Tell Me, is it the truth that God loves and has mercy for man? (It is the truth.) Then is it the truth that God does not love man, and even curses and condemns them? (This is also the truth.) In fact, both of these sentences are the truth and absolutely correct. But it is no simple matter to say, “It is also the truth that God does not love man,” and it is hard for people to speak such words; they can only be uttered once one has knowledge of God’s disposition. When you see that God has done something loving, you say, “God truly loves man. That is the truth; this is God’s doing,” yet when you see that God has done something that is not in keeping with man’s notions—such as getting angry at hypocritical Pharisees or at antichrists, and cursing them—you think, “God does not love man; He hates man.” Then you have notions about God, and deny Him. So which of these two scenarios is the truth? There are those who cannot explain this clearly. In people’s hearts, is it better that God love man, or that He not love man? People undoubtedly all like that God loves man, and they say that God’s love of man is the truth. But they do not like that God does not love man, so they say that God not loving man is not the truth, and they deny the saying, “It is also the truth that God does not love man.” What, then, is the basis for man’s determination of whether or not what God does is the truth? It is based entirely on man’s notions and imaginings. God should do things however man likes Him to do things, and it is not the truth unless what God does conforms to man’s notions and imaginings; if man does not like what God does, then what God does is not the truth. Do those who determine the truth in such a way have knowledge of the truth? (They do not.) What are the consequences of always defining God according to man’s notions? Will it lead to submission to God, or to resistance to God? Certainly not to submission to God—only to resistance. Are then those who always treat God on the basis of their notions and imaginings people who submit to God? Or are they people who resist God? (They are people who resist God.) This point can be ascertained, and it is correct to discern it this way. People think that God’s love of man must resemble a shepherd stroking a lamb, giving them warmth and enjoyment, and that it must meet their emotional and physical needs, so people feel this is God’s love, do they not? (They do, but in reality, God’s judgment, chastisement, and pruning are more beneficial to people’s lives.) This is still God’s love for man! After all the talk, you still feel that God’s love for man is the truth, and that His not loving man is not the truth, is that not so? (It is also the truth that God does not love man.) Then how is it that God does not love man? What is it, about not loving? We all know that God loves man: His righteous disposition, His judgment and chastisement, and His chastening and discipline—all fall within the scope of love. So, if God does not love man, why would that be? (Because of His righteous disposition.) Are judgment and chastisement of that righteous disposition? (They are.) If judgment and chastisement are of that righteous disposition, is God’s righteous disposition toward man then loving, or unloving? (It is loving.) You have understood that God’s love of man is His righteous disposition, but is not loving man of that disposition? (It is.) How can God not love man yet still be of a righteous disposition? Let Me ask you one more question: Do you think it is possible for God not to love man? Can there be such an instance? (When man commits all sorts of evil acts and breaks God’s heart, God does not love man.) What you are speaking of is conditional and based on prerequisites, whereas what I am asking is non-presuppositional. God’s love of man is surely the truth, and everyone understands this. But people have their doubts as to whether God’s not loving man is the truth. If you get past this matter, you will get past most of the things that God does, and you will not develop notions. Where God is concerned, what are some of the manifestations of His not loving man? (We are not yet conscious of this aspect.) You have not felt it, and you have not experienced it. What words do we know so far that can explain God’s not loving man? Loathing, aversion, hatred, and disgust; and also, abandonment and spurning. These are basically the words. Everyone understands these words, so can they be equated with not loving? (They can.) They are inherent in the manifestation of God’s not loving man, so do you think they are the truth? (Yes, they are the truth.) In your view, God’s not loving man requires a premise: God does things that are unloving to man in the context of loving man—that is the truth. Suppose this premise has neither an element of nor a basis for love, and God then does things that are unloving to man, with the manifestation of not loving man. You will not be able to ascertain whether God’s not loving man is the truth, nor will you be able to understand those things fully. Herein lies the crux of the matter, and that being so, we should fellowship about it.

Do you think that God, as the Lord of all created beings, created this mankind, and having done so, He has to take care of people, managing what they eat and drink and running their entire lives and destinies? (He does not.) That is to say, is it within God’s power to take care of you if He wants to, and to throw you into the crowds or into a certain environment if He does not want to take care of you, leaving you either to sink or to swim? (It is.) Since it is within God’s power, is it not the truth that God does not care about man? (It is.) It is in keeping with the truth. How can this be said to be the truth? (God is the Lord of all creation.) In terms of God’s identity and status, and in terms of the difference between God and mankind, God will take care of you if He so wishes, and if He does not wish to take care of you, then He will not. That is, it is appropriate for God to take care of you if He wants to, and it is reasonable if He does not. What does this depend on? It depends on whether God is willing or not, and this is the truth. There are those who say, “No, since You created me, You must take care of what I eat and drink—You must take care of me for the rest of my life.” Is that in keeping with the truth? This is unreasonable and inconsistent with the truth. If God said, “After I created you, I cast you aside and will no longer take care of you,” this is the power of the Creator. Because God could create you, He has the power to cast you aside, whether to a good place or a bad place. That is God’s power. What is the basis for God’s power? It is God’s identity and status, so He can take care of you or not, and in either case, it is the truth. Why do I say it is the truth? Here is what people should understand. Once you have understood it, you will know who you are, who the God in whom you believe is, and what the differences are, between you and God. Let us return to the aspect concerning God’s not loving man. Does God have to love man? (He does not.) Since He does not have to, is it the truth that God does not love man? (It is the truth.) Does that not make things clearer? Now, let us talk about this: As mankind has been corrupted by Satan and has a satanic, corrupt disposition, if God does not save mankind and bring mankind to Him, then what is the relationship between man and God? (There is no relationship.) That is untrue; there actually is a relationship. Then what kind of relationship is it? It is a hostile relationship. You are hostile to God, and your nature essence is hostile to God’s essence. Is it therefore reasonable for God to not love you? Is it reasonable for God to loathe you, to hate you, to be disgusted with you? (It is reasonable.) Why is it reasonable? (Because there is nothing in us that is worthy of God’s love, and our dispositions are too gravely corrupted.) God is the Creator, and you are a created being, but as a created being, you have not followed God or listened to His words; instead, you have followed Satan and have become God’s opposite and enemy. God loves you because He has the essence of mercy: He has pity on you, and He saves you. God has this essence. God has mercy and concern for the mankind He created. His love for you is a revelation of His essence, which is one aspect of the truth. On the other hand, mankind is not worthy of God’s love. Mankind is arrogant, loathes positive things, is wicked, vicious, and both hateful of and resistant to God. So, given God’s essence—His holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and authority on top of that—how can He love such a mankind? Can God be compatible with mankind such as this? Can He love it? (He cannot.) Since He cannot, when God comes into contact with people and wants to save them, what will God evince? As soon as God comes into contact with people, He evinces disgust, loathing, and hatred, and He spurns those who do serious evil; this is not loving. Then is it the truth that God does not love man? (It is.) That God does not love man is the truth. Is it correct that God does not love those who resist Him? (It is.) This is fair and reasonable and determined by God’s righteous disposition, so here, too, it is the truth that God does not love man. What determines that this is the truth? It is determined by God’s essence.

So, when all is said and done: Does God love man? (He does.) As a matter of fact, according to the essence and manifestation of man, man is not worthy of God’s love, but God can still love man so much. In your view, is God the truth? Is His essence holy? (It is.) On the other hand, since man is so disgusting and their corruption runs so deep, can God love man without a bit of hatred? If there is not a little bit of hatred, a little aversion or disgust, then this is not in keeping with God’s essence. God hates, loathes, is disgusted with and sick of this mankind, but He is still able to save people, and this is God’s true love—the essence of God! God’s not loving man is due to His essence, and that He can still love man is also due to His essence. So, now that it is clear, which is the truth: That God loves man? Or that He does not love man? (Both are the truth.) Now it is settled. Then, can man do this? No man can do this; there is not one person who can—not even people to their own children. If your child is always making you angry and breaking your heart, you will be angry at first, but in time your heart will grow disgusted; once he has disgusted you for long enough, you will give up completely, and in the end, you will sever relations with him. What is human love? It comes from the affections and the blood relationships of the flesh, so it has nothing to do with the truth; it is the love that arises out of the needs of man’s flesh and affections. What is the basis for this love? It is based on affections, blood relationships, and interests, and there is not a shred of truth to it. What, then, is the reason for man’s not loving? Having hated, loathed, and been disgusted by one who has broken his heart, he no longer loves; he can no longer love. To what extent do you think this mankind has broken God’s heart? (It is indescribable.) Yes, it is indescribable. Does God then still love man? You do not know whether God loves man, but even now God is saving you, always working, speaking to lead and provide for you. He will not give up on you until the very last moment, when the work is done. Is this not love? (It is.) Does mankind have love such as this? (It does not.) When people’s emotional needs are gone, when their blood relationship is severed, and there is no longer any connection of interest between them, they no longer love, their love is gone, and they then choose to give up—to no longer “invest.” They have given up completely. What is the essential expression of love? It is to do practical things and to achieve results, and if these love-related things are not done, then there is no love. Some people say that God hates man, but this is not entirely correct. God hates you, but has He spoken to you any less? Has He provided you with any less truth? Has He worked any less in you? (He has not.) Therefore, in saying that God hates you, you have no conscience; your words are unconscionable. It is not false that God hates you, but He still loves you, and He has done much work in you. It is a fact that God hates you, but why? If you submitted to God in every respect and became like Job, would God still hate you? He would no longer hate you; He would only have love for you. How does God’s love manifest itself? It does not resemble the love of man, which is like wrapping someone up in cotton wool. God does not love people that way: He lets you have the normal life of created mankind; He lets you become aware of how to live, how to survive, and how to worship Him; how to be master among all things and live a meaningful life; and neither to do meaningless things nor to follow Satan. Is the meaning of God’s love not enduring and far-reaching? It is too far-reaching, and the after-effects of God doing these things are of monumental significance and of the most far-reaching value for all mankind. This is something no human being can do: It is of inestimable value, and it cannot be exchanged by man with money or with any material things. You see, people nowadays understand some truths, and they know how to worship God, but did they know any of this 20 or 30 years ago? (They did not.) They did not know how the Bible came to be; they did not know what God’s management plan was; they did not know how to worship God and live to be a qualified created being: They knew none of these things. So if you jump forward twenty years from now, will mankind at that time not be far better than you are now? (They will be.) How will this come about? It is because of God’s salvation and His infinite love for man. It is because He has such patience, tolerance, and mercy for man, that man has gained so many things. Were it not for God’s great love, man would gain nothing.

Do you think God loves man? (He does.) Does God then hate man? (He does.) In what way? In His heart, God is actually disgusted by man and loathes man’s nature essence. He is disgusted by every person, so how can He still work in man? Because He has love, and He wants to save these people. Does He not hate people when He saves them? He does; hate and love coexist simultaneously. He hates, He loathes, and He is disgusted—but at the same time, He works for man’s salvation. Who do you think can do that? No man can do that. When people see someone they are disgusted with and loathe, they no longer want to look at them, and even a word with them is too much, or as unbelievers say, “If there is no common ground, a single word is a waste of breath.” How many words has God spoken to man? Too many. Can you say that God does not love man? Or that He does not hate man? (We cannot.) Hate is a fact, as is love. Suppose you say, “God hates us; let’s not get close to Him. Let’s not let God save us, so as not to annoy Him all the time.” Is this in order? (It is not.) You are not considerate of God’s heart, and you neither understand Him, nor do you know Him. Instead, by saying this, you are rebelling against God and breaking His heart. You have to understand why God hates man and how He loves man. There are reasons to God’s love and hatred; each has its background and principles. If you say, “As God saves me, He must love me; He cannot hate me,” is this an unreasonable demand? (It is.) Even if God hates you, He does not delay in saving you and still gives you the opportunity to repent. It has no effect on your eating and drinking of the words of God or on your performing your duty, and you continue to enjoy God’s grace, so why are you still arguing? God hating you is as it should be; it is determined by God’s essence, and He has not delayed in saving you. Should people not have some knowledge of this matter? (They should.) What should they know? They must know God’s righteous disposition and His holiness. How should one go about knowing them? What is it called, when God hates this mankind so much but is still able to save it? Abundant mercy. This is what is within God’s righteous disposition. Only God can do this; Satan will not do this. While it doesn’t hate you, it tramples upon you. If it hated you, then it would torment you all day, even permanently depriving you of reincarnation and leaving you to descend into the eighteenth circle of hell. Is that not what Satan does? (It is.) But does God treat people this way? Absolutely not. God gives people enough opportunity to repent. Therefore, do not be fearful that God hates you; His hatred of you is determined by His essence. Do not turn away from God because He hates you, think, “I’m not worthy of being saved by God, so God needn’t save me; let Him be spared any worry,” and then forsake God. This will make God loathe you all the more, because you have betrayed and humiliated Him and allowed Satan to laugh at you. Do you think this is how it is? (Sometimes when I experience being dismissed or suffer some setbacks and failures, I feel that I have broken God’s heart, and that He will no longer save me; my heart is in a state of avoiding God.) Your breaking of God’s heart is no temporary thing; you broke God’s heart a long time ago—and more than once! But truly giving up on yourself is tantamount to letting God completely give up on you and not save you, and then God’s heart will really be broken. God will not sentence people to death or draw conclusions about them because of their behavior, momentarily or over a period of time; He will not do that. How then should you know God’s disposition? How can man’s notions and misconceptions be fixed? You do not know what God thinks about many things or how to match them up with His righteous disposition and His holy essence. You do not understand, but there is one thing that you must remember: No matter what God does, man must submit; man is a created being, made of clay, and they should submit to God. This is man’s duty, obligation, and responsibility. This is the attitude people should have. Once people have this attitude, how should they treat God and the things God does? Never condemn, lest you offend God’s disposition. If you have notions, then fix them, but do not condemn God or the things He does. Once you condemn them, you are finished: It is equivalent to standing on the opposite side of God, with no chance of receiving salvation. You may say, “I am not standing opposite God now, but I have a misunderstanding of God,” or “I have a little doubt in my heart about God; my faith is small, and I have weaknesses and negativities.” All of these are manageable; they can be fixed by seeking the truth—but do not condemn God. If you say, “What God has done is not right. It is not in keeping with the truth, so I have reason to doubt, question, and accuse. I will spread this everywhere and unite people in questioning Him,” this will be troublesome. God’s attitude toward you will change, and if you condemn God, you will be completely finished; there are too many ways in which God can retaliate against you. Therefore, people should not deliberately oppose God. It is not a big problem if you unintentionally do something to resist Him, because it was not done intentionally or on purpose, and God gives you a chance to repent. If you intentionally condemn it even though you know something is God’s doing, and you incite everyone to rebel as one, then this is troublesome. And what will be the result? You will end up like the two hundred and fifty chiefs who resisted Moses. Knowing that it is God, you still dare to clamor with Him. God does not debate with you: His is the authority; He makes the earth split open and swallow you up directly, and that’s all. He will never see you or listen to your reasoning. This is God’s disposition. What is God’s disposition manifesting at this time? It is wrath! Therefore, by no means should people clamor against God or provoke His wrath; should any offend God, the result will be perdition.