9. How to approach being pruned

Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should submit to God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the intentions of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God. If you do not regard these truths as important, if you think of nothing but how to avoid them, or how to find a new way out that does not involve them, then I say you are a grievous sinner. If you have faith in God, yet seek not the truth or the intentions of God, nor love the way that brings you closer to God, then I say that you are one who is trying to evade judgment, and that you are a puppet and a traitor who flees from the great white throne. God will not spare any of the rebellious who escape from under His eyes. Such men shall receive even more severe punishment. Those who come before God to be judged, and have moreover been purified, shall forever live in the kingdom of God. Of course, this is something that belongs to the future.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth

People cannot change their own disposition; they must undergo the judgment and chastisement, and suffering and refinement, of God’s words, or being disciplined and pruned by His words. Only then can they achieve submission and faithfulness to God, and no longer be perfunctory toward Him. It is under the refinement of God’s words that people’s dispositions change. Only through the exposure, judgment, discipline, and pruning of His words will they no longer dare to act rashly but instead will become steady and composed. The most important point is that they are able to submit to God’s current words, and to His work, even if it is not in line with human notions, they are able to put these notions aside and willingly submit.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. People Whose Dispositions Have Changed Are Those Who Have Entered Into the Reality of God’s Words

God has many means of perfecting man. He employs all manner of environments to prune the corrupt disposition of man, and uses various things to lay man bare; in one regard, He prunes man, in another He lays man bare, and in another He reveals man, digging out and revealing the “mysteries” in the depths of man’s heart, and showing man his nature by revealing many of his states. God perfects man through many methods—through revelation, through pruning man, through man’s refinement, and chastisement—so that man may know that God is practical.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Those Who Focus on Practice Can Be Perfected

God works in every single person, and no matter what His method is, what kind of people, events, and things He makes use of in His service, or what kind of tone His words have, He only has one end goal: saving you. And how does He save you? He changes you. So how could you not suffer a bit? You are going to have to suffer. This suffering can involve many things. First, people must suffer when they accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words. When God’s words are too severe and explicit and people misinterpret God—and even have notions—that can be painful, too. Sometimes God raises up an environment around people to reveal their corruption, to make them reflect on and know themselves, and they will suffer a little then, too. Sometimes, when they are directly pruned and exposed, people must suffer. It is as if they are undergoing surgery—if there is no suffering, there is no effect. If every time you are pruned, and every time you are revealed by an environment, it arouses your feelings and gives you a boost, then through this process 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 if you do not come before God to seek His intentions, neither praying nor seeking the truth, then you really are so numb! God does not work in you when your spirit feels nothing, when it does not react. He will say, “This person is overly numb, and has been corrupted too deeply. No matter how I discipline him, prune him, or try to keep him in check, I still cannot move his heart or awaken his spirit. This person will be in trouble; he is not easy to save.” If God arranges certain environments, people, events, and things for you, if He prunes you and if you learn lessons from this, if you have learned to come before God, learned to seek the truth, and, unknowingly, are enlightened and illuminated and attain the truth, if you have experienced a change in these environments, reaped rewards, and made progress, if you begin to have a little comprehension of God’s intention and you cease to complain, then all of this will mean that you have stood firm in the midst of the trials of these environments, and have withstood the test. As such, you will have gotten through this ordeal. 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 make excuses, 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 From the People, Events, and Things Nearby

Some people become negative after being pruned; they lose all energy to perform their duties, and their loyalty disappears as well. Why is this? This problem is very serious; this is the inability to accept the truth. They do not accept the truth, partly due to their lack of knowledge of their corrupt dispositions, which leads to them not being able to accept being pruned. This is determined by their nature which is arrogant and conceited, and has no love for the truth. It is also partly due to people not understanding the significance of being pruned. They believe that being pruned means that their outcome has been determined. As a result, they mistakenly believe that if they forsake their families to expend themselves for God, and possess some loyalty to God, then they should not be pruned; and, if they are pruned, then this is not God’s love and righteousness. This kind of misunderstanding causes many people to not dare to be loyal to God. Actually, when all is said and done, it is because they are too deceitful and do not want to suffer hardships. They just want to obtain blessings the easy way. People do not understand God’s righteous disposition at all. They never believe that all of God’s actions are righteous, or that His treatment of everyone is righteous. They never seek the truth in this matter, but always make their own arguments instead. No matter what bad things a person has done, what great sins they have committed, or how much evil they have done, as long as God’s judgment and punishment befalls them, they will think that Heaven is unfair, and that God is not righteous. In the eyes of man, if God’s actions do not align with their desires, or if His actions are inconsiderate toward their feelings, then He must not be righteous. However, people never know whether their actions conform to the truth, nor do they ever realize that they rebel against and resist God in all their actions. If, no matter how people transgressed, God never pruned them or reproached them for their rebellion, but instead was calm and gentle with them, only treated them with love and patience, and allowed them to dine and enjoy things alongside Him forever, then people would never complain about God or judge Him to be unrighteous; rather, they would insincerely say that He was very righteous. Do such people know God? Can they be of one heart and mind with God? They have no inkling that when God judges and prunes humans, He wishes to purify and transform their life dispositions so that they can succeed in submitting to Him and loving Him. Such people do not believe that God is a righteous God. As long as God rebukes, exposes, and prunes people, they will become negative and weak, always complaining that God is not loving, and always grumbling that God’s judgment and chastisement of man is wrong, unable to see that this is God purifying and saving man, and not believing that God determines people’s outcomes based on their displays of repentance. They always doubt God and guard against Him, and what will be the result of this? Will they be able to submit to the work of God? Will they be able to achieve true change? This is impossible. If this state of theirs continues, it will be very dangerous, and it will be impossible for them to be purified and made perfect by God.

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

What disposition is it when people are incapable of accepting being pruned, and cannot accept the truth? Shouldn’t you discern this clearly? These are all the manifestations of being averse to the truth—this is the essence of the problem. When people are averse to the truth, it is very difficult for them to accept the truth—and if they cannot accept the truth, can the problem of their corrupt disposition be fixed? (No.) So someone like this, someone who is incapable of accepting the truth—are they able to obtain the truth? Can they be saved by God? Definitely not. Do people who don’t accept the truth sincerely believe in God? Absolutely not. The most important aspect of people who truly believe in God is being able to accept the truth. People who cannot accept the truth absolutely do not sincerely believe in God. Are such people able to sit still during a sermon? Are they able to gain anything? They cannot. This is because sermons expose people’s various corrupt states. Through the dissection of God’s words, people gain knowledge, and then, by going on to fellowship the principles of practice, they are given a path to practice, and in this way an effect is achieved. When such people hear that the state that is being exposed relates to them—that it relates to their own issues—their shame drives them into a fit of rage, and they may even get up and leave the gathering. Even if they don’t leave, they may start to feel irritated and wronged inside, in which case there is no point in them attending the gathering or listening to the sermon. Is the purpose of listening to sermons not to understand the truth and solve one’s own real problems? If you are always afraid of your own problems being exposed, if you are constantly fearful of being mentioned, why believe in God at all? If in your faith you can’t accept the truth, you don’t really believe in God. If you are always afraid of being exposed, how are you going to be able to resolve your problem of corruption? If you can’t resolve your problem of corruption, what is the point in believing in God? The purpose of faith in God is to accept God’s salvation, cast off your corrupt disposition, and live out the likeness of a true human being, all of which are achieved through accepting the truth. If you can’t accept the truth at all, or even being pruned or exposed, then you have no way of attaining God’s salvation. So tell Me: In each church, how many are there who can accept the truth? Are those who cannot accept the truth many or few? (Many.) Is this a situation that really exists among the chosen ones in the churches, is it a real problem? All those who are unable to accept the truth and unable to accept being pruned, are averse to the truth. Being averse to the truth is a kind of corrupt disposition, and if this disposition cannot be changed, can they be saved? Certainly not. Today, many people have a hard time accepting the truth. It is by no means easy. To resolve this, a person has to experience some of God’s judgment, chastisement, trials, and refinement. So what do you say: What disposition is it when people are incapable of accepting being pruned, when they do not compare themselves to God’s word or the states exposed during sermons? (A disposition of being averse to the truth.) … And how is the kind of disposition that is being averse to the truth chiefly manifested? In refusing to accept being pruned. Not accepting being pruned is one kind of state manifested by this kind of disposition. In their hearts, these people are especially resistant when they are pruned. They think, “I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it!” or, “Why not prune other people? Why pick on me?” What is the meaning of being averse to the truth? Being averse to the truth is when a person is completely uninterested in anything connected to positive things, to the truth, to what God asks, or to God’s intentions. Sometimes they feel repulsed by these things, sometimes they are aloof to them, sometimes they are irreverent and indifferent, and treat them as unimportant, and they are insincere and cursory toward them, or take no responsibility for them.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only Knowledge of the Six Kinds of Corrupt Dispositions Is True Self-Knowledge

Being pruned is something that everyone who believes in God may experience. Particularly in the course of doing a duty, as their experience of being pruned increases, most people become more and more aware of the meaning of being pruned. They feel that there are so many benefits to being pruned, and they are more and more able to treat being pruned correctly. Of course, as long as they can perform a duty, and no matter what duty they do, every person will have the chance to be pruned. Normal people can treat being pruned correctly. In one respect, they can accept being pruned with a heart of submission to God, and in another respect, they can also reflect upon and come to know what problems they have. This is a common attitude and perspective in how people who pursue the truth treat being pruned. So, do antichrists also treat being pruned in this way? Absolutely not. The attitudes of antichrists and people who pursue the truth are certain to be different when it comes to their treatment of being pruned. First of all, with antichrists, when it comes to the matter of being pruned, they are unable to accept it. And there are reasons they are unable to accept it, the main one being that when they are pruned, they feel they have lost face, that they have lost their reputation, status and dignity, that they have been left unable to raise their heads in front of everyone. These things have an effect in their hearts, so they find it hard to accept being pruned, and they feel that whoever prunes them has it out for them and is their enemy. This is the mentality of antichrists when they are pruned. Of this, you can be sure. It is in pruning, in fact, that whether someone can accept the truth and whether someone can truly submit is most revealed. That antichrists are so resistant to pruning suffices to show that they are averse to the truth and do not accept it in the least. This, then, is the crux of the problem. Their pride is not the crux of the matter; not accepting the truth is the essence of the problem. When they are pruned, antichrists demand that it be done with a nice tone and attitude. If the doer’s tone is serious and their attitude is severe, an antichrist will resist and be defiant, and grow furious from shame. They pay no mind to whether what is exposed in them is right or whether it is a fact, and they do not reflect on where they have erred or on whether they should accept the truth. They think only of whether their vanity and pride have suffered a blow. Antichrists are entirely unable to recognize that pruning is helpful to people, and loving, and salvific, that they are of benefit to people. They cannot even see this. Is this not a bit undiscriminating and unreasonable of them? So, when faced with being pruned, what disposition is it that an antichrist reveals? Without any doubt, that disposition is one of being averse to the truth, as well as one of arrogance and intransigence. This reveals that the nature essence of antichrists is one of being averse to the truth and hating it. Therefore, antichrists are most afraid of being pruned; as soon as they are pruned, their ugly state is completely exposed. When antichrists are pruned, what manifestations do they display, and what things might they say or do, that allow others to clearly see that antichrists are antichrists, that they are different to an average corrupt person, and that their nature essence is distinct from those who pursue the truth? I will give a few examples, and you can think about them and add to them. When antichrists are pruned, they first calculate and think: “What kind of person is pruning me? What is he getting at? How does he know about this? Why did he prune me? Does he feel disdain for me? Have I said something to offend him? Is he taking revenge on me because I have something good and haven’t given it to him, and he’s using this opportunity to blackmail me?” Instead of reflecting and coming to know their own transgressions, past misdeeds, and the corrupt dispositions they’ve revealed, they want to find clues within the matter of being pruned. They feel that there is something suspicious about it. This is how they treat being pruned. Is there any true acceptance here? Is there any true knowledge or reflection? (No.) When most people are pruned, it can be because they revealed corrupt dispositions. It can also be because they did something wrong due to ignorance and sold out the interests of God’s house. It may also be because they were perfunctory in their duty and this caused losses to the work of God’s house. The most detestable thing is that people blatantly do as they wish without restraint, violate principles, and disrupt and disturb the work of God’s house. These are the primary reasons people are pruned. Regardless of the circumstances that cause someone to be pruned, what is the most crucial attitude to have toward it? First, you must accept it. No matter who is pruning you, for what reason, no matter whether it comes across as harsh, or what the tone and wording, you should accept it. Then, you should recognize what you have done wrong, what corrupt disposition you have revealed, and whether you acted in accordance with the truth principles. First and foremost, this is the attitude you should have.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Eight)

Every person feels a sense of loss when they’re pruned, especially if they are dismissed and lose their status. They feel that they have been put in an awkward situation, and shamed a bit in front of others, and they are too embarrassed to face anyone. However, a person who knows shame won’t spout skewed arguments. What does not spouting skewed arguments mean? It means being able to face everything in the correct manner, without thinking and talking about things in a skewed way, and instead honestly acknowledging the things they did wrong, and facing the matter fairly and rationally. What does fair and rational mean? It means that, since you were pruned for something, there must be a problem with what you did—putting aside what corrupt disposition you have, let’s just say that if you messed up in this matter, then you certainly have some responsibility for it; and since you have responsibility, you should shoulder it, and acknowledge that you did it. Once you have acknowledged this, you should examine yourself, and ask: “What corrupt disposition did I reveal in this? If I wasn’t driven by a corrupt disposition, then were my actions adulterated with human will? Was this caused by foolishness? Did it have anything to do with my pursuit, with the path that I’m taking?” Being able to examine oneself like this is called having rationality, knowing shame, viewing things in a fair, objective way, in a way that is true to the facts. This is precisely what antichrists lack. When they are being pruned, they first think, “How could you so mercilessly prune a dignified leader like me in front of so many people, even exposing my shameful secret? Where’s my prestige as a leader? In pruning me, haven’t you obliterated it? Who will listen to me from now on? If no one listens to me, how can I have any status as a leader? Wouldn’t that make me just a figurehead? How am I going to enjoy the benefits of status then? Won’t I no longer be able to enjoy the items offered up by the brothers and sisters?” Is this idea correct? Is it in line with the truth? Is it justifiable? (No.) This is being devoid of reason, and spouting skewed arguments. What do you mean by prestige? What is a leader? Surely you aren’t devoid of corruption? What do you mean by “exposing your shameful secret”? What is your shameful secret? It is your corrupt disposition. Your corrupt disposition is the same as anybody else’s—that is your shameful secret. There is nothing different about you, you are not superior to others. God’s house just saw that you have a bit of caliber and can do some work, so it promoted and cultivated you, and gave you a special burden, a little more to shoulder. But this does not at all mean that once you have status, you no longer have a corrupt disposition. And yet, antichrists latch onto this, saying, “Now that I have status, you shouldn’t prune me, especially not in front of so many people, which would allow most people to find out about my true situation.” Isn’t this a skewed argument? Where can this approach be applied? Out in society, when you build someone up, you must adulate them as perfect, and establish an image of perfection for them, without the slightest flaw. Isn’t that deceptive? Would God’s house do this? (No.) That is what Satan does, and is also what antichrists demand. Satan is devoid of reason, and antichrists are similarly lacking in reason in this regard. Not only that, but they make skewed arguments and put forward excessive demands. In order to protect their status, they ask the Above to be mindful about how they are pruned and during what occasions they are pruned, and what kind of tone is used. Is this necessary? They are corrupt human beings, and they are being pruned for something that is real and true—what need is there to do it in a particular way? Wouldn’t building them up be harming the brothers and sisters? Should they, evil people that they are, be built up, and have their status protected, so that they can recklessly commit misdeeds among those below and establish their own independent kingdoms? Would that be fair to the brothers and sisters? Is that showing responsibility toward them? That is not a way of showing responsibility toward them. So an antichrist behaving this way, thinking this way, and making those sorts of demands is purely them spouting skewed arguments and deliberately causing trouble, utterly lacking shame. When being pruned for something they did wrong, an antichrist does not acknowledge that they have a corrupt disposition, nor do they examine what corrupt disposition led to them doing such a thing. After spouting a load of skewed arguments, they not only refuse to examine themselves, they also think about countermeasures. “Who reported this? Who leaked this to the above? Who reported to the leaders that I did this? I need to find out who it was, and teach them a lesson. I need to rebuke them during gatherings, and show them how formidable I am.” When they are pruned, an antichrist will do everything they can to defend themselves, to find a way out, thinking, “I was careless this time and let the cat out of the bag, so I must do my best to keep this from happening again next time, and try a different approach to hoodwink the above along with the brothers and sisters below, so that none of them are aware. When I do something right, I should hurry to step forward and take credit for it, but when I make a mistake, I must be quick to push the responsibility off onto someone else.” Isn’t that shameless? It’s shameless to the extreme! When a normal person is pruned, deep inside, they privately admit to themselves, “I’m no good—I have a corrupt disposition. There’s nothing more to be said. I must reflect on myself.” They silently resolve to act according to what God requires if they encounter this kind of situation again. Whether they can achieve this or not, in any case, when they are pruned, they accept it within their heart in a rational way, and their rationality tells them that they indeed did something wrong, and that since they have a corrupt disposition, they must acknowledge it. They submit in the heart, without any resistance, and even if they feel a little wronged, their principal attitude is one of positivity. They are able to reflect on themselves, feel remorse, and resolve to strive not to make the same mistake in this matter in the future. On the other hand, not only does an antichrist feel no remorse, they are resistant in their heart, and not only are they unable to let go of the evil they are doing, they even try to find another way forward so they can keep recklessly committing misdeeds, continuing with their evil behavior. When they’re pruned, they don’t examine their own corrupt disposition, the source of their wrongdoing, their intents, or the different states and perspectives that arose within them when their corrupt disposition was revealed. They never examine or contemplate these things, nor do they accept it when anyone else gives them suggestions, advice, or exposes them. Instead, they scale up their efforts to hunt for various ways, means, and tactics to deceive those above them and below them, so that they can protect their status. They step up their efforts in causing disturbances in God’s house, and use their status to do evil. They truly are beyond all hope!

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Eleven

When it comes to being pruned, what is the very least that people should know? Being pruned must be experienced to adequately do one’s duty—it is indispensable. It is something that people must face on a daily basis and often experience in order to attain salvation in their faith in God. No one can be apart from being pruned. Is pruning someone something that involves their prospects and destiny? (No.) So what is pruning someone done for? Is it done in order to condemn them? (No, it’s done in order to help people understand the truth and do their duty according to principles.) That’s right. That’s the most correct understanding of it. Pruning someone is a kind of discipline, a kind of chastening, and naturally it’s also a form of helping and remedying people. Being pruned allows you to alter your incorrect pursuit in time. It allows you to promptly recognize the problems you currently have, and allows you to recognize the corrupt dispositions you reveal in time. No matter what, being pruned helps you recognize your mistakes and do your duties according to principles, it saves you from causing deviations and going astray in time, and it prevents you from causing catastrophes. Is this not the greatest aid to people, their greatest remedy? Those with a conscience and reason should be able to treat being pruned correctly.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Eight)

When you are pruned, you do not analyze right and wrong at first—you just accept it, with a submissive heart. For example, someone might say that you did something wrong. Although you do not understand in your heart, and you do not know what you did wrong, you nevertheless accept it. Acceptance is primarily a positive attitude. Additionally, there is an attitude which is slightly more negative, which is to maintain silence and not offer any resistance. What kind of behaviors does this entail? You do not reason, defend yourself, or make objective excuses for yourself. If you always make excuses and offer reasons for yourself, and push the responsibility onto other people, is that resistance? That is a disposition of rebellion. You should not reject, resist, or reason. Even if you reason correctly, is that the truth? It is an objective excuse of man, not the truth. You are not being asked about objective excuses—why this thing happened, or how it came about—rather, you are being told that the nature of that action was not in line with the truth. If you have knowledge on this level, you will really be able to accept and not resist. First having a submissive attitude when things befall you is key. … When faced with pruning, what actions constitute an accepting, submissive attitude? At the very least, you must be sensible and possess reason. You must first submit, and must not resist or reject it, and you must treat it with rationality. This way, you will have the bare minimum of reason. If you want to attain acceptance and submission, you must understand the truth. It is no simple thing to understand the truth. First, you must accept things from God: At the very least, you must know that being pruned is something God allows to happen to you, or it comes from God. Regardless of whether or not the pruning is totally reasonable, you should possess an accepting, submissive attitude. This is a manifestation of submission to God, and at the same time, it is also an acceptance of God’s scrutiny. If you just reason and defend yourself, thinking that the pruning comes from man and not from God, then your understanding is flawed. For one thing, you have not accepted God’s scrutiny, and for another, you have neither a submissive attitude nor submissive behavior in the environment that God has set up for you. This is someone who does not submit to God. … For the majority of people, when something happens to them that is in line with their own notions and imaginings, and in line with their own tastes, they feel pretty good, so they are pleased to submit, and everything goes smoothly. Their hearts are at ease and at peace, and they are happy and pleased. But when they encounter something that is not in line with their own notions, or something that is disadvantageous to them, they cannot submit even though they know they should. They feel pain, they have no choice but to suffer in silence, and they find it hard to talk about their difficulties. They feel depressed, and are filled with grievances that have no place to go, so their hearts seethe: “The others are right. They have higher status than me; how can I not listen to them? I may as well accept my fate. I’ll have to be more careful next time and not stick my neck out—people who stick their necks out get pruned. Submission is not easy. It is very hard! The fire of my enthusiasm has been doused with a bucket of cold water. I wanted to be simple and open, but the result was that I kept saying the wrong thing, and I kept being pruned. In the future, I will keep quiet, and be a people pleaser.” What kind of attitude is this? This is going from one extreme to the other. What is the ultimate goal of God letting people learn the lesson of submission? No matter how many wrongs and pains you suffer at the time, how much you are shamed, or how much injury you suffer to your face, vanity, or reputation, these are all secondary. The most important thing is to turn your state around. What state? Under normal circumstances, a kind of intransigent and rebellious state exists in the depths of people’s hearts—which is chiefly because, in their hearts, they have a certain kind of human logic and set of human notions, which are: “As long as my intentions are right, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is; you shouldn’t prune me, and if you do, I don’t have to obey.” They do not reflect on whether their actions are in line with the truth principles, or what the consequences will be. What they stick to is always, “As long as my intentions are good and right, God should accept me. Even if the outcome is not good, you must not prune me, much less ought you to condemn me.” This is human reasoning, is it not? These are the notions of man, are they not? Man always fixates on their own reasoning—is there any submission in it? You have made your own reasoning the truth and put the truth to one side. You believe that that which agrees with your reasoning is the truth, and that which doesn’t is not. Is there anyone more ridiculous? Is there anyone more arrogant and self-righteous? Which corrupt disposition must be resolved in order to learn the lesson of submission? It is actually the disposition of arrogance and self-righteousness, which is the greatest impediment to people practicing the truth and submitting to God. People with an arrogant and self-righteous disposition are most inclined to reasoning and disobedience, they always think they’re right, and so nothing is more urgent than resolving and pruning one’s arrogant and self-righteous disposition. Once people become well-behaved and stop reasoning on their own behalf, the problem of rebelliousness will be solved, and they will be capable of submission. If people are to be able to attain submission, do they not need to be possessed of a certain degree of rationality? They must be possessed of a normal person’s reason. In some matter, for example, regardless of whether we have done the right thing or not, if God is not satisfied, we should do as He says, and treat His words as the standard for everything. Is this rational? Such is the reason that ought to be found in people before anything else. No matter how much we suffer, and no matter what our intentions, aims, and reasons are, if God is not satisfied—if His requirements have not been met—then our actions have unquestionably not been in line with the truth, so we must listen to and submit to God, and we should not try to reason or rationalize with Him. When you possess such rationality, when you possess a normal person’s reason, it is easy to solve your problems, and you will be truly submissive. No matter what situation you are in, you will not be rebellious, and will not defy God’s requirements; you will not analyze whether what God asks is right or wrong, good or bad, and you will be able to obey—thus solving your state of reasoning, intransigence, and rebelliousness. Does everyone have these rebellious states within them? These states often appear in people, and they think to themselves, “As long as my approach, propositions, and suggestions are sensible, then even if I violate the truth principles, I should not be pruned, because I have not committed evil.” This is a common state in people. Their view is that if they have not committed evil, they should not be pruned; only people who have committed evil should be pruned. Is this view correct? Definitely not. Pruning is chiefly aimed at people’s corrupt dispositions. If someone has a corrupt disposition, they should be pruned. If they were only pruned after committing evil, it would already be too late, for the trouble would have already been caused. If God’s disposition has been offended, then you’re in trouble, and God may cease to work in you—in which case, what is the point in pruning you? There is no choice but to reveal and eliminate you.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Five Conditions That Must Be Met to Embark on the Right Track of Belief in God

What attitude should people adopt toward God’s pruning of them? How should they regard it? Should people not ponder such matters? (Yes.) People should reflect on and ponder such things as these. No matter when and no matter how a person treats God, the identity of man does not, in fact, change; people are always created beings. If you are not reconciled to your status as a created being, it means that you are rebellious and far from changing your disposition, far from fearing God and shunning evil. If you are reconciled to your place as a created being, then what sort of attitude should you have toward God? (Unconditional submission.) At the very least, you must be possessed of this one thing: unconditional submission. That means at any given time, what God does is never wrong; it is only people who err. Regardless of the environments that crop up—especially in the face of adversity, and especially when God reveals or exposes people—the first thing one should do is to come before God to reflect on themselves and examine their words and deeds and their corrupt disposition, instead of examining, studying, and judging whether God’s words and actions are right or wrong. If you stay in your proper position, you should know exactly what it is you ought to be doing. People have a corrupt disposition and do not understand the truth. This is not such a big problem. But when people have a corrupt disposition and do not understand the truth, yet still do not seek the truth—now they have a big problem. You have a corrupt disposition and do not understand the truth, and you can judge God arbitrarily, and approach and interact with Him as your mood, preferences, and emotions dictate. However, if you do not seek and practice the truth, things are not going to be so simple. Not only will you not be able to submit to God, but you could misunderstand and complain about Him, condemn Him, oppose Him, and even scold and reject Him in your heart, saying that He is not righteous, that not everything He does is necessarily right. Is it not dangerous that you may yet give rise to such things? (It is.) It is very dangerous. Not seeking the truth can cost one their life! And this can happen at any time and at any place.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Ten: They Despise the Truth, Brazenly Flout Principles, and Ignore the Arrangements of God’s House (Part Three)

If you reveal corruption in a matter, can you immediately practice the truth once you realize it? You cannot. At this stage of understanding, others prune you, and then your environment compels you and forces you to act in accordance with the truth principles. Sometimes, you’re still not reconciled to doing so, and you say to yourself, “Do I have to do it like this? Why can’t I do it how I want? Why am I always being asked to practice the truth? I don’t want to do this, I’m tired of it!” Experiencing God’s work requires undergoing the following process: from being reluctant to practice the truth, to willingly practicing the truth; from negativity and weakness, to strength and the capacity to rebel against the flesh. When people reach a certain point of experience and then undergo some trials, refinement, and ultimately come to understand God’s intentions and some truths, then they will be somewhat happy and willing to act in accordance with the truth principles. At the outset, people are reluctant to practice the truth. Take loyally performing one’s duties as an example: You have some understanding of performing your duties and being loyal to God, and you also have some understanding of the truth, but when will you be able to be completely loyal? When will you be able to perform your duties in both name and deed? This will require a process. During this process, you could suffer many hardships. Some people might prune you, and others might criticize you. Everyone’s eyes will be on you, scrutinizing you, and only then will you begin to realize that you are in the wrong and that you are the one who has done poorly, that lacking loyalty in the performance of your duty is unacceptable, and that you must not be perfunctory! The Holy Spirit will enlighten you from within, and reproach you when you make a mistake. During this process, you will come to understand some things about yourself, and will know that you have too many impurities, harbor too many personal motives, and have too many immoderate desires when performing your duties. Once you have understood the essence of these things, if you can come before God in prayer and have true repentance, you can be cleansed of those corrupt things. If, in this manner, you frequently seek the truth to resolve your own practical problems, you will gradually set foot upon the right path of faith; you will begin to have true life experiences, and your corrupt disposition will start to be gradually purified. The more your corrupt disposition is purified, the more your life disposition will transform.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. What Should Be Known About Transforming One’s Disposition

In the course of experiencing the work of God, no matter how many times you have failed, fallen down, been pruned, or revealed, these are not bad things. Regardless of how you have been pruned, or whether it is by leaders, workers, or your brothers or sisters, these are all good things. 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 your life experience a change of gears. Without it, you will possess neither the opportunity, the condition, nor the context to be able 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.

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