I

If people can truly set aside their extravagant desires and turn back to God, then they still have the chance of salvation; if man truly has a heart that yearns for God, then he will not be abandoned by God. Man fails to gain God not because God has fleshly feelings, or because God is unwilling to be gained by man, but because man does not want to gain God, and because man does not have a heart that seeks God with urgency. How could one of those who truly seek God be cursed by God? How could one of sound reason and sensitive conscience be cursed by God? How could one who truly worships and serves God be consumed by the fires of His wrath? How could one who is willing to submit to God be kicked out of God’s house? How could one who feels that they can never love God enough live in God’s punishment? How could someone who is willing to forsake everything for God be left with nothing?

II

Man is unwilling to pursue God or devote a lifetime’s effort to God; instead, he says that God has gone too far, that too much about God is at odds with man’s notions. With a humanity like this, even if you were unstinting in your efforts you would still be unable to gain God’s approval, to say nothing of the fact that you do not seek God. Unlike you, I do not work upon you for the sake of personal gain, but because of the need of the work. If you carry on being rebellious in this way, then I will stop My work, and will never work upon you again; on the contrary, I will transfer My work to a group that I like, and in this way I will leave you forever, because I am unwilling to see those who are in enmity to Me. So then, do you wish to be compatible with Me, or in enmity against Me?

from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. To Have an Unchanged Disposition Is to Be in Enmity to God