I

During his lifetime,

Peter experienced refinement hundreds of times

and underwent many painful ordeals.

This refinement became the foundation of his supreme love of God,

and the most significant experience of his entire life.

That he was able to possess a supreme love of God

was, in one sense, because of his resolve to love God;

more importantly, however, it was because of

the refinement and suffering that he underwent.

This suffering became his guide on the path of loving God,

and the thing that was most memorable to him.

If people don’t undergo the pain of refinement when loving God,

then their love is full of impurities and their own preferences;

love such as this is full of the ideas of Satan,

and fundamentally incapable of satisfying God’s intentions.

II

Having the resolve to love God is not the same as truly loving God.

Even though all that they think of in their hearts

is for the sake of loving and satisfying God,

and even though their thoughts seem to be entirely devoted to God

and devoid of any human ideas,

yet when their thoughts are brought before God,

He does not approve of or bless such thoughts.

Even when people have fully understood all truths—

when they have come to know them all—

this cannot be said to be a sign of loving God,

it cannot be said that these people have the reality of loving God.

III

Despite having understood many truths without undergoing refinement,

people are incapable of putting these truths into practice;

only during refinement

can people understand the real meaning of these truths,

only then can people genuinely appreciate their inner meaning.

At that time, when they try again,

they are able to put the truths into practice properly,

and in accordance with God’s intentions;

at that time, their human ideas are lessened,

their human corruption is reduced,

and their human feelings are diminished;

only at that time is their practice a true manifestation of the love of God.

The effect of the truth of the love of God

is not achieved through spoken knowledge or mental willingness,

and nor can it be achieved simply by understanding that truth.

It requires that people pay a price,

that they undergo much bitterness during refinement,

and only then will their love become pure and in line with God’s intentions.

from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only by Experiencing Refinement Can Man Possess True Love