Words on Performing a Duty (Excerpt 40)
When things happen, everyone should pray together more and have a God-fearing heart. People absolutely should not rely on their own ideas to act arbitrarily. So long as people are of one mind and one heart in praying to God and seeking the truth, then they will be able to obtain the enlightenment and illumination of the work of the Holy Spirit, and they will be able to gain the blessings of God. What did the Lord Jesus say? (“That 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).) What issue does this illustrate? It shows that man cannot depart from God, that man must rely on God, that man cannot go it alone, and that going one’s own way is not acceptable. What is meant when we say that man cannot go it alone? This means that people must collaborate harmoniously, do things with one heart and one mind, and have a common goal. Colloquially, it can be said that “Sticks in a bundle cannot be broken.” So how can you become like a bundle of sticks? You must cooperate harmoniously, reach an accord, and then the Holy Spirit will work. If each person is hiding their own secrets, thinking about their own interests, and nobody is being responsible for the church’s work, everyone wants to wash their hands of it, no one wants to lead the charge, put in effort or suffer and pay a price for it, will the Holy Spirit do His work? (No.) Why not? When people live in an incorrect state, and do not pray to God or seek the truth, the Holy Spirit will abandon them, and God will not be present. How can those who do not seek the truth possess the work of the Holy Spirit? God detests them, so His face is hidden from them, and the Holy Spirit is concealed from them. When God is no longer at work, you can do as you please. Once He has cast you aside, aren’t you finished? You’ll accomplish nothing. Why is it that the unbelievers have such a hard time doing things? Isn’t it that they each keep their own counsel? They keep their own counsel, and are unable to accomplish anything—everything is highly strenuous, even the simplest of matters. This is life under the power of Satan. If you do as the unbelievers do, then how are you any different from an unbeliever? There is no difference whatsoever. If power in the church is wielded by those who do not have the truth, if it is wielded by those who are filled with satanic dispositions, then isn’t it in fact Satan who wields power? If the actions of people who wield power in the church are all contrary to the truth, then the work of the Holy Spirit ceases, and God hands them over to Satan. Once in Satan’s hands, all forms of ugliness—jealousies and disputes, for example—emerge between people. What is illustrated by these phenomena? That the work of the Holy Spirit has ceased, He has taken His leave, and God is no longer at work. Without the work of God, of what use are the mere words and doctrines that man understands? They are of no use. When a person no longer has the work of the Holy Spirit, they will be empty inside, they can’t feel anything anymore, they are like the dead, and by this point, they will have become dumbfounded. All inspiration, wisdom, intelligence, insight, and enlightenment in mankind comes from God; it is all God’s work. When a person seeks the truth on a certain matter, suddenly reaches an understanding and gains a way, where does this illumination come from? It all comes from God. Just as when people fellowship about the truth, initially they have no understanding, but just as they are fellowshipping, they are illuminated and are then able to speak on some understandings. This is the enlightenment and work of the Holy Spirit. When does the Holy Spirit mostly work? It is when God’s chosen people fellowship about the truth, when people pray to God, and when people perform their duties with unified hearts and minds. These are times when God’s heart is most satisfied. So whether there are many or few of you performing your duty together, no matter what the circumstances are, and no matter when, do not forget this one thing—being in one accord. By living within this state, you will have the work of the Holy Spirit.
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