Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Man’s entire life is lived under the power of Satan, and there is not a single person who can free themselves from the influence of Satan on their own. All live in a filthy world, in corruption and emptiness, without the slightest meaning or value; they live such carefree lives for the flesh, for lust, and for Satan. There is not the slightest value to their existence. Man is incapable of finding the truth that will free him from the influence of Satan. Even though man believes in God and reads the Bible, he does not understand how to free himself of the control of Satan’s influence. Throughout the ages, very few people have discovered this secret, very few have grasped it. As such, even though man detests Satan, and detests the flesh, he does not know how to rid himself of the harmful influence of Satan. Today, are you not still under the power of Satan? You do not regret your rebellious acts, and much less do you feel that you are filthy and rebellious. After opposing God, you even have peace of mind and feel great tranquility. Is your tranquility not because you are corrupt? Does this peace of mind not come from your rebelliousness? Man lives in a human hell, he lives under the dark influence of Satan; across the land, ghosts live together with man, encroaching upon the flesh of man. On earth, you do not live in a beautiful paradise. The place where you are is the realm of the devils, a human hell, a netherworld. If man is not cleansed, then he is of the filth; if he is not protected and cared for by God, then he is still a captive of Satan; if he is not judged and chastised, then he will have no means of escaping the oppression of the dark influence of Satan. The corrupt disposition that you show forth and the rebellious behavior that you live out are sufficient to prove that you are still living under the power of Satan. If your mind and thoughts have not been cleansed, and your disposition has not been judged and chastised, then your entire being is still in the grip of Satan’s power, your mind is controlled by Satan, your thoughts are manipulated by Satan, and your entire being is in Satan’s hands. … If you wish to be made perfect, then you must understand God’s work. In particular, you must understand the significance of His chastisement and judgment, and why this work is carried out upon man. Are you able to accept this work? During chastisement of this kind, are you able to achieve the same experiences and knowledge as Peter? If you pursue knowledge of God and of the work of the Holy Spirit, and if you pursue changes in your disposition, then you have the opportunity to be made perfect.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment

Today God judges you, chastises you, and condemns you, but you should know that the point of your condemnation is for you to know yourself. He condemns, curses, judges, and chastises so that you might know yourself, so that your disposition might change, and, even more than this, so that you might know your worth, and see that all of God’s actions are righteous and in accordance with His disposition and the needs of His work, that He works in accordance with His plan for man’s salvation, and that He is the righteous God who loves and saves man, and who judges and chastises man as well. If you only know that you are of lowly status, that you are corrupt and rebellious, but do not know that God wishes to reveal His salvation through the judgment and chastisement that He does in you today, then you have no way of experiencing things, much less are you capable of continuing forward. God has not come to strike down or destroy people, but to judge, curse, chastise, and save them. Until His 6,000-year management plan comes to a close—before He reveals the outcome of each category of man—God’s work on earth will be for the sake of salvation; its purpose is purely to make those who love Him complete—thoroughly so—and to bring them to surrender under His dominion. No matter how God saves people, it is all done by making them break away from their old satanic nature; that is, He saves them by having them pursue life. If they do not do so, then they will have no way to accept God’s salvation. Salvation is the work of God Himself, and the pursuit of life is something that man must take on in order to accept salvation. In the eyes of man, salvation is the love of God, and the love of God cannot be chastisement, judgment, and curses; salvation must contain mercy, lovingkindness, and, moreover, words of solace, as well as boundless blessings bestowed by God. People believe that when God saves man, He does so by moving him with His blessings and grace, so that he can give his heart to God. That is to say, His touching man is His saving him. This sort of salvation is done by striking a deal. Only when God grants him a hundredfold will man come to surrender before God’s name and strive to do well for Him and bring Him glory. This is not what God intends for mankind. God has come to work on earth in order to save corrupt mankind; there is no falsehood in this. If there were, He would certainly not have come to do His work in person. In the past, His means of salvation involved showing the utmost mercy and lovingkindness, such that He gave His all to Satan in exchange for the whole of mankind. The present is nothing like the past: The salvation bestowed upon you today occurs at the time of the last days, when each is sorted according to their kind; the means of your salvation is not mercy or lovingkindness, but chastisement and judgment, in order that man may be more thoroughly saved. Thus, all that you receive is chastisement, judgment, and merciless smiting, but know this: In this heartless smiting there is not the slightest punishment. Regardless of how harsh My words might be, what befall you are but a few words that might appear utterly heartless to you, and no matter how angry I might be, what come upon you are still words of reproach, and I do not mean to harm you or put you to death. Is this not all fact? Know that nowadays, whether it be righteous judgment or unfeeling refinement and chastisement, everything is for the sake of salvation. Regardless of whether today each will be sorted according to their kind or whether all sorts of people will be revealed, the purpose of all of God’s words and work is to save those who truly love God. Righteous judgment is brought to purify man, and heartless refinement is done to cleanse him; harsh words or chastening are both done to purify and are for the sake of salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. You Should Put Aside the Blessings of Status and Understand God’s Intention to Bring Salvation to Man

If you wish to be cleansed of corruption and undergo a change in your life disposition, then you must have a love for the truth and be able to accept the truth. What does it mean to accept the truth? Accepting the truth means that no matter what sort of corrupt disposition you have, or which of the great red dragon’s poisons—Satan’s poisons—are in your nature, when God’s words expose these things, you should admit to them and submit, you can’t make a different choice, and you should know yourself according to God’s words. This means being able to accept God’s words and accept the truth. No matter what God says, no matter how severe His utterances are, and no matter what words He uses, you can accept them as long as what He says is the truth, and you can acknowledge them as long as they conform to reality. You can submit to God’s words regardless of how deeply you understand them, and you are able to accept and submit to the light from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit which your brothers and sisters fellowship. When such a person has pursued the truth to a certain point, they can obtain the truth and achieve a transformation of their disposition. Even if people who don’t love the truth have a bit of humanity, can do some good things, and can forsake and expend for God, they are confused about the truth and don’t treat it seriously, so their life disposition never changes.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Know Man’s Nature

As you experience God’s work, you must first accept the words of His that expose man’s nature essence. If you are able to clearly see people’s corrupt disposition and the truth of their corruption, and if you truly come to know yourself, then is this not the way forward for you to attain salvation? The way you approach God’s words which judge and expose man is crucial. First of all, you must ponder and understand the words of God which expose man’s nature; if you are able to clearly see that what God’s words have exposed is totally in accordance with your real state, then you will reap the harvest. Some people, when they finish reading God’s words, always compare them against others; they always think that they are aimed at others, and that the words God has spoken have nothing to do with them, no matter how stern they might be. This is troublesome—this kind of person does not accept the truth. Then how should you approach God’s words? Every time you read any of God’s words, you should compare them against yourself, cross-reference them to your own state, to your own thoughts and viewpoints, and cross-reference them to your own behavior. If you are truly comparable to them and seek the truth to resolve your own problems, then in this way, you will reap the harvest. You should then use the reality of the truth you understand to go and help others; help them understand the truth and resolve problems, help them come before God, and accept His words and the truth. This shows love for others, and you can reap the harvest from it; it benefits both you and others, a twofold harvest. Acting this way makes you a useful person in the house of God; if you possess such truth reality, then you are able to testify for God. Do you not then win God’s acceptance? You should use the same methods to accept and submit to the remainder of the words with which God has exposed people, and then dissect yourself and come to know yourself. Do you know how to compare yourselves in this way? (A little bit.) If God said that you were Satan, that you were a devil, that you have a corrupt disposition, and that you resist Him, then you might be able to compare these broad things against yourself; but when His words characterize you based on certain states or revelations, you are unable to compare them against yourself, and you cannot accept them—this is very troublesome. What does this mean? (It means we do not truly know ourselves.) You do not truly know yourself, and you do not accept the truth, isn’t that the case? (It is.) People need to slowly experience the words God uses to expose people, like “maggots,” “filthy demon,” “not worth a cent,” “trash,” and “good for nothing.” Is God’s objective in exposing people to condemn them? (No.) Then what is it? (To have people know themselves, and to cast off their corruption.) That’s right. God’s objective in exposing these things is to allow you to know yourself, to obtain the truth in the process, and to understand His intentions. If God exposes you as a maggot, as a lowly person, as good for nothing, how should you practice? You might say, “God says I am a maggot, so I’ll be a maggot. God says I am good for nothing, so I’ll be good for nothing. God says I am not worth a single cent, so I’ll be a worthless piece of trash. God says I am a filthy demon, that I am a Satan, so I’ll be a filthy demon, I’ll be a Satan.” Is this the way to obtain the truth? (No.) God’s objective in saying these words, His ultimate objective in all His judgment, chastisement, and exposure, is to allow people to understand His intentions, to step onto the path of practicing the truth, knowing God, and submitting to Him. If people always misunderstand God as they walk this path, if they are often unable to fully accept His judgment and chastisement, and if their rebelliousness is too great, then what can they do? You must often come before God, accept His scrutiny, allow Him to lead you through repeated trials and refinement, and allow Him to set up circumstances to cleanse you. People’s corruption is so deep, they need God to cleanse them! If people do not have the resolve to do this, if they always indulge in comforts, if they are always muddleheaded, and if they do not seek the truth at all, then their hope of obtaining the truth is very slim. There are many practical manifestations of God scrutinizing the depths of people’s hearts, which can be seen from the many things in people’s corrupt dispositions which God exposes. Only God can see the things within man’s nature essence. So, if you do not listen to God’s words, do not live the way God has told you to, and do not believe in Him or do your duty in the way He has told you to, then you have no way to embark upon the path of satisfying God’s intentions; you have no way to embark upon the right track of belief in God, and it is very difficult for you to attain salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Six Indicators of Life Growth

When it comes to accepting the judgment of God’s words, do not be afraid of suffering pain in your heart, do not be afraid of losing your dignity and losing face when you are exposed by God’s words, and even more so, do not be afraid of your ugly states being exposed and others seeing through to them. Only by suffering these pains can you know your corrupt dispositions, see through to the truth of your deep corruption, hate yourself and Satan from your heart, and easily come to rebel against your flesh and Satan. When you are able to put the truth into practice, you will have cast off your corrupt dispositions. It is so beneficial for people to suffer in this way while accepting judgment. As a believer in God, you should read more of God’s words judging and chastising people, especially those that expose the essence of humankind’s corruption. You should link them to your actual state more, and you should apply them to yourself more and others less. The various states God exposes appear quite a lot in every person, and can all be found in them. If you don’t believe this, try experiencing it. The more you experience, the more you will know yourself, and the more you will feel that God’s words are very accurate. After reading God’s words, some people are incapable of connecting them to themselves; they think that parts of these words are not about them, but are instead about other people. For example, when God exposes people as jezebels and whores, some sisters feel that because they have been unerringly faithful to their husbands, such words must not be in reference to them; some sisters feel that since they are unmarried and have never had sex, such words must not be about them, either. Some brothers feel that these words are only aimed at women, and have nothing to do with them; some people believe that God’s words of exposing man are too severe, that they do not conform to reality, so they refuse to accept them. There are even people who say that in some instances, God’s words are inaccurate. Is this the right attitude to have toward God’s words? It is obviously wrong. People all view themselves based on their external behaviors. They are incapable of reflecting upon themselves, and coming to know their corrupt essence, amid the words of God. Here, “jezebels” and “whores” refer to the essence of the corruption, filthiness, and promiscuity of mankind. Whether man or woman, married or not married, everyone has corrupt thoughts of promiscuity—so how can it have nothing to do with you? God’s words expose people’s corrupt dispositions; whether male or female, one’s level of corruption is the same. Is this not a fact? We have to first realize that everything God says is the truth, and in line with the facts, and that no matter how severe His words that judge and expose people are, or how gentle His words of fellowshipping the truth or exhorting people are, whether His words are judgment or blessings, whether they are condemnations or curses, whether they give people a bitter feeling or a sweet one, people must accept them all. Such is the attitude people should have toward God’s words. What sort of attitude is this? Is it a devout attitude, a pious attitude, a patient attitude, or an attitude of embracing suffering? You are somewhat confused. I tell you that it is not any of these. In their faith, people must firmly maintain that God’s words are the truth. Since they are indeed the truth, people should accept them with reason. Whether or not they are able to recognize or admit it, their first attitude toward God’s words should be one of absolute acceptance. If God’s word doesn’t expose one or all of you, who does it expose? And if it is not in order to expose you, why are you asked to accept it? Isn’t this a contradiction? God speaks to the whole of mankind, every sentence uttered by God exposes corrupt mankind, and no one is exempt—which naturally includes you, too. Not a single one of the lines of God’s utterances is about external appearances, or a kind of state, much less about an external regulation or a simple form of behavior in people. They are not like that. If you think every line uttered by God is just exposing a simple kind of human behavior or external appearance, then you have no spiritual understanding and you do not understand what the truth is. God’s words are the truth. People can sense the profundity of God’s words. How are they profound? God’s every word exposes people’s corrupt dispositions, and essential and deep-rooted things within their lives. They are essential things, not external appearances, and particularly not external behaviors. Viewing people from their external appearances, they might all seem to be good people. But why, then, does God say that some people are evil spirits and some are unclean spirits? This is a matter that is not visible to you. So, one must not treat God’s words in light of human notions or imaginings, or in light of human hearsay, and certainly not in light of the ruling party’s statements. God’s words alone are the truth; man’s words are all fallacy. After being fellowshipped to thusly, have you experienced a change in your attitude toward God’s words? No matter how great or small the change, the next time you read God’s words judging and exposing people, you at least should not try to argue with God. You should stop complaining about God, saying, “God’s words of exposing and judging people are really severe; I’m not going to read this page. I’ll just skip over it. Let me search for something to read about blessings and promises, so as to find some comfort.” You should no longer read the word of God by picking and choosing according to your own inclinations. You must accept the truth and the judgment and chastisement of God’s words; only then can your corrupt disposition be cleansed, and only then can you attain salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Importance and Path of Pursuing the Truth

Those who truly believe in God will put effort into practicing and experiencing His words, will self-reflect and try to know themselves when their corrupt disposition is revealed, and will seek the truth of God’s words to resolve this corrupt disposition. Those who love the truth focus on self-reflection and trying to know themselves in their reading of God’s words, and they feel that His words are just like a mirror that reveals their own corruption and ugliness. This way, through God’s words they come to accept His judgment and chastisement, and they gradually resolve their corrupt disposition. When they see that their corrupt disposition is revealed less, when they truly submit to God, they will feel that practicing the truth is much easier, and there are no more difficulties. At this time, they will see a true change in themselves, and true praise for God will develop in their heart: “Almighty God has saved me from the bondage and constraints of my corrupt disposition and saved me from Satan’s influence.” This is the result that is achieved from experiencing the judgment and chastisement in God’s words. If people cannot experience the judgment and chastisement in God’s words, they cannot be cleansed of their corrupt dispositions or break away from Satan’s influence. There are many people who do not love the truth, and even though they read God’s words and listen to sermons, afterward they speak only words and doctrines, and as a result they do not resolve any of their corrupt dispositions despite believing in God for many years. These people are still the same old Satans and devils that they always have been. They thought that as long as they propagated God’s words, they would resolve their corrupt dispositions; as long as they recited a few of God’s words and fellowshipped with others on His words, they would resolve their corrupt dispositions; as long as they could speak many words and doctrines, they would resolve their corrupt dispositions; and as long as they could understand doctrine and learn self-control, they would resolve their corrupt dispositions. As a result, after believing in God for many years there is still no change at all in their life dispositions, they cannot speak about experiential testimony and so they are dumbfounded. After many years of believing in God they are empty-handed and have not gained any truth, having lived in vain and wasted time for all these years.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three

When reading God’s words, Peter was not focused on understanding doctrines, much less was he focused on obtaining theological knowledge. Instead, he concentrated on understanding the truth and grasping God’s intentions, as well as achieving knowledge of God’s disposition and loveliness. Peter also attempted to know the various corrupt states of man, man’s nature essence, and man’s actual shortcomings from God’s words. Only in this way could he easily meet God’s requirements in order to satisfy Him. Peter had so many accurate practices when it came to God’s words. This was most in line with God’s intentions, and it was the best way a person could cooperate while experiencing God’s work. When experiencing the hundreds of trials sent by God, Peter strictly matched himself up against every word of God’s judgment and exposure of man—and every word of His requirements of man—examined himself, and strived to accurately fathom the meaning of God’s words. He earnestly pondered everything that Jesus said to him, keeping each word firmly in mind—this approach yielded very good results. By practicing in this way, he was able to know himself through God’s words, and he not only came to know the various corrupt states and shortcomings of man, but he also came to know man’s essence and nature. This shows that Peter truly knew himself. From God’s words, Peter, in one regard, achieved true knowledge of himself, and in another regard, he saw the righteous disposition God expressed, what God has and is, God’s intentions for His work, and God’s requirements of mankind. From these words he truly came to know God. He came to know God’s disposition and His essence; he came to know and understand what God has and is, as well as God’s loveliness and God’s requirements for man. Although God did not speak back then as much as He does today, results in these aspects were nevertheless achieved in Peter. This was a rare and precious thing. Peter went through hundreds of trials; he did not suffer in vain. He not only came to know himself from the words and the work of God, but he also came to know God. In addition, within God’s words he especially paid attention to God’s requirements of man and the aspects in which man should satisfy God so as to be in line with God’s intentions, and he was able to apply great effort to these things, achieving full clarity. This was extremely beneficial with regard to his life entry. No matter which aspect of God’s words it was, so long as those words were able to serve as life and were the truth, Peter engraved them in his heart, where he would ponder and comprehend them frequently. Having heard the words of Jesus, he was able to take them to heart, which shows that he was especially focused on God’s words, and he truly achieved results in the end. That is, he was able to deftly put the words of God into practice, accurately practice the truth and act according to God’s intentions, do things entirely in accordance with God’s desires, and give up his own personal opinions and imaginings. In this way, Peter entered into the reality of God’s words.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Walk the Path of Peter

To experience God’s work, you must experience His judgment and chastisement, His pruning, trials, and refinement. All God’s requirements must be practiced, entered into, and attained. This is called experiencing God’s work. To experience it you must establish a normal relationship with Him, always praying to and seeking from Him with a heart of submission to God. No matter what happens or what difficulties you face, you must rely on and look up to God, finding answers and the path in His words, and always praying and fellowshipping with Him. Experiencing God’s work is to be in contact with Him and submit to His words and work, pray to and seek from Him when you have problems or difficulties. Once you have a lot of experience in this way, and understand the truth, then you will have learned how to apply God’s words to things that happen. There are many ways to apply God’s words, for example, by praying and seeking when things happen, and thus seeing how God’s words clearly state how people should act, what the principles are, and what God’s intentions and requirements for people are. When you know all this, and understand God’s desires, then you will have some knowledge and understanding of God. When faced with trials you should seek, “What does God’s word say about such a great trial? What is the meaning of God trying people? Why does He want to try people?” God’s words say that you are corrupt, always rebellious and disobedient, and that you don’t submit to Him, but constantly have imaginings and notions, and that God wants to cleanse you through trials. No matter what you experience, whether persecution and trials, or being pruned, disciplined, and punished, and no matter what environment God sets up for you or what method He uses, you must always look for the answer and basis in God’s words, and seek His intentions and requirements of you. That is to say, no matter what happens, you must first think what God has said, how He wants people to practice, what His requirements of people are, and what His intentions are. Understand these things, and you’ll know how to experience God’s work.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Know God’s Sovereignty

In the course of experiencing the work of God, no matter how many times you have failed, stumbled, or been pruned or revealed, these are not bad things. Regardless of how you have been pruned—whether it is by leaders, workers, or your brothers or sisters—it is always a good thing. You must remember this: No matter how much you suffer, you are actually benefiting. Anyone with experience can attest to this. No matter what, being pruned or revealed is always a good thing. It is not a condemnation. It is God’s salvation and the best opportunity for you to get to know yourself. It can bring about a turning point in your life experience. Without it, you will have neither the opportunity, the conditions, nor the context to reach an understanding of the truth of your corruption. If you truly understand the truth, and are able to unearth the corrupt things hidden in the depths of your heart, if you can clearly distinguish them, then this is good, this has solved a major problem of life entry, and is of great benefit to changes in disposition. Becoming able to truly know yourself is the best opportunity for you to mend your ways and become a new person; it is the best opportunity for you to obtain new life. Once you truly know yourself, you will be able to see that when the truth becomes one’s life, it is a precious thing indeed, and you will thirst for the truth, practice the truth, and enter into reality. This is such a great thing! If you can grab this opportunity and earnestly reflect upon yourself and gain a genuine knowledge of yourself whenever you fail or fall down, then in the midst of negativity and weakness, you will be able to stand back up. Once you have crossed this threshold, you will then be able to take a big step forward and enter the truth reality.

If you believe in God’s sovereignty, then you have to believe that the things which happen every day, be they good or bad, do not occur at random. It is not that someone is deliberately being hard on you or targeting you; this is all arranged and orchestrated by God. Why does God orchestrate all these things? It is not to expose you for who you are or to reveal and eliminate you; revealing you is not the end goal. The goal is to perfect you and save you. How does God perfect you? And how does He save you? He starts by making you aware of your own corrupt dispositions, and by making you know your nature essence, your inadequacies, and what you lack. Only by knowing these things, and having an understanding of them, can you pursue the truth and gradually cast off your corrupt dispositions. This is God providing you with an opportunity. This is God’s mercy. You should know to seize this opportunity. You should not feel resistant toward God, butt heads with Him, or misunderstand Him. In particular, when faced with the people, events, and things that God arranges around you, do not constantly feel that they are not as you wish them to be, do not constantly wish to escape them or always complain about and misunderstand God. If you are constantly doing those things, then you are not experiencing God’s work, and it will be very difficult for you to enter the truth reality. No matter what you encounter that you cannot fully understand, or find difficult, you must learn to submit. You should first come before God and pray more. That way, before you know it, a shift will occur in your internal state, and you will be able to seek the truth to resolve the problem. As such, you will be able to experience God’s work. As this happens, the truth reality will be wrought within you, and this is how you will progress and undergo a transformation of the state of your life. Once you have undergone this change and possess this truth reality, you will have stature, and when you have stature, you will have life. If someone always lives based on satanic corrupt dispositions, then no matter how much enthusiasm or drive they have, they still cannot be considered to have stature or life. When God works in each person, no matter what His method is, what kind of people, events, and things He uses to render service to Him, or what kind of tone His words have, He only has one end goal: saving you. And how does He save you? By changing you. So how could you not suffer a bit? You are going to have to suffer a bit. This suffering can involve many things. First, people suffer when they accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words. When God’s words are too harsh and explicit, people misunderstand God, they even develop notions, and they suffer a bit, too. Sometimes God raises up an environment around people to reveal their corruption and make them reflect on and know themselves, and they suffer a little then, too. Sometimes, when they are directly pruned and exposed, people suffer. Resolving a corrupt disposition is just like undergoing surgery—you can’t get any results without suffering. If every time you are pruned, and every time you are revealed by an environment, it stirs your heart and gives you a boost, prompting you to seek the truth and reflect on yourself, to come to know your corruption and rebelliousness, and to truly repent to God—if you experience things in this way, you will enter the truth reality, and will have stature. If, every time you are subjected to being pruned, and to being revealed by an environment, you feel no pain or discomfort whatsoever, and feel nothing at all, and you do not come before God to seek His intentions, neither praying nor seeking the truth, then you are so numb! If you don’t read God’s words and don’t try to fathom the truth, much less do you seek the truth when faced with any situation, and there’s not the slightest awareness or response within your spirit, like a dead person, then God will no longer work in you. He will say, “This person is too numb, and too deeply corrupt. No matter how they’re kept in check, pruned, or disciplined, it somehow still doesn’t rouse their heart or awaken their spirit. They’re not likely to be saved.” Suppose that God sets up certain environments, people, events, and things for you, or He prunes you, and you learn lessons from it; you learn to come before God, to seek the truth, and, unknowingly, are enlightened and illuminated and gain the truth; you experience changes in these environments, gain something, and make progress, and you begin to have a little understanding of God’s intention and cease to complain. This means that you have stood firm in the midst of the trials of these environments, and have withstood the test. In that case, you will have gotten over this hurdle. How will God regard those who withstand the test? God will say that they have a true heart and can endure this kind of suffering, and that, deep down, they love the truth and want to gain the truth. If God has this kind of assessment of you, are you not then someone with stature? Do you not then have life? And how is this life attained? Is it bestowed by God? God supplies you in various ways and uses various people, events, and things to train you. This is as if God is personally giving you food and drink, personally delivering various foodstuffs before you for you to eat your fill and enjoy; only then can you grow and stand strong. This is how you must experience and comprehend these things; this is how to submit to everything that comes from God. This is the sort of mindset and attitude you must possess, and you must learn to seek the truth. You should not be constantly looking for external causes or blaming others for your troubles or finding faults with people; you must have a clear understanding of God’s intentions. From the outside, some people might seem to have opinions about you or prejudices against you, but you should not see things that way. If you see things from this kind of standpoint, the only thing you will do is argue back, and you will not be able to attain anything. You should see things objectively and accept everything from God. When you view things in this way, it will be easy for you to submit to the work of God, and you will be able to seek the truth, and grasp the intentions of God. Once your viewpoint and state of mind are rectified, you will be able to attain the truth. So, why do you not just do it? Why do you resist? If you stopped resisting, you would gain the truth. If you resist, you will not gain anything, and you will also hurt God’s feelings and disappoint Him. Why will God be disappointed? Because you do not accept the truth, you have no hope of salvation, and God is not able to gain you, so how could He not be disappointed? When you do not accept the truth, this is tantamount to pushing away food that has been personally offered to you by God. You say that you are not hungry and that you do not need it; God tries again and again to encourage you to eat, but you still do not want it. You would rather go hungry. You think that you are satiated, when actually, you have absolutely nothing. People like this are so lacking in reason, and so self-righteous; truly, they don’t know a good thing when they see it, they are the most impoverished and pitiful of people.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. To Gain the Truth, One Must Learn Lessons From the People, Events, and Things Nearby

People’s corrupt disposition is hidden in the intentions behind their speech and actions, in their outlook on things, in their every thought and idea, and in their views, understanding, notions, outlook, wishes, and demands regarding the truth, God, and God’s work. It is revealed from people’s words and acts without their knowing it. How, then, does God treat these things inside people? He sets up various environments to reveal you. He will not only reveal you, but He will also judge you. When you reveal your corrupt disposition, when you have thoughts and ideas that defy God, when you have states and viewpoints that contend with God, when you have states whereby you misunderstand God, or resist and oppose Him, God will rebuke you, judge you, and chastise you, and He will sometimes even discipline you and punish you. What is the aim of disciplining and rebuking you? (To have us repent and change.) Yes, it is meant to have you repent. What is achieved by disciplining and rebuking you is that it allows you to turn your course around. It is to make you understand that your thoughts are the notions of man, and that they are wrong; your motivations are born of Satan, they originate from human will, they are not in line with the truth, they are incompatible with God, they cannot satisfy God’s intentions, they are detestable and hateful to God, they incite His wrath, and even arouse His curse. After realizing this, you have to change your motivations and attitude. And how are they changed? First of all, you must submit to the way God treats you, and submit to the environments and people, events, and things that He sets up for you. Do not pick holes, do not give objective excuses, and do not shirk your responsibilities. Secondly, seek the truth that people should practice and enter into when God does what He does. God asks that you understand these things. He wants you to recognize your corrupt dispositions and satanic essence, for you to be able to submit to the environments He arranges for you and, ultimately, for you to be able to practice in accordance with His intentions and His requirements for you. Then you will have passed the test.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only With True Submission Can One Have Real Trust

In his belief in God, Peter sought to satisfy God in everything, and sought to submit to all that came from God. He was able to accept chastisement and judgment, as well as refinement, tribulation, and going without in his life, all the while not uttering a single complaint. None of this could alter his God-loving heart. Was this not the ultimate love for God? Was this not the fulfillment of the duty of a created being? Whether it be in chastisement, judgment, or tribulation, you are capable of achieving submission unto death, and this is what should be achieved by a created being, this is the purity of the love for God. If man can achieve this much, then he is a created being who is up to standard, and there is nothing which better satisfies the intentions of the Creator. Imagine that you are able to work for God, yet you do not submit to God, and are incapable of truly loving God. In this way, not only will you not have fulfilled the duty of a created being, but you will also be condemned by God, for you are someone who does not possess the truth, who is incapable of submitting to God, and who rebels against God. You care only about working for God, and not about putting the truth into practice or knowing yourself; you do not understand or know the Creator, you do not submit to or love the Creator, and you are someone who is innately rebellious against God. It is for these reasons that such people are not liked by the Creator.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Success or Failure Depends on the Path One Walks

When he was being chastised by God, Peter prayed, “Oh God! My flesh is rebellious, and You chastise me and judge me. I rejoice in Your chastisement and judgment, and even if You do not want me, in Your judgment I behold Your holy and righteous disposition. When You judge me, so that others may behold Your righteous disposition in Your judgment, I feel content. It is enough if Your judgment can express Your disposition and allow Your righteous disposition to be seen by all created beings, and if it can make my heart which loves You more pure, that I can attain the likeness of one who is righteous. This judgment of Yours is good, for such is Your good intention. I know that there is still much in me that is rebellious, and that I am still not fit to come before You. I wish for You to judge me even more. Whether You put me through hostile environments or great tribulations, no matter what You do, I hold it precious. Your love is so profound, and I am willing to be at the mercy of Your orchestration without the slightest complaint.” This is Peter’s knowledge after he experienced the work of God, and it is also a testimony to his love of God. Today, you have already been conquered—but how is this conquest expressed in you? Some people say, “My conquest is the supreme grace and exaltation of God. Only now do I realize that the life of man is hollow and without significance. Man spends his life rushing about, producing and raising generation after generation of children, and is ultimately left with nothing. Today, only after being conquered by God have I seen that there is no value to living in this way; it really is a meaningless life. I may as well die and be done with it!” Can such people who have been conquered be gained by God? Can they become specimens and models? Such people are a lesson in negativity; they have no resolve, and do not strive to improve themselves. Even though they count as having been conquered, such negative people are incapable of being made perfect. Near the end of his life, after he had been made perfect, Peter said, “O God! If I were to live a few more years, I would wish to achieve a purer and deeper love of You.” When he was about to be nailed to the cross, in his heart he prayed, “O God! Your time has now arrived; the time You prepared for me has arrived. I must be crucified for You, I must bear this testimony to You, and I hope that my love can satisfy Your requirements, and that it can become purer. Today, to be able to die for You, and be nailed to the cross for You, is comforting and reassuring to me, for nothing is more gratifying to me than to be able to be crucified for You and satisfy Your wishes, and to be able to give myself to You, to offer up my life to You. Oh God! You are so lovely! Were You to allow me to live, I would be even more willing to love You. As long as I am alive, I will love You. I wish to love You more deeply. You judge me, and chastise me, and try me because I am not righteous, because I have sinned. And Your righteous disposition becomes more apparent to me. This is a blessing to me, for I am able to love You more deeply, and I am willing to love You in this way even if You do not love me. I am willing to behold Your righteous disposition, for this makes me more able to live out a life of meaning. I feel that my life now is more meaningful, for I am crucified for Your sake, and it is meaningful to die for You. Yet still I do not feel satisfied, for I know too little of You, I know that I cannot completely fulfill Your wishes, and have repaid You too little. In my life, I have been incapable of returning my entirety to You; I am far from that. As I look back at this moment, I feel so indebted to You, and I have but this moment to make up for all of my mistakes and all the love that I have not repaid You.”

…………

God chastises and judges man because it is required by His work, and, moreover, because it is needed by man. Man needs to be chastised and judged, and only then can he achieve the love of God. Today, you have been utterly convinced, but when you encounter the slightest setback, you are in trouble; your stature is still too small, and you still need to experience more of such chastisement and judgment in order to achieve a deeper knowledge. Today, you more or less have a bit of a God-fearing heart, and you are afraid of God, and you know He is the true God, but you do not have a great love of Him, much less have you achieved a pure love; your knowledge is too superficial, and your stature is still insufficient. When you truly encounter an environment, you still have not borne witness, too little of your entry is proactive, and you have no idea how to practice. Most people are negative and passive; they only secretly love God in their hearts, but have no way of practice, nor are they clear about what their goals are. Those who have been made perfect not only possess normal humanity, but are possessed of truths that exceed the measures of conscience, that are higher than the standards of conscience; they not only use their conscience to pay back God’s love, but, more than that, they have known God, and have seen that God is lovely, and worthy of man’s love, and that there is so much to love in God; man cannot help but love Him! The love for God of those who have been made perfect is in order to fulfill their own personal resolve. Theirs is a spontaneous love, a love that asks for nothing in return, and which is not a transaction. They love God because of nothing other than their knowledge of Him. Such people care not whether God bestows graces upon them, and are content with nothing more than to satisfy God. They do not strike bargains with God, nor do they measure their love of God by conscience: “You have given to me, thus I love You in return; if You do not give to me, then I have nothing for You in return.” Those who have been made perfect always believe that: “God is the Creator, and He carries out His work upon us. Since I have this opportunity, condition, and qualification to be made perfect, my pursuit should be to live out a life of meaning, and I should satisfy Him.” It is just like that which was experienced by Peter: When he was at his weakest, he prayed to God and said, “O God! You know that, regardless of the time or place, I always miss You, and that, no matter the time or place, I want to love You, but my stature is too small, I am too weak and powerless, my love is too limited, and my sincerity toward You is too meager. Compared to Your love, I am simply unfit to live. I wish only that my life is not in vain, and that I can not only repay Your love, but, moreover, that I can devote all I have to You. If I can satisfy You, then as a created being, I shall have peace of mind, and will ask for nothing more. Although I am weak and powerless now, I will not forget Your exhortations, and I will not forget Your love. Now I am doing nothing more than repaying Your love. Oh God, I feel awful! How can I give back the love in my heart to You, how can I do all I can, and be able to fulfill Your wishes, and be able to offer all that I have to You? You know the weakness of man; how can I be worthy of Your love? Oh God! You know I am of small stature, that my love is too meager. How can I do the best that I can in this kind of environment? I know I should repay Your love, I know that I should give all that I have to You, but today my stature is too small. I ask that You give me strength and faith, so that I will be more able to possess a pure love to devote to You, and more able to devote all that I have to You; not only will I be able to repay Your love, but I will be more able to experience Your chastisement, judgment and trials, and even more severe curses. You have allowed me to behold Your love, and I am incapable of not loving You, and though I am weak and powerless today, how could I forget You? Your love, chastisement and judgment have all caused me to know You, yet I also feel incapable of satisfying Your love, for You are so great. How can I devote all that I have to the Creator?” Such was Peter’s request, yet his stature was too inadequate. At this moment, he felt as if a knife were being twisted in his heart. He was in agony; he knew not what to do under such conditions. Yet he still continued to pray: “O God! Man is of childish stature, his conscience is feeble, and the only thing I can achieve is to repay Your love. Today, I know not how to satisfy Your intentions, and I only wish to do all I can, give all I have, and devote all I have to You. Regardless of Your judgment, regardless of Your chastisement, regardless of whether You bestow things upon me, or take things away from me, make me free from the slightest complaint toward You. Many times, when You chastised me and judged me, I always had complaints within me, and was incapable of achieving purity, or of satisfying Your wishes. My repayment of Your love was born out of compulsion, and at this moment I hate myself even more.” It was because he sought a purer love of God that Peter prayed in this way. He was seeking, and entreating, and, furthermore, he was recriminating himself, and confessing his sins to God. He felt indebted to God, and felt hatred of himself, yet he was also somewhat sad and negative. He always felt thus, as if he could not measure up to God’s intentions, and unable to do his best. Under such conditions, Peter still pursued the faith of Job. He saw how great had been the faith of Job, for Job had seen that everything he had was bestowed by God, and it was natural for God to take everything from him, that God would give to whomever He wished—such was the righteous disposition of God. Job had no complaints, and could still praise God. Peter also knew himself, and in his heart he prayed, “Today I should not be content with repaying Your love using my conscience and with however much love I give back to You, because my thoughts are too corrupt, and because I am incapable of seeing You as the Creator. Because I am still unfit to love You, I must come to devote all that I have to You, and do so willingly, I must know all that You have done, and make none of my own choices, I must behold Your love, and be able to speak Your praises and extol Your holy name, so that You may gain great glory through me. I am willing to stand firm in this testimony to You. Oh God! Your love is so precious and beautiful; how could I be willing to live in the hands of the evil one? Was I not made by You? How could I live under the power of Satan? I would rather that my whole being live amid Your chastisement than live myself under the power of the evil one. I am willing to offer up my body and heart to Your judgment and chastisement as long as I can be cleansed, and can devote my all to You, for I detest Satan, and am unwilling to live under its power. Through Your judgment of me, You show forth Your righteous disposition; I am fully willing, and have not the slightest complaint. As long as I am able to fulfill the duty of a created being, I am willing that my entire life be accompanied by Your judgment, and thereby come to know Your righteous disposition, and rid myself of the influence of the evil one.” Peter always prayed thus, always sought thus, and he reached a, relatively speaking, high realm. Not only was he able to repay God’s love, but, more importantly, he also fulfilled his duty as a created being. Not only was he not accused by his conscience, but he was also able to transcend the standards of conscience. His prayers continued to go up before God, such that his resolutions grew ever greater, and he possessed more and more of a God-loving heart. Though he suffered agonizing pain, still he did not forget to love God, and still he sought to attain the ability to understand God’s intentions. In his prayers he uttered the following words: “I have accomplished nothing more than the repayment of Your love. I have not borne testimony to You before Satan, have not freed myself from the influence of Satan, and still live amid the flesh. I wish to use my love to defeat Satan, to shame it, and thus satisfy Your intentions. I wish to give my entirety to You, to not give the slightest bit of myself to Satan, for Satan is Your enemy.” The more he sought in this direction, the more he was moved, and the higher his knowledge of these matters. Without realizing it, he came to know that he should free himself of the influence of Satan, and should completely return himself to God. Such was the realm he attained. He was transcending the influence of Satan, and ridding himself of the pleasures and enjoyments of the flesh, and was willing to experience more profoundly both God’s chastisement and His judgment. He said, “Even though I live amid Your chastisement, and amid Your judgment, no matter how painful it may be, still I am unwilling to live under the power of Satan, still I am unwilling to live a life of being duped by Satan. I consider living amid Your curses to be happiness, and consider living amid the blessings of Satan to be pain. I love You while living amid Your judgment, and this fills my heart with great joy. Your chastisement and judgment is righteousness and holiness; it is in order to cleanse me, and even more, it is to save me. I would rather live my entire life amid Your judgment, receiving Your care, than live under Satan’s power for a single moment. I wish to be cleansed by You; even if I have to suffer, I am unwilling to be exploited and duped by Satan. I, this created being, should be used by You, possessed by You; I should also be judged by You, and chastised by You, even cursed by You. My heart is gladdened when You are willing to bless me, for I have seen Your love. You are the Creator, and I am a created being: I should not betray You and live under the power of Satan, nor should I be exploited by Satan. I should be Your horse, or ox, instead of living for Satan. I’d rather live amid Your chastisement, without fleshly bliss, and this would bring me pleasure even if I were to lose Your grace. Though Your grace would not be with me, I would still gain pleasure from Your chastisement and Your judgment. This is Your best blessing, Your greatest grace. Though You are always majestic and wrathful toward me, still I am incapable of leaving You, and still I cannot love You enough. I’d prefer to live in Your home, I’d prefer to be cursed, chastised, and smitten by You, and am unwilling to live under the power of Satan, nor am I willing to rush about and busy myself only for the flesh, and much less am I willing to live for the flesh.” Peter’s love was a pure love. This is the experience of being made perfect, and is the highest realm of being made perfect; there is no life that is more meaningful. He accepted God’s chastisement and judgment, he treasured God’s righteous disposition, and nothing about Peter was more precious. He said, “Satan gives me material enjoyments, but I do not treasure them. God’s chastisement and judgment come upon me—in this I am graced, in this I find enjoyment, and in this I am blessed. Were it not for God’s judgment I would never love God, I would still live under the power of Satan, would still be controlled and commanded by it. If that were the case, I would never become a real human being, for I would be incapable of satisfying God, and would not have devoted my entirety to God. Even though God does not bless me, leaving me without comfort inside as if a fire is burning within me, and with no peace or joy, and even though God’s chastisement and discipline is never apart from me, in God’s chastisement and judgment I am able to behold His righteous disposition. I take delight in this; there is no more valuable or meaningful thing in life. Though His protection and care have become ruthless chastisement, judgment, curses and smiting, still I take enjoyment in these things, for they can better cleanse me and change me, can bring me closer to God, can make me more able to love God, and can make my love of God purer. This makes me able to fulfill my duty as a created being, and takes me before God and away from the influence of Satan, so that I no longer serve Satan. When I do not live under the power of Satan, and am able to devote everything I have and all that I can do to God, without holding anything back—that will be when I am fully satisfied. It is God’s chastisement and judgment that have saved me, and my life is inseparable from God’s chastisement and judgment. For me, living on earth is the same as living under the power of Satan, and were it not for the care and protection of God’s chastisement and judgment, I would have always lived under the power of Satan, and, moreover, I would not have had the opportunity or means to live out a life of meaning. Only if God’s chastisement and judgment never leave me, and enable me to be constantly cleansed by God, and the harsh words and righteous disposition of God, and God’s majestic judgment are with me, will I have gained supreme protection, and come to live in the light, and gained the blessings of God. To be able to be cleansed, and free myself from Satan, and live under the dominion of God—this is the greatest blessing in my life.” This is the highest realm experienced by Peter.

This is exactly the state that man must attain after being made perfect. If you cannot achieve this much, then you cannot live out a life of meaning. Man lives amid the flesh, which means he lives in a human hell, and without God’s judgment and chastisement, man is as filthy as Satan. How could man be holy? Peter believed: Chastisement and judgment by God are man’s best protection and greatest grace. Only through chastisement and judgment by God can man awaken and hate the flesh, hate Satan. God’s strict discipline frees man from the influence of Satan, frees him from his own little world, and allows him to live in the light of God’s countenance. There is no better salvation than chastisement and judgment! Peter prayed, “O God! As long as You chastise and judge me, I will know that You have not left me. Even if You do not give me joy or peace, and make me live in suffering, and inflict countless chastenings on me, as long as You do not leave me, my heart will be at ease. Today, Your chastisement and judgment have become my best protection and my greatest blessing. The grace You give me protects me. The grace You bestow upon me today is a revelation of Your righteous disposition, and is chastisement and judgment; moreover, it is a trial, and, more than that, it is a life of suffering.” Peter was able to put aside the pleasures of the flesh and seek a deeper love and greater protection, because he had gained so much grace from God’s chastisement and judgment. In his life, if man wishes to be cleansed and achieve changes in his disposition, if he wishes to live out a life of meaning and fulfill his duty as a created being, then he must accept God’s chastisement and judgment, and must not let God’s discipline and God’s smiting depart from him, in order that he may free himself from the manipulation and influence of Satan, and live in the light of God. Know that God’s chastisement and judgment is the light, and the light of man’s salvation, and that there is no better blessing for man, and no greater grace or better protection. Man lives under the influence of Satan, and exists in the flesh; if he is not cleansed and does not receive God’s protection, then man will become ever more depraved. If he wishes to love God, then he must be cleansed and saved. Peter prayed, “God, when You treat me kindly I am delighted, and feel comfort; when You chastise me, I feel even greater comfort and joy. Although I am weak, and endure untold suffering, although there are tears and sadness, You know that this sadness is because of my rebelliousness, and because of my weakness. I weep because I cannot satisfy Your intentions, I feel sorrow and regret because I am insufficient for Your requirements, but I am willing to attain this realm, I am willing to do all I can to satisfy You. Your chastisement has brought me protection, and has given me the best salvation; Your judgment eclipses Your tolerance and patience. Without Your chastisement and judgment, I would not enjoy Your mercy and lovingkindness. Today, I see all the more that Your love has transcended the heavens and excelled above all other things. Your love is not just mercy and lovingkindness; even more than that, it is chastisement and judgment. I have gained so much from Your chastisement and judgment. Without Your chastisement and judgment, not a single person would be cleansed, and not a single person would be able to experience the love of the Creator. Though I have endured hundreds of trials and tribulations, and have even come close to death, they have allowed me to truly know You and gain supreme salvation. If Your chastisement, judgment and discipline were to depart from me, then I would live in darkness, under the power of Satan. What benefits does the flesh of man have? If Your chastisement and judgment were to leave me, it would be as if Your Spirit had forsaken me, as if You were no longer with me. If that were so, how could I go on living? You gave me sickness and took my freedom, I was able to continue living, but if Your chastisement and judgment were to ever leave me, I would have no way to go on living. If I were without Your chastisement and judgment, I would have lost Your love. Your love is too deep for me to put into words. Without Your love, I would live under the power of Satan, and would be unable to see Your glorious face. How could I continue living? I could hardly go on in such darkness, in such a life. Having You with me is like seeing You, so how could I leave You? I implore You with all sincerity, I beg You not to take my greatest comfort from me, even if it is just a sprinkling of Your comforting words. I have enjoyed Your love, and today I cannot be away from You; how could I not love You? I have shed many tears of sorrow because of Your love, yet I have always felt that a life such as this is more meaningful, more able to enrich me, more able to change me, and more able to allow me to attain the truth that should be possessed by the created beings.”

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment

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