entirely voluntary. Besides, many people who believe in God have never offered what they ought to, yet they still attend gatherings and can still read God’s words and listen to sermons all the same. Not a single person has been stripped of their right to listen to sermons, their right to attend gatherings, or their right to do their duty just because they never made offerings—this hasn’t happened to anyone, right? (Yes.)

From the Age of Law to the present Age of Kingdom, God has consistently provided for humankind. From when God’s Spirit began to speak to humankind up to God’s first incarnation, and then to God’s second incarnation, God has spoken countless words, and also done more work on humankind than can be reckoned. He has spoken so many words, and He has provided so much for humankind—it is already beyond measure. And has God ever demanded a single cent from humans? He never has. He has never even demanded a single bag of grain from humans; He merely provides for people like this unfailingly and free of charge. Whether it is the incarnate God or God Himself, although He possesses supreme status, He nevertheless provides for humankind free of charge. Moreover, God incarnate interacts with people on an equal basis, providing for human beings heart-to-heart and face-to-face, and the way in which He leads them is even more hands-on. God leads every step of the way, and personally leads every item of work. Furthermore, God does not use a stand-in when doing His work; God Himself does it personally. In human terms, this would be called approaching the worthy with courteous humility, or moving among the people incognito. God personally comes among people to speak and work, living among people and being face-to-face with them. People can hear God’s voice with their own ears, see the work God does with their own eyes, and personally experience for themselves the work God does. Although people feel that God has status and that there is a distance between themselves and God, with God, there is no such distance as people see or feel. God does not carry Himself as having God’s identity, looking down on humankind from on high, but rather He speaks and works on an equal footing with humans. Hasn’t this been the way I have spoken and fellowshipped in gatherings with you over the years? I am not condescending, and I have never felt that I have great power and high status; I have no such feeling, and I haven’t worked in this way either. Although corrupt humans are full of corruption, full of hostility toward God, and are God’s enemies, in working to save people, God is full of patience, tolerance, mercy, and lovingkindness toward humans. When He works on and speaks to humans, He is full of love—it could even be said that He does so with painstaking earnestness. Whatever humans need, God unsparingly provides it to them. He does not speak to people in riddles, nor does He keep them in suspense, but says whatever is on His mind. He provides the truths you ought to understand without leaving out a single sentence. So long as it’s something you can grasp, He does not hold back one bit. He lets you gain these truths, and makes it so they’re clear to you and you understand them. Especially when it comes to matters you do not understand and find confusing, He all the more goes over them again and again with painstaking earnestness, and emphasizes them repeatedly, until you understand. Thus, the work done by God incarnate and the work done by God’s Spirit have always been the same. Although it is corrupt mankind that He saves, God has never disdained mankind. Although man and God, in essence and in life, are distinct and completely different, in terms of God’s attitude toward man, God has never treated man as His enemy, as truly corrupt mankind, or as a target to be spurned. On the contrary, God treats man as the recipient of His work and salvation. Besides this, a more important point is that, in terms of God’s attitude and mood when speaking to man, as well as His expectations of man, God treats man as family. So, no matter how man himself views God’s status, God has never assumed a position of superiority to view mankind through the lens of high status, but has instead put Himself on equal footing with man, and can even have long, heart-to-heart talks with man; there is no distance between Him and man, and no distinctions of status. Looking at God’s attitude toward mankind and all the work God has done, it is precisely because the incarnate God has God’s essence and God’s life that, although outwardly He seems to be an ordinary person, He can nevertheless treat mankind with a mentality different from that of any member of the ruling class. Only the incarnate God can do this; no human being can do it, much less anyone from the ruling class. No matter what words God has spoken to man or what work He has done on man, aside from not demanding any benefits from man, what’s even more important is that God has bestowed upon man more of the truths he ought to understand, the paths he ought to practice, and the direction for moving forward he ought to understand. At the same time, God has also bestowed upon man the things he needs for his daily life in terms of basic necessities. God is not only the source of man’s life, but also the source of his livelihood. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) Some people always think, “I have followed Almighty God throughout these years, and have given up my personal prospects, my studies, and my marriage to do my duty, yet up to now I haven’t gained anything.” They then feel regretful and complain. This is particularly true for some people who have been cleared out, and those who have been arrested and imprisoned—they believe that they haven’t gained anything from believing in God all these years. Tell Me, is this viewpoint correct? (No.) In what way is it wrong? They do not know what it is they truly ought to gain from believing in God. They think they should gain things they can see and hold onto, such as money, fame and gain, and status, and that if they haven’t gained these things, then they have gained nothing. Actually, God bestows upon man a great many truths; it is because those people have not pursued the truth or accepted the truth that they haven’t gained anything. If, in the course of doing their duty throughout these years, they had been able to pursue the truth, accept the truth, and submit to the environments God set up for them, then they surely would have understood some truths and gained some knowledge of God. Although they may not have gained material things, they would have gained things of greater value, the most precious things in the human world—things that cannot be exchanged for any amount of money or material benefits.

When doing His work among people, although the incarnate God has status in people’s eyes, He does not enjoy the benefits of status, tributes from people, or the power or any form of favorable treatment His status would bring Him, as people of status among humankind would do. He also doesn’t act high and mighty, issue orders, or enjoy this status from a position of superiority, like people of status among humankind would do. It’s exactly the opposite: Not only does He not assume a position of superiority, but He also treats people on an equal basis, living among them to provide for their needs. Aside from providing for people’s needs in terms of life entry, He also provides for some additional needs in their daily lives. The incarnate God also gets involved in people’s daily lives and work when it’s fitting or when it’s needed, helping you live normally and with regularity, and directing and helping you to do your duties well. So, from whichever angle you look at it, although the incarnate God possesses a special status, how He treats status is not the same as any human being with status. Although He possesses this status, in the work He does, in His daily life, and in His principles for how He treats people, He is merely fulfilling His responsibility. For the incarnate God Himself, He is performing His ministry, and for humankind, He is fulfilling His responsibility. He fulfills the responsibility of the incarnate God toward humankind on the basis of possessing the status of the incarnate God. In one respect, His responsibility toward humankind is to provide the truth that humans most need in terms of their life; in another respect, it is to make up for what they lack in terms of their normal humanity, to guide people so that they can live according to the principles that those with normal humanity ought to possess. This is the responsibility I ought to fulfill. But when some people hear Me say these things, they think in their hearts, “We are all adults, and we understand all these things that come up in our daily lives. Do we really need Your guidance?” Although you are all adults, you exhibit far too many shortcomings in your daily lives, and you fall far short of the standards of normal humanity. Without even going into anything else, it’s hard enough for you just to eat in a healthy and appropriate way in your daily lives. Sometimes, when I happen to see that you have a problem in this regard, I offer a little guidance and give some advice for you to consider. Furthermore, when it comes to how you handle affairs involving human life, if I see or hear that you have problems in this regard—or I come into contact with those problems of yours—then I will also give you some advice, help you vet things, correct your mistaken viewpoints and practices, give you some principles, and tell you how to conduct yourselves and how to handle these affairs. Although there are some special matters I have not experienced or handled, when I encounter such things, I can grasp the principles. I know what to do; I will help you vet things, and give you some prompting and advice, so that you can also act according to the principles and standards of normal humanity in the various affairs that come up in life. Don’t go against your conscience, and don’t cross the boundary of morality. You must be rational in what you do; do not behave in an unruly manner like nonbelievers, but rather abide by the rules, handling affairs based on the most basic principle of not going against your conscience or crossing the boundary of morality. When I see these things, I will also give you pointers and help you vet things, regulating the basic necessities of your daily lives. This is beneficial for you in regulating your behavior and the conscience and reason of your normal humanity. Some people might say, “You’re not highly educated, You haven’t participated in many matters in the outside world, and You don’t understand the rules of the game in society. What gives You the right to regulate us?” I say that I am indeed qualified to regulate you. Although I do not participate in those things on the outside, when it comes to the path one walks, one’s pursuit, and matters involving the truth principles, I can help you with these things. I know the principles, and I know where the boundary for one’s self-conduct should lie. I know clearly in My heart whether you have crossed this boundary or violated the principles. I know, but you do not. Why do you not know this? Because you live within your corrupt dispositions and are deeply influenced by the various evil trends of the world. Moreover, most people do not have sound conscience and reason, so they are always fond of taking advantage, always trying to be slippery and take opportunistic shortcuts, and exploit loopholes. They even skirt the edges of the law in order to take advantage, always thinking about how to do some despicable and sordid things. When I see you wanting to do such things, I will give you some pointers, do some vetting for you, and prompt you to refrain from acting that way. If I don’t prompt you or carry out vetting for you, you will always feel that what you are doing is justified. Where does your justification come from? From your belief that “Nonbelievers all do this, so why can’t we? Why should we have to suffer a loss?” That is not called suffering a loss; that is called abiding by the rules. Abiding by the boundary of conscience when conducting oneself is what one ought to do; this is not suffering a loss. This is My principle. You are always afraid of suffering a loss, and not only that, but you also proactively try to take advantage and exploit loopholes. This requires regulation, and this requires correction. So, when I see someone showing signs of handling things this way, I quickly prompt them not to do so; acting like that is disgusting. You feel proud and satisfied in your heart when you take that minor advantage, but what do you sell out in doing so? It is your conscience and your integrity, which earns you a “bad review” from God. Do you know how many good deeds this one bad review can cancel out? You don’t know, and you don’t feel it. Because you don’t know and have no awareness of it, I must prompt you. At critical moments and in critical matters, I must step forward and tell you not to act that way, that you must abide by the rules and not take advantage. In these matters, I am not using My status to constrain you, but rather I am fellowshipping the principles with you, helping you regulate your behavior, making your conscience aware, making it so you have a standard of conscience and rationality, and letting you see what one’s correct goal and direction in life should be. Then, when you think of acting that way again, you won’t be able to square it with your conscience; your face will go red, and the thought of doing something like that will make you feel embarrassed. In this way, My purpose in telling you this is achieved, and it has the intended effect. This is what is called regulation.