Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Being averse to the truth mainly refers to a lack of interest and an antipathy toward the truth and positive things. Being averse to the truth is when people are able to understand the truth and know what positive things are, and yet still treat the truth and positive things with an attitude and state that is resistant, perfunctory, antipathetic, prevaricating, and indifferent. This is the disposition of being averse to the truth. Does this kind of disposition exist in everyone? Some people say, “Even though I know the word of God is the truth, I still don’t like it or accept it, or at least, I can’t accept it right now.” What is the matter here? This is being averse to the truth. The disposition inside them does not allow them to accept the truth. What specific manifestations are there of not accepting the truth? Some say, “I understand all the truths, but I just can’t put them into practice.” This reveals that this is a person who is averse to the truth, and that they don’t love the truth, and so they can’t put any truths into practice. Some people say, “That I have been able to earn so much money is something God holds sovereignty over. God has truly blessed me, God has been so good to me, God has given me great riches. My whole family is well-clothed and fed, and they want for neither clothes nor food.” Seeing that they have been blessed by God, these people thank God in their heart, they know that this was all ruled by God, and that if they had not been blessed by God—if they had relied on their own talents—they would absolutely not have earned all this money. This is what they really think in their heart, what they truly know, and they truly give thanks to God. But a day comes when their business fails, when times are hard for them, and they suffer poverty. Why is this? Because they are greedy for comfort, and give no thought to how to perform their duty properly, and they spend their whole time chasing after riches, becoming slaves to money, which affects their performance of their duty, and so God strips this from them. In their heart, they know that God has blessed them with so much, and given them so much, yet they have no desire to repay God’s love, they do not wish to go out and perform their duty, and are timid and constantly fearful of arrest, and they are afraid of losing all these riches and pleasures, and as a result, God strips these things from them. Their hearts are clear as a mirror, they know that God has taken these things from them, and that they are being disciplined by God, and so they pray to God and say, “Oh God! You blessed me once, so You can bless me a second time. Your existence is eternal, and so Your blessings are also with mankind. I give thanks to You! Whatever happens, Your blessings and promise shall not change. If You take from me, still I shall submit.” But the word “submit” rings hollow from their mouth. Their mouth says they can submit, but afterward, they think about it, and something doesn’t sit right with them: “Things used to be so good. Why did God take it all away? Wasn’t staying home and doing my duty the same as going out to do my duty? What was I delaying?” They are always reminiscing about the past. They have a kind of complaint and dissatisfaction toward God, and constantly feel depressed. Is God still in their heart? What is in their heart is money, material comforts, and those good times. God has no place whatsoever in their heart, He is no longer their God. Even though they know it is a truth that “God gave, and God has taken away,” they like the words that “God gave,” and are averse to the words that “God has taken away.” Clearly, their acceptance of the truth is selective. When God blesses them, they accept it as the truth—but as soon as God takes from them, they cannot accept it. They cannot accept such sovereignty from God, and instead they resist, and become disgruntled. When asked to perform their duty, they say, “I will if God gives me blessings and graces me. Without God’s blessings and with my family in such a state of poverty, how am I to perform my duty? I don’t want to!” What disposition is this? Though, in their heart, they personally experience God’s blessings, and how He has given them so much, they are unwilling to accept when God takes from them. Why is this? Because they cannot let go of money and their comfortable life. Though they may not have kicked up a big fuss about it, they may not have held out their hand to God, and they may not have tried to wrest back their former assets by relying on their own efforts, they have already become disheartened toward the actions of God, they are wholly incapable of acceptance, and say, “It is truly inconsiderate that God should act like this. It is beyond comprehension. How can I continue to believe in God? I no longer wish to acknowledge that He is God. If I do not acknowledge that He is God, He is not God.” Is this a kind of disposition? (Yes.) Satan has this kind of disposition, Satan denies God in this way. This kind of disposition is one of being averse to the truth and hating the truth. When people are averse to the truth to this extent, where does it lead them? It makes them oppose God and it makes them stubbornly oppose God to the very end—which means it is all over 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

The most obvious state of people who are averse to the truth is that they are not interested in the truth and positive things, they are even repulsed by them and loathe them, and they especially like to follow trends. They do not accept in their hearts the things that God loves and what God requires people to do. Instead, they are dismissive and indifferent toward them, and some people even often despise the standards and principles that God requires of man. They are repulsed by positive things, and they always feel resistant, opposed, and full of contempt toward them in their hearts. This is the primary manifestation of being averse to the truth. In church life, reading God’s word, praying, fellowshipping on the truth, performing duties, and resolving problems with the truth are all positive things. They are pleasing to God, but some people are repulsed by these positive things, don’t care for them, and are indifferent to them. The most hateful part is that they adopt a contemptuous attitude toward positive people, such as honest people, those who pursue the truth, those who perform their duties loyally, and those who safeguard the work of God’s house. They always try to attack and exclude these people. If they discover that they have shortcomings or revelations of corruption, they seize upon this, making a big fuss about it, and constantly belittle them for it. What kind of disposition is this? Why do they hold hostility toward positive people so much? Why are they so fond of and accommodating toward evil people, disbelievers, and antichrists, and why do they often fool around with such people? Where negative and evil things are concerned, they feel excitement and elation, but when it comes to positive things, resistance begins to appear in their attitude; in particular, when they hear people fellowshipping the truth or solving problems using the truth, they feel averse and dissatisfied in their hearts, and they vent their grievances. Isn’t this disposition being averse to the truth? Isn’t this the revelation of a corrupt disposition? There are many people who believe in God who like to do work for Him and run around enthusiastically for Him, and when it comes to putting their gifts and strengths to use, indulging their preferences and showing off, they have boundless energy. But if you ask them to practice the truth and act according to the truth principles, it takes the wind from their sails, and they lose their enthusiasm. If they are not allowed to show off, they grow listless and despondent. Why is it that they have energy for showing off? And why is it that they have no energy for practicing the truth? What is the problem here? People all like to distinguish themselves; they all covet empty glory. Everyone has inexhaustible energy when it comes to believing in God for the sake of gaining blessings and rewards, so why do they grow listless, why are they despondent when it comes to practicing the truth and rebelling against the flesh? Why does this happen? It proves that people’s hearts are adulterated. They believe in God entirely for the sake of gaining blessings—to put it plainly, they do so in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Without blessings or benefits to pursue, people grow listless and despondent, and have no enthusiasm. This is all caused by a corrupt disposition that is averse to the truth. When controlled by this disposition, people are unwilling to choose the path of pursuing the truth, they go their own way, and they choose the incorrect path—they know full well that it is wrong to pursue fame, gain, and status and yet still cannot bear to do without these things or to put them aside, and they still pursue them, walking the path of Satan. In this case, they are not following God, but following Satan. Everything they do is in service of Satan, and they are servants of Satan.

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

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 chief manifestation of being averse to the truth is not just people feeling repulsed when they hear the truth. It also includes unwillingness to practice the truth, shrinking back when the time comes to practice the truth, as if the truth has nothing to do with them. When some people fellowship during gatherings, they seem very animated, they like repeating words and doctrines and making lofty statements to mislead and win others over. They seem full of energy and in high spirits as they do this, and they go on and on endlessly. Others, meanwhile, spend all day from morning to night busy with matters of faith, reading God’s words, praying, listening to hymns, taking notes, as if they cannot be apart from God for even a moment. From dawn till dusk, they busy themselves with the performance of their duty. Do these people really love the truth? Do they not have the disposition of being averse to the truth? When can their true state be seen? (When the time comes to practice the truth, they run away, and they are not willing to accept being pruned.) Could this be because they don’t understand what they hear or is it because they don’t understand the truth that they are unwilling to accept it? The answer is neither of these. They are governed by their nature. This is a problem of disposition. In their hearts, these people know full well that God’s words are the truth, that they are positive, and that practicing the truth can bring about changes in people’s dispositions and make them able to satisfy God’s intentions—but they do not accept them or put them into practice. This is being averse to the truth. In whom have you seen the disposition of being averse to the truth? (The disbelievers.) The disbelievers are averse to the truth, that is very clear. God has no way of saving such people. So among the believers of God, in what matters have you seen people being averse to the truth? It may be that when you fellowshipped the truth with them, they did not stand up and leave, and when the fellowship touched upon their own difficulties and issues, they faced them correctly—and yet they still have the disposition of being averse to the truth. Where can this be seen? (They often hear sermons, but they don’t put the truth into practice.) People who do not put the truth into practice unquestionably have the disposition of being averse to the truth. Some people are occasionally able to put into practice a little of the truth, so do they have the disposition of being averse to the truth? Such a disposition is likewise found in those who practice the truth, just to varying degrees. Your being able to practice the truth does not mean you do not have a disposition of being averse to the truth. Practicing the truth does not mean your life disposition has changed immediately—that is not the case. You must resolve the problem of your corrupt disposition, this is the only way to attain change in your life disposition. Practicing the truth on one occasion does not mean you no longer have a corrupt disposition. You are capable of practicing the truth in one area, but you are not necessarily able to practice the truth in other areas. The contexts and reasons involved are different, but what’s most important is that a corrupt disposition does exist, which is the root of the problem. Therefore, once a person’s disposition has changed, all of their difficulties, pretexts and excuses involved in practicing the truth—these problems are all fixed, and all of their rebelliousness, defects, and faults are solved. If people’s dispositions do not change, they will always have difficulty practicing the truth, and there will always be pretexts and excuses. If you wish to be able to practice the truth and submit to God in all things, there must first be a change in your disposition. Only then will you be able to solve problems at their roots.

—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

During gatherings, some people can fellowship a little on their own states, but when it comes to the essence of issues, to their personal motives and ideas, they become evasive. When people expose them as having motives and aims, they appear to nod and admit to it. But when people try to expose or dissect anything deeper, they can’t stand it, they get up and leave. Why, at the crucial moment, do they slip away? (They do not accept the truth and are unwilling to face their own problems.) This is a problem of disposition. When they are unwilling to accept the truth in order to solve the problems within them, does this not mean they are averse to the truth? What kinds of sermons are some leaders and workers least willing to hear? (Sermons on how to discern antichrists and false leaders.) Correct. They think, “All this talk of identifying antichrists and false leaders, and about Pharisees—why do you go on about this so much? You’re stressing me out.” Hearing that there will be talk of identifying false leaders and workers, they find any excuse to leave. What is meant by “leave” here? This refers to slipping away, to hiding. Why do they try to hide? When other people speak facts, you should listen: Listening is good for you. Note down the things that are harsh or that you find hard to accept; then you should think on these things often, take them in slowly, and change slowly. So why hide? Such people feel that these words of judgment are too harsh and that they are not easy to hear, so resistance and antipathy develop within them. They say to themselves, “I am not an antichrist or false leader—why keep going on about me? Why not talk about other people? Say something about identifying evil people, don’t talk about me!” They become evasive and oppositional. What disposition is this? If they are unwilling to accept the truth, and always reasoning and arguing in defense of themselves, is there not the problem of a corrupt disposition here? This is a disposition of being averse to the truth. Leaders and workers have this kind of state, so what about ordinary brothers and sisters? (They do, too.) When everyone first meets, they are all so loving and quite happy to parrot words and doctrines. They all seem to love the truth. But when it comes to personal problems and real difficulties, many people go dumb. For example, some people are constantly constrained by marriage. They become unwilling to do a duty or pursue the truth, and marriage becomes their largest obstacle and greatest encumbrance. At gatherings, when everyone is fellowshipping on this state, they match the others’ words of fellowship against themselves and feel they are talking about them. They say, “I have no problem with you fellowshipping the truth, but why bring up me? Do you not have any problems? Why only talk about me?” What disposition is this? When you gather to fellowship the truth, you must dissect real issues and allow everyone to speak on their understanding of these problems; only then are you able to know yourselves and solve your problems. Why can’t people accept this? 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.

—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

To protect their own vanity and pride, and to maintain their reputation and status, some people are happy to help others, and to sacrifice for their friends no matter the cost. But when they need to protect the interests of the house of God, the truth, and justice, their good intentions are gone, they have completely disappeared. When they should practice the truth, they do not practice it at all. What is going on? To protect their own dignity and pride, they will pay any price and endure any suffering. But when they need to do real work and handle practical affairs, to safeguard the church’s work and positive things, and to protect and provide for God’s chosen people, why do they no longer have the strength to pay any price and endure any suffering? That is inconceivable. Actually, they have a kind of disposition that is averse to the truth. Why do I say that their disposition is averse to the truth? Because whenever something involves bearing witness for God, practicing the truth, protecting God’s chosen people, fighting against Satan’s schemes, or protecting the work of the church, they flee and hide, and don’t attend to any proper matters. Where is their heroism and spirit to endure suffering? Where do they apply these things? This is easy to see. Even if someone reproves them, saying that they should not be so selfish and base, and protect themselves, and that they ought to protect the work of the church, they don’t really care. They say to themselves, “I don’t do those things, and they do not have anything to do with me. What good would acting like that be for my pursuit of fame, gain, and status?” They are not a person who pursues the truth. They only like to seek fame, gain, and status, and they do not do the work that God has entrusted to them at all. So, when they are needed to do the work of the church, they simply choose to flee. This means that, in their hearts, they do not like positive things, and are not interested in the truth. This is a clear manifestation of being averse to the truth. Only those who love the truth and possess the truth reality can come forward when required by the work of God’s house and by God’s chosen ones, only they can stand up, bravely and duty-bound, to testify to God and fellowship the truth, leading God’s chosen ones onto the right path, enabling them to attain submission to God’s work. Only this is an attitude of responsibility and a manifestation of showing consideration for God’s intentions. If you do not have this attitude, and are nothing but careless in your handling of things, and you think, “I’ll do the things within the scope of my duty, but I don’t care about anything else. If you ask me something, I’ll answer you—if I’m in a good mood. Otherwise, I won’t. This is my attitude,” then this is a type of corrupt disposition, isn’t it? Only protecting one’s own status, reputation, and pride, and only protecting the things that relate to one’s own interests—is this protecting a just cause? Is it protecting the interests of God’s house? Behind these petty, selfish motives is the disposition of being averse to the truth. The majority of you frequently display these sorts of manifestations, and the moment you encounter something that relates to the interests of God’s house, you prevaricate by saying, “I didn’t see,” or “I don’t know,” or “I haven’t heard.” Regardless of whether you are truly unaware or just pretending to be, if you reveal this kind of corrupt disposition in crucial moments, then it is hard to say whether you are someone who truly believes in God; to Me, you’re either someone who is confused in their belief, or a disbeliever. You are absolutely not someone who loves the truth.

You may understand what it means to be averse to the truth, but why do I say that being averse to the truth is a disposition? A disposition has nothing to do with occasional, temporary manifestations, and occasional, temporary manifestations don’t qualify as a dispositional problem. Regardless of what kind of corrupt disposition a person has, it will often or even constantly be revealed in them; it will be revealed whenever that person is in the right context. Therefore, you cannot arbitrarily characterize a dispositional problem on the basis of an occasional, temporary manifestation. So, what is a disposition? Dispositions are related to intentions and motivations, they’re related to a person’s thinking and point of view. You seem to be able to sense that they are dominating and swaying you, but dispositions can also be hidden and concealed, and obscured by superficial phenomena. In short, as long as there is a disposition within you, it will interfere with you, constrain and control you, and give rise to many behaviors and manifestations in you—that is a disposition. What behaviors, thoughts, viewpoints, and attitudes does the disposition of being averse to the truth often give rise to? One of the main characteristics of being averse to the truth that people display is a lack of interest in positive things and the truth, as well as being disinterested in, having a listlessness of the heart, a lack of desire to reach for the truth, and thinking that all this is just fine whenever it comes to anything involves practicing the truth. I’ll give a simple example. A piece of common sense that people often talk about regarding good health is to eat more fruit and vegetables, to eat more light foods and less meat, and especially less fried food; this is a positive guide for people’s health and wellness. Everyone can understand and accept what to eat more of and what to eat less of, so is this acceptance based on theory or in practice? (Theory.) How is theoretical acceptance manifested? In a kind of basic recognition. It is thinking that this statement is right, and that this statement is very good through discernment that is based in your judgment. But do you have any proof to demonstrate this statement? Do you have any grounds for believing it? Without experiencing it yourself, without any grounds or basis to substantiate whether this statement is right or wrong, and certainly without drawing lessons from previous mistakes, and without any real-life examples, you just accepted this view—this is theoretical acceptance. Regardless of whether you are accepting it theoretically or practically, you must first confirm that the statement “eat more vegetables and less meat” is correct and a positive thing. So, how can your disposition of being averse to the truth be seen? Based on how you approach and apply this statement in your life; this shows your attitude toward that statement, whether you’ve accepted it theoretically and in terms of doctrine, or whether you’ve applied it in real life and made it your reality. If you’ve just accepted the statement in terms of doctrine, but what you do in real life completely contradicts this statement, or you show no practical application at all of this statement, do you love this statement, or are you averse to it? For example, when you eat and see some green vegetables, and think, “Green vegetables are good for one’s health, but they don’t taste good, and meat tastes better, so I’ll eat some meat first,” and then you only eat meat and no green vegetables—what kind of disposition does this show? One of not accepting correct statements, being averse to positive things, and only being willing to eat according to fleshly preferences. This kind of person who is gluttonous and greedy for pleasure has already become very averse to, resistant to, and repulsed by positive things, and this is a kind of disposition. Someone might acknowledge that this statement is quite right, but they can’t do it themselves, and although they can’t, they still tell others to do so; after saying it a lot, that statement becomes a kind of theory to them, and it has no effect on them. That person knows very well in their heart that eating more vegetables is right and that eating more meat is not good, but they think, “No matter what, I haven’t lost out, eating meat is taking advantage, and I don’t feel that it’s unhealthy.” Their greed and desires have made them choose an incorrect lifestyle, and made them constantly go against correct common sense and the right lifestyle. They have the kind of corrupt disposition that craves advantages and fleshly enjoyment, so will it be easy for them to accept correct statements and positive things? It will not be easy at all. Is their lifestyle not then governed by their corrupt disposition? It is a revelation of their corrupt disposition, and it is a manifestation of their corrupt disposition. What is outwardly manifested is these behaviors and an attitude, but, in fact, it is a disposition that is governing them. What disposition is this? It is being averse to the truth. This disposition of being averse to the truth is hard to discover; no one feels that they’re averse to the truth, but the fact that they’ve believed in God for several years and still don’t know how to practice the truth is enough to show that they’re averse to the truth. People listen to so many sermons and read so much of God’s word, and God’s intention is for them to accept His words in their hearts and to bring these words into their real lives to practice and use, so that they understand the truth and make the truth their lives. This requirement is difficult for most people to achieve, and that is why it is said that most people have the disposition of being averse to the truth.

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

No matter what they think, or what they say, or how they see things, they always think that their own points of view and their own attitudes are correct, and that what others say is not as good or as right as what they say. They always cling to their own opinions, and no matter who speaks, they will not listen to them. Even if what someone else says is correct, or in line with the truth, they will not accept it; they will only appear to be listening but they will not really adopt the idea, and when it comes time to act, they will still do things their own way, always thinking that what they say is right and reasonable. … What will God say when He sees this behavior of yours? God will say: “You are intransigent! It’s understandable that you might cling to your own ideas when you do not know that you are mistaken, but when you clearly know that you are mistaken and you still cling to your ideas, and would die before repenting, you are just a stubborn fool, and you are in trouble. If, no matter who makes a suggestion, you always adopt a negative, resistant attitude toward it, and do not accept even a little bit of the truth, and if your heart is completely resistant, closed, and dismissive, then you are so ridiculous, you are an absurd person! You are too difficult to deal with!” In what way are you difficult to deal with? You are difficult to deal with because what you are displaying is not an erroneous approach, or an erroneous behavior, but a revelation of your disposition. A revelation of what disposition? A disposition in which you are averse to the truth, and hate the truth. Once you have been identified as a person who hates the truth, in God’s eyes you are in trouble, and He will spurn and ignore you. From people’s perspective, the most they will say is: “This person’s disposition is bad, they are incredibly obstinate, intransigent, and arrogant! This person is hard to get along with and does not love the truth. They have never accepted the truth and they do not put the truth into practice.” At the most, everyone will give you this appraisal, but can this appraisal decide your fate? The appraisal that people give you cannot decide your fate, but there is one thing that you must not forget: God scrutinizes people’s hearts, and at the same time God observes their every word and deed. If God defines you in this way, and says that you hate the truth, if He does not merely say that you have a bit of a corrupt disposition, or that you are a little disobedient, is this not a very serious problem? (It is serious.) This means trouble, and this trouble does not lie in the way that people see you, or how they appraise you, it lies in how God views your corrupt disposition of hating the truth. So, how does God view it? Has God merely determined that you hate and do not love the truth, and that is all? Is it that simple? Where does the truth come from? Who does the truth represent? (It represents God.) Ponder on this: If a person hates the truth, then from God’s perspective, how will He view them? (As His enemy.) Is this not a serious problem? When a person hates the truth, they hate God! Why do I say that they hate God? Did they curse God? Did they oppose God to His face? Did they judge or condemn Him behind His back? Not necessarily. So why do I say that revealing a disposition that hates the truth is to hate God? This is not making a mountain out of a molehill, it is the reality of the situation. It is like the hypocritical Pharisees who nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross because they hated the truth—the consequences that followed were terrible. What this means is that if a person has a disposition that is averse to the truth and hates the truth, they may reveal it anytime and anywhere, and if they live by it, will they not oppose God? When they are confronted with something that involves the truth or making a choice, if they cannot accept the truth, and they live by their corrupt disposition, they will naturally oppose God, and betray Him, because their corrupt disposition is one that hates God and hates the truth. If you have such a disposition, then even when it comes to words spoken by God, you will question them, and want to analyze and dissect them. Then you will be suspicious of God’s words, and say, “Are these really God’s words? They don’t look like the truth to me, they don’t necessarily all seem correct to me!” In this way, has your disposition of hating the truth not revealed itself? When you think in this way, can you submit to God? You definitely cannot. If you cannot submit to God, is He still your God? He is not. Then, what will God be to you? You will treat Him like a research subject, someone to be doubted, someone to condemn; you will treat Him like an ordinary and regular person, and condemn Him as such. In doing so, you will become someone who resists and blasphemes against God. What kind of disposition causes this? It is caused by an arrogant disposition that has become inflated to a certain degree; not only will your satanic disposition be revealed from you, your satanic face will also be completely laid bare. What happens to the relationship between God and a person who has reached the stage of resisting God, and whose rebelliousness against God has reached a certain degree? It becomes a hostile relationship where a person places God in opposition to themselves. If, in your belief in God, you cannot accept and submit to the truth, then God is not your God. If you refuse the truth and reject it, then you will have already become someone who resists God. Can God still save you, then? He definitely cannot. God gives you an opportunity to receive His salvation and does not see you as an enemy, but you cannot accept the truth and you place God in opposition to you; your inability to accept God as your truth and as your path makes you a person who resists God. How should this problem be resolved? You must quickly repent and change course. For example, when you encounter a problem or a difficulty while performing your duty and you do not know how to resolve it, you must not blindly ponder on it, you must first quiet yourself before God, pray and seek from Him, and see what God’s words say about it. If, after reading God’s words, you still do not understand, and do not know what truths this issue pertains to, you must hold fast to one principle—that is, first submit, have no personal ideas or thoughts, wait with a peaceful heart, and see how God intends and wants to act. When you do not understand the truth, you should seek it, and you should wait for God, rather than acting blindly and carelessly. If someone gives you a suggestion when you do not understand the truth, and tells you how to act in accordance with the truth, you should first accept it and allow everyone to fellowship on it, and see if this path is correct or not, and whether it is in accordance with the truth principles or not. If you confirm that it is in accordance with the truth, then practice in that way; if you determine that it does not accord with the truth, then do not practice in that way. It is as simple as that. When you seek the truth, you should seek from many people. If anyone has something to say, you should listen to them, and treat all of their words seriously. Do not ignore or snub them, because this relates to matters within the scope of your duty and you must treat this seriously. This is the right attitude and the right state. When you are in the right state, and you do not reveal a disposition that is averse to the truth and hates the truth, then practicing in this way will supplant your corrupt disposition. This is practicing the truth. If you practice the truth in this way, what fruits will it bear? (We will be guided by the Holy Spirit.) Receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit is one aspect. Sometimes the matter will be very simple and can be achieved using your own mind; after others finish giving you their suggestions and you understand, you will be able to rectify things and act in accordance with the principles. People may think that this is a small matter, but to God it is a great matter. Why do I say this? Because, when you practice in this way, to God you are a person who can practice the truth, a person who loves the truth, and a person who is not averse to the truth—when God sees into your heart, He also sees your disposition, and this is a great matter. In other words, when you do your duty and act in the presence of God, what you live out and pour forth are all truth realities that people should possess. The attitudes, thoughts, and states that you possess in everything you do are the most important things for God, and they are what God scrutinizes.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Often Living Before God Can One Have a Normal Relationship With Him

How does the disposition of being averse to the truth mainly manifest in people? When they see a positive thing, they don’t measure it by the truth—what do they use to measure it? They use Satan’s logic to measure it and to see if this thing is done with style, what its form is, and how impressive it is. They measure everything with the methods that Satan uses to evaluate people, that is, the principles and methods that nonbelievers use to evaluate people. They don’t seek the truth when doing things, and the starting point for all of their actions is to measure them using their own imaginings and viewpoints, and the philosophies for worldly dealings and knowledge that they have grasped, casting the truth aside—that’s how they do everything. They use human points of view and Satan’s logic as their measure, and after measuring and measuring, they find that, in their eyes, no one else is ever as good as them—they are the best. Do they have God’s requirements for mankind in their hearts? Are there any principles of the truth there? No, there are none. They don’t see God’s requirements for mankind, they don’t see that the truth is the reality of all positive things, they don’t see that the truth is above all things, so they naturally look down on the incarnate God, and they always have notions about the manner of dress, and the speech and deportment of God’s incarnation. And so, after extended contact, they think, “You are not as dignified, majestic, and profound as I imagined, and You don’t even have as much class as I do. As I stand here, don’t I have the class of a great figure? Although You speak the truth, I don’t see anything about You that looks like God. You always talk about the truth, You always talk about entering into reality, why don’t You disclose some mysteries? Why don’t You speak a bit in the language of the third heaven?” What kind of logic and viewpoint on things is this? (It is Satan’s viewpoint on things.) This comes from Satan. How do you think I approach these things? (You loathe this kind of person and You are unwilling to interact with them.) You are wrong. On the contrary, when I encounter such a person, I will draw near to them and fellowship with them normally, and I will provide what I can and help how I can. If they are obstinate and stubborn, I’m not only able to get along with them normally, I will also discuss things with them as much as possible. I’ll say, “Do you think it works to do things this way? Use whichever of these methods you feel is appropriate, and if you feel that none of them are appropriate, think of your own way to solve this problem.” The greater this kind of person thinks they are, the more I get along with them in this manner; I won’t put on airs before anyone. If there are two stools, one higher and one lower, I will let them sit on the high one, and I will sit on the low one. I will talk to them with My head tilted upward, and finally make them feel ashamed, and make them realize, little by little, that they possess no truths, that they are impoverished and pitiful, numb and dull-witted. What do you think of this method? (It is good.) So, if I were to brush them off, would that be good for them? Actually, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it won’t do them any good. If they believe in God with some sincerity, possess some humanity, and they can be saved, then it is alright for Me to interact with them. Eventually, one day, if they understand the truth, they themselves will choose to sit on the lower stool, and no longer be proud. If I brush them off, they will remain this ignorant and foolish forever, saying and doing stupid things, and they will always be a foolish person, impoverished and pitiful—that is the ugly state of people who don’t pursue the truth. People look down on and despise positive things, and when they see someone who is honest, loving, and who always practices the truth but sometimes lacks wisdom, they disdain them from their hearts. They think that such a person is useless and a good-for-nothing, while they themselves are shrewd, good at calculating, adept at plotting and scheming, have means and gifts, and are capable and well-spoken. They think that this makes them the object of God’s salvation, but it is actually the opposite—this is the kind of person that God abhors. This is the disposition of disliking and being averse to the truth.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Knowing One’s Disposition Is the Foundation of Changing It

God does not loathe people’s poor caliber, He does not loathe their foolishness, and He does not loathe that they have corrupt dispositions. What is it that God most loathes in people? It is when they are averse to the truth. If you are averse to the truth, then because of that alone, God will never find delight in you. This is set in stone. If you are averse to the truth, if you do not love the truth, if your attitude toward the truth is uncaring, contemptuous, and arrogant, or even repulsed, resistant, and rejective—if this is how you behave—then God is utterly disgusted with you, and you are dead in the water, beyond saving. If you really do love the truth in your heart, yet are of somewhat low caliber and lacking in insight, and a bit foolish; if you often make mistakes, but do not intend to do evil, and have simply done a few foolish things; if you are willing at heart to hear God’s fellowship on the truth, and you long at heart for the truth; if the attitude you take in your treatment of the truth and God’s words is one of sincerity and longing, and you can treasure and cherish God’s words—this is enough. God likes such people. Even though you may be a bit foolish at times, God still likes you. God loves your heart, which longs for the truth, and He loves your sincere attitude toward the truth. So, God has mercy on you and is always granting grace to you. He does not consider your poor caliber or your foolishness, nor does He consider your transgressions. Because your attitude toward the truth is sincere and eager, and your heart is true, then—considering the trueness of your heart and this attitude of yours—He shall be ever merciful toward you, and the Holy Spirit shall work on you, and you shall have hope of salvation. On the other hand, if you are intransigent in your heart and self-indulgent, if you are averse to the truth, never heedful of God’s words and everything that involves the truth, and antagonistic and scornful from the depths of your heart, then what is God’s attitude toward you? Loathing, revulsion, and unceasing wrath. What two characteristics are evident in God’s righteous disposition? Abundant mercy and profound wrath. The “abundant” in “abundant mercy” means that God’s mercy is tolerant, patient, forbearing, and that it is the greatest love—that is what “abundant” means. Because people are foolish and of poor caliber, this is how God has to act. If you love the truth but are foolish and of poor caliber, God’s attitude is of abundant mercy toward you. What does mercy include? Patience and tolerance: God is tolerant and patient toward your ignorance, He gives you sufficient faith and tolerance to support you, to provide for you and help you, so that you may understand the truth bit by bit and gradually mature. Upon what foundation is this built? It is built upon the foundation of one’s love and yearning for the truth, and their sincere attitude toward God, His words, and the truth. These are the fundamental behaviors that should be manifested in people. But if someone is averse to the truth in their heart, is repulsed by it, or even hates the truth, if they never take the truth seriously, and always talk about their accomplishments, how they have worked, how much experience they have, what they have gone through, how God esteems them and has entrusted them with great tasks—if they only talk about these things, their qualifications, achievements, and their talents, always showing off, and never fellowship on the truth, bear testimony to God, or fellowship on understanding gained from the experience of God’s work or their knowledge of God, are they not averse to the truth? This is how being averse to the truth and not loving the truth is manifested. Some people say, “How can they listen to sermons if they don’t love the truth?” Does everyone who listens to sermons love the truth? Some people just go through the motions. They are forced to put on an act in front of others, fearing that if they do not participate in the life of the church, the house of God will not acknowledge their faith. How does God define this attitude toward the truth? God says that they do not love the truth, that they are averse to the truth. Within their disposition, there is one thing that is most fatal, even more fatal than arrogance and deceitfulness, and that is being averse to the truth. God sees this. Given the righteous disposition of God, how does He treat such people? He is wrathful toward them. If God is wrathful toward someone, sometimes He reprimands them, or disciplines and punishes them. If they do not deliberately oppose God, He will be tolerant, wait, and observe. Because of the situation or other objective reasons, God may make use of this disbeliever to render service to Him. But as soon as the environment allows, and the time is right, such people will be kicked out of the house of God, for they are not even fit to render service. Such is the wrath of God. Why is God so profoundly wrathful? This expresses God’s extreme hatred for those who are averse to the truth. God’s profound wrath indicates that He has defined the outcome and destination of such people who are averse to the truth. Where does God class these people? God classes them in the camp of Satan. Because He is wrathful toward them and sickened by them, God shuts the door on them, He does not permit them to set foot in the house of God, and does not give them the chance to be saved. This is one manifestation of God’s wrath. God also puts them on the same level as Satan, as filthy demons and evil spirits, as the disbelievers, and when the time is right, He shall eliminate them. Is this not one way of handling them? (Yes.) Such is the wrath of God. And what awaits them once they have been eliminated? Can they ever again enjoy God’s grace and blessings and the salvation of God? (No.)

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. To Fulfill One’s Duty Well, Understanding the Truth Is Most Crucial

If you are averse to the truth, and you always slander the truth and hold it in contempt, if you have this sort of nature, you will not easily change. Even if you change, it remains to be seen whether God’s attitude has changed. If what you do can change God’s attitude, then you still have hope of being saved. If you can’t change God’s attitude, and deep down in God’s heart, He has long been averse to your essence, then you have no hope of salvation. Therefore, you have to examine yourselves. If you are in a state where you are averse to the truth and resist the truth, this is very dangerous. If you often produce such a state, often fall into such a state, or if you are fundamentally this sort of person, this is even more of a problem. If you are occasionally in the state of being averse to the truth, first, it may be due to your small stature; second, man’s corrupt disposition itself contains this sort of essence, which inevitably gives rise to this state. However, this state does not represent your essence. Sometimes, a fleeting emotion may produce a state that causes you to be averse to the truth. This is only temporary. It is not caused by your disposition essence that is averse to the truth. If it is a temporary state, it can be reversed, but how do you reverse it? You have to immediately come before God to seek the truth in this aspect and become able to acknowledge the truth, and submit to the truth and God. Then this state is resolved. If you don’t resolve it and let it go on and on, you are in danger. For example, some people say: “Anyway, I am of poor caliber and cannot understand the truth, so I will stop pursuing it, and I don’t have to submit to God either. How could God give me this caliber? God is not righteous!” You deny the righteousness of God. Isn’t that being averse to the truth? It is the attitude of being averse to the truth and a manifestation of being averse to the truth. There is a context to the occurrence of this manifestation, so it is necessary to solve the context and root cause of this state. Once the root cause is solved, your state will disappear along with it. Some states are like a symptom, such as a cough, which may be caused by a cold or pneumonia. If you cure the cold or pneumonia, the cough will also get better. When the root cause is resolved, the symptoms disappear. But some states of being averse to the truth are not a symptom, but a tumor. The root cause of the disease is inside. You may not be able to find any symptoms by looking on the outside, but once the disease occurs, it is fatal. This is a very serious problem. Such people never accept or acknowledge the truth, or even constantly slander the truth like the nonbelievers. Even if the words never leave their lips, they keep on slandering, rejecting, and refuting the truth in their hearts. No matter which truth—whether it is knowing oneself, acknowledging one’s corrupt disposition, accepting the truth, submitting to God, not doing things in a perfunctory manner, or being an honest person—they do not accept, admit, or pay attention to any aspect of the truth, or even refute and slander all aspects of the truth. This is the disposition of being averse to the truth, it is a sort of essence. What kind of outcome does this essence lead to? Being spurned and eliminated by God, and then perishing. The consequences are very serious.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. To Fulfill One’s Duty Well, Understanding the Truth Is Most Crucial

In the last days, God incarnate has come. What is it that man ought most to gain, given that they believe in the practical God? It is the truth, the life; nothing besides this is significant. When Christ came, what He brought was the truth, the life; He came to provide people with life. So, how does one go about believing in the practical God? What must one do to obtain the truth and the life? God has expressed so many truths. All those who hunger and thirst for righteousness should eat and drink their fill of the words of God. All God’s words are the truth, and His words are rich and abundant; there are precious things everywhere and treasures all around. Enjoying the abundance of the beautiful land of Canaan, those who love the truth are abloom with joy at heart. There is truth and light in every sentence of God’s words of which they eat and drink, they are all precious. People who do not love the truth frown from woe; they sit at a feast and suffer from famine, showing their piteousness. The gains of those who are able to seek the truth will keep growing, and those who cannot do so will come to a dead end. What is now of greatest concern is learning to seek the truth in everything, to reach an understanding of the truth, to practice the truth, and to be able to truly submit to God. That’s what it is to believe in God. To believe in the practical God is to obtain the truth and the life. What is the truth used for? Is it used to enrich people’s spiritual world? Is it meant to give people a good education? (No.) So, what problem of man’s does the truth resolve? The truth is there to resolve man’s corrupt disposition, to resolve man’s sinful nature, to make people live before God, and to have them live out a normal humanity. Some people do not understand what the truth is. They always feel that the truth is profound and abstract, and that the truth is a mystery. They do not understand that the truth is something for people to practice, something for people to apply. Some people have believed in God for ten or twenty years and still do not understand exactly what the truth is. Has this kind of person obtained the truth? (No.) Aren’t those who have not obtained the truth pitiful? Very much so—just as sung in that hymn, they’re “sitting at a feast and suffering from famine.” Gaining the truth is not difficult, nor is entering into the truth reality, but if people are always averse to the truth, are they able to gain it? They cannot. So you must always come in front of God, examine your internal states of being averse to the truth, see what displays of being averse to the truth you have, and what ways of doing things are being averse to the truth, and in which things you have an attitude of being averse to the truth—you must often examine these things. For instance, someone admonishes you by saying, “You can’t do your duty just by relying on your own will—you should reflect on and know yourself,” and you get angry and retort, “How I do my duty is no good, but how you do yours is fine? What’s wrong with how I do my duty? God knows my heart!” What kind of attitude is this? One of accepting the truth? (No.) One must first have an attitude of accepting the truth when things happen to them. Not having this kind of attitude is like not having a vessel to receive a treasure, thus leaving you unable to obtain the truth. If a person can’t obtain the truth, their belief in God is in vain! The purpose of believing in God is to obtain the truth. If one cannot obtain the truth, then their belief in God has failed. What is it to obtain the truth? It is when the truth becomes your reality, when it has become your life. That’s what it is to obtain the truth—that’s what it means to believe in God! What does God say His words for? What does God express those truths for? So that people may accept the truth, such that corruption is made pure; so that people may obtain the truth, such that the truth becomes their life. Why would God express so many truths otherwise? In order to compete with the Bible? In order to establish a “University of the Truth” and train a group of people? No to both. It is meant instead to save mankind completely, to have people understand the truth and ultimately obtain it. You understand now, don’t you? What is most important in believing in God? (Obtaining the truth and entering into the truth reality.) From here, it comes down to how you enter into the truth reality, and whether or not you can.

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

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