I

God’s words to humankind and all the work He does in people

are the natural manifestations of God’s disposition and essence.

God has His principles,

He doesn’t necessarily have to love people,

but He doesn’t necessarily have to hate people either.

What God asks of people is to pursue the truth, follow His way,

and comport themselves and act according to His words.

In the end He will recompense every person according to what they’ve done.

Those who do good will be rewarded,

whereas those who do evil will be punished.

This is called dealing with matters fairly and equitably.

That is to say, as a created being, as a created being,

you have no grounds to demand how God should treat you.

II

When you treat God and the truth with longing, and pursue the truth,

you think that He must love you,

but if God ignores you and does not love you, you feel that He is not God.

Relationships between people can be evaluated this way,

but the relationship between human beings and God

cannot be evaluated this way.

The relationship between human beings and God

is that between created beings and Creator,

and there are no blood ties whatsoever.

It’s solely a relationship between created beings and Creator.

Therefore, human beings cannot demand that God love them,

or declare where He stands with them.

These are unreasonable demands.

This kind of view is wrong and incorrect;

people cannot make such demands.

III

There are principles to whether God loves or hates people.

If humans’ behavior or pursuit accords with the truth and is to God’s liking,

then He approves of it.

However, people have corrupt essences

and can reveal corrupt dispositions

and pursue ideals and desires that they think are right or that they like.

That is something that God hates and does not approve of.

But contrary to what people think—

which is that God will shower people with rewards

whenever He approves of them,

or that He’ll discipline and punish people

whenever He does not approve—this is not the case.

There are principles to God’s actions.

There are principles to God’s actions.

from The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (9)