Do you now have a way to know yourselves, to gain life entry, and to enter the right path of believing in God? Do you have a goal or direction? You should have some ideas, because we’ve fellowshipped quite a bit on matters such as being an honest person, about knowing yourself, how to eat and drink God’s word, how you should fellowship on the truth to solve problems, how you should cooperate harmoniously in the performance of your duty, how brothers and sisters should go about establishing normal interpersonal relations between one another, and so on. Now that you’re clearer on all aspects of the truth relating to faith in God, have some practical knowledge, and you aren’t like you were before—when you were all vague no matter which aspect you were asked about—don’t you feel much better? (Now I feel clearer and clearer.) “Clearer and clearer” is right. In reality, no matter which aspect of the truth one practices, whether it’s being an honest person, or training oneself to submit to God, or whether it’s how to engage amicably with one’s brothers and sisters, how to live out normal humanity, or something similar, no matter what aspect of the truth you seek to enter, you must start by touching on the issue of self-knowledge. Does being honest not involve knowing yourself? You will not be able to practice honesty until you have come to know your own deceitfulness and dishonesty. When you come to know you have failed to submit to God, only then will you be able to practice submission to Him, or seek out what you must do to submit to Him. If you do not know yourself, then your wishes to be an honest person, submit to God, or attain salvation, are all empty. This is because people have corrupt dispositions, and it is not easy for them to practice any aspect of the truth, as their practice is always tainted and obstructed by their corrupt dispositions. When you practice any aspect of the truth, your corrupt dispositions will certainly reveal themselves, hindering your efforts to be honest, obstructing your submission to God, and inhibiting your patience and tolerance for your brothers and sisters. If you do not reflect on, unearth, dissect, or come to recognize these corrupt dispositions, and instead rely on your notions and imaginings to practice the truth, then you will just be following regulations, because you do not understand the truth and you do not know what truth principles to abide by. Therefore, no matter which aspect of the truth a person is practicing, or what they are doing, they must first reflect on and know themselves. To know yourself is to know your every word and deed, and each and every action; it is to know your thoughts and ideas, your intentions, and your notions and imaginings. You must also know Satan’s philosophies for worldly dealings, and all Satan’s various poisons, as well as traditional cultural knowledge. You must seek the truth and discern these things clearly. That way, you will understand the truth and truly know yourself. Though a person may have done a great number of good deeds since they began believing in God, they still cannot see many things clearly, let alone achieve understanding of the truth. Yet, because of their many good deeds, they feel that they’re already practicing the truth, have already submitted to God, and have already quite satisfied His intentions. When nothing befalls you, you are able to do whatever you are told, you have no qualms about performing any duty, and you do not resist. When you are told to spread the gospel, you don’t complain and can stand this hardship, and when you are told to run about and work, or to do a task, you do so. Because of this, you feel you are one who submits to God and genuinely pursues the truth. Yet if you are asked seriously, “Are you an honest person? Are you a person who truly submits to God? A person whose disposition has changed?”—if every person is held up for comparison against the truth of God’s words—it may be said that none is up to standard, and that none would be capable of acting according to the truth principles. So, all of corrupt mankind must reflect on themselves. They must reflect on the dispositions that they live by, and on the satanic philosophies, logic, heresies and fallacies from which all of their acts and deeds derive. They must reflect on the root cause of why they reveal their corrupt disposition, what the essence of their acting willfully is, on what and for whom they live. If this is held up to the truth for comparison, then all people will be condemned. What is the reason for this? The reason is that mankind is so deeply corrupted. People do not understand the truth, and all of them live by their corrupt dispositions. They do not have the least bit of self-knowledge, they always believe in God according to their own notions and imaginings, do their duties based on their own preferences and methods, and follow religious theories in how they serve God. What is more, they still think that they are full of faith, that their actions are very reasonable, and in the end they feel that they have gained a lot. Without realizing it, they come to think that they are already acting in line with God’s intentions and have satisfied them completely, and that they have already met God’s requirements and are following His will. If this is how you feel, or if you think that you have reaped some gains in your several years of belief in God, then all the more must you come back before God to examine yourself carefully. You should look at the path you have walked over your years of faith to see whether all your acts and deeds before God have been entirely in accordance with His intentions. Examine which of your behaviors were in opposition to God, which achieved submission to Him, whether your actions have met and satisfied God’s requirements. You should clarify all these things, for only then will you know yourself.

The key to self-reflection and knowing yourself is this: The more you feel that in certain areas you have done well or done the right thing, and the more you think you can satisfy God’s intentions or are able to boast in certain areas, then the more it is worth knowing yourself in those areas and the deeper it is worth digging into them to see what impurities exist in you, as well as what things in you cannot satisfy God’s intentions. Let us take Paul as an example. Paul was especially knowledgeable, he suffered a lot when he preached and worked, and many people particularly adored him. As a result, after completing much work, he assumed there would be a crown set aside for him. This caused him to go farther and farther down the wrong path, until finally he was punished by God. If he had reflected upon and dissected himself at the time, then he would not have thought in the way that he did. In other words, Paul had not focused on seeking the truth in the words of the Lord Jesus; he had only believed in his own notions and imaginings. He had thought that merely by doing some good things and exhibiting some good behaviors, he would be approved of and rewarded by God. In the end, his own notions and imaginings blinded his heart and covered the truth of his corruption. But people were not able to discern this, and had no knowledge of these matters, and so before God had exposed this, they had always set Paul as a standard to aim for, an example to live by, and regarded him as an idol they sought and longed to be. Paul’s case is a warning to every one of God’s chosen people. Especially when we who follow God can suffer and pay the price in our duties and as we serve God, we feel that we are loyal and love God, and at times like this, we should reflect on and understand ourselves even more concerning the path we are taking, which is very necessary. This is because what you think is good is what you will determine to be correct, and you will not doubt it, reflect on it, or dissect whether there is anything in it that resists God. For example, there are people who believe themselves to be extremely kind-hearted. They never hate or harm others, and they always lend a hand to a brother or sister whose family is in need, lest their problem go unsolved; they have great goodwill, and do everything in their power to help everyone they can. Yet they never focus on practicing the truth, and they have no life entry. What is the result of such helpfulness? They put their own lives on hold, yet are quite pleased with themselves, and extremely satisfied with all they have done. What is more, they take great pride in it, believing that in all they have done, there is nothing that goes against the truth, that it will definitely satisfy God’s intentions, and that they are true believers in God. They see their natural kindness as something to be capitalized on and, as soon as they do so, they take it for granted as the truth. In reality, all they do is human good. They do not practice the truth at all, for what they do is before man, and not before God, and less still do they practice according to God’s requirements and the truth. Therefore, all their deeds are in vain. Nothing they do is practicing the truth or God’s words, let alone following His will; rather, they use human kindness and good behavior to help others. In summary, they do not seek God’s intentions in everything they do, nor do they act in accordance with His requirements. God does not approve this kind of good behavior of man; to God, it is to be condemned, and does not merit His remembrance.

To know oneself is crucial for each and every person, because it directly impacts the important matter of whether or not one can cast off their corrupt disposition and achieve salvation. Do not think this is a simple matter. To know yourself is not to understand your actions or practices, but to know the essence of your problem; to know the root of your rebelliousness and its essence, to know why you cannot practice the truth, and understand the things which arise and disturb you when you practice the truth. These are some of the most important aspects of knowing yourself. For example, due to the conditioning of Chinese traditional culture, in Chinese people’s traditional notions they believe that one must observe filial piety toward their parents. Whoever does not observe filial piety is an unfilial child. These ideas have been instilled in people since childhood, and they are taught in practically every household, as well as in every school and in society at large. When a person’s head has been filled with such stuff, they think, “Filial piety is more important than anything. If I weren’t to observe it, I wouldn’t be a good person—I’d be an unfilial child and I’d be denounced by society. I’d be a person who lacks conscience.” Is this view correct? People have seen so many truths expressed by God—has God demanded that one show filial piety toward their parents? Is this one of the truths that believers in God must understand? No, it is not. God has only fellowshipped on some principles. By what principle do God’s words ask that people treat others? Love what God loves, and hate what God hates: This is the principle that should be adhered to. God loves those who pursue the truth and are able to follow His will; these are also the people that we should love. Those who are not able to follow God’s will, who hate and rebel against God—these people are detested by God, and we should detest them, too. This is what God asks of man. If your parents do not believe in God, if they know full well that faith in God is the right path, and that it can lead to salvation, yet remain unreceptive, then there is no doubt that they are people who are averse to and hate the truth, and that they are people who resist and hate God—and God naturally abhors and hates them. Could you abhor such parents? They oppose and revile God—in which case they are surely demons and Satans. Could you hate and curse them? These are all real questions. If your parents prevent you from believing in God, how should you treat them? As is asked by God, you should love what God loves, and hate what God hates. During the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” “For whoever shall follow the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” These words already existed back in the Age of Grace, and now God’s words are even more clear: “Love what God loves, and hate what God hates.” These words cut straight to the point, yet people are often unable to grasp their true meaning. If a person is someone who denies and opposes God, who is cursed by God, but they are a parent or relative of yours, and not an evil person as far as you can tell, and they treat you well, then you might find yourself unable to hate that person, and might even remain in close contact with them, your relationship unchanged. Hearing that God hates such people will trouble you, and you are unable to stand on the side of God and ruthlessly reject them. You’re always constrained by feelings, and you cannot fully let go of them. What is the reason for this? This happens because your feelings are too strong, and they hinder you from practicing the truth. That person is good to you, so you can’t bring yourself to hate them. You could only hate them if they did hurt you. Would that hatred be in line with the truth principles? Also, you’re bound by traditional notions, thinking that they are a parent or relative, so if you hate them, you would be scorned by society and reviled by public opinion, condemned as unfilial, without a conscience, and not even human. You think you would suffer divine condemnation and punishment. Even if you want to hate them, your conscience won’t let you. Why does your conscience function this way? It’s because a way of thinking has been sown within you since you were a child, through the inheritance of your family, the education given to you by your parents, and the indoctrination of traditional culture. This way of thinking is rooted very deeply in your heart, and it makes you mistakenly believe that filial piety is perfectly natural and justified, and that anything inherited from your ancestors is always good. You learned it first and it remains dominant, creating a great stumbling block and disturbance in your faith and acceptance of the truth, leaving you unable to put God’s words into practice, and to love what God loves, hate what God hates. You know in your heart that your life came from God, not from your parents, and you also know that your parents not only don’t believe in God, but resist God, that God hates them and you should submit to God, stand on His side, but you just can’t bring yourself to hate them, even if you want to. You can’t turn that corner, you can’t steel your heart, and you cannot practice the truth. What’s the root of this? Satan uses this kind of traditional culture and notions of morality to bind your thoughts, your mind, and your heart, leaving you unable to accept God’s words; you have been possessed by these things of Satan, and rendered incapable of accepting God’s words. When you want to practice God’s words, these things cause disturbance within you, cause you to oppose the truth and God’s requirements, and make you powerless to rid yourself of the yoke of traditional culture. After struggling for a while, you compromise: You prefer to believe traditional notions of morality are correct and in line with the truth, and so you reject or forsake God’s words. You do not accept God’s words as the truth and you think nothing of being saved, feeling that you still live in this world, and can only survive by relying on these people. Unable to endure society’s recrimination, you would rather choose to give up the truth and God’s words, abandoning yourself to traditional notions of morality and the influence of Satan, preferring to offend God and not practice the truth. Is man not pitiful? Do they not have need of God’s salvation? Some people have believed in God for many years, but still have no insight into the matter of filial piety. They really do not understand the truth. They can never break through this barrier of worldly relationships; they do not have the courage, nor the confidence, let alone the determination, so they cannot love and obey God. Some people are able to see beyond this, and it is no easy thing indeed for them to say, “My parents don’t believe in God, and they stop me from believing. They are devils.” Not a single nonbeliever has faith that there is a God, or that He created the heavens and earth and all things, or that man is created by God. There are even some who say, “Life is given to man by their parents, and they should honor them.” Where does such a thought or view come from? Does it come from Satan? It is millennia of traditional culture that have educated and misled man in this way, causing them to deny God’s creation and sovereignty. Without Satan misleading and controlling people, mankind would investigate God’s work and read His words, and they would know that they are created by God, that their life is given by God; they would know that everything they have is given by God, and that it is God whom they should thank. Should anyone do us a good turn, we should accept it from God—in particular our parents, who gave birth to and raised us; this is all arranged by God. God holds sovereignty over all; man is just a tool for service. If someone can set their parents aside, or their husband (or wife) and children, in order to expend themselves for God, then that person will be stronger and have a greater sense of justice before Him. However, it is not easy for people to break through the bondage of national education and traditional cultural ideas, notions, and moral statements, because these satanic poisons and philosophies have long taken root in people’s hearts, producing all sorts of corrupt dispositions that prevent them from hearing God’s word and submitting to Him. In the depths of corrupt man’s heart, there lacks a fundamental willingness to put the truth into practice and to follow God’s will. So, people rebel against and resist God; they may betray Him and forsake Him at any time. Can one receive the truth if the corrupt dispositions and satanic poisons and philosophies exist within them? Can one achieve submission to God? It is very hard indeed. If it were not for the work of judgment by God Himself, then deeply corrupt mankind could not achieve salvation, and could not be cleansed from all its satanic disposition. Even if people believe in God and are willing to follow Him, they cannot listen to God and submit to Him, as it takes too much effort for people to accept the truth. Therefore, the pursuit of truth must first be preceded by the pursuit of knowing oneself and resolving one’s own corrupt disposition. Only then will it be easier to accept the truth. Knowing oneself is by no means a simple matter; only those who accept the truth can know themselves. That is why knowing yourself is so vital, and a matter you must not overlook.

People have corrupt dispositions, so it is very difficult for them to accept the truth, and it is even harder for them to know themselves. If they want to achieve salvation, they must come to know their own corrupt dispositions and their nature essence. Only then can they truly accept the truth and put it into practice. Most people who believe in God are satisfied with only being able to speak the words and doctrines, thinking that they understand the truth. This is a big mistake, as those who do not know themselves do not understand the truth. Therefore, in order to understand and obtain the truth in their belief in God, people must focus on knowing themselves. Regardless of when or where we are, and no matter what environment we are in, if we can come to know ourselves, unearth and dissect our own corrupt dispositions, and treat knowing ourselves as our top priority, then we will surely gain something, and gradually deepen our knowledge of ourselves. At the same time, we will practice the truth, practice loving and submitting to God, and understand more and more of the truth. The truth will then naturally become our lives. However, if you do not enter into knowing yourself at all, it is false for you to say that you practice the truth, because you are blinded by all sorts of superficial phenomena. You feel as if your behavior has improved, that you have more conscience and reason than before, that you are gentler, more considerate and tolerant of others, and more patient and forgiving with people, and consequently, you think that you are already living out normal humanity, and that you are a great and perfect person. But in God’s eyes, you still fall short of His requirements and standards, and you are very far from truly submitting to and worshiping Him. This shows that you have not gained the truth, that you lack the slightest bit of reality, and are still far from meeting the standards of salvation. People must understand which truths they need to equip themselves with in order to meet God’s requirements. People still cannot distinguish between external good behaviors and the practice of the truth. All that people possess now is just slight changes in their external behavior. Nowadays, most people frequently attend gatherings and listen to sermons, and can get along and interact with their brothers and sisters in a normal manner. They do not quarrel, they are able to be tolerant and patient with each other, and they are more conscientious in performing their duties than they were before. However, their understanding of the truth is too shallow, their thoughts and views on many matters are still distant from the truth, or go against the truth, and some of their views are even hostile toward God. This is enough to illustrate that people have not yet obtained the truth. That is why we need to seek the truth in every aspect of self-knowledge and endeavor to know ourselves more profoundly. Through this fellowship, do you not feel that it is very important to know yourselves? Just now, I gave an example of showing filial piety toward one’s parents. This is a significant matter that every person needs to face. If you cannot understand the truth and emerge from traditional thoughts and notions, it will be difficult for you to renounce everything and truly expend yourselves for God. There are many people who have believed in God for years and years but have not performed a duty. They’ve been struggling in their hearts for an unknown amount of time, it is uncertain when they will be able to really understand the truth and emerge from the restraints and shackles of their fleshly affections and traditional thoughts and notions, and reach the point of “loving what God loves and hating what God hates.” This is not an easy thing to achieve. Seeing through to the essence of family and casting off the constraints of one’s fleshly relations is a difficult hurdle for those who follow God. There is a process to breaking through the shackles of one’s family and fleshly affections, and breaking free from the restraints of the thoughts of traditional culture—it requires God to arrange environments in which we may practice entering into the truth. Especially when it comes to our loved ones, it is even more necessary for us to see their true faces and each of their nature essences clearly. At the same time, we also need to reflect, based on the truth, on the corrupt dispositions that we have revealed, and the satanic heresies and fallacies that still exist in our hearts. This requires God to orchestrate various environments to reveal us, so that we may know what things still exist in our hearts that resist or are incompatible with Him, and then seek the truth to resolve them. We need God to arrange suitable environments to reveal our corruption and our stature. However, we must also actively and positively work together with God, and place demands on ourselves according to His word, only then can we be made complete by Him. But before God acts, we need to prepare ourselves mentally. First, we need to recognize the satanic poisons that are within man, and understand that the thoughts and notions of traditional culture mislead and corrupt people. We must understand how severely these satanic things—which we inherit, and which come from education and society—resist God, and how much they go against the truth. Only when you see through to these things can you be said to really understand the truth.

I just talked about how to treat one’s parents. It can be said that this is a major matter in life, and it is also a significant matter that every person must face. This is undeniable. Next, we will fellowship on another topic, namely, how to treat one’s children. When it comes to how you treat your children and your parents, the way that you treat them doesn’t matter, rather, what matters is your perspective, it’s about the perspective and attitude you approach them with. This is something we need to understand in our hearts. Each person starts to plan from the moment they have children about the kind of education they want their children to receive, the kind of college that their children should go to, and how they can then find good jobs after that, so that they can get a foothold and have a certain level of status in society. People all believe that in this life, one must first possess knowledge and an advanced degree—in their eyes, this is the only way to find employment and secure a livelihood in society, so that one does not have to worry about basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter in the future. Therefore, when it comes to how people treat their children, every parent hopes that their child will receive a higher education. They hope that their child will be able to get ahead in the world one day, that they will have a place in society, a high and stable income, and prestige and status. They think that only this will bring honor to their ancestors. All people harbor this view. “May my children become the cream of the crop”—is this view right? Everyone wants their son or daughter to go to a prestigious university and then pursue further studies, in the belief that their child will be able to get ahead in the world once they have obtained an advanced degree. People all worship knowledge in their hearts and believe that “Other pursuits are small, books excel them all”; moreover, they think that competition in society nowadays is particularly fierce, and that if someone doesn’t have an academic qualification, just trying to keep themselves fed will be difficult. This is a thought and view that every person harbors—it is as if, so long as somebody holds an advanced degree, their future livelihood and prospects will be secure. So, when it comes to their demands for their sons and daughters, people make entering into an institute of higher education and receiving a higher education the top priority. In reality, all of that education, all of that knowledge, and all of the ideas that people receive go against God and the truth, and are loathed and condemned by God. This proves that the views of man are wrong and absurd. People should understand that if they receive this kind of education, apart from acquiring a bit of useful intellectual knowledge, they will also be indoctrinated with many of Satan’s poisons, thoughts, theories, and its various heresies and fallacies, and they should understand what the consequences of this will be. People have never thought about this before, and they cannot see through to this matter. All they believe is that their children will have brighter futures and bring honor to their ancestors if they enter institutes of higher education. As a result, when your child comes home one day, and you talk to them about believing in God, they will feel averse toward it, and when you fellowship on the truth with them, they will call you foolish, mock you, and treat your words with contempt. At that time, you will realize that you chose the wrong path when you sent your child to an institute of higher education to receive an advanced education. However, it will be too late for regrets. As soon as a person accepts Satan’s philosophies and views, and these things take root, blossom, and begin to bear fruit within them, it is the same as growing cancerous tumors—these things cannot be removed or changed overnight. At that point, it becomes difficult for that person to accept the truth, and there is no way for them to be saved. It is equivalent to them being poisoned to death by Satan. I haven’t seen anyone say: “When my child goes to school, let them simply learn to read, so that they can understand what the word of God means. After that, I’ll guide them to believe in God wholeheartedly, and learn a bit about a useful profession so that they can secure a good job and make a stable life for themselves in the future. Then, I can rest assured. It would be better if they are of high caliber, possess good humanity, and can perform a duty in God’s house. If they cannot perform a duty, it would be enough for them to have a job outside of the church so that they can support their family. Most of all, I want them to receive God’s truths in His house and to not be polluted or conditioned by society.” People do not have the faith to bring their children before God; they always worry that their children won’t have good prospects if they don’t enter into higher education. In other words, when it comes to their children, not a single person is willing to bring them before God so that they can accept God’s word and conduct themselves according to the truth and God’s requirements. People are unwilling to do this, and they do not dare to do this. They fear that if they act in this way, their children will not have a means of livelihood or prospects in this society. What does this view confirm? It confirms that people, who have been corrupted deeply by Satan, have no interest in the truth or in believing in God. Even if they do believe in God, it is only to be blessed. They do not pursue the truth, because in their hearts what people worship are material things, money, and Satan’s influence. You do not have the faith to say: “If one abandons the trends of the world and relies on God, He will give them a way out so that they can survive.” You lack this faith. Your misguided view of worshiping knowledge has taken root in your heart. It controls your every word and deed, so you cannot accept and submit to God’s work, much less accept the truths that God expresses. Why do I say this? Because this thought and view is hostile toward God, it betrays God, denies God, and it is not compatible with the truth. When a person understands the truth, they can see through to this problem, and they realize that there are many things within themselves that are in opposition to God—things that are fundamentally loathed by God. These are all results achieved by experiencing God’s work. Without the exposing of God’s word, and without its judgment and chastisement, people would think that they had become holy, that they were full of love for God, and that their faith in Him was strong after believing in God for a few years, and making some changes to their behavior. Now that they understand the truth, they suddenly realize: “How can these corrupt things still exist in people? Why couldn’t I recognize them before? People are just too ignorant!” At this time, they learn that God’s exposure of man’s corruption is so great and so necessary, and they know that if God did not expose and judge their corruption, they would never be able to recognize it. People are all skilled at pretending and disguising themselves. They can disguise themselves quite well or conceal and package themselves up well, but the corrupt dispositions that they reveal and the thoughts that are deeply rooted in their minds resist God, and these things are loathed and hated by God. These are the things that God wants to expose, and they are the things that people should come to know. However, people often think, “In terms of our speech, we haven’t spoken any words that resist God, and we possess reason. In terms of our behavior, we have not done anything out of line, we have already reached the point where we are performing our duties very appropriately. We have no glaring problems, so what more should we know about ourselves? Do we even need to know ourselves?” Does this view align with the facts? If it does, why do people still always confess their sins to God? Why do people still reveal their corrupt dispositions frequently and even commit transgressions? So, the more you consider yourself to be good in one respect, the more it is worth your while to seek the truth, reflect, and come to know yourself in that respect. Only through this can you truly come to know your corrupt dispositions, be purified, and be perfected by God. This is the outcome of experiencing God’s work.

There are many people who believe that filial piety is pleasing to God and blessed by God. They think that being filial to one’s parents is something that God surely likes, because they believe that filial piety is perfectly natural and justified, and that it proves that a person has conscience, and that they haven’t forgotten where they come from. According to traditional notions, such individuals are considered good people and filial children. When it comes to filial children, everyone gives them a thumbs up. People love them, as do their parents. So, you naturally assume that God must also like them, and wishfully think that: “God must like those who show filial piety to their parents—He definitely likes them!” So, you give up performing your duty and return home to show filial piety to your parents. As you do so, you become more and more motivated, and you are increasingly convinced that this is justified and proper, and that you are practicing the truth. Unconsciously, you start to believe that you have already satisfied God, and that you have the capital needed to obtain God’s approval, His delight, and His recognition. When God says that you are defying and betraying Him, or when He says that you haven’t changed at all, you resist and pass judgment on Him. You deny His words by claiming that He is wrong. What kind of problem is this? When God says that you are good and approves of you, you accept it. But when God exposes that you are rebelling against and defying Him, you deny and reject this, and even resist and judge God. What sort of disposition is this? It is evident that people are arrogant, conceited, and self-righteous. Usually, it seems like people can acknowledge that God’s word is the truth, and people all consider themselves to be submissive to God, but when God judges them and exposes their corrupt dispositions, none of them pay any attention to His words, and none of them compare their actions against His word each time that they do something. Rather, they merely speak and talk a bit, and that’s the end of it, or they recite a few lines of God’s word during gatherings, fellowshipping on them a little, and then they are done. In reality, when you do things, you do not practice according to God’s word at all. So, what is the point of you reading and fellowshipping about God’s word? You do not put God’s word into practice when something happens to you, and you do not live by God’s word, so why do you read God’s word? Isn’t this merely a formality? Can you understand the truth in this way? Can you obtain the truth? It is meaningless believing in God in this way. Many people simply read God’s word a bit, gain an understanding of its literal meaning, and think that by uttering a few words and doctrines, they have understood the truth, and that they possess the truth reality. Some say, “I’m fellowshipping on God’s word, so how can it just be the words and doctrines?” You do not know the essence of God’s word, you do not put His word into practice, and you certainly do not have experiential knowledge of it, so you are speaking the words and doctrines when you fellowship on it. God’s word is, of course, the truth, but you do not truly understand it or put it into practice, so what you understand is just doctrine. Can you understand this? Do you feel that hearing these words has touched on a sore spot? Will you say, “If I don’t honor my parents is that not a terrible offense? Aren’t God’s requirements for people inconsiderate of their feelings?” Tell Me, are the standards that God requires of man high? In fact, they are not high—based on man’s conscience and reason, they are all standards that people can meet. It is due to the influence of human affections and because traditional culture has already taken firm, unshakeable root in their hearts, that people feel that God’s demands are too high, and really beyond their reach. This is caused by a lack of understanding of the truth. If you really understand the truth and see through to the true nature of this matter, you will be able to approach and handle this problem in the right way. For thousands of years, people have been influenced by traditional culture. Satan’s philosophies and laws for self-conduct have already taken root in people’s hearts. You live by such ideas, so what exactly have you lived out? Have you lived out normal humanity? Have you lived out a real life? It is worthwhile for you to come to know and dissect this matter. You need to reflect on what you have gained from traditional culture and Satan’s philosophies and views, on whether these things are really the truth, and on what they bring to you. Then you should fellowship on these matters and dissect them based on God’s word. If you do this, it will be easy for you to discover the truth. Once you understand the truth and grasp God’s intentions, you will see that God’s requirements for people are all things that man’s conscience and reason can accomplish. Naturally, you will no longer complain that God demands too much of man. Instead, you will say, “We understand the principles; we have a path of practice, and we understand how to handle these things.” In this way, little by little, you will enter into the reality of God’s word. This is the process of understanding the truth.