When seeking the truth to resolve a corrupt disposition, what kind of results need to be achieved for the problem to count as resolved? Some people are well aware that a certain situation is a trial from God, but are unwilling to put themselves in His hands. They feel God cannot be relied on, that He cannot be trusted. Not only do they not dare to lean on God, but they are afraid of these situations. When things have gotten to that point, what truths should they equip themselves with? How should they pursue? And how much pursuit does it take for them to be cleansed, to achieve full submission, and to set foot on the path of fearing God and shunning evil? All of this has to do with the truth of submission. At this time, you really have no knowledge of God, and there is no way you can possess genuine faith. Without genuine faith, what truths of visions do you need to be equipped with so that you can achieve complete freedom from doubt, suspicion, misunderstandings and resistance toward God, and that will allow you to submit absolutely? Which truths should you be equipped with to resolve these issues and reach absolute freedom from adulteration, from personal requirements and choices? This is something you’re still not clear on. Give it some thought—what kind of pursuit is needed to achieve absolute submission to God? You have to possess some truths. When you have gained the truth as your life, that will be your stature. That will be the basis and the foundation upon which you can achieve submission. You can achieve full submission with these truths. So, which truths do you need to equip yourself with? (You have to pursue knowledge of God.) That’s one part of it. Aside from that, people themselves need to have some cooperation, some practices. Do you remember what Peter said? (“Even if God were playing with humans as if they were toys, what complaint would humans have?”) This is about submission. If you experience things this way, you will gradually learn the truth and you will naturally get results. First, you need an attitude of submission toward God and the truth. Don’t worry about what sort of looks God is casting your way, what His attitude and tone of voice are toward you, whether or not He is annoyed at you, and whether or not He is going to expose you. Start by resolving your own difficulties and problems. Can ordinary people easily attain to what Peter said? (Not easily, no.) What experiences did he have and what realities did he possess that allowed him to say that? (He fully believed that no matter how God treats man, it is to save man and it’s nothing but love. That’s why he was happy to submit.) Peter said “Even if God were playing with humans as if they were toys,” and you said “no matter how God treats man.” You are taking yourself as a created being, as a follower of God, and as a member of God’s house. So, is there a difference between the two? Yes, there is. There is a disparity! Where does the disparity between a toy and a human being lie? A toy is nothing at all—it is worthless, a miserable wretch. Call it a toy, or call it a beast—it is that sort of thing. But what about a person? A person has thoughts and a brain; they are able to speak and to do things, and they can conduct normal human activities. Compared to those of a toy, is there a difference in a human’s value and status? If you see yourself as a human, and not a toy, then don’t you have demands as far as God’s treatment of you goes? What are your demands of God? (To treat me like a human.) How should God treat you like a human? If God shared His demands of humanity with you and required you to meet them, would you be able to do so? If God expressed the truth and required you to adhere to it, would you be able to do so? If God required you to submit to Him and love Him, could you do so? And if you are unable to do any of that, then why should God treat you like a human? If you don’t have any conscience or reason and you can’t do the things a human should do, then why should God treat you like a human? If people just act recklessly, refusing to accept the truth and even judging and condemning God, making themselves His enemies, do they have humanity? Would God treat that sort of person as a human? Would God treat Satan and the devils like humans? Taking you as a human and taking you as a toy is a matter of differences in attitude and treatment. If you are taken as a human, then what sort of treatment would you demand? That you are respected, that you are consulted, that your feelings are considered, that you are given adequate space and freedom, and that your dignity and reputation are considered. That is the way human beings are treated. But what about toys? (They are nothing at all. They can be kicked around.) (You can use them when you want to use them, and toss them aside when you don’t.) That’s an appropriate thing to say. This is what you have to say about the treatment of toys, so how would you describe treating a human being as a toy? (You use them when you need them, and just ignore them when you don’t.) You treat them without any respect, and there is no need to protect their rights. You don’t give them any rights, or autonomy, or freedom of choice. There’s no need to consult with them in things, or consider their honor, or anything like that. You can be nice to them when you feel good, but you can kick them around when you don’t. That’s the attitude taken toward a toy. If God treated people like toys, how would they feel? Would they still feel that God is lovable? (No.) But Peter was able to praise God. What truth realities did he possess that allowed him to achieve submission to the point of death? God did not actually treat man like a toy. But when Peter’s understanding reached this level, he thought: “If God were to treat me that way, I should still submit to it. If God treated me like a toy, how could I not be ready and willing?” Peter achieved this readiness, this willingness. What does being “ready and willing” refer to? (Accepting God’s orchestrations and submitting to them absolutely.) That is the truth of submission. Wouldn’t handing you over to Satan be the way to treat a toy? You’d be cast away when you’re not wanted, given over to Satan so that it could tempt you and make a fool of you. What was Peter’s attitude? Did he have any complaints? Did he complain to God? Did he curse God? Did he turn to Satan? (No.) This is called submission. He had no complaints, he had no displays of negativity or resistance. Was his corrupt disposition not resolved? This was in perfect harmony with God. It wasn’t a matter of whether he would betray God or not. It was a matter of: “No matter where God puts me, my heart will have God; no matter where God puts me, I will be one who belongs to Him. Even if He turns me into ashes, I will still belong to God. I will never turn to Satan.” He was able to reach this level of submission. Saying this is easy, but doing it is difficult. You have to be equipped with the truth for a certain amount of time until you see all this completely and clearly, then putting the truth into practice will be much easier. You’re not required to have absolute knowledge of God, nor is it necessary for God to reveal something in particular to you. If you can have the proper attitude and this kind of submission, that will be enough. You shouldn’t have any requirements for God’s treatment of you, or require Him to give you exact criteria. Even if something is in line with the truth and is something the Creator should have, you shouldn’t demand it. You should say: “God, however You treat me is alright. You can have me die; You can have me go to hell. However You treat me is okay. Even if You hand me over to Satan, God will still be my God, and I will still be God’s created being. I will never forsake Him.” With this attitude, you possess the reality of submission. “Even if God were playing with humans as if they were toys, what complaint would humans have?” This statement, which Peter was able to make, is so important for all of you! This was Peter’s submission. If you give thought to this statement constantly and gain a true understanding and experience of it, then you will find it much easier to submit to God. The aspects in which people rebel against God are the aspects in which they are most unreasonable. When people haven’t done their duty well, when they haven’t done any real service, they are more well-behaved, and they feel they have no right to reason with or resist God. But as soon as they’ve done a little work or given a little service, they feel they have some capital. They want to reason with God, and they want God’s blessings. This becomes troublesome. Their reasoning is abnormal—isn’t that vile? That’s how pathetic people are without the truth reality. Can anyone be okay if they’re not equipped with the truth? Corrupt dispositions cannot be cast off without accepting the truth; not being equipped with the truth means a person’s conscience and reason are abnormal. They might understand some doctrine, and say things like: “I am a created being and I should submit to God. That’s the reason I should possess.” They might understand this in words, and they can shout the slogans, but when something actually happens, they cannot accept or submit to it even though they know full well that it was orchestrated by God. Why is that? It’s because humans are rebellious, their corrupt disposition isn’t resolved, and they are absolutely capable of betraying God. That is the reality of the situation. If people aren’t equipped with enough of the truth, their lives will be this pathetic. Are those who rebel against God, who are unable to submit to God or accept His orchestrations and arrangements, not also believers in God? Why can’t they submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements? Because they do not accept or believe in the truth. Isn’t that a fact? (Yes.) Some people say of a particular person: “He is arrogant and self-righteous. When something comes up he’s always resistant. He always makes excuses and splits hairs. He doesn’t believe in the existence of God, or in God’s orchestrations and arrangements, so he can’t submit to God.” But on the other hand, he believes these are God’s orchestrations and arrangements; that this is a situation God set up for him; that God wants to cleanse him and have him gain the truth through this. Could he then submit? Could he then stop being rebellious, and refrain from betraying God? Could he possibly accept it from God? No, he couldn’t. Why not? Because man doesn’t possess these truth realities. Your present stature is too small. So for now, God isn’t testing you. This is the basic reason. Because as soon as you were tested, you would all show your true selves and be cast out, and Satan would laugh. Isn’t that the reality? Your stature is too small right now. You can talk about doctrine and recite slogans, and you’re able to see other people’s problems clearly, but you don’t know your own state; you aren’t clear on it. Would God test you, with that sort of state and stature? The time has not yet come for the work of perfection to be performed on you; you are not equipped for it.

Submitting to God’s orchestrations and arrangements is the most basic lesson faced by each and every follower of God. It is also the most profound lesson. To whatever degree you are able to submit to God, that is how great your stature is, and how great your faith is—these things are interrelated. Which truths do you need to be equipped with to reach absolute submission? First, you cannot make any demands of God—this is a truth. How can you implement this truth? When you make a demand of God, use this truth to consider and reflect on yourself. “What demands do I have of God? Are they in line with the truth? Are they reasonable? Where did they come from? Did they come from my own imaginings, or are they thoughts given to me by Satan?” It’s actually none of those things. These ideas are produced by people’s corrupt dispositions. You have to dissect the motives and desires behind these unreasonable demands, and see whether or not they fit the reason of normal humanity. What should you pursue? If you are someone who loves the truth, you should pursue being a follower, just like Peter. Peter said, “If God treated me like a toy, how could I not be ready and willing?” Some people don’t understand what Peter said. They ask: “When has God ever treated people like toys and handed us over to Satan? I haven’t seen that. God has been wonderful to me, so gracious. God isn’t that kind of God. God couldn’t possibly love humans any more, so why would He treat people like toys? That doesn’t match the truth. This is a misunderstanding of God and is not true knowledge of God.” But where did Peter’s words come from? (They came from his knowledge of God, gained after going through all sorts of trials.) Peter went through so many trials and refinements. He set aside all of his personal demands, plans, and desires, and didn’t demand that God do anything. He didn’t have his own thoughts, then, and he handed himself over fully. He thought: “God can do whatever He wants to do. He can test me, He can chasten me, He can judge or chastise me. He can give rise to situations to prune me, He can temper me, He can put me in the lion’s den or the wolves’ lair. Whatever God does, it is correct, and I will submit to anything. Everything God does is the truth. I won’t have any complaints or any choices.” Is this not absolute submission? Sometimes people think: “Everything God does is the truth, so why haven’t I discovered any truth in this thing that God did? It seems that even God does things that don’t align with the truth sometimes. God is also wrong at times. But no matter what, God is God, so I’ll submit!” Is this kind of submission absolute? (No.) This is selective submission; it is not true submission. This is at odds with how Peter thought about it. In treating you like a toy, there’s no need to explain the reason to you or to appear fair and reasonable to you. You can be treated any way at all; there’s no need to discuss things with you or to explain the facts and reasons. If things couldn’t proceed without your approval, then would you be being treated as a toy? No—that would be giving you complete human rights and freedoms, and total respect. It would be treating you as a human being, not as a toy. What is a toy? (It’s something that has no autonomy and no rights.) But is it only something without rights? How can Peter’s words be implemented? For example, say that you’ve been seeking for a while on a particular topic, but still haven’t understood God’s will. Or, say that you’ve believed in God for over 20 years and still don’t know what it’s all about. Should you not submit in this situation? You have to submit. And what is this submission based on? It’s based on what Peter said: “If God treated me like a toy, how could I not be ready and willing?” If you always approach God according to the notions and imaginings of man, and use them to measure all that God does, to measure the words and work of God, is this not pigeonholing God, is it not resisting God? Could all that God does fit with the notions and imaginings of man? And if it does not, do you thus not accept or obey it? At such times, how should you seek the truth? How should you follow God? This involves the truth; an answer should be sought from the words of God. When they believe in God, people should stick to the place of a created being. No matter what the time, regardless of whether God is hidden from you or has appeared to you, irrespective of whether you can feel God’s love or not, you must know what your responsibilities, obligations, and duties are—you must understand these truths about practice. If you still cling to your notions, saying, “If I can clearly see that this matter is in line with the truth and in line with my thoughts, then I will obey; if it is not clear to me and I cannot confirm that these are the actions of God, then I will first wait a while, and will obey once I’m sure this was done by God,” then is this someone who obeys God? It is not. This is a conditional submission, not absolute, full submission. God’s work does not accord with human notions and imaginings; the incarnation does not accord with human notions and imaginings, and judgment and chastisement especially do not. The majority of people really struggle to accept and submit to it. If you can’t submit to God’s work, then can you do the duty of a created being? That’s just not possible. What is the duty of a created being? (To stand in the position of a created being, accept God’s commission and submit to God’s arrangements.) That’s right, that’s the root of it. Then isn’t it easy to address this issue? To stand in a created being’s place and submit to the Creator, your God—this is what every created being should most uphold. There are many truths that you don’t understand or don’t know about. You cannot grasp God’s will, so you won’t accept the truths or submit to them—is that right? For example, you don’t understand some prophecies, so you don’t acknowledge that they are God’s words? You cannot deny it. Those words will always be words from God, and they contain the truth. Even though you don’t understand them, they are still God’s words. If some words of God haven’t been fulfilled, does that mean that they’re not God’s words, that they’re not the truth? If you say: “If it hasn’t been fulfilled it probably isn’t God’s words. It’s probably been adulterated,” what kind of attitude is this? This is an attitude of rebellion. You must have reason. What is reason? What is having reason based on? It is based on standing in the place of a created being and submitting to the Creator, your God. This is the truth; an eternally immutable truth. Does submission to God need to be based on whether you know or understand God’s will, or whether or not God has shown His will to you? Does it need to be based on all this? (No.) Then what is it based on? It’s based on the truth of submission. What is the truth of submission? (Standing in a created being’s place and submitting to the Creator.) This is the truth of submission. Then, is there any need for you to analyze right and wrong? Do you need to consider whether God has done the right thing or not to achieve absolute submission? Does God need to clearly, thoroughly explain this aspect of the truth for you to submit? (No, He doesn’t.) No matter what God does, you should practice the truth of submission—that is good enough. Some people are incredibly argumentative and are constantly stirring things up. They’re always thinking: “Isn’t God the truth? Isn’t God the Creator? Why are there some things God does that don’t make sense to me? Why doesn’t God clearly explain things to me? If He hasn’t explained it, then how can I put it into practice? Is the reason I can’t submit to it not because I can’t make sense of it? I won’t have the drive to submit if I can’t make sense of it!” Isn’t this rebellion? Do you need this drive to submit? No, you don’t. You just need one simple kind of rationality, which is: “I will submit to anything that comes from God. When God’s words are fulfilled, I will submit and praise God; when God’s words are not fulfilled, they are still His words, and they won’t become human words just because they haven’t been fulfilled. I just need to submit, without judgment. God will always be my God.” That is how you take the place of a created being. With this kind of reason, with these truth realities, at the times you feel people are just toys or ants in the eyes of God, will you still feel upset? Will you feel inferior? (No.) You won’t feel inferior now because God is treating you like a human, and you still have status before Him. God has uplifted you. This is why you don’t feel inferior. If God hadn’t uplifted you, if He were always pruning you and disciplining you, you would be feeling unhappy about it. Feeling unhappy that way is a problem that must be handled. Often people feel that way because there are too many difficulties within them; they always have demands of God, and they are always thinking: “You have to treat me like a human being. You have to respect me and think highly of me, to think of me and be understanding of my weaknesses. You have to be tolerant. My stature is small, and I lack insight. I haven’t done this kind of work before.” They always have a huge pile of excuses and no submission at all. After today’s fellowship on the truth of submission, are these excuses even real reasons? No excuse is a real reason. Your responsibility, your obligation, and your duty is to submit.