When you suffer a little constraint or hardship, it is good for you; if you were given an easy time of it you would be ruined, and then how could you be protected? Today, it is because you are chastised, judged, and cursed that you are given protection. It is because you have suffered much that you are protected. If not, you would have long since fallen into depravity. This is not making things difficult for you intentionally—man’s nature is hard to change, and it must be thus for their dispositions to be changed. Today, you do not even possess the conscience or sense that Paul possessed, nor do you even have his self-awareness. You always have to be pressured, and you always have to be chastised and judged in order to awaken your spirits. Chastisement and judgment are what is best for your life. And when necessary, there must also be the chastisement of the facts coming upon you; only then will you fully submit. Your natures are such that without chastisement and cursing, you would be unwilling to bow your heads, unwilling to submit. Without the facts before your eyes, there would be no effect. You are too lowly and worthless in character! Without chastisement and judgment, it would be difficult for you to be conquered, and hard for your unrighteousness and disobedience to be overcome. Your old nature is so deeply rooted. If you were placed upon the throne, you would have no idea of heaven’s height and earth’s depth, much less of where you were headed. You do not even know where you came from, so how could you know the Lord of creation? Without the timely chastisement and curses of today, your final day would have long since arrived. That is to say nothing of your fate—would not that be even more in imminent danger? Without this timely chastisement and judgment, who knows how arrogant you would grow, or how depraved you would become. This chastisement and judgment have brought you to today, and they have preserved your existence. If you were still “educated” using the same methods as those of your “father,” who knows what realm you would enter into! You have absolutely no ability to control and reflect upon yourselves. For people like you, if you just follow and obey without causing any interference or disruptions, My aims will be achieved. Should you not do better in accepting the chastisement and judgment of today? What other choices do you have?

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Practice (6)

You’re Protected Because You’re Chastised and Judged

I

You lack the self-knowledge of Paul, always needing to be chastised; you need judgment to awaken. Chastisement is best for your lives. And when it is necessary, then there has to be chastisement of the arrival of the facts, for then you will fully submit. Without being chastised and cursed, you would refuse bowing your head, you’d be unwilling to submit. If there’s no facts, there’s no effect. You are given protection today because you’re chastised, cursed and judged. You are given protection today because you have suffered so much. If not, you’d have become depraved. God doesn’t mean to give you a hard time, man’s nature is firmly entrenched. For man’s disposition to change, that’s how it must be.

II

You are worthless and too lowly. Without chastisement and judgment, it would be hard to conquer you, your unrighteousness couldn’t be suppressed. Your old nature’s deeply rooted. If you were placed upon the throne, the height of heaven and earth’s depth, you’d have no clue, nor where to go. You don’t even know where you’re from, how could you know the Creator? Without today’s timely judgment, your last day would have long appeared, long appeared. You are given protection today because you’re chastised, cursed and judged. You are given protection today because you have suffered so much. If not, you’d have become depraved. God doesn’t mean to give you a hard time, man’s nature is firmly entrenched. For man’s disposition to change, that’s how it must be.

III

Without this timely chastisement, your fate would surely be at risk, and who knows how arrogant and how degenerate you would be. You are unable to control and to reflect upon yourselves. Judgment has brought you to today, and has preserved your existence. You should do better to accept judgment and chastisement today. What other choices do you have than to submit and be this way, be this way? You are given protection today because you’re chastised, cursed and judged. You are given protection today because you have suffered so much. If not, you’d have become depraved. God doesn’t mean to give you a hard time, man’s nature is firmly entrenched. For man’s disposition to change, that’s how it must be, that’s how it must be.

Adapted from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Practice (6)