Item Fourteen: Promptly Discern, and Then Clear Out or Expel All Manner of Evil People and Antichrists (Part Five)

The Attitude That Leaders and Workers Should Have Toward the Work of Cleansing the Church

This year, we’ve been continuously fellowshipping on the responsibilities of leaders and workers, and the manifestations of all kinds of people involved. The topics of fellowship have become increasingly detailed and specific, involving the various problems of all kinds of people, and the fellowship on the specific manifestations of these people and the categories they should be divided into has also been very specific and clear. The more specifically and clearly these detailed problems are fellowshipped, the more positive help and guidance it should provide for the life entry of God’s chosen people, and the more guidance and assistance it should offer for leaders and workers to work and do their duties. However, no matter how the fellowship is carried out, no matter how specific the fellowship is, some leaders and workers are still unclear about how to handle and dispose of the various types of people and issues in the church. The issues of all kinds of people are fellowshipped so clearly, yet some leaders and workers still cannot perceive how to discern and treat the different kinds of people. They still cannot act according to the truth principles, nor can they use the truth to handle the various types of people and issues in the church. What is the reason for this? Such people lack the truth reality. Through fellowship on the manifestations of all kinds of people, one should have a basic discernment of and make reasonable arrangements for those in the church who do their duties and those who do not, those who pursue the truth and those who do not, those who are obedient and submissive, and those who cause disruptions and disturbances. However, looking at the situation of all kinds of people in the church, only the obviously evil people have been cleared out; many disbelievers have not been thoroughly cleared out. In the work of cleansing the church, leaders and workers should cooperate with God’s work to cleanse the evil people and disbelievers away as soon as possible, rather than approach it passively, acting as people pleasers, or thinking that just cleansing the obviously evil people away means everything is settled and fine. Leaders and workers should actively inspect the work of each team, verify the situations of each team’s members, whether there are any disbelievers there just to make up the numbers or disbelievers spreading negativity and notions to disturb the church’s work, and once discovered, these people should be thoroughly exposed and cleared out. This is the work that leaders and workers should do; they should not be passive, should not wait for orders and urging from the Above to act, nor should they only do a little something when the brothers and sisters all call for it. In their work, leaders and workers should be considerate of God’s intentions and be loyal to Him. The best way for them to behave is to proactively recognize and solve problems. They must not remain passive, especially when they have these current words and fellowship to act as a basis. They should take the initiative to thoroughly resolve actual problems and difficulties by fellowshipping on the truth, and do their work exactly how they ought to. They should promptly and proactively follow up on the progress of the work; they cannot always wait for orders and urging from the Above before they reluctantly take action. If leaders and workers are always negative and passive and do not do real work, they are unworthy of serving as leaders and workers, and should be dismissed and reassigned. There are many leaders and workers now who are very passive in their work. They only ever do a bit of work after the Above sends orders and pushes them; otherwise, they slack off and procrastinate. The work in some churches is quite chaotic, some of the people who do duties there are incredibly slack and perfunctory, and do not get any real results. These problems are already very severe, and terrible in nature, but the leaders and workers of those churches still act like officials and overlords. Not only are they unable to do any real work, they cannot recognize or solve problems. This paralyzes the church’s work and causes it to stagnate. Wherever a church’s work is in a terrible mess and there is no sign of order, there is definitely a false leader or an antichrist holding power. In every church where a false leader holds power, the church’s work is in shambles and a complete mess—there is no doubt about that. For instance, many of the issues in the American churches were discovered with My own ears or eyes. Most of the issues I’ve seen were resolved on the spot; for some other ones, I asked the leaders of the American churches to resolve them. However, the majority of the work of leaders and workers is done very passively, with follow-ups being too slow and efficiency too low, with most of their daily tasks being carried out only after orders and urging from the Above. After the Above arranges work, they will be busy for a while, but once that bit of work is done, they don’t know what to do next because they don’t understand what duties they should do. They are never clear about the work that falls within the scope of the responsibilities of leaders and workers which they should perform; in their eyes, there is no work that needs to be done. What is going on when people don’t think there’s any work that needs to be done? (They do not bear a burden.) Accurately speaking, they do not bear a burden; they are also very lazy and covet comfort, take as many breaks as possible whenever they can, and try to avoid any extra tasks. These lazy people often think, “Why should I worry so much? Worrying too much will just make me age faster. How will I benefit from doing that, and from running around so much, and exhausting myself so much? What will happen if I burn out and get sick? I don’t have the money to pay for treatment. And who will take care of me when I’m old?” These lazy people are just this passive and backward. They have not an ounce of the truth, and cannot see anything clearly. They are clearly a bunch of muddled people, are they not? They are all muddled-headed; they are oblivious to the truth and have no interest in it, so how can they be saved? Why are people always undisciplined and lazy, as though they are the living dead? This touches on the issue of their nature. There is a kind of laziness in human nature. No matter what task people are doing, they always need someone to supervise and urge them. Sometimes people are considerate of the flesh, covet physical comfort, and always hold something back for themselves—these people are full of devilish intentions and cunning schemes; they are truly no good at all. They always do less than their best, no matter what important duty they are doing. This is irresponsible and disloyal. I have said these things today to remind you not to be passive at work. You must be able to follow whatever I say. If I were to go to various churches and find out or see that you’ve done a lot of work, that you’ve worked very efficiently, and that work is progressing very quickly, that it has reached a satisfying level, and everyone has done their best, I would be quite pleased. If I were to go to various churches and see that the progress of work in all aspects is slow, proving that you have not done your duties well and have not kept up with the normal pace of spreading the gospel, what do you think My mood would be then? Would I still be happy to see you? (No.) I would not be. This work has been entrusted to you, and I’ve said everything that needs to be said; the specific principles of practice and the path have also been told to you. Yet, you do not act, do not work, only waiting for Me to personally supervise and urge you, to prune you or even command you to act. What is the problem here? Shouldn’t this be dissected? When you are not doing the work that obviously should be done and are unable to shoulder it—can I have a good attitude toward you? (No.) Why can’t I have a good attitude toward you? (We are too irresponsible in doing our duties.) Because you are not doing your duties with all your heart and strength, but rather just doing them perfunctorily. A person who is loyal in their duties should at least exert all their strength, but you cannot even achieve this; you fall far too short! It’s not that your caliber is insufficient; it’s that your mentality is incorrect and you are irresponsible. There are some absurd things in your hearts that prevent you from doing your duties. Additionally, the mindset of being people pleasers hinders you from carrying out the work of cleansing the church. Do you know what the significance of cleansing the church is? Why does God want to cleanse the church? What are the consequences of not cleansing the church? You are all unclear about these matters and do not seek the truth, which proves that you are not considerate of God’s intentions. You are only willing to do a bit of the ordinary, regular work of your position and shy away from special tasks, especially those that might offend others. You all prefer to pass these tasks on to someone else. Is this not the way you think? Isn’t this an issue that ought to be addressed? You always say, “My caliber is poor, my understanding of the truth is limited, and I don’t have enough work experience. I have never been a church leader, nor have I conducted church cleansing work.” Is this not making excuses? The work of cleansing the church has been fellowshipped so clearly. Cleansing away antichrists, evil people, and disbelievers is such a simple matter. Are those few principles really that hard to understand? If such simple issues are explained so clearly and people still do not understand, what does that indicate? It indicates that either their caliber is too poor to understand human language, or they’re just scoundrels not focusing on proper tasks. Among the leaders and workers, there are definitely some with poor caliber, and surely there are some people pleasers who do not engage in real work; there are definitely also some scoundrels who neglect proper tasks and recklessly commit misdeeds—all these situations exist. Firstly, these scoundrels who neglect proper tasks need to be cleansed away. Whoever can do real work should be used, people pleasers acting as leaders should definitely be dismissed, and people with poor caliber who can understand human language and can do some real work should be kept. These issues should be resolved in this manner. If, after God has fellowshipped, you can clearly see the problems in the church’s work that the leaders and workers should solve, then you should address them promptly without further delay. You should be able to take the initiative to act without needing to wait for the Above to personally assign tasks or issue commands. No matter what problems arise, they should be resolved before they affect the work. Before the Above even begins to investigate the issues, you should have already reported your understanding of and solutions to the issues, the principles for handling them, and the results of handling them. How great that would be! Could the Above still be dissatisfied with you then? As a leader or worker, if you constantly fail to see the work within the scope of your own responsibilities, or even if you have some awareness or ideas but keep procrastinating and not acting, always waiting for the Above to arrange tasks for you, isn’t this a dereliction of duty? (Yes.) This is a serious dereliction of duty! You have lost the attitude and responsibility that comes with the role of a leader or worker in how duty should be treated. In their work, leaders and workers should closely follow the requirements of the Above; whatever the Above has fellowshipped, that is what you should implement, acting and implementing quickly once you have understood. Solving problems with the truth is the most important responsibility of leaders and workers, and you should not passively wait for the Above to arrange work before doing anything. If you are always passively waiting, then you are not fit to be a leader or worker, you cannot shoulder this work, and admitting responsibility and resigning would be the only reasonable thing to do.

The Manifestations and Outcomes of Three Kinds of People Who Believe in God

I. Laborers

There are fifteen responsibilities of leaders and workers in total, and we have already fellowshipped up to the fourteenth. The problems within the church that leaders and workers need to solve, as well as the issues of all kinds of people which are involved in these problems, have been fellowshipped up to about eighty to ninety percent. These are all tasks that leaders and workers need to undertake and problems they need to solve. This involves many issues. In one regard, it touches upon the responsibilities that leaders and workers should fulfill; in another, it also involves the various issues of all kinds of people in the church. Although the theme of our fellowship during this period is the responsibilities of leaders and workers and the exposure of false leaders, we have also fellowshipped a lot about the issues of various kinds of people—and the states and essences of various kinds of people—touched upon by this theme. Of course, this specific content has different effects on all kinds of people who follow God in the church. Among them, there is a type of person who, even after hearing all this fellowship, still holds the attitude of “I have good humanity, I truly believe in God, I’m willing to forsake things in my faith in God, and I’m willing to pay a price and endure hardship to do my duty.” They do not care about the various states of all kinds of people, the truth involved in various states, or the truth principles people should understand, which were fellowshipped during this period. Is this not a type of person? Is this type of person not very representative? (Yes.) This type of person always holds a certain viewpoint. What is this viewpoint primarily composed of? The three points I just mentioned: First, they believe their humanity is not bad, and even that it is good. Second, they think they truly believe in God, meaning they genuinely believe in God’s existence and in God’s sovereignty over everything, believing that human destiny is controlled by God, that it falls under God’s sovereignty, which is a broad interpretation of “truly believe in God.” Third, they believe they can forsake things in their faith in God and endure hardship and pay the price to do their duties. These three points can be said to be the most basic, primary, and core elements that these people hold on to in their faith in God. Of course, these things can also be considered their capital in believing in God, as well as the goals they pursue, and their motivation and direction in acting. They believe that possessing these three points qualifies them for the three basic conditions of being saved, making them people who are loved and accepted by God. This is a grave mistake; having these three points merely indicates a bit of humanity. Can just having a bit of humanity earn God’s approval? Absolutely not; God approves of those who fear Him and shun evil. These three points do not meet the standard of the truth reality; they are merely the three standards for being laborers. Next, I will fellowship on the details of these three points to make you understand clearly. The first point is having good humanity. They believe that not doing evil, not causing disruptions and disturbances, and not causing harm to the interests of God’s house is enough, and that this means they can satisfy God’s intentions and act in accordance with principles. The second point is “truly believing in God.” For them, what they call “truly believing in God” means never doubting God’s existence or the fact of His sovereignty over everything, and believing that human destiny is in God’s hands, which they think will enable them to follow God to the end. They believe that as long as they truly believe in God, they will earn His approval. Therefore, no matter how God leads or acts, or whatever problems they encounter, they say, “Just love God, follow God, submit to God.” Their method of solving problems is too simplistic; can such generalized words solve any problems? The third point is being able to forsake things in their faith in God, and being able to endure hardships and pay a price to do their duties. How do they put this into practice? Because they truly believe in God, when there is a need in the church’s work or when they feel God’s urgent intentions, they can proactively forsake their families, marriages, and careers, put aside their worldly prospects, and follow God and do their duties with unfaltering determination, never having any regrets. They are able to endure hardships and pay a price for whatever duty the house of God arranges for them, even if it means eating less and sleeping less. No matter how hard the living conditions are, or even in some adverse environments, they can still persist in doing their duties. Besides these three points, the practice of all other aspects related to the truth seems unrelated to them. They do what seems good or right to them. As for the various principles of practice God has told to man, as well as the states, manifestations, and essence of people’s various corrupt dispositions that God has exposed, they think it’s fine for them to know a little or not know at all; they feel no need to specifically and meticulously search for various principles to examine their own corruption and make up for their deficiencies, or any need to often attend gatherings to hear others fellowship their various experiential testimonies, and then achieve self-transformation, and so on. Believing in God this way, they feel, is too troublesome, it’s unnecessary. They follow God and do their duties with a superficial understanding of faith in God and dispositional change, along with various notions and imaginings about God’s work. Isn’t this type of person quite representative? (Yes.) They set a most basic requirement for themselves, and have a most basic attitude toward believing in God. Beyond this, they neglect the truth, God’s judgment and exposure, being pruned, as well as people’s various corrupt dispositions and various states, manifestations, and so on. They never contemplate or ponder these issues. That is, these people consider themselves as having good humanity, being good people, and truly believing in God; and while acknowledging that people have corrupt dispositions, they disregard the specific states and manifestations of people’s various corrupt dispositions exposed by God, not putting any effort into investigating these things. Isn’t this a type of person? Aren’t the views and specific manifestations of this type of person in their faith in God quite representative? (Yes.) Considering the viewpoints of these people on believing in God, their understanding of being saved, and their attitude toward God’s words which expose people’s various corrupt dispositions, into what category should these people be placed? (Those with muddled faith, who do not pursue the truth.) This is just the surface appearance; how should these people really be categorized? Are there many such people in the church? (Yes.) Whenever specific issues are discussed and the corresponding truths are fellowshipped, they start feeling sleepy, doze off, or become confused, showing no interest. If they are assigned any work or tasks, they roll up their sleeves and get to it, not shying away from hardship or fatigue. They think it would be great if believing in God were like doing this kind of work—then they would be motivated. When it comes time to endure hardship, pay the price, and exert effort in work, they show genuine earnestness. But is this genuine earnestness and enthusiasm the same as being loyal? Is it the manifestation one should have after understanding the truth principles? (No.) Through My fellowship, can you see into which category these people should be classified? (Laborers.) That’s right. These people are laborers, and this is how laborers believe in God.

We started by fellowshipping about the nature, essence, and the various manifestations of antichrists, as well as the various manifestations of those who have the disposition of antichrists but are not actually antichrists. Now, we are fellowshipping about the manifestations of various kinds of people touched upon by the responsibilities of leaders and workers. Although the topics fellowshipped have been about antichrists and false leaders, the specific issues and manifestations touched upon by each item relate to the corrupt dispositions of corrupt humankind, as well as the various states and manifestations produced under the dominion of corrupt dispositions. Although false leaders and antichrists are only a minority, the dispositions of false leaders and antichrists, as well as their various states and manifestations, exist in every person to different extents. Now that these issues have been fellowshipped in such detail, those who pursue the truth will next have more of a path and direction, and clearer goals, in pursuing the truth, practicing the truth, understanding the truth principles, and entering into the truth reality. This is a good thing for them and a cause for joy. In other words, they are embarking on a new milestone in their faith in God. They no longer live under regulations, religious rituals, or words and doctrines, and slogans. Instead, they have more concrete directions and goals for practice, and of course more specific principles to follow. How to practice under certain circumstances and what the truth principles involved are, or what states and corruptions people have and how they should be treated, as well as how to seek the truth to resolve them—the two main fellowshipped topics of antichrists and false leaders mostly touch upon these contents. For those pursuing the truth, the more specifically the truth is fellowshipped, the more they have a path for practice. The more specifically the truth is fellowshipped, the brighter and clearer people’s hearts become, the more they can know and understand themselves, and the more they are aware of what they should enter into next and what problems they need to solve next. As for the type of people mentioned as laborers just now, after we extensively fellowshipped about the various states produced by humankind’s corrupt dispositions and the various problems of corruption that need to be resolved, they still remain unmoved. What does it mean to remain unmoved? It means that they are still unclear about and unable to grasp the pursuit of the truth and the path of salvation spoken of by God. More seriously, after so many essential manifestations and problems have been fellowshipped, they still think, “I have good humanity, I truly believe in God, I’m willing to forsake things in my faith in God, and I’m willing to pay a price and endure hardship to do my duty; this is sufficient.” When faced with situations, they neither examine themselves nor compare themselves to God’s words, but instead try to solve problems based solely on their own human goodness or the little conscience and reason they have. Of course, some people rely on restraint and patience, enduring again and again, while others rely on philosophies for worldly dealings, making major issues seem like minor ones, and then making minor issues seem unproblematic. The goal they pursue is: “By the day God’s work concludes, if I am still in the church doing my duty, not having been cleared out, that’s enough. Whether I have a true understanding of myself, whether my corrupt dispositions have been resolved, whether I have true submission to God, whether I am a person who fears God and shuns evil—those are minor issues, not worth mentioning. You make a big deal out of everything, fellowshipping the truth in such detail, bringing up even the smallest issues for fellowship without end, always making us discern; I’m simply unwilling to listen to these fellowships on the truth, I have no interest at all. When God’s day arrives, how wonderful it would be if we could just directly enter the kingdom!” While it’s true that everyone’s patience has its limits, the patience of such people is limitless. Why? It’s because they believe they have good humanity, truly believe in God, have the ability to forsake things as believers in God, and the willingness to pay a price and endure hardship to do their duty; when faced with anything, they have their own solutions, ultimately still able to steadfastly do their duties and stand firm. However, no matter how they persist in doing their duties, or by what means they endure to the end, regardless of their motivation, one thing is certain: They do not have true submission to God, and they never understand their own corrupt dispositions. More accurately, these people do not admit to having corruption, nor do they acknowledge the various states and problems that arise from people’s corrupt dispositions exposed by God. Even if they do occasionally match themselves up to these states and problems, they treat it with a cold approach, saying, “Everyone is equally corrupt. The nature essence of all is that of devils and Satan; we are all enemies of God. This is a fact that nobody can change. But as long as one persists in doing their duty, God will surely approve, and those who persist to the end will be the overcomers.” Judging from their viewpoints, they are quite vigorous in their belief in God, but when it comes to sharing experiential testimonies, they fall silent, unable to speak a word. When it’s time to fellowship the truth at gatherings, they feel drowsy and can’t take it in. If you ask them, “How do you experience God’s words in your duty every day?” they say, “Whatever the church arranges for me to do, I do. Does this require experiencing?” They seem not to understand. If you then ask them, “Do you have any corruption being revealed? How do you understand yourself?” they say, “I just submit to God and love God; what problems could there be?” Their thinking is that simple. This is their view: “Believing in God should be like this. Why bother with so many trivial issues? You’re making things too complicated!” Therefore, they do their duty and carry out tasks never seeking the truth principles, but rather acting on good intentions and enthusiasm. More accurately, they act under the dominion of conscience and reason, thinking: “I’ve already suffered and paid a price to a great extent; I’ve already practiced the truth and satisfied God to a great extent; don’t ask more of me. I’m fine as is, I’m a good person, and I truly believe in God.” Of course, there are times when these people can’t help but vent, and then their true colors are exposed. They can spout many words and doctrines but lack any real stature; in other words, they have no life. What does having no life specifically refer to? (They have no truth.) How does not having truth come about? (They do not love the truth, nor do they pursue it.) It’s not even about whether they love the truth or not; to be precise, they do not accept the truth. Some might say, “How can You say they don’t accept the truth? They endure so much hardship and pay so great a price to do their duty, working hard every day from dawn till dusk; how can You say they have no truth?” Is saying this wronging them? But if you look at these people, behind their suffering and paying the price, is everything they do within the scope of the truth principles? Do they seek principles in everything they do? Do they come before God with a God-fearing heart, and do things according to God’s words and the principles required by God’s house? No; it’s all human actions, human restraint. What is their main manifestation of not accepting the truth? It is that, before doing something, they never actively seek the truth, nor do they ever seriously ponder what the principles of the truth are and then strictly practice according to God’s words. Do they harbor such thoughts and attitudes? What is their attitude toward the various manifestations of humankind’s corrupt disposition exposed by God? Do they accept these words? Do they admit that these words are factual? Do they acknowledge that these specific manifestations are revelations of corruption? They might nod in agreement or admit it outwardly, but in their hearts, they do not accept it; they ignore it. What does ignoring it mean? Specifically, it means not accepting, having no clear attitude, and no obvious resistance or opposition, but adopting an attitude of cold treatment toward these words spoken by God. Saying “cold treatment” is a bit abstract; specifically, it is that they think, “You say people are arrogant and deceitful, but who isn’t deceitful? Who doesn’t have a bit of shrewdness? Who doesn’t show some arrogance or haughtiness? What’s the big deal? As long as one can endure hardship and pay the price, that’s enough.” Isn’t this an attitude and a specific manifestation of non-acceptance? (Yes.) This is not accepting the truth. Their attitude toward the words of God’s judgment and exposure is one of disregard and non-acceptance. So, when it comes to the evaluations and reminders that the brothers and sisters give to them, and even the pointers and aid that brothers and sisters provide for their corrupt dispositions, can they accept these things? (No.) Tell Me, then, what are their specific manifestations? Why can’t they accept these things? Where is your evidence for saying this? For example, when you say to them, “You can’t do your duty in such a careless manner; this is perfunctory,” what manifestations of theirs prove they do not accept the truth? (They would say, “I’ve already put my heart into it. I’ve already suffered and paid the price. How can you say I’m being perfunctory?”) This is them justifying themselves. Would they sometimes look for excuses? Even if they admit in their hearts, they still think, “I was perfunctory, and what of it? Who doesn’t have their off days? Who doesn’t experience normal emotions? But I can’t admit to being perfunctory; I need to find an excuse to cover it up. I can’t lose face.” Thus, they find many reasons and excuses to sophistically defend themselves, not admitting the fact that they were being perfunctory, not acknowledging their own issues in this regard, nor accepting pointers from other people. This is a specific manifestation of not accepting the truth. When not faced with actual situations, they consider themselves “a good person, who truly believes in God.” When faced with situations, though they can’t use this as a shield anymore, they still find sufficient reasons to justify and defend themselves, gloss over the issue, put an end to it, and then continue to see themselves as “a good person, with good humanity, who truly believes in God, and has the ability to forsake, and the ability to endure hardship and pay a price to do my duty.” Speaking precisely, the manifestations, the essence of such people, are those of laborers. This group occupies a significant proportion in the church. Regardless of the proportion, ultimately, if these individuals can truly suffer and pay the price, and endure and persist to the end without committing any major transgressions, without violating God’s administrative decrees or offending His disposition, then they are loyal laborers, laborers who can remain. This is a considerable blessing! They do not pursue the truth, nor can they follow God’s will, bear witness to God, or act as witness to God’s words and work—to receive this blessing is already quite good. What could one expect to gain without pursuing the truth? Being a loyal laborer is already not bad. Some people ask, “Is it possible for these individuals to become God’s people?” It is. The only possibility is if these individuals, on the basis of being able to forsake and suffer, can accept the truth, acknowledge and correctly face their own corruption, and then seek the truth to resolve it, not acting based on human goodness or human restraint, endurance, and perseverance, but practicing according to the truth principles, so that in the end, their disposition can undergo some changes, then they have some chance of becoming God’s people. However, if their actions and behavior are unrelated to dispositional change, unrelated to accepting the truth and being saved, then their chance of becoming God’s people is zero; this is a fact. What is the principle for treating loyal laborers? It is to make the greatest effort to help these people to become clear-headed. What is the purpose of making them clear-headed? To prevent them from entertaining pipe dreams. Some may ask, “What does ‘entertaining pipe dreams’ refer to?” It’s when people consider themselves as “having good humanity, truly believing in God, and having the ability to forsake and the willingness to pay a price,” and then expect to be saved by God, which is impossible. It must be made clear to them that holding the viewpoint that “having good humanity, truly believing in God, and having the ability to forsake and the willingness to pay a price can lead to receiving God’s salvation” is wrong and stupid. It must be made clear to them that having these qualities does not mean one has cast off their corrupt disposition, nor does a bit of good behavior mean one can be saved, much less that one has obtained the truth, and that their viewpoints are absurd, ridiculous, and inconsistent and utterly incompatible with the truth expressed by God. For these people who stubbornly hold onto religious notions, they should be helped; read God’s words and fellowship the truth to them. If they still cannot accept the truth, and no matter how you fellowship the truth, they remain unenlightened and show no intention to seek, then there is no need to force them. They can only serve as laborers until the end.

II. God’s People

After fellowshipping the manifestations of loyal laborers, let’s talk about the manifestations of another type of people. After hearing God’s various exposures and judgments on the corrupt dispositions of all kinds of people, these individuals, by comparison, think more about their own various past revelations of corrupt disposition and the various attitudes toward God and the truth that arise under the dominion of their corrupt disposition—they start to reflect on and know their various manifestations, match themselves against God’s words, examine their attitude toward their duty, and examine the various corruptions they reveal while doing their duty and amid the various people, events, and things arranged by God. They examine and know themselves from each and every detail while trying to accept God’s judgment, exposure, and discipline. In what ways are these individuals better than laborers? They can proactively and positively accept the truth, God’s words, and every corrupt disposition exposed by God. Although sometimes they may be negative, avoidant, or even consider giving up, no matter what, they still possess a drive to make themselves accept the truth. What is this drive? It is this: “God’s words can change people. As long as one accepts the truth, all these problems and corrupt dispositions can be resolved, and one can then be saved. If I want to be saved, I must cooperate with God’s work and accept the truth.” For instance, upon hearing the truth about being an honest person, some start to reflect on themselves and see more clearly the deceitfulness and trickery they engage in, as well as their insidious and wicked aspects. They recall their past lies and cheating ways that remain in their hearts or impressions, which play over and over in their minds like scenes from a movie, making them feel increasingly ashamed, pained, and sorrowful. After continuous self-examination and self-reflection, they feel like criminals, they immediately go completely limp and are unable to stand up. They feel that they are not good people but evil ones, and think it is fortunate that they have not directly resisted God, which is indeed a narrow escape! Then they start to awaken, unwilling to fail like this as a person, and make a resolution: “I must start anew and be an honest person, otherwise, I cannot be saved by God. To be saved, I must be an honest person. I absolutely cannot give up now!” No matter whether these people accept the truth at an earlier or later time, and regardless of whether their comprehension of God’s words is deep or shallow, their attitude toward God’s words is not one of disdain, much less is it aversion or resistance. Instead, they actively acknowledge and accept God’s words, and then they are always ready to put them into practice. When they act or do their duties, they do their utmost to seek principles in God’s words and then consciously act according to these principles. Even if sometimes they cannot find specific principles or grasp the direction, their intent is to do their duty well, to do it in accord with God’s intentions and in alignment with the truth principles. The humanity of these people and that of laborers are mostly the same; there is no distinction between high and low, or noble and lowly. Of course, many among this type of people view themselves as “having good humanity, truly believing in God, and having the ability to forsake as a believer in God, and the willingness to pay a price and endure hardship to do my duty.” But what is the difference between these people and laborers? After they hear God’s words of judgment and exposure of people, their attitude is not to ignore, not to evade, but to actively and earnestly accept. Even if they feel distressed and despondent after hearing these words, even expressing anger toward their own revealed corruption, ultimately, they are still able to face them correctly, actively accept, and proactively practice and enter into them. Isn’t this also a type of person? (Yes.) Aren’t these people representative to a certain extent? (Yes.) Are there many of these people? (Not many.) Although there are not many now, there is hope that their numbers will grow. So, into what category should these people be classified? Can these specific manifestations indicate that these people love the truth and are able to accept the truth? (Yes.) They can. Although some people with poor comprehension abilities accept the truth more slowly, deep in their hearts, they accept the truth and have a mindset of actively entering into it. Whenever someone fellowships new light or paths for practice that are in accordance with the truth principles, their eyes light up, their hearts become elucidated, and they feel joyful, thinking, “Finally, someone has fellowshipped this light. This is what I lack.” They are always able to grasp what they are lacking, to gain the light and enlightenment which they urgently need and lack, and to find the truth principles they need from the genuine experiential understanding fellowshipped by their brothers and sisters. Based on these specific manifestations, do their hearts not yearn for the truth? (Yes.) If we say that these people love the truth, this statement is not very objective or accurate. However, based on their specific manifestations, these people do yearn for the truth. Where does this yearning come from? It comes from their hope to resolve their corrupt dispositions, their hope to resolve the various problems and difficulties they encounter in their life entry, and their hope to make progress in the truth, to delve deeper, as well as their hope to be able to truly act with principles, to practice with a path, to more accurately recognize from the revelations of their corrupt dispositions what the essence of their corrupt dispositions is, and how to resolve them and cast them off. Even though these people often live within corrupt dispositions, such as vying for status, stubbornly insisting on their own way, and being self-righteous, arrogant, deceitful, or even intransigent, through continuously eating and drinking God’s words and experiencing God’s work, these obvious problems will gradually be examined and identified. Then, they can recognize these as problems, revelations of corrupt dispositions, not in accordance with the truth, and hated by God. After becoming aware of their corrupt dispositions, they yearn even more to resolve them and cast them off. This is one of the sources of their yearning for the truth. In other words, they have the need to resolve their corrupt dispositions, the urgent mentality to cast off their corrupt dispositions. At the same time, after discovering various states, problems, and difficulties revealed by their corrupt dispositions, they are more eager to understand what God’s precise words and requirements are for these issues, and which truths or words of God can resolve them. The specific manifestations and sources of their yearning for the truth are these. Is this an objective statement? (Yes.) These people cannot be said to love the truth. If they loved the truth, they would be very proactive, and their various manifestations would be more positive. However, based on the various manifestations of these people and their actual stature, they have not reached the point of loving the truth but merely yearn for it. This statement is already quite objective. So, looking at the various manifestations of these people, into which category should they be classified? Accurately speaking, these people belong to the category of God’s people. This assertion has a basis. What basis? These people’s corrupt dispositions are the same as those of others. In terms of humanity, it cannot be said that their humanity is good, nor can it be said that they are perfect in God’s eyes; most of them have average humanity. What does “average” mean here? It means possessing a certain level of conscience and reason. But this is not the most important aspect. What is the most important? It is that after hearing God’s words and God’s requirements, after hearing about the corrupt dispositions of all kinds of people exposed by God’s words, they are not indifferent but are stirred and will take action. What does taking action mean? It means that after hearing these words of God and these truths, they are unwilling to live within corrupt dispositions anymore and continue their previous means of living. Instead, they strive to change the various thoughts, viewpoints, and ways of existence and lifestyle they previously relied on. At the same time, they actively seek the truth in doing their duty and in the various circumstances arranged by God, using God’s words as the basis and principles for practice, rather than being reckless and willful. From their humanity, caliber, their attitudes and views toward God’s words, God’s work, and God’s requirements, and so on, these people are precisely those God intends to save. They have more hope of casting off their corrupt dispositions and being saved than laborers. Only those who accept the truth and can cast off their corrupt dispositions to be saved are considered God’s people. Isn’t this definition quite fitting? (Yes.) It is the most fitting. Being saved is not just about exerting a little effort and paying a bit of a price to be able to remain, and then everything is settled. What is the status of those who can be saved? It is a status whereby, through accepting and experiencing God’s words and work, their corrupt dispositions are resolved. In this process, they come to know God, understand their own corrupt dispositions, and have real and concrete engagements with and experiences of God’s words, thus being able to bear witness for God—they are able to bear testimony to God. What aspects of God do they bear testimony about? They bear testimony to God’s intentions, God’s disposition, what God has and is, God’s identity, and that God is the Creator. This is what can be manifested in a person after attaining salvation. Why can people achieve these results after being saved? It’s not because they consider themselves as “having good humanity, truly believing in God, and having the ability to forsake as a believer in God, and the willingness to pay a price to do my duty” that they achieve this. The sole reason—and the most important point—is that they can accept God’s words as their life, are able to practice the truth to cast off their corrupt dispositions, put aside their original, old ways of living and viewpoints on living, and take God’s words as their new life. They use God’s words as a basis to conduct themselves, do things, follow God, submit to God, and satisfy God. This is the result that can be achieved in such people. What is the most important aspect for achieving salvation? (Being able to accept the truth.) That’s right. Being able to accept the truth is the key.

Some people say, “If I expend myself for God to the end, will God greatly bless me?” If you do not accept the truth, but can still persist in following God to the end, laboring until the last, during which there are no major transgressions and you do not offend God’s disposition, then, under such circumstances, God will deem you a loyal laborer who gets to remain. Some people ask, “What kind of blessing is it to remain?” It is no minor blessing! If there’s the chance and the possibility, you may see God’s real person, and this depends on what God does in the next age. If there’s an opportunity to remain and live for several more decades, that blessing is quite significant. How does this blessing come about? It is achieved by laboring loyally while holding onto the viewpoint that “I have good humanity, I truly believe in God, I can forsake, and am willing to pay a price and able to endure hardship to do my duty.” Shouldn’t laborers know to be content? (Yes.) They should be content to attain this blessing. They do not even accept God’s words, yet because God sees their loyalty and ability to labor to the end, without deserting during this period, without offending God’s disposition or violating His administrative decrees, without committing major transgressions, He grants them this blessing and grace—since the creation of humankind, this is the greatest gift God gives to corrupt humans who have only labored loyally but not attained salvation. They’ve only exerted a bit of effort, and they don’t even accept God’s words—to be able to receive such great blessing is already quite good; this is God’s immense grace. Another category is God’s people, whom we just talked about. The blessings received by God’s people are definitely greater than those received by laborers. So what is the blessing of God’s people? Of course, it’s not as simple as just being able to remain or having the opportunity to see God’s real person. There are far more blessings, but we won’t discuss them here. Talking about that isn’t realistic, and besides, even if I tell you, you won’t understand or attain them right now. God’s people are the ones God intends to save, and among all humankind, they receive the greatest blessings; this is in no way an exaggeration. Why is that? Because, in God’s work, within the work of God’s six-thousand-year management plan to save humankind, God’s people, by being able to accept God’s words, by being able to treat God’s words as the truth and as the principles for their existence, and by making God’s words their life, have cast off Satan’s corrupt disposition and lived out God’s words, bearing strong and resounding testimony for God. They are able to use that which they live out, their life, to strike back at and shame Satan, able to bear witness to God among humankind, thereby bringing glory to God. Therefore, God’s people are the ones God intends to save, and the ones that receive salvation. Some people say, “Since these individuals can make God’s words their life, live out God’s words, and bear witness to God, does that make them God’s beloved sons, those whom God delights in?” You are thinking too much; it’s good enough to be one of God’s people. If God calls you His son, His child, or His beloved son, that is God’s business, but no matter when, you must never claim to be God’s beloved son, God’s son, or God’s darling yourself. Do not make such claims about yourself, and do not regard yourself as such; you are a created being—this is correct. Even if one day you are called among God’s people, or you have already embarked on the path of being saved, you are still just a created being. If you think this way, it proves that the path you are on is the correct one. If you always seek to be God’s beloved son, to be loved by God, to be delighted in by God, then the path you are taking is the wrong one; this path leads nowhere, and you should not engage in such wishful thinking. Regardless of whether God has ever spoken such words, or given such a promise to people, you should not regard yourself in this way; it’s not what you should try to attain. To be one of God’s people is already good enough; God’s people are already up to standard as created beings—it’s just a pity that you are not one yet. So, don’t pursue those vague, illusory, empty things. Being able to pursue being saved is, to a certain extent, already embarking on the path of being saved. The primary characteristics of God’s people are that they are able to accept the truth and they exhibit a love for the truth. In the process of experiencing God’s work and pursuing salvation, their corrupt dispositions, old thoughts, and various negative states and manifestations related to their corrupt dispositions can be resolved, cast off, and changed to different extents. Then, they can live out God’s requirements of being an honest person, a person who understands the truth principles, a person who has loyalty and submission, and a person who can fear God and shun evil. As for how to be an up-to-standard, benchmark person of God, we will not elaborate on that here; that is not the topic of our fellowship today.

III. Hired Workers

Aside from laborers and God’s people, there is another category of individuals, who are the most pitiable among those chosen by God. After hearing the various truths expressed by God and the various words of His exposure to humankind, their behavior, that which they live out, and their pursuits show no change at all. No matter how you fellowship about the truth with them, they remain indifferent: “I don’t want to change. I will live however I want to live, and no one can control me. You do whatever you want, I don’t care! I’m not in a good mood right now, so none of you should provoke me. If you do, I won’t be polite!” They do not regard themselves with the definite attitude or viewpoint of “I have good humanity, I truly believe in God, I can forsake, and am willing to endure hardship and pay a price,” but they exhibit a more definite attitude among the brothers and sisters. What is this attitude? It is, “I will act however I want, do whatever I wish. No one should urge me to accept the truth, no one should try to change me. Anyone who tries to urge me to accept the truth is just asking for trouble, and if anyone tries to prune me, I will fight back with my life!” They have not the slightest interest in any sentence spoken by God, nor in the work God does. Of course, regarding people’s corrupt dispositions and the principles of doing things, as well as the attitude people should have toward God and the principles that should be observed in interpersonal interactions—which the brothers and sisters mention during gatherings or while doing their duty—they regard them with an attitude of disdain. Some individuals do a duty, but they completely ignore the principles required by God’s house, doing things however it is they’ve planned. Right after you finish fellowshipping the principles with them, they agree to your face but then turn around and start acting recklessly and arbitrarily, showing their demonic aspect. There are also individuals who look like decent humans on the outside, but when you talk or chat with them, their views are incorrect, their tone is incorrect, and what’s more critical is that their disposition is incorrect, making it impossible to have a conversation with them. When you ask them, “Does God exist in the world?” they say, “I don’t know.” You say, “This should be done in this way, it’s God’s intention.” They respond, “Do you find me disagreeable? Are you looking to give me trouble? Are you trying to expel me?” You say, “Acting like this is spreading notions and venting negativity, which could cause some new believers to stumble. We must adhere to the rules of God’s house, and we must be clear about the principles that should be followed in interactions and associations between people. If what is said and done cannot edify or help others, at the very least, it should not negatively impact others. This is the reason that someone with normal humanity should have.” They say, “Talking to me about normal humanity, lecturing me on rules, who do you think you are? What’s wrong with me venting negativity? For every new believer that stumbles, that’s one fewer new believer—saves me the annoyance of having to see them!” Talking rules with them is futile, and so is discussing humanity. What about fellowshipping the truth, fellowshipping God’s words? They don’t listen to fellowship of God’s words either. No one dares to criticize them, no one dares to bother or provoke them. Are there such people in the church? (Yes.) Among those who have been cleared out, there are indeed such individuals. Are these people laborers, God’s people, or what? (They are people who were eliminated.) Why were they eliminated? (For not accepting the truth; for being averse to the truth.) This is the essence of the problem. Why then do they not accept the truth? Why are they averse to the truth? What is the root cause? (The essence of these people is that of disbelievers.) Correct, their essence is that of disbelievers. There are quite a few disbelievers in the church, but are all disbelievers like this? (No.) These individuals, lacking even the most basic human morals and upbringing—are they eliminated just because they are disbelievers? Why are they eliminated? At its root, it’s a problem of humanity; these people have bad, malicious humanity. To put it precisely, they lack humanity. Since they lack humanity, what are they? They’re people of a devilish nature. How do people of a devilish nature compare to beasts? I think they’re even worse than beasts; some beasts can be obedient and avoid wrongdoing. For example, dogs can be quite good; some dogs truly make great pets, getting along exceptionally well with humans! They’re especially obedient and sensible, understanding everything people say, and they’re suitable to be kept indoors. Such dogs are much better than disobedient humans. There are many people who are even worse than good dogs. Then, are they still human? No, they are not human; they are non-human. Many people don’t understand human language; it’s impossible to communicate with them. They do not accept the truth no matter how it’s fellowshipped, they complain when being pruned, and when they get eliminated they fly into a foul-mouthed rage, showing no change at all no matter how many years they have believed. Can such people still be allowed to stay in God’s house? (No.) They cannot be allowed to stay. In what category should such individuals be classified? First of all, should these individuals be categorized among God’s chosen people? (No.) If they are not among God’s chosen ones, into what category should they be placed? To not be among God’s chosen ones—how should this be interpreted? It means that from the perspective of the humanity that they display and live out, it’s not just a simple matter of being disbelievers; their essence is not human. There are many who are disbelievers—are they all as bad and malicious as these individuals? No. Even among nonbelievers, not everyone is that bad; some people possess the most basic moral standards. What about these individuals, then? They lack even the most basic morals and upbringing that nonbelievers have; their revelations and what they live out, to put it accurately, do not meet the standards of human morality. The essence of these people is devilishness. From the perspective of their essence, then, does God save them? (No.) God does not save them. And why is that? Because their humanity is bad and malicious, of a demonic nature, and thus they are averse to the truth and resist it. Actually, putting it this way is elevating them; to be precise, these individuals are averse to and hate positive things, not rising to the level of being averse to the truth and not accepting it. They are averse to, hate, and resist even the most basic positive things; the rules that a person with normal humanity should follow and the upbringing they should have are all things that disgust them. Can they accept the truth? (They fall short of that.) Right, they fall short of that; they are not even laborers. Some people say, “Since they are not even laborers, what are they considered within God’s house? How did they get into God’s house?” If we were to explain them, to put them into a category, speaking precisely, these individuals are like hired workers or temporary workers brought in from among the nonbelievers. Is the meaning of this clear? This is their category, as well as the role they play in God’s house. They are not even laborers; I do not regard them as laborers, they are not worthy! Laborers possess characteristics like having good humanity, truly believing in God, and having the willingness to pay a price, and the ability to endure hardship, and they live out these things. These individuals lack even these qualities, so classifying them as hired workers is already showing them utmost kindness and is very polite. What does it mean to be a hired worker or temporary worker? It means that, due to special needs during particular periods, God’s house recruits some individuals who are irrelevant to being saved to complete certain tasks. After these tasks are completed, these individuals’ true colors are revealed. God’s chosen people have suffered enough from interacting with them, becoming sick of them to an unbearable degree, and have also gained sufficient discernment regarding them. Under such circumstances, these individuals should be cleared out; this is the most appropriate timing for such actions. Was it explained clearly just now how these individuals come about? (Yes.) They are hired workers unrelated to being saved, who are brought in during special periods of church work. After doing odd jobs and rendering service for a while, these individuals commit reckless misdeeds within God’s house, causing numerous disruptions and disturbances. The role they play is that of negative characters. They fully reflect the true face of Satan and devils, disturb the work of the church, and destroy the order of church life. More concretely, it can be said that these individuals significantly harm the interests of God’s house, such as damaging much of the house of God’s equipment, machinery, valuable items, and so on. It can be said that the actions and behaviors of these individuals have provoked widespread anger. Of course, they have also enabled more people to learn lessons and gain discernment, to learn what a devil is and what it means to lack humanity, and to see clearly the true faces of disbelievers; they have enabled people to see, in a clear and more concrete way, what the thoughts and viewpoints of disbelievers are, what they pursue, what they aspire to deep inside their hearts, what attitude they harbor toward God and the truth, and what attitude they harbor toward their duties, and toward positive things, and even the attitudes these individuals harbor toward certain regulations made by God’s house, and so on. When it becomes this specific, how these individuals live out their humanity, their humanity essence, and what they pursue, are all completely exposed. Keeping these individuals in the church then seems redundant; it will cause great harm to God’s chosen people and not benefit them at all. This is the time for them to leave. Then, if we say that God’s house has given them enough time and opportunities to accept the truth and worship God, is this statement correct? (No.) How should it be said then? God’s house has given them ample opportunities and enough time for them to turn around, but the final result reveals a fact: A devil is always a devil at any time and can never change. This is the fact. Is it possible to make the great red dragon acknowledge God’s status and identity? To make these people with demonic nature change and follow some rules—can this be achieved? (No.) They cannot achieve this. Giving them opportunities is not for them to accept the truth, recognize the work done by God, or act according to the truth principles, but to give them chances to turn around. If there were even a slight sign that they’ve turned around, their eventual outcome might change. However, these people do not know what is good for them; their demonic nature will always be just that. No matter how much time or how many opportunities are given to them, what they live out and their essence will not change; this is a fact. Therefore, the ultimate way to handle these people is to relieve them of their duties, make them leave the church, and ensure they have no ties or relationship with God’s house anymore. Are there individuals who will be reluctant to see them go and pity them, saying, “These people are still quite young; given time they would become excellent. They have such good caliber, they are so gifted and talented—how great it would be if they could accept the truth! If God’s house can be more loving and tolerant, and give them more chances to repent, when they get older, perhaps things will end up differently”? What kind of people think this way? (Muddled people, confused people.) Correct. They are all muddled, confused people—just scoundrels! God does not save such people, and God’s house does not allow them to stay—what is there to pity about them? God says He will not save such people, yet you suggest giving them a chance to repent. Can you save people? Isn’t this going against God? Are you trying to make others think you are more loving than God? Do you have the truth reality? Can you see through a person’s essence? Who is it that can save people, God or you? Daring to go against God—this is far too arrogant, self-righteous, and lacking reason, is it not? Is this not a great rebellion? Isn’t this Satan and evil spirits being reincarnated, always delighting in going against God? The disbelievers mentioned just now are less than beasts. However one fellowships the truth to them, it is of no use; even pruning them is futile. It can be said they have the nature of Satan and will never change. If someone wants to give these satanic types a chance to repent, let them provide for such people; we’ll see if they truly have the love. Those disbelievers who do not accept the truth at all are the worst in the church; they are all like beasts, beyond reason and incapable of being saved. Whether in the past or the present, the church’s treatment of them has been most appropriate; the church has shown immense patience and tolerance to them, and given them enough opportunities. But up to now, they have not changed at all, even intensifying in their ways. In the beginning, when these people come to believe in God with their notions, imaginings, and desire for blessings, they are able to be somewhat restrained, doing their duties with some enthusiasm and zeal. However, ultimately, when they see that “believing in God means pursuing the truth, knowing God’s work, and submitting to God, and that’s all there is to it,” their attitude toward God and the truth, as well as their true colors, are thoroughly exposed. What is it that gets exposed? Not only do they lack humanity, conscience, and reason, but they are also extreme vicious, wicked, and brutish. They disdain God and the truth, and even regard the requirements and rules of God’s house—and God’s administrative decrees—with hostility and defiance. These manifestations of theirs have intensified the disgust and repulsion God’s chosen people feel toward them, and also accelerated the pace at which God’s house cleanses them away, ultimately rapidly determining whether they stay or depart, deciding their outcomes and destinies. Their outcomes and destinies were earned by them, they were not brought about because of anyone’s incitation or instigation, or because someone forced or tempted these people, and they certainly were not brought about due to objective circumstances; their outcomes and destinies were self-inflicted, they were brought about because of their own choices, and determined by their nature essence and the paths they have taken. The outcomes and destinies of these people have been set; once they are cleared out from the ranks of those doing their duties, then they are no longer even laborers. You can well imagine what kind of destiny they will have—it is not worth mentioning here, for they are undeserving.

When it comes to the type of people who are revealed and eliminated, the manifestations of their various evil deeds, as well as the malicious words and utterances they reveal in their daily lives, are plain to see. And yet, some leaders and workers are incapable of discerning these evil people for what they really are, or seeing through to their nature essence. These leaders and workers seem unaware that they are evil people and disbelievers, and so they have no plans of cleansing them away from the church, or of dealing with them appropriately. This is a serious dereliction of duty on the part of a leader or worker. They look on with open eyes as these people with demonic nature do not abide by any of the rules of the house of God, as they run amok and wantonly disturb and sabotage the work of the church and the order of church life; they even indulge these people when they act boldly and recklessly, behave lawlessly, and harm the interests of God’s house under the banner of doing their duty. Harming the interests of the house of God covers many things: damaging the machinery and various equipment of God’s house, damaging its various office appliances and supplies, even squandering God’s offerings as they will, and so on. More serious is that they wantonly release various heresies and fallacies, causing such a disturbance that God’s chosen people can’t do their duties in peace, such a disturbance that people who are weak and negative abandon their duties and lose faith in following God. These evil people do all these bad things, they commit all these evil deeds that disturb and disrupt the work of the church and bring harm to the brothers and sisters, yet the leaders and workers turn a blind eye, a deaf ear; some of them even say, “I wasn’t aware, no one ever told me!” That gang of beasts and devils has wrought havoc, unleashing chaos in the church, yet the leaders and workers are completely uninformed and unaware of it! Are they not scum? Where are their hearts? What are they doing? Are they not just engaging in idle chatter? Are they not neglecting their proper tasks? Each day that such false leaders are on the job is one more day for all manner of evil people to disturb the church recklessly and harm God’s chosen people. It’s because the false leaders don’t fulfill their responsibilities that that gang of beasts loafs about idly all day long, not doing any duties or following any rules, mooching off of God’s house, freely enjoying the various material benefits and welfare of God’s house—they even deliberately disturb the work of the church, damaging the machinery and equipment of God’s house. This is how they act, and yet they still expect to live leisurely lives and do whatever they please in the house of God, with no one allowed to bother or provoke them. This is such a grievous issue, yet the leaders and workers brush it aside, not resolving it even when reported on by others—are they not trash that does no real work? Is this not a serious dereliction of duty? (It is.) Some say, “I didn’t solve the problem because I was busy with other work. I just couldn’t get around to it!” Do these words hold water? Just what are you so busy with, if you do not solve such a serious problem? Is there value to the matters you are busy with? Are you able to prioritize your work? Shouldn’t solving problems take precedence, however busy with work you happen to be? Promptly understanding and dealing with the various kinds of people who disrupt and disturb the church’s work is the responsibility of leaders and workers. If you put aside real problems and busy yourself with other matters, are you doing real work? If you discover an issue or someone reports an issue to you, you should put aside the task at hand and immediately go on site and see what the source of the problem is. If it’s some evil person disturbing and disrupting the church’s work, you should first cleanse this evil person away. After that, solving other problems will be easy. If you discover a problem and don’t fix it, claiming that you are too busy, are you in fact not just rushing about like a squirrel in a cage? What is it you’re so busy with, anyway? Is it real work? Can you explain it clearly? Do your reasons and excuses hold water? Why do you treat solving problems as unimportant? Why don’t you solve problems in a timely manner? Why do you find excuses and wriggle out of things, saying you’re too busy to take care of them? Is this not being irresponsible? As a leader in the church, not prioritizing problem-solving, busying oneself with various trivial matters, failing to recognize the existence of critical problems, being unable to distinguish the importance and urgency in work and grasp the crucial points—these are manifestations of an exceptionally poor caliber, and such a person is a muddler. However many years they’ve been a leader, they aren’t able to perform the church’s work well. They should admit responsibility and resign. If a leader has excessively poor caliber, any training is useless; they will definitely be incapable of accomplishing any work—they are a false leader, who must be dismissed and reassigned. When false leaders are at work, what are the consequences? Objectively speaking, everything false leaders do brings multifaceted losses to the church. For one thing, the essential work of the church is not done well, directly impeding the effectiveness of the various items of the church’s work. At the same time, it also harms and impacts the life entry of God’s chosen people. Most crucially, it affects the spread of the kingdom gospel. These consequences are all directly related to false leaders not doing real work. To put it more clearly, all these are caused by false leaders not engaging in real work. If other leaders and workers can actively engage in some real work, accelerating the pace and shortening the lead time on problem-solving, wouldn’t the various losses inflicted on God’s house by false leaders be mitigated somewhat? They could at least be reduced. Even if God’s house does not require you to handle issues immediately as they arise, at a minimum, once problems are reported, you should start addressing them immediately: Inquire about the situation from the brothers and sisters, and discuss and fellowship with other leaders and workers on how to solve the problems. If the issue is serious and you don’t know how to resolve it, you should promptly report it upward and seek solutions. This is what all leaders and workers should achieve. But the current problem is that these leaders and workers, even if they cannot solve problems, do not report upward. They are very afraid of reporting upward for fear of betraying their own incompetence, excessively poor caliber, and inability to do real work; they are worried about being dismissed. Yet, they do not take the initiative to work; they are dull-witted and numb, and slow to act. Without a path to solving problems, they just muddle along, leading to a buildup of too many unresolved issues, thus providing evil people with opportunities. At this time, seeing that the false leaders are good-for-nothings, those evil people and those with ambitions seize the opportunity to wantonly commit evil deeds, plunging the church into chaos and disorder, paralyzing all aspects of work. Although false leaders should bear the primary responsibility, other leaders and workers have also not fulfilled their responsibilities. Isn’t this a serious dereliction of duty by the leaders and workers? In fact, most of the problems that arise in the church are directly related to the disturbances caused by evil people and disbelievers. If the leaders and workers cannot promptly identify the root of the problems, cannot find the chief culprits who are causing the problems, and always look for reasons elsewhere, then they will not be able to fundamentally solve the problems, and problems will continue to emerge in the future. If the troublemakers or those who create problems behind the scenes are caught and held directly accountable, this way of handling problems is the most effective. At the very least, it ensures that those disbelievers and evil people dare not continue to run amok and cause disruptions and disturbances. Isn’t this what leaders and workers should achieve? (Yes.) It can be definitively said that the main reason the church’s problems are growing in number and do not get resolved in a timely manner is due to the irresponsibility of leaders and workers, or, because false leaders lack the truth reality and cannot do real work. If leaders and workers cannot solve the various problems that arise in the church, they definitely cannot perform the work inherent to their positions. There are several situations and reasons that must be clearly understood here: If the leaders and workers are novices without experience, they should be patiently helped, led to solve problems, and in the process of solving problems, learn some things and grasp the truth principles. This way, they will gradually learn to solve problems. If the leaders and workers are not the right people, utterly refusing to accept the truth and instead using the viewpoints and methods of nonbelievers to solve problems, this does not conform to the truth principles. Such people are not suitable to be leaders and workers and should be dismissed and eliminated in a timely manner; then, a do-over election should be held to choose suitable leaders and workers. Only this approach can thoroughly solve the problem. Being a church leader is not an easy task, and it is inevitable that some problems cannot be handled. However, if one possesses reason, when faced with problems that one cannot solve, one should not hide or suppress the problems and ignore them. Instead, one should consult with several people who understand the truth to collectively find a solution, which might resolve seventy to eighty percent of the problems, at least preventing major issues from arising temporarily. This is a viable path. If the problems truly cannot be solved, then one should seek solutions from the Above, which is a wise choice. If, because you fear losing face or fear that the Above will prune you for your incompetence, you conceal and do not report the problems, this is being entirely passive. If you act like a numb, dull-witted fool, being at a loss of what to do, this will delay matters. Such situations easily provide opportunities for evil people and antichrists, allowing them to take advantage of the chaos to act. Why say they take advantage of the chaos to act? Because they are waiting for precisely this opportunity. When leaders and workers are unable to handle any problems, and God’s chosen people are feeling anxious and uneasy and have already lost trust in them, evil people and antichrists are looking to exploit this gap. They think that the church is in a state of having no leadership or management. They want to take this chance to show off their abilities to make God’s chosen people look up to them, support them, and believe that, compared to the leaders and workers, they have better caliber, they are more capable of solving problems and leading the way out, and can better turn the tide amid the chaos. Isn’t this what evil people and antichrists most want to do? At this time, when the leaders and workers are powerless, and evil people and antichrists stand up and solve the problems, even leading the way out, whom will God’s chosen people believe? Naturally, they will believe in the evil people and the forces of antichrists. What does this show? It shows that the leaders and workers are good-for-nothings and accomplish nothing, failing at crucial moments. Are such people still worthy of being leaders and workers? Although the antichrists lack the truth reality and cannot do real work, they all possess some gifts to varying degrees and are relatively more astute about external matters, which precisely constitutes their advantage and is how they can mislead people. But if they were to become leaders and workers, could they really use the truth to solve the problems of God’s chosen people? Could they truly lead God’s chosen people to eat and drink God’s words, understand the truth, and enter into the truth reality? Absolutely not. Although they have some gifts and are eloquent, they lack any truth reality whatsoever. Are they fit to be leaders and workers of the church? Not at all! This is something God’s chosen people should see through; they must never be misled or taken in by evil people and antichrists. Disbelievers, evil people, and antichrists do not pursue the truth at all and do not have even a bit of the truth reality. So tell Me, can they say something with conscience and reason, like, “Even though the church has no one in charge now, we must act on our own initiative. The regulations of God’s house cannot be broken, the principles required by God’s house cannot be changed. We should do what we ought to do; everyone should keep to the duties they ought to do, perform their responsibilities, and not disrupt order”? Could they say something like this? (No.) Absolutely not! What actions will these disbelievers and evil people take? Without oversight and supervision, they do not even do their duties, indulging in eating, drinking, playing, and having fun, engaging in idle chatter, joking around, and even flirting. Some spend the entire night watching videos of the world of nonbelievers, then use the excuse of having stayed up late doing their duties to slack off and sleep excessively. These are the actions of evil people, those who belong to the category of devils. When they commit these bad deeds, do they feel any guilt? Will they suddenly grow a conscience and take the initiative to fulfill some human responsibilities and do something beneficial for God’s house, the church, and the brothers and sisters? Absolutely not. When someone is watching, they reluctantly do some work that makes them look good just to scrape by for a meal. This is the only thing they can do; besides this, these people have not a single redeeming feature. So, is there any point in these people staying in God’s house? There is no point at all. Such people are superfluous and must be cleansed away.

How do you measure whether someone loves the truth? Let Me give you an example to understand. Some people are involved in a profession, and the more they learn, the more they advance their studies, the more they understand, then the more they are willing to engage in it and the less willing they are to leave the profession. What kind of manifestation is this? Does this mean that they truly like this profession? (Yes.) No matter how much hardship they endure, no matter the price, no matter how much effort they put in, they continue in the profession without regret, undeterred. This is true affection, a deep, heartfelt liking. Suppose there is someone who claims to like a certain job but is unwilling to endure hardship or pay the price during the process of learning professional skills, and when many problems arise at work, they do not seek solutions, fearing trouble, and even often feel that engaging in this profession is a hassle or burden. However, changing professions is not easy, and considering the material benefits that this profession can bring, this person reluctantly engages in it, but will never become a standout in this profession. So, do they truly like this profession? (No.) They obviously do not. There’s another type of person, one who verbally expresses fondness for a certain profession and engages in it, but never endures hardship or pays a price to learn professional skills well. They may even develop repulsion or loathing for the profession during the learning process, becoming increasingly unwilling to learn. When their repulsion reaches a certain level, they switch careers, and afterward are unwilling to mention any process, stories, or anything else from when they were engaging in that profession. Do such people truly like the profession? (No.) They do not like it. They can easily give up on the profession, and feel disgusted and even switch careers, which proves that they don’t truly like the profession. The reason they can abandon the profession is that, after investing a lot of time, energy, and cost, the profession did not allow them to live the wealthy life they wished for or enjoy good material treatment. They become averse to and curse the profession in their heart, even forbidding others from mentioning it, not mentioning it themselves anymore, and even feeling ashamed for having previously engaged in this profession and considered it as their ideal and the highest goal to pursue in life. Given the extent to which they can be averse to the profession, was their initial display of fondness for the profession genuine? (No.) There is only one type of person who truly likes the profession—regardless of whether the profession provides them with a good material life or substantial benefits, and no matter how many difficulties they encounter or how much suffering they endure in this profession, they can persevere in it undeterred, to the very end. This is true fondness. The same applies to whether a person loves the truth. If you truly love positive things, progressing from loving positive things to loving the truth, then no matter what situations you encounter, you will persist in seeking and pursuing the truth, without changing your life’s goal. If you can casually give up believing in God and abandon the path to salvation, this is not truly loving the truth. As for those who do not pursue the truth but also do not give up, there is only one reason for their perseverance: They think that as long as there is a glimmer of hope for a good outcome and destination, a good future, it’s worth taking a gamble, and they should persevere to the end. They believe this perseverance is necessary; it just so happens that disasters are growing and there’s nowhere else to go, so they might as well stick it out here and try their luck. Do such people have even a bit of love for the truth in their hearts? (No.) They do not. When they first begin believing in God, these people also speak of hating the world, hating Satan, hating negative things, loving positive things, and longing for light. But what is their behavior when they step into God’s house, into the church? What is their attitude when they discover they are laborers, when they realize that their actions, behaviors, and nature are displeasing to God? What kinds of behaviors do they display? It can be said that when they sense, feel, or think that they are no longer favored in God’s house, that they are to be eliminated, some choose to leave. Others, though they reluctantly stay in the church, give themselves up to despair, and are ultimately forced to leave. Such people do not love the truth at all; when their desire for blessings is shattered, they can betray God and turn away from Him. These various manifestations show the attitudes of different people toward the truth.

IV. The Different Outcomes of These Three Kinds of People

Just now, we fellowshipped about the characteristics of three types of people: laborers, hired workers, and God’s people. From their characteristics, it is clear that their ultimate outcomes are not determined by objective environments or conditions, but by their own pursuits and their nature essence. Of course, objectively speaking, it is God who determines people’s fates, but God makes these determinations based on whether people love the truth and whether they are able to accept the truth. Laborers also profess to love the truth and positive things, but by the end, when God’s work concludes, their notions and imaginings about God, their extravagant demands on God, and their betrayal of God remain unchanged. This is because, during the period of God’s work, in the process of following God and doing their duties, they will never have resolved their corrupt dispositions. The root cause of their not addressing their corrupt dispositions is that they fundamentally do not accept the truth. Although they have the desire to submit to God, what they truly manifest is only an ability to forsake and a willingness to pay a price, without ever seeking the truth principles or the way of submission to God. The ultimate result is that despite exerting a lot of effort, they have not the slightest knowledge of God. They are still capable of betraying God and voicing their notions and imaginings about Him and their unreasonable demands of Him in front of other people and Satan. When God’s work concludes, they still consider themselves as “having good humanity, truly believing in God, being able to forsake and endure hardship, and surely being able to be saved,” and for this, they feel at peace. In actuality, they have always walked the path of a laborer, without pursuing the truth at all; thus, they always retain the identity of a laborer. As for another category of people, hired workers, we won’t discuss them. Still another category is God’s people, whom we just mentioned. Over the course of following God, they, like laborers, expend themselves for Him, dedicate their time and energy, and even their youth, and undergo a lot of suffering and pay a lot of price. This is the same as laborers. What is different, then? It is that when God’s work concludes, their numerous notions, imaginings, and extravagant demands of God will have been addressed. The manifestations, states, and revelations of corruption that obviously resist God within their corrupt dispositions will have been cast off. Those not yet resolved will dissolve as they gradually come to understand the truth through experience. Although their corrupt dispositions will not have been completely cast off, their life dispositions will have undergone some changes. Most of the time, they’ll be able to practice according to the truth principles they understand, and the revelations of their corrupt dispositions will have significantly decreased. Although it’s not the case that they won’t reveal them in any environment, these people will have met one fundamental requirement: They will have met God’s requirement that they be honest; they will basically be honest people. Furthermore, when these people reveal corrupt dispositions, or commit transgressions, or harbor notions and rebellions against God, regardless of the environment in which they do, they will have a repentant attitude. And there’s another point that’s most important: Whatever specific actions God takes and however He acts in the work of judgment of the last days, whatever He intends to do in the future, however He will arrange the fate of humankind, and however they themselves will live in the environment He arranges, they will all possess a submissive heart and an attitude of submission, free of personal choices and free of personal plans and designs. Due to these various proactive and positive manifestations, they will have already become the kind of person God requires, one who follows God’s way, which is to fear Him and shun evil. Although they will still be far from the true standard—“fear God and shun evil, and be a perfect man”—as stated by God, when God’s trials come upon them, they will be able to seek and submit, which is sufficient. They will have no complaints; they’ll only wait and submit. Although your current situations may still be a ways off from such a result, and for some, it may seem very distant and unreachable, if you can accept the truth and treat God’s words as your principle and foundation for existence, then believe that one day, you, or all of you, will no longer be far from becoming the true people of God, whom He loves—believe that that day is in sight. Whether it is currently prophesied or is in sight, the ultimate result is not a fantasy in either case, but a fact that is about to be realized and fulfilled. Who exactly this fact will be fulfilled in, which people it will be fulfilled in, depends on how you actually pursue the truth. In other words, whether you truly love the truth to the extent that you can pursue and practice it, or you only have a bit of love for the truth but cannot fully accept and practice it, the final result will provide the answer to you. Alright, we’ll conclude our fellowship on this topic here.

The Standards and Bases for Discerning Various Kinds of Evil People

II. Based on One’s Humanity

Next, we continue to fellowship about the fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers: “Promptly discern, and then clear out or expel all manner of evil people and antichrists.” The standards for discerning all manner of evil people are divided into three main categories. We have previously fellowshipped about one’s purpose of believing in God, and then moved on to their humanity. In terms of one’s humanity, we also categorized many different manifestations. What are the several manifestations we have already fellowshipped about? Read them. (The second item for discerning all manner of evil people concerns one’s humanity. 1. Loving to misrepresent facts and falsehoods; 2. Loving to take advantage; 3. Being dissolute and unrestrained; 4. Being inclined toward vengeance; 5. Being unable to guard one’s tongue.) We have fellowshipped up to the fifth point about not being able to guard their tongues. Regardless of whether we are fellowshipping about specific manifestations of humanity or of other things, as I have said, it will have a different effect on different types of people. Those who pursue the truth, after listening, will focus on examining themselves; they will measure themselves against My fellowship and have proactive and positive entry. However, those who do not pursue the truth, such as laborers, will just listen and that’s all. They don’t take it to heart or put their hearts into listening. Sometimes, they can even fall asleep while listening to sermons. They can’t absorb it, and even think, “What’s the use of listening to these trivial matters? It’s a waste of time—I still haven’t even finished the work I have at hand!” They are always concerned about the jobs that require toil. They are especially enthusiastic and devoted to toiling, showing loyalty, but they simply can’t muster the energy for matters involving the truth. This clearly reveals that such people are not interested in the truth; they are satisfied with merely toiling. There’s another group of people who maintain the same attitude regardless of how God’s house fellowships the truth: “I am just resistant and antagonistic. Even if you point out my problems and expose my manifestations, revelations, and dispositions, I still won’t pay attention or take it seriously. So what if others know I’m being exposed?” They just shamelessly continue to defy and oppose, which is irredeemable. Regardless, the manifestations of different types of people are distinguishable. The truth—whether for those who pursue it, those who are willing to toil but do not love it, or those who are repulsed by and averse to the truth—acts as a double-edged sword, a touchstone. It can measure people’s attitudes toward the truth and also the path they are walking on.

F. Being Unreasonable and Willfully Troublesome, With No One Daring to Provoke Them

Previously, we fellowshipped on discerning the five manifestations of various evil people. Today, we continue to fellowship on the sixth. The sixth is also a manifestation of a type of evil person, or rather, even if people do not consider this type to be evil, everyone still dislikes them. Why is that? It’s because these people lack conscience and reason, lack normal humanity, and interactions with them are particularly troublesome and difficult, eliciting repulsion. What are the specific manifestations of these people? It is being unreasonable and willfully troublesome, with no one daring to provoke them. Are there such people in the church? Although not many, there definitely are. And what are their specific manifestations? Under typical circumstances, these people can do their duties normally and interact with others quite normally; you won’t see a vicious disposition from them. However, when their actions go against the truth principles and they are pruned, they will explode in anger, completely rejecting the truth while making sophistic excuses for themselves. Suddenly, you realize they are like a hedgehog covered in spikes, a tiger that cannot be touched. You think, “I’ve interacted with this person for so long, thinking they were of good humanity, understanding, and easy to talk to, believing they could accept the truth. I didn’t expect them to be someone who is unreasonable and willfully troublesome. I must be more careful in my interactions with them in the future, minimize contact unless necessary, and keep my distance to avoid provoking them.” Have you seen such people who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome? Generally, those who understand them know how formidable they are and speak to them with particular politeness and caution. In particular, when you talk to them, you absolutely cannot hurt them, or it will result in endless trouble with them. Some people say, “Who exactly are these boorish people? We haven’t encountered them yet.” In that case, we really do need to talk about this. For instance, while the brothers and sisters are fellowshipping their experiences, when some mention their corrupt states or personal difficulties, it’s inevitable that others will empathize, having had similar experiences or feelings. This is quite normal. After listening, one might think, “I have had such experiences too, so let’s fellowship on this topic together. I want to hear how you went through it. If your fellowship has light, and it concerns an issue I have, then I will accept it and practice according to your experiences and path to see what the results will be.” There is only one type of person who, upon hearing others fellowship about knowing themselves and lay bare their own corruption and ugliness, believes that this is indirectly exposing and judging him, and cannot help but slam the table and burst into anger: “Who doesn’t have corruption? Who lives in a vacuum? The way I see it, your corruption is even worse than mine! What qualifications do you all have to target me, to expose me? As I see it, you just want to make things difficult for me, to exclude me! Isn’t it just because I come from the countryside and can’t speak pleasing words to flatter you all? Isn’t it because my education is not as high as yours? God doesn’t even look down on me, so what gives you the right to look down on me!” Others say, “This is normal fellowship, not targeted at you. Aren’t everyone’s corrupt dispositions the same? When someone is fellowshipping about some topic and mentions their own corrupt state, it’s inevitable that others will find themselves in similar states. If you feel that you share the same state, you can also fellowship about your experiences.” To which he replies, “Is that so? I could tolerate such fellowship from one person, but why are you two or three ganging up to bully me? Do you think I’m easy to push around?” Aren’t their words getting more outrageous the more they speak? (Yes.) Do such people have reason in saying these words? (No.) If you truly think that the topic of others’ fellowship is targeted at you, you can discuss or fellowship on this topic; directly ask if it’s targeted at you, instead of dragging in your background as a farmer, your lower level of education, or people looking down on you. What’s the use of saying those things? Isn’t that blathering about right and wrong? Isn’t it being unreasonable and willfully troublesome? (Yes.) Don’t you think such people are dreadful? (Yes.) After he makes such a scene, everyone knows what kind of person he is, and when fellowshipping at future gatherings, they always have to speak carefully and study his expressions. If his expression turns gloomy, others become hesitant to speak, and everyone feels stifled during fellowship at the gatherings. Isn’t this the constraint and disturbance brought about by his being unreasonable and willfully troublesome? (Yes.) Those who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome are all beyond reasoning; such individuals will not accept the truth and cannot possibly be saved.

This type of person who is unreasonable and willfully troublesome has another manifestation. Some people always say during gatherings, “I can’t act perfunctorily anymore. I need to focus on practicing the truth; I need to pursue perfection. I naturally strive to excel. Whatever I do, it must be done well.” They talk the talk, but in reality, they still act perfunctorily when they’re doing their duty, and the duty they do has many problems, far from achieving the effect of bearing witness to God. When leaders point out the problems in their performance of duty and prune them, they immediately become angry, saying, “I knew it. You all judge me behind my back, saying my professional skills are poor. Isn’t it just that you all look down on me? It was just a small mistake, is all. Is it necessary to prune me like this? Besides, who doesn’t make mistakes? Saying I act perfunctorily—weren’t you also perfunctory in your work before? Are you qualified to criticize me? Without my cooperation, who among you could shoulder this work?” What do you think of such people? In anything they do, they do not allow others to point out their deficiencies or offer suggestions; they do not accept even justified pruning. Whoever speaks up, they go up against them and oppose them, uttering unreasonable words, even saying that they’re looked down upon, or that they’re bullied for being alone and powerless, or other such things. Isn’t this being unruly, unreasonable, and willfully troublesome? There are even some people who, after being pruned, abandon their duty: “I won’t do this work anymore. If you can do it, be my guest. Then I’ll see if you can still carry on the work without me!” The brothers and sisters try to persuade them, but they don’t listen. Even when leaders and workers fellowship the truth to them, they refuse to accept; they start to put on airs and abandon their duty. During gatherings, they sulk, neither reading God’s words nor fellowshipping, always the last to arrive and the first to leave. When they leave, they stomp their feet and slam the door, and most people are at a loss on how to deal with them. When things happen to such people, they spout preposterous arguments and nonsense; they get unruly and even throw things, utterly impervious to reason. Some have even more severe manifestations: If the brothers and sisters do not greet them, they become displeased and take the opportunity during gatherings to wail: “I know you all look down on me. During gatherings, you all just focus on fellowshipping God’s words and discussing your own experiential understandings. No one cares about me, no one offers me a smile, and no one sees me off when I leave. What kind of believers are you? You people truly lack humanity!” They throw tantrums like this in the church. They get enraged even over trivial matters, unleashing all their accumulated grievances. Clearly, they’re revealing their own corrupt disposition, but they neither reflect on themselves nor know themselves, and they have no desire to pursue change or the truth. Instead, they look for trouble in others, finding various excuses to balance their own psyche—and while they do this, they seek opportunities to vent their grievances. More importantly, they aim to make more people notice and fear them, so as to gain a measure of prestige and attention among people. People like this are so troublesome! Whatever they say, no one dares to say “no”; no one dares to evaluate them lightly; and no one dares to open up and fellowship with them. Even if some flaws and corrupt dispositions are observed in them, no one dares to point them out. During gatherings, when everyone fellowships their personal experiences and their understanding of God’s words, they carefully avoid the “hornet’s nest” that is this person, afraid of provoking them and causing trouble. Some people vent during gatherings after feeling mistreated or facing displeasures at home or work. Clearly, they’re making the brothers and sisters their outlet and punching bag. When they are upset, they spout preposterous arguments, cry, and throw tantrums. Who would dare to fellowship the truth with them then? If they are fellowshipped with, and some word happens to touch a nerve, they will threaten suicide. That will be even more troublesome. With such people, normal fellowship won’t do; normal conversation won’t do; being too warm or too cold both won’t do; avoiding them won’t do; getting too close won’t do; and if the brothers and sisters do not express happiness to match their happiness, that won’t do; and when these people encounter some difficulty, if the brothers and sisters cannot match their distress, that too won’t do. Nothing works with them. Whatever is done can annoy them and enrage them. However they are treated, they are never satisfied. Even My sermons and fellowship about certain people’s states can provoke them. How does it provoke them? They think, “Isn’t this exposing me? You haven’t even interacted with me, and I haven’t told You anything about what I’ve done in private. How could You know? It must be someone snitching. I need to find out who’s been in contact with You, who has snitched, who has reported me; I won’t let it go!” This type of person who is unreasonable and willfully troublesome can have twisted thoughts about anything, and is unable to treat anything correctly. They are beyond reason! Rationality is quite beyond them, and less still can they accept the truth. It’s harmful, not beneficial, for them to stay in the church. They are just an encumbrance, a load that should be shaken off with speed; they should be cleansed away at once!

In China, believing in God results in oppression and persecution by the great red dragon, and there are so many who are hounded and can’t go home. However, some people, when persecuted and unable to return home, believe they have earned merit or qualification. They live with host families, and they don’t just have people wait on them—if anything goes slightly against their wishes or they start to miss home, they begin to make a scene, and others have to cajole and tolerate them. Aren’t such people unreasonable and willfully troublesome? So many people are persecuted, and there aren’t many host families. It is out of love that the brothers and sisters host those who cannot return home. They keep them off the streets and allow them to live in their homes. Isn’t this God’s grace? Yet, some not only fail to appreciate God’s grace, but also fail to see the love of the brothers and sisters. Instead, they feel aggrieved, and will even complain and be unruly. The living conditions in the homes of the brothers and sisters are actually somewhat better than in one’s own home. Especially in terms of believing in God and doing one’s duty, staying in the homes of brothers and sisters is even better than staying at one’s own home, and having brothers and sisters to cooperate harmoniously with is always far better than being all alone. Even if the living conditions in some regions are a bit lacking, they still amount to an average standard of living. What’s most important is that they’re able to live with the brothers and sisters, to often gather and eat and drink God’s words, to understand more truths, and to know what the goals of their pursuit are. So, those who pursue the truth are able to pay that price and undergo that suffering. Most people have the correct attitude toward this; they are able to accept it from God, in the knowledge that that suffering is worthwhile, and that it’s theirs to undergo. They can regard it correctly. But some unreasonable, willfully troublesome people who are unruly simply cannot comprehend things this way. They might barely tolerate not being able to return home for a week, but after two weeks, they become moody, and by one or two months, they get unruly, saying, “Why is it that your family can be happily together and I can’t return to mine? Why do I have no freedom, while you all can come and go as you please?” Others respond: “Isn’t it caused by persecution from the great red dragon? Isn’t it only right that we endure such suffering as followers of God? What’s the big deal about this bit of suffering? Given the circumstances, what’s there to be picky about? If others can endure this suffering, why can’t you?” Those who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome don’t want to suffer at all. If they were caught and put in jail, they would definitely become Judases. Just how much suffering is there in living with a host family? First, the food is still human fare; second, no one gives you a hard time; and third, no one bullies you. It’s just that you can’t go home and reunite with your family—and that bit suffering is simply unacceptable to unreasonable, willfully troublesome people. When others fellowship the truth to them, they refuse to take it in, but say things like, “Don’t lecture me about those grand doctrines. I understand no less than you do; I know all this! Just tell me, when can I go home? When will the great red dragon stop monitoring my home? When will I be able to go home without the great red dragon arresting me? If I don’t know when I can go home, then I might as well not live!” They create a scene again, and as they go on, they sit down on the ground, kicking their legs—and the more they kick, the angrier they become, and they have an unruly outburst, too, with crying and wailing. Others say, “Keep your voice down. If you carry on like this and the neighbors hear, discovering there’re outsiders living here, that’ll expose us, won’t it?” They reply, “I don’t care, I just want to make a scene! You all can go home, but I can’t. It’s not fair! I’ll make such a scene that you won’t be able to go home, either, just like me!” Their unruly outburst doesn’t abate, and their spite surfaces; no one can talk sense into them, no one can persuade them. When their mood improves a bit, they quiet down and stop causing a scene. But who knows—any day, they might be unruly again and cause a scene: They’ll just have to go out for a stroll and be free, and speak loudly indoors; they’ll constantly plot to go home. The brothers and sisters warn them: “Going home is too risky; there are police staking the place out and monitoring it.” They respond, “I don’t care, I want to go back! If they catch me, they catch me! What’s the big deal? At worst, I’ll just be a Judas!” Isn’t this madness? (Yes.) They openly say they’re willing to be a Judas. Who would dare to host them? Does anyone want to host a Judas? (No.) Is such a person a believer in God? The brothers and sisters host them as a believer in God. If their humanity is somewhat lacking, that could be tolerated; not pursuing the truth could also be tolerated. But they are capable of harming the brothers and sisters by selling out the church and becoming a Judas, and thereby rendering lots of people unable to return to their homes or do their duties normally—who could afford to shoulder the blame for these consequences? Would you dare to host this kind of enemy? Isn’t hosting them just inviting trouble for yourself?

People who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome think only of their own interests when they act, doing whatever pleases them. Their words are nothing but preposterous arguments and heresies, and they are impervious to reason. Their vicious disposition is overflowing. No one dares associate with them, and no one is willing to fellowship about the truth with them, for fear of inviting disaster upon themselves. Other people are on tenterhooks whenever they speak their minds to them, afraid that if they say one word that is not to their liking or not in line with their wishes, they will seize upon it and make outrageous accusations. Are such people not evil? Are they not living demons? All those with a vicious disposition and unsound reason are living demons. And when someone interacts with a living demon, they may bring disaster upon themselves with just a moment’s carelessness. Would it not spell big trouble if such living demons were present in the church? (It would.) After these living demons have thrown their tantrums and vented about their anger, they may speak like a human for a while and apologize, but they will not change afterward. Who knows when their mood will sour and they will throw another tantrum, spouting their preposterous arguments. The target of their tantrum and venting is different each time, as is the source and background of their venting. That is, anything can set them off, anything can make them feel dissatisfied, and anything can make them react with tantrums and unruly behavior. How terrible! How troublesome! These deranged evil people might lose their minds at any time; no one knows what they are capable of doing. I have the greatest hatred for such people. Every one of them should be cleansed away—they must all be cleared out. I do not wish to engage with them. They are muddled in thought and brutish in disposition, they are filled with preposterous arguments and devilish words, and when things befall them, they vent about them in an impetuous way. Some of them cry when they vent, others yell, others stomp their feet, and there are even some who shake their heads and wave their limbs about. They are simply beasts, not humans. Some cooks throw pots and dishes around once they lose their temper; others, who raise pigs or dogs, kick and hit these animals once they lose their temper, venting all their anger on them. These individuals, no matter what happens, always react with anger; they neither calm themselves to reflect nor accept it from God. They don’t pray or seek the truth, nor do they seek out fellowship with others. When they have no choice, they endure; when they’re unwilling to endure, they go mad, spouting preposterous arguments, accusing and condemning others. They often say things like, “I know you all are educated and look down on me”; “I know your families are wealthy, and you disdain me for being poor”; or, “I know you disdain me because I lack a foundation in my faith, and you disdain me because I don’t pursue the truth.” Despite being obviously aware of their own numerous issues, they never seek the truth to resolve them, nor do they discuss knowing themselves in their fellowship with others. When their own problems are mentioned, they deflect and make false counter-accusations, pushing all problems and responsibilities onto others, and even complain that the reason for their behavior is because others mistreat them. It’s as if their tantrums and senseless troublemaking are caused by others, as if it’s everyone else who’s at fault, they merely have no other choice but to act this way, and they’re legitimately defending themselves. Whenever they are dissatisfied, they start venting their resentment and spouting nonsense, insisting on their preposterous arguments as if everyone else is wrong, as if they’re the only good people and everyone else is a villain. No matter how much they throw tantrums or spout preposterous arguments, they demand to be spoken well of. Even when they do wrong, they forbid others from exposing or criticizing them. If you point out even a slight issue of theirs, they’ll entangle you in endless disputes, and you can forget about living peaceably then. What kind of person is this? This is someone who is unreasonable and willfully troublesome, and those who do so are considered evil people.

People who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome generally might not commit any significant treacherous or evil deeds, but the moment their interests, reputation, or dignity get involved, they immediately explode in anger, throw tantrums, act in an unruly manner, and even threaten suicide. Tell Me, if such an absurd and unreasonably crude person emerges in a family, wouldn’t the whole family suffer? The household would then be engulfed in turmoil, filled with cries and howls, making it unbearable to live. Some churches have such people; although it might not be apparent when everything is normal, you never know when they might have an outbreak and reveal themselves. The primary manifestations of such people include throwing tantrums, spouting preposterous arguments, and swearing in public, among others. Even if these behaviors occur only once a month or every half-year, they cause great distress and difficulty, bringing varying degrees of disturbance to the church life of most people. If it is indeed confirmed that someone falls within this category, they should be handled promptly and cleared out from the church. Some might say, “These people don’t do any evil. They can’t be considered evil people; we should be tolerant and patient with them.” Tell Me, would it be okay to not handle such people? (No, it would not be okay.) Why not? (Because their actions cause significant trouble and vexation to most people, and also cause disturbances to church life.) Based on this outcome, it’s clear that those who disturb church life, even if they are not evil people or antichrists, should not remain in the church. That’s because such people do not love the truth but are averse to it, and no matter how many years they believe in God or how many sermons they hear, they will not accept the truth. Once they do something bad and are pruned, they throw tantrums and spout nonsense. Even when someone fellowships the truth to them, they do not accept it. Nobody can reason with them. Even when I fellowship the truth to them, they may remain silent outwardly but do not accept it inwardly. When faced with actual situations, they still act as they always have. They don’t listen to My words, so your advice would be even less accepted by them. Although these people may not commit acts of major evil, they do not accept the truth one bit. Looking at their nature essence, not only do they lack conscience and reason, but they are also unreasonable, willfully troublesome, and impervious to reason. Can such people achieve God’s salvation? Absolutely not! Those who do not accept the truth at all are disbelievers, they are servants of Satan. When things do not go their way, they throw tantrums, persistently spout preposterous arguments, and do not listen to the truth no matter how it’s fellowshipped. Such people are unreasonable and willfully troublesome, purely devils and evil spirits; they are worse than beasts! They are mental cases with unsound reason, and are never capable of true repentance. The longer they stay in the church, the more notions they have about God, the more unreasonable demands they make on God’s house, and the greater the disturbance and harm they cause to church life. This affects the life entry of God’s chosen people and the normal progress of church work. Their harm to the work of the church is no less than that of evil people; they should be cleared out from the church early on. Some people say, “Aren’t they just being a bit unruly? They don’t reach the point of being evil, so wouldn’t it be better to treat them with love? If we keep them, maybe they can change and be saved.” I tell you, it’s impossible! There’s no “maybe” about it—these people absolutely cannot be saved. It’s because they cannot understand the truth, much less accept it; they lack conscience and reason, their thought processes are abnormal, and they even lack the most basic common sense required for being human. They are people with unsound reason. God absolutely does not save such people. Even those with slightly more normal thinking and of better caliber, if they do not accept the truth at all, cannot be saved, let alone those with unsound reason. To still treat such people with love and hold onto hope for them, isn’t that too foolish and ignorant? I’m telling you this now: Cleansing those who are unreasonable, willfully troublesome, and impervious to reason away from the church is absolutely correct. It fundamentally cuts off their harassment toward the church and God’s chosen people. This is the responsibility of leaders and workers. If there are such unreasonable people in any church, God’s chosen people should report them, and once leaders and workers receive such reports, they should handle them promptly. This is the principle for handling the sixth type of people—those who are unreasonable and willfully troublesome.

G. Consistently Engaging in Licentious Activities

The seventh type is those who engage in licentious activities, a commonly mentioned group. Although the manifestations of their humanity aren’t so evil—nothing like sowing dissension, or committing evil deeds and causing disturbances—they share a common trait, which is that problems and incidents always come up in their relationships with the opposite sex. Regardless of the availability of opportunities, such problems are always emerging for them, and if there are no opportunities, they make them, so that such “stories” will occur anyway. No matter the circumstance, who the other person is, or how distant that person might be from them, such incidents do happen for them from time to time. What kind of incidents? They date with someone, or always want to get close to someone, or develop feelings for someone, or set their sights on someone, among other such things. They always fail to live normally and do their duties normally, constantly influenced by lustful desires. That is, in ordinary situations where normal people would not get involved in such issues, they frequently do. They don’t need any special circumstances or anyone to create opportunities for them; these incidents just happen naturally. After such incidents occur, regardless of the consequences, a group of people or a particular person is always made to pay for it. What prices do they pay? Their performance of their duty is affected; church work is delayed and hindered; some young people are perturbed and fall into temptation, and lose interest in believing in God and doing their duties; and some people even lose their duties or give them up. People who engage in licentious activities are too troublesome. At every turn, members of the opposite sex flock around them, drawing close to them, flirting with them, and even engaging in playful banter. Although no serious problems of an essential nature might arise, they gravely disturb the normal states of God’s chosen people as they do their duties. Everywhere they go, they bring trouble and disturbance to others, to the work, and to the church, even seducing members of the opposite sex they find attractive at any opportunity, and establishing relationships with them. This is far too much of a nuisance. Once they fall for someone, that person is doomed to misfortune, unable to normally believe in God or do their duties anymore. The consequences are unimaginable. That person can’t go without contacting or seeing the seducer, and while they are busy doing their duties, they’re unable to marry or settle down, and the relationship remains unbreakable. What happens in the end? They start to suffer terribly, with such pain! If they endure until they are punished in disasters, it’s entirely over for them, their hope of being saved dashed. Some offend once and don’t repent when they’re pruned, but offend a second or even a third time, engaging in three or four relationships over two or three years, which constitutes a disturbance to God’s chosen people and to church life, and it makes God’s chosen people detest them. This leaves a stain on them that they regret for the rest of their lives.

Some people, because they are somewhat good looking, and have a certain amount of elegance and some gifts and talents, or have taken on some important work, always have members of the opposite sex clinging to them like flies, surrounding them. Some serve them meals, some make their bed, some do their laundry, some buy them health supplements and cosmetics and give them small gifts, and so on. They welcome all comers, knowing in their hearts that such behavior from others is inappropriate but never rejecting it, seducing several members of the opposite sex at once. Those people vie with one another for a chance to serve them, competing with and becoming jealous of each other, while the licentious person enjoys the feeling, believing themselves to be highly charming. In reality, matters of men and women are well understood by adults, and even some minors understand them; only fools, the intellectually disabled, or the mentally ill do not understand them. Why do these people compete so fiercely to serve and please a member of the opposite sex? It’s all about wanting to seduce, isn’t it? There’s no need to spell it out; everyone knows what’s going on. It’s a thing people are well aware of, a thing that’s obviously inappropriate, yet that person doesn’t refuse it, but silently acquiesces—what is that called? It’s called flirting. They know it’s about seduction between men and women, but for the thrill brought by satisfying lustful desires of the flesh, they don’t want to refuse. They feel that this sensation is a kind of enjoyment, one that’s even better than any delicious food in the world, so they don’t refuse. When the person in question doesn’t refuse, those seducing them are even happier, thinking themselves the one that person likes, enjoying the situation internally. And that person thinks that so long as no substantial relationship has occurred, it doesn’t count as anything serious, that licentiousness among nonbelievers is much worse, and that this is at most considered seduction, akin to normal dating. But is dating supposed to be like this? Today with one person, tomorrow with another, recklessly engaging over and over in dating and seduction with anyone. Wherever they go, such licentious people prioritize releasing their lustful desires, showing off, and engaging in seduction. The more people they seduce, the happier they feel. What ends up happening? After showing off repeatedly, some brothers and sisters discern their behavior and collectively write a letter to the upper-level leaders. An investigation verifies their claims, and the licentious person is cleansed away from the church. See what happens? Doesn’t their path of believing in God end there? Their outcome is revealed. Their actions and behavior, which people find intolerable, are even more detestable to God. The behavior exhibited by these people does not represent proper relationships between people, nor does it reflect normal human’s needs. Their actions can be described with only one word: “licentiousness.” What does licentiousness refer to? It means recklessly engaging in relations with the opposite sex, irresponsibly seducing others at will, and enticing and harassing members of the opposite sex. It’s playing with lust, and doing so without considering the cost or the consequences. If eventually someone does take the bait and engages in romantic flirtation with them, they then refuse to acknowledge it, saying, “I was just joking. Did you take it seriously? I didn’t actually mean it; you’re reading too much into it.” Isn’t this a devil tempting people? After tempting one person, they look for their next target, seducing others. How awful and wicked they are! After seducing someone, they refuse to acknowledge it. If someone is misled by such a person and gets entangled, isn’t that disgusting? (Yes.) Are people who recklessly seduce others hateful? (Yes.) God’s house has stated from the very beginning that if a person reaches the age for marriage and is an adult, God’s house does not oppose their normal dating or their getting married and living out their days together in a normal way, and that it permits them and grants them freedom to engage in that. However, there are several conditions: Engaging in licentious activities is not allowed; recklessly seducing and flirting, and casually harassing the opposite sex, are not permitted. God’s house does not restrict dating, but it does not allow reckless seduction. What does reckless seduction mean? It means harassing any member of the opposite sex, and after doing so, not admitting that they have. The people they harass are not their true loves; they do not intend to engage in long-term relationships or get married but merely wish to seduce, to toy with the other person, to get their kicks from them, to seek thrills, to be involved with several partners, to act like a lecher—this is called licentiousness. In the church, licentiousness is not permitted, and if it occurs, those involved should be handled according to the principles of clearing people out. Of course, within gospel teams, such circumstances aren’t permitted to occur for people who preach the gospel, whether they be from full-time duty churches or from ordinary churches. If someone uses the guise of preaching the gospel to recklessly seduce others, choosing only members of the opposite sex to cooperate with, or only preaching the gospel to members of the opposite sex, thereby taking the opportunity to engage in improper relationships, this disrupts and disturbs God’s gospel work. Leaders and workers must promptly cleanse such people away.

In order to find members of the opposite sex and engage in licentious activities, some people give no regard to age and have no age limit. They just try to seduce as many as they can, without a shred of shame. Some don’t just satisfy their lustful desires of the flesh in seducing of members of the opposite sex—they’ll even demand the other party pay for their living expenses, buy them things, and so on. If you discover such people or someone reports such happenings, they should be handled promptly. The only solution is to clear these people out, to clear them out permanently. This is because for people who have such issues, it’s absolutely not just a momentary problem. This is especially so for those who are married—despite having a spouse at home, they still specifically target the opposite sex under the pretext of preaching the gospel. They look for any sort, rich or poor, and if they find someone they like, they may even elope with them, not even preaching the gospel anymore—simply no longer believing in God. If such people can be discovered early, they should be quickly and permanently cleared out of the ranks of those who preach the gospel, without giving them another chance, and without the need for further observation. Do you understand? Some say, “For some, life is hard. If they seduce someone of the opposite sex to form a family, and the other person can believe in God and support them, wouldn’t that be a win-win situation?” I tell you, such people need to be cleared out as early as possible; they are not in it for family life at all but for engaging in licentious activities. Why am I so certain? If they weren’t the type to engage in licentious activities, then after coming to believe in God, they would absolutely not continue with such behaviors and would find them repugnant, especially if they are married. The trends throughout the whole world now are licentious and wicked; people indulge in their lust and compete over who can seduce more members of the opposite sex without any need for restraint, because this society and this humankind do not condemn or deride these actions. So, people think that if they can earn money through engaging in licentious activities and selling their flesh, it’s a mark of skill or capability. They view it as something to be proud of. However, after coming to believe in God, people’s views on these matters change completely. They find the correct way to treat lustful desires of the flesh, which first and foremost involves restraint. How can one exercise restraint? People need to know shame and have a sense of shame. That’s what’s called normal humanity. Everyone has lustful desires, but people need to know to restrain themselves, to have a sense of shame. Even if they have some thoughts of this sort, they should restrain themselves because they believe in God and have a conscience and reason. They absolutely must not follow improper thoughts in their minds, let alone indulge them. They should seek the truth to resolve these issues. Even if they are new believers who do not understand the truth, they should still measure themselves against the most basic standards of human morality. If you lack even this level of restraint, then you lack normal humanity and the conscience and reason of normal humanity. All kinds of animals obey a certain order and follow rules in this regard, not acting recklessly; as humans, people should be even less likely to act recklessly, and have even greater restraint. If you lack even this level of restraint and self-control, how can you hope to seek and practice the truth? If you can’t even resolve your own wicked lust, how can you resolve your corrupt dispositions? Your nature of resisting and betraying God would be even more impossible to resolve, wouldn’t it? (Yes.) If you can’t even handle the lustful desires of the flesh, then how can you hope to resolve your corrupt dispositions? Don’t even think about it. You won’t be able to achieve it.

Some people always look for opportunities to date while preaching the gospel, and such incidents happen frequently. Those who habitually engage in romantic relationships while neglecting their proper tasks have been cleared out and handled, while those who occasionally transgress are warned. Once these individuals with wicked dispositions find the right circumstances and encounter someone they consider a lover, they fall into temptation. Their intention to receive blessings by believing in God thus vanishes amid their wicked lust. As soon as they enter into a romantic relationship, they neglect everything else, even abandoning their intention to be blessed, and pursue only the happiness of the flesh. After one or two offenses, they might feel a bit self-accused and distressed, but after three or four times, it becomes licentiousness. Once licentiousness sets in, they no longer feel self-accusation or distress because the layer of shame which is the bottom line of one’s humanity has already been breached. They no longer consider licentiousness shameful and thus continue to engage in it. Those who can continue to engage in licentiousness are particularly indulgent in their lustful desires, not showing any restraint. Such individuals are not allowed in the church, and must be cleansed away; don’t indulge them or make any excuse to keep them. God’s house does not lack people to preach the gospel; it does not need such lechers to fill up seats, as this severely disgraces God’s name. Therefore, if someone reports or if you personally discover such individuals within the gospel preaching team, you should know what to do. If some new believers have this issue, then you should first fellowship the truth regarding this issue, letting everyone know what the church’s principles and attitudes are toward those who commit acts of licentiousness. At a minimum, they should be given an initial warning to prevent them from falling into it and from using the preaching of the gospel as an opportunity to engage in such behaviors, ultimately blaming those in charge or the leaders and workers for not fellowshipping the relevant truth principles beforehand. Therefore, before such incidents occur, before some people are aware of the attitude of God’s house toward such individuals and matters, when people are unclear about these issues, leaders and workers must explicitly and clearly fellowship these principles to them so that they know what kind of behavior and nature these matters fall under, and what the attitude of God’s house is toward such matters and individuals. After these principles have been thoroughly fellowshipped, if they still cling to their own course and persist in their ways despite knowing these principles, then they must be handled and disposed of, they must be cleared out. If such individuals appear in the church, often causing incidents by seducing others or frequently causing harassment to members of the opposite sex, they definitely have problems. Even if no substantial issues have occurred, leaders and workers should warn and handle these individuals, or remove them from places where people do their duties; in severe cases, they should be directly cleared out. This concludes our fellowship regarding the seventh aspect of the manifestations of people’s humanity.

December 18, 2021