By Lu Heng, China

In January 2022, I was organizing cleansing materials at the church. During a gathering, the leader told me that my mother had turned Judas after being arrested, and that the church was gathering materials to expel her. Hearing this, I felt like I’d been struck by a bolt from the blue. I couldn’t believe it was true. My mom had been a believer for so many years and had expended herself so fervently. How could she have become a Judas? Could this have been a mistake? But when I saw in the materials that my mom had sold out a host home along with six leaders and workers, I was stunned. I’d never imagined my mom would sell out brothers and sisters. Wasn’t this exactly what a Judas would do? My heart couldn’t calm down for a long time. It had been nearly twenty years since my mom started believing in God. She had always focused on praying to God and eating and drinking His words, and her faith had always been steadfast. Even when friends and family ridiculed and insulted her, she had remained unconstrained and persisted in her duty, and she had continued doing leadership duty in God’s house. When faced with the disturbances and disruptions of evil people, she had been able to protect the interests of God’s house and deal with these things in good time, and when brothers and sisters had been arrested by the CCP, she’d risked her safety to go and handle the aftermath work. My mom looked like a true believer to me, so how could she have become a Judas? Was there some kind of special circumstance that led her to become a Judas? I just couldn’t understand, and I couldn’t accept it. Then I thought, “If my mom is truly characterized as a Judas and expelled, won’t she lose the chance to be saved?” I told the leader, “My mom is a true believer, and her past performance in her duty has been good. Can’t we wait until she’s released from prison to fully understand why she sold out the brothers and sisters? Maybe she was tortured by the police to such an extent that she was forced to sell them out? If that’s the case, can’t she still be given a chance to repent?” After listening to me say this, she read a passage of God’s words to me: “Toward those who showed Me not the slightest loyalty during times of tribulation, I shall be merciful no more, for My mercy only extends so far. I have no liking, furthermore, for anyone who has once betrayed Me, much less do I like to associate with those who sell out the interests of their friends. This is My disposition, regardless of who the person may be. I must tell you this: Anyone who breaks My heart shall not receive clemency from Me a second time, and anyone who has been faithful to Me shall forever remain in My heart” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination). The leader fellowshipped about God’s mercy and tolerance being principled. Some people have believed in God for a short time and have a small stature, and after being arrested by the CCP, they are momentarily weak and sell out one or two brothers and sisters who haven’t really done any duties; they haven’t caused any harm to God’s work or the brothers and sisters. In such cases, we can consider the background and their consistent behavior. If their previous behaviors in their faith and duties have been good, and if they regret the betrayal and are willing to repent, then they can be given the opportunity to repent. But my mom had believed in God for many years and had always been doing leadership duty, so she was well aware of the nature and consequences of selling out brothers and sisters, yet still became a Judas. Moreover, all those that she sold out were people doing important duties. The nature of this deed was very serious, and in doing so, she’d flung open the gates of hell, and so she couldn’t be given a chance to repent. I also knew that my mom’s expulsion was in line with the principles, but when I thought about how my mom had sacrificed and expended herself for so many years, only to have the outcome of being expelled, and that she wasn’t only losing her chance at salvation, but was also facing future punishment in hell, I felt so sad and regretful. I thought, “Is there really no room for reconsideration in this matter? Doesn’t God remember my mom’s many years of efforts and expenditures at all? If my mom was truly tortured and forced into betrayal, could the church, considering her past efforts and expenditures in her duties, make an exception and give her a chance to repent? Even if she isn’t allowed to do any duties, it’d be fine if she could just be an ordinary believer. This way, even if she can’t be saved in the end, maybe she can still be spared from the punishment of hell.” Thinking about it, I couldn’t stop the tears falling from my eyes. I realized that my state wasn’t right, and at that moment, I thought of Peter’s prayer: “Mankind is unable to fathom what You do, but all of what You do contains Your good will; there is righteousness in all of it. How can I not utter praise for Your wisdom and deeds?” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three). When I thought of this, I felt deeply encouraged. Peter was very rational. When he encountered things that were beyond his understanding or didn’t align with his notions, he didn’t complain or sin with his words against God, and he believed in his heart that whatever God did was righteous and contained God’s good intentions. Though I didn’t understand the background or details of my mom’s betrayal, she really did sell out brothers and sisters and important leaders and workers in God’s house, and God’s house had decided to expel her based on her deeds and actions. Since I took on the duty of organizing cleansing materials, I truly came to see that every piece of cleansing material organized in God’s house is focused on evidence, accuracy, and detail, and there are multiple layers of scrutiny. They are only expelled or cleared out after their essence is accurately assessed and characterized, ensuring that no good person is accused unjustly and that no evil person is let off. All of this demonstrates that God’s house is governed by truth and righteousness. When I thought this way, my heart felt relieved. But then, when I thought about the outcome of my mom being expelled, I still felt a heart-wrenching sadness and I would secretly run to the bathroom or the balcony to cry. Collecting materials about my mom required evaluations from family members, but I wasn’t actively cooperating in this. I felt that my mom had worried about me a lot as she raised me, and that she’d also helped and supported me during my moments of weakness and negativity. Complying with this request to expose her made me feel lacking in conscience, and that I was wronging her. Also, I didn’t want my mom to be expelled. So even though I had some discernment regarding my mom’s behaviors of not pursuing the truth and actions that violated principles, I didn’t want to write about them.

At night when it grew quiet, and I thought about how my mom and I had both believed in God before, but now I was the only one left walking the path of faith alone, I felt a bit sad. I remembered how when I first found God, I didn’t pursue the truth, and it was my mom’s constant fellowship that helped me move forward. After doing my duties, when I was negative and weak, my mom often gave me encouragement and help. But now, as I continued on the path of faith in God, she was no longer with me. How was I to experience this? I felt a bit lost, and so I prayed to God in tears, “God, hearing that my mom is going to be expelled, I feel very sad. I don’t know how to walk the path ahead. God, please enlighten and guide me to understand Your intentions.” After praying, I recalled two passages of God’s words and looked them up to read: God says: “If people do not have any confidence, it is not easy for them to continue down this path. Everyone can now see that God’s work does not conform in the slightest with people’s notions and imaginings. God has done so much work and spoken so many words, and though people may acknowledge that they are the truth, notions about God are still liable to arise in them. If people wish to understand the truth and gain it, they must have the confidence and willpower to be able to stand by what they have already seen and what they have gained from their experiences. No matter what God does in people, they must uphold what they themselves possess, be sincere in front of God, and remain devoted to Him to the very end. This is mankind’s duty. People must uphold that which they should do” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. You Should Maintain Your Devotion to God). “In the future, everyone will walk the path that they should walk, led by the Holy Spirit. Who will be able to care for others when undergoing tribulation? Each individual has their own suffering, and each has their own stature. No one’s stature is the same as anyone else’s. Husbands will not be able to care for their wives, or parents for their children; no one will be able to care for anyone else. … when God smites the shepherds, then the sheep of the flock will be scattered, and at that time you will not have any true leader. The people will be divided—it will not be like now, when you can come together as a congregation. In the future, those who do not have the work of the Holy Spirit will show their true colors. Husbands will sell out their wives, wives will sell out their husbands, children will sell out their parents, and parents will persecute their children—the human heart is beyond fathoming! All that can be done is for one to hold on to what one has, and to properly walk the final stretch of the path” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. How You Should Walk the Final Stretch of the Path). From God’s words, I realized that though my mom being expelled really didn’t align with my notions, I couldn’t complain about God, and I had to seek the truth to understand God’s intentions. Although I no longer had my mom’s companionship on my path of faith, after experiencing God’s work for so many years, I’d already confirmed that Almighty God is the one true God, and I had really experienced many of God’s deeds. I should hold firm in my faith in God, rely on God, and walk forward without hesitation. I couldn’t allow my mom’s expulsion to shake my heart in following God. My mom ended up being expelled because she didn’t pursue the truth, and whether I could walk the path of faith well in the future depended on how I pursued moving forward. Thinking back to before my mom had been caught, when I lived in corrupt disposition, suffering and in pain, at most, she’d been able to help me find some of God’s words to fellowship with me or comfort and encourage me, but she’d not been able to help me resolve my corrupt disposition at all. Furthermore, she had no control over—let alone the ability to help me with—the kinds of people, events, and things I would encounter or paths I would walk next. Only by actually experiencing God’s work, relying on God and seeking the truth could I continue walking forward.

I also reflected, “My mom was active and enthusiastic in her duties and willing to pay a price and expend herself for God. It seemed like she truly believed in God, so why was she revealed when faced with trials?” In my seeking, I read God’s words: “Some people are able to bear hardships, can pay the price, are outwardly very well-behaved, are quite well-respected, and enjoy the admiration of others. Would you say that this kind of outward behavior can be regarded as putting the truth into practice? Could one determine that such people are satisfying God’s intentions? Why is it that time and time again people see such individuals and think that they are satisfying God, walking the path of putting the truth into practice, and following God’s way? Why do some people think this way? There is only one explanation for it. What explanation is that? It is that for a great many people, certain questions—such as what it means to put the truth into practice, what it means to satisfy God, and what it means to genuinely possess the truth reality—are not very clear. Thus, there are some people who are often misled by those who outwardly seem spiritual, noble, lofty, and great. As for people who can speak eloquently of words and doctrines, and whose speech and actions seem worthy of admiration, those who are misled by them have never looked at the essence of their actions, the principles behind their deeds, or what their goals are. Moreover, they have never looked at whether these people truly submit to God, nor have they ever determined whether or not these people genuinely fear God and shun evil. They have never discerned the humanity essence of these people. Rather, beginning with the first step of getting acquainted with them, they have, little by little, come to admire and venerate these people, and in the end, these people become their idols” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. How to Know God’s Disposition and the Results His Work Shall Achieve). “No matter how they are tried, the allegiance of those who have God in their heart remains unchanged; but for those who do not have God in their heart, once the work of God is not advantageous to their flesh, they change their view of God, and even depart from God. Such are those who will not stand fast in the end, who only seek God’s blessings and have no desire to expend themselves for God and dedicate themselves to Him. Such base people will all be expelled when God’s work comes to an end, and they are unworthy of any sympathy. Those without humanity are incapable of truly loving God. When the environment is safe and secure, or there are profits to be made, they are totally obedient toward God, but once that which they desire is compromised or finally refuted, they immediately revolt. Even in the space of just one night, they may go from a smiling, ‘kind-hearted’ person to an ugly-looking and ferocious killer, suddenly treating their benefactor of yesterday as their mortal enemy, without rhyme or reason. If these demons are not cast out, these demons that would kill without blinking an eye, will they not become a hidden danger?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Work and Man’s Practice). “Those who truly follow God are able to withstand their work being tested, whereas those who do not truly follow God are incapable of withstanding any of God’s trials. Sooner or later they will be expelled, while the overcomers will remain in the kingdom. Whether or not man truly seeks God is determined by testing his work, that is, by God’s trials, and has nothing to do with what man himself concludes. God does not reject any person lightly; all that He does can utterly convince man. He does not do anything that is invisible to man, or any work that cannot convince man. Whether man’s belief is true or not is proved by the facts and cannot be concluded by man” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Work and Man’s Practice). God’s words resolved my confusion. I saw that my mom had believed in God for nearly twenty years, and that she’d always been enthusiastic in expending herself, still persisting in her duties in the face of family ridicule and slander. She had many good outward behaviors, so I thought my mom truly believed in God, and I believed she would surely be saved and survive at the end of the road. So when I learned that my mom was to be expelled for turning Judas, I couldn’t accept it and still felt sorry for her and that she was being treated unjustly. I’d simply been misled by the outward good behaviors of sacrifices, expenditures, and hard work that my mom had carried out in her many years of faith, so I couldn’t discern the essence of my mom, nor could I view people or things according to God’s words. God measures whether a person truly believes in Him and pursues the truth not by how long they have believed in Him, how much they have outwardly sacrificed and expended themselves, or however many good behaviors they have, but by the origin, intentions, and motives behind their sacrifices and expenditures, and by whether they truly practice the truth, and submit to and fear Him. If a person has a heart that submits to and fears God, then no matter what trials or tribulations come, their allegiance to God will not change, and they will have true faith in God, standing firm in their testimony for God in trials and tribulations. Such a person is a true believer. But if a person only seeks blessings in their faith, they may be able to sacrifice, expend themselves, suffer, and pay a price when not facing situations or trials; however, once they are facing trials or tribulations, they can deny and betray God. Such a person is a false believer, and sooner or later they will be revealed and eliminated. Although my mom had believed in God for many years, sacrificed, and expended herself a lot, this time when she was caught, she even denied and betrayed God, and she turned Judas and sold out the interests of God’s house. I saw that her faith in God was not sincere. Then what was the purpose of my mom’s many years of sacrifices and expenditures? I recalled that before, she’d believed in the Lord for the peace of the family, hoping that after she believed in the Lord, the whole family would be blessed. After accepting this stage of God’s work, she knew that God has come in the last days to do the work of judgment and chastisement, and that in the future, He will repay each person based on their deeds, so she actively did her duties. She also wanted the whole family to believe in God and do their duties so they could enter the kingdom together in the future. She often fellowshipped with us, “The great catastrophes are coming, and only by pursuing the truth and doing our duties can we receive God’s protection and blessings.” But although she warned us to pursue the truth, she only focused on outward efforts and expenditures, and she didn’t focus on seeking the truth to resolve her corrupt disposition when encountering the people, events, things, and environments God set up for her. For example, she was very sentimental. My dad lacks spiritual understanding, and my sister is a disbeliever, but my mom kept trying to force them to believe, wanting them to believe in God to receive God’s blessing and protection. The church, based on principles, cleansed out my dad and sister, but my mom still had notions about God’s house, and her performance of her duty was affected. I saw that my mom only wanted to work and expend herself in exchange for God’s blessings, and that she didn’t pay attention to pursuing the truth. As a result, even after believing in God for many years, her corrupt disposition didn’t truly change, and she didn’t gain the truth and life, and when God tested her work, she couldn’t stand firm. I only looked at my mom’s outward efforts and expenditures, and I thought that she truly believed in God. I was truly muddleheaded and lacking in discernment! I also understood that no matter how many years a person has believed in God, how much of a price they’ve paid, or how much they have expended themselves, none of these things mean they are sincere in their belief in God. What’s crucial is whether a person focuses on pursuing and practicing the truth in their daily life, whether they can gain the truth as their life, and whether they can stand firm in their testimony for God during trials and tribulations. Only this way of measuring people accords with God’s intention.

During my devotionals, I read more of God’s words: “If a person is ultimately able to survive, it is because they have met God’s requirements, and if they are ultimately unable to remain until the time of rest, it is because they have been rebellious against God and have not satisfied God’s requirements. Everyone has a suitable destination, which is determined according to each individual’s essence, and has absolutely nothing to do with other people. … Everyone’s outcome is determined according to the essence that comes from their conduct, and it is always determined appropriately” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together). “Some people will end up saying, ‘I’ve done so much work for You, and though I may not have made any celebrated achievements, still I have been diligent in my efforts. Can’t You just let me into heaven to eat the fruit of life?’ You must know what kind of people I desire; those who are impure are not permitted to enter into the kingdom, those who are impure are not permitted to besmirch the holy ground. Though you may have done much work, and worked for many years, in the end if you are still deplorably filthy, then it will be intolerable to the law of Heaven that you wish to enter My kingdom! From the foundation of the world until today, never have I offered easy access to My kingdom to those who curry favor with Me. This is a heavenly rule, and no one can break it!” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Success or Failure Depends on the Path That Man Walks). After reading God’s words, I understood that God determines a person’s outcome based on their essence, deeds, and actions. If a person commits evil and resists God, they must bear the consequences of their deeds and actions. This is determined by God’s righteous disposition. After being arrested, my mother turned Judas, betrayed God, and sold out her brothers and sisters. Her being expelled from God’s house was the bitter outcome of her own deeds, and she had to pay for her actions. As her child, even if I cried for her, felt pain for her, and felt sorry for her and felt that she was being treated unjustly, I couldn’t erase the evil deeds she had committed. No matter how I tried to keep her in the church, I couldn’t influence at all how God would ultimately determine her outcome. My mother had believed in God and done her duty for many years, always doing leadership duty. She fellowshipped the truth with others every day, and she clearly understood how God characterizes those who become Judases and what their outcome is. Yet, she still publicly denied God in court, went along with the CCP to distort facts, flipped black and white, and claimed that she’d been wrong in her faith. She even sold out leaders, workers, and a host home, causing the host to be sentenced and fined, and several leaders and workers were forced to go into hiding and couldn’t do their duties normally. All this caused severe damage to the church’s work. I always felt that my mother had sacrificed and expended herself so much, and so even if she committed serious transgressions, God should consider her many years of efforts and expenditures, and make an exception to give her a chance to repent. I didn’t understand God’s righteousness and even had such unreasonable demands of Him. This was truly beyond reason! God has mercy and lovingkindness for people, but His mercy is absolutely not without principle. God’s tolerance and forgiveness have boundaries, principles, and standards. God has said: “I have no liking, furthermore, for anyone who has once betrayed Me, much less do I like to associate with those who sell out the interests of their friends. This is My disposition, regardless of who the person may be” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination). God hates and detests Judases. I thought about how Judas in the Age of Grace once forsook his family and career to follow the Lord Jesus. Though on the surface, he seemed to truly believe in God, for his personal gain, he sold out the Lord Jesus, and in the end, he suffered God’s righteous punishment and died with his bowels bursting open. This revealed that God’s righteous disposition doesn’t tolerate offense. I then pondered, “Why does God hate Judases so much?” I thought about people who have believed in and followed God for many years, enjoying so much watering and provision of the truth from God. Even after seeing many of God’s deeds with their own eyes, and experiencing God’s love and salvation, when God tests them and requires them to bear witness for Him, they surrender and pledge their allegiance to Satan for their own selfish interests. They deny God, betray God, and even sell out the interests of God’s house. This is truly lacking in conscience and humanity! Such people are revealed as traitors, and in essence, they are devils and Satans who hate and resist God, and they deserve to be cursed and punished by God. They are completely unworthy of God’s love and salvation, and they do not deserve sympathy or pity. My mom was the same. She’d believed in God for many years, enjoying countless graces from God and the provision of God’s words, yet she was still able to go against her conscience, and committed evil acts of betraying God and selling out brothers and sisters. Regardless of her reasons, this was being ungrateful and biting the hand that fed her. The things my mother had done and the severe consequences it brought upon the work of God’s house clearly revealed that my mother had no conscience at all, and that her essence was of Satan the devil. If I still wanted to plead for my mother, was I not standing in opposition to God? Wouldn’t I be resisting God? When I realized this, my heart became much calmer, and I was able to treat my mother rationally according to the truth principles.

Later on, I read more of God’s words: “Some people place great stock in feelings, they react to whatever happens to them based on their feelings; in their hearts, they know full well this is wrong, and yet are still incapable of being objective, much less of acting according to principle. When people are always constrained by feelings, are they capable of practicing the truth? This is extremely difficult! Many people’s inability to practice the truth comes down to feelings; they regard feelings as especially important, they put them in the first place. Are they people who love the truth? Certainly not. What are feelings, in essence? They are a kind of corrupt disposition. The manifestations of feelings can be described using several words: favoritism, unprincipled protection of others, maintenance of physical relationships, and partiality; these are what feelings are. What are the likely consequences of people’s having feelings and living by them? Why does God most loathe people’s feelings? Some people are always constrained by their feelings, they cannot put the truth into practice, and though they wish to submit to God, they cannot, so they feel tormented by their feelings. There are many people who understand the truth but cannot put it into practice; this, too, is because they are constrained by feelings” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. What Is the Truth Reality?). “Who is Satan, who are demons, and who are God’s enemies if not resisters who do not believe in God? Are they not those people who are rebellious against God? Are they not those who claim to have faith, yet who lack truth? Are they not those who merely seek to obtain blessings while being unable to bear witness for God? You still mingle with those demons today and treat them with conscience and love, but in this case are you not extending good intentions toward Satan? Are you not in league with demons? If people have made it to this point and are still unable to distinguish between good and evil, and continue to blindly be loving and merciful without any desire to seek God’s intentions or being able in any way to take God’s intentions as their own, then their endings will be all the more wretched. Anyone who does not believe in the God in the flesh is an enemy of God. If you can bear conscience and love toward an enemy, do you not lack a sense of justice? If you are compatible with those which I detest and with which I disagree, and still bear love or personal feelings toward them, then are you not rebellious? Are you not intentionally resisting God? Does such a person actually possess truth? If people bear conscience toward enemies, love for demons, and mercy for Satan, then are they not intentionally disrupting God’s work?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together). After reading God’s words, I understood that acting based on affection leads one to violate the truth principles and resist God. I used to feel full of resentment when I saw others turn Judases. I thought that after having believed in God for many years, eating and drinking so many of God’s words, and enjoying so many of God’s graces, and yet still being able to betray and become traitors, these people must be utterly rotten in their conscience. I was eager to quickly gather evidence of their sins, publicly expose them, and expel them, allowing brothers and sisters to grow in discernment. But when I found out that my mom had turned Judas, I found this hard to accept because of my affection for her. Even when I saw evidence of my mom betraying God, denying Him, and selling out her brothers and sisters, I still didn’t want to believe that my mom had done these evil deeds, thinking that she must have some untold difficulties or that there were some special circumstances. I wanted to plead for leniency on her behalf and make excuses for her, hoping she could stay in the church. When I realized there was no redeeming her, I began to harbor complaints and misunderstandings toward God. I questioned God, asking why He didn’t remember my mom’s sacrifices and expenditures and give her a chance to repent, and in my heart, I even resisted the church’s characterization and handling of my mom. When brothers and sisters were gathering information on my mom’s behaviors and needed me to provide an evaluation, though I had some discernment about my mom’s past actions, as I was being constrained by affection, I became evasive and was unwilling to expose her. I saw that I was constantly acting based on affection, and that it clouded my judgment. I became unable to distinguish right from wrong, or good from evil, I wasn’t fulfilling my responsibility to provide timely information, and I even misunderstood and complained about God. My mom turning Judas was her knowingly and willfully flinging open the gates of hell, and it was entirely appropriate for God’s house to gather information on her and handle her. But I thought that God’s house gathering information on her wasn’t giving her a chance to repent, and I questioned God, asking why He didn’t remember my mom’s many years of efforts and expenditures. Was I not throwing about bogus accusations and making an unreasonable fuss? I was being truly unreasonable! God requires us to love what He loves and hate what He hates. Even when it comes to our own family, we should discern, treat, and handle them according to the truth principles. This is how to practice the truth to uphold the interests of God’s house. But because of my sentimental attachments to my mom, even though I knew my mom’s essence was that of a Judas, I didn’t have the courage to expose her, and I kept trying to justify her, wanting her to stay in God’s house to have a chance at salvation. What I was doing was equivalent to harboring a traitor who had betrayed God in the church, allowing her to continue to harm God’s chosen people and damage the church’s interests. What is the difference between this and being an accomplice to the devils and Satans? Thinking of this, I felt that this was so scary. I couldn’t act based on affection anymore. After that, I wrote an evaluation of my mom.

One day in February last year, I received the materials for expelling my mom, and we were asked to state whether we agreed with her expulsion. I saw in the materials that my mom had sold out not just seven people, but over ten brothers and sisters, and that she had shown no remorse afterward, and even obeyed the CCP and sang its praises, becoming a true model of filial obedience to the CCP. After being released from prison, brothers and sisters visited her several times, but she was very repulsed, and she told the brothers and sisters that she no longer believed and that they should stop coming to find her. Reading these things really stung my heart. I’d once hoped that after my mom’s betrayal, she would feel pricked in her conscience and repent with deep remorse, but I realized this was just my own wishful thinking. Seeing my mom’s behaviors, I clearly saw her ugly side and no longer held onto any hope. But when I thought that this vote to expel her meant the end of her faith in God, and that from then on, we would be on separate paths, my heart still felt a bit heavy. But I knew this was my weakness, so I prayed in my heart, asking God to protect me from acting on affection. I read God’s words: “By what principle do God’s words ask that people treat others? Love what God loves, and hate what God hates: This is the principle that should be adhered to. God loves those who pursue the truth and are able to follow His will; these are also the people that we should love. Those who are not able to follow God’s will, who hate and rebel against God—these people are detested by God, and we should detest them, too. This is what God asks of man. If your parents do not believe in God, if they know full well that faith in God is the right path, and that it can lead to salvation, yet remain unreceptive, then there is no doubt that they are people who are averse to and hate the truth, and that they are people who resist and hate God—and God naturally abhors and hates them. Could you abhor such parents? They oppose and revile God—in which case they are surely demons and Satans. Could you hate and curse them? These are all real questions. If your parents prevent you from believing in God, how should you treat them? As is asked by God, you should love what God loves, and hate what God hates” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Recognizing One’s Own Misguided Views Can One Truly Transform). After reading God’s words, I understood that I cannot act based on affection, and that according to God’s requirements, I should love what God loves and hate what God hates. I thought of how Job treated his sinful children. He didn’t abandon his principles of conduct just because of his blood relation to his children, much less did he wallow in the mire with them out of love. Instead, he was able to discern the essence of his children and feel aversion toward them in his heart, avoiding them. Job was who I should emulate. My mother had already betrayed God, and I’d agreed to expel her based on principle. This was a clear discernment of love and hate, and it was also practicing the truth to protect the interests of the church. Thinking of this, I signed my agreement to my mom’s expulsion. Afterward, I prayed to God and put my heart into my duty, and I was no longer impacted or constrained by this matter.

Around March, the notice to expel my mother was issued, and I felt very calm. In June, I learned that my mother had engaged in betrayal mainly because the CCP had used my father to threaten her, and she turned Judas to protect her feelings and interests. After knowing the real reason for my mother’s betrayal, I knew that God was revealing the truth little by little for me to see things clearly. I thought about how my mother had remained deeply sentimental despite her years of faith, but she never focused on seeking the truth to resolve her fatal flaws. This was why she fell in this regard. I realized that this also served as a warning to me, and that in the future, I had to focus on seeking the truth to resolve my own corrupt disposition; otherwise, when trials and tribulations come, sooner or later, I will fall. Every time I think of this experience, my heart is filled with gratitude to God. It was God’s words that guided me to gain some discernment of the essence of my mother, and I also realized the harm and consequences of acting based on affection. In the end, I was able to break free from the constraints of affection and treat my mother justly according to the truth principles. Thank God!