I

The source of man’s opposition and rebelliousness against God is his corruption by Satan. Because of Satan’s corruption, man’s conscience has grown numb; he is immoral, his thoughts are degenerate, and he has a backward mental outlook. Before he was corrupted by Satan, man naturally submitted to God and submitted to His words after hearing them. He was naturally of sound reason and conscience, and of normal humanity. After being corrupted by Satan, man’s original reason, conscience, and humanity grew dull and were impaired by Satan. Thus, he has lost his submission and love toward God.

II

Man’s reason has become aberrant, his disposition has become the same as that of an animal, and his rebelliousness toward God is ever more frequent and grievous. Yet man still doesn’t know this, and merely opposes and rebels persistently. Man’s disposition is revealed in expressions of his reason, insight, and conscience; his reason and insight are unsound, and his conscience has grown supremely dull, so his disposition is rebellious against God. If man’s reason and insight cannot change, then changes in his disposition are out of the question, as is aligning with God’s intentions. If man’s reason is unsound, then he cannot serve God and is unfit for use by God.

III

“Normal sense” refers to submitting to and being loyal to God, to yearning for God, to being absolute toward God, and to having a conscience toward God. It refers to being of one heart and mind toward God, and not deliberately opposing God. Since man was corrupted by Satan, he has come up with notions about God, and he has had no loyalty to God or yearning for Him, to say nothing of a conscience toward God. Man deliberately opposes God and passes judgments on Him, and, furthermore, hurls invective at Him behind His back. Man judges God behind His back, with clear knowledge that He is God; man has no intention of submitting to God, and merely makes blind demands and requests of Him. Such people are incapable of knowing their own despicable behavior or of regretting their rebelliousness. If people are capable of knowing themselves, then they have regained a little of their reason; the more people rebel against God while not knowing themselves, the less are they sound of reason.

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