All of mankind has been corrupted by Satan, and man’s nature is to betray God. However, among all the humans who have been corrupted by Satan, there are some who can submit to God’s work and accept the truth. These are people who can obtain the truth and achieve a transformation of disposition. Some people do not pursue the truth, and instead just go with the flow. They will obey and do whatever you tell them to do, they can forsake things and expend themselves, and they can endure any suffering. Such people have a little conscience and reason, and they have a hope of being saved and surviving, but their disposition cannot change because they do not pursue the truth, and they are only satisfied with understanding doctrine. They do not say or do things that violate conscience, they can sincerely perform their duties, and they can accept fellowship on the truth regarding any problem. However, they do not make a serious effort to seek the truth, their minds are confused, and they can never understand the essence of the truth. It is impossible for their dispositions to change. If you wish to be cleansed of corruption and undergo a change in your life disposition, then you must have a love for the truth and the ability to accept the truth. What does it mean to accept the truth? Accepting the truth means that no matter what sort of corrupt disposition you have, or which of the great red dragon’s poisons—Satan’s poisons—are in your nature, when God’s words expose these things, you should admit to them and submit, you can’t make a different choice, and you should know yourself according to God’s words. This means being able to accept God’s words and accept the truth. No matter what God says, no matter how severe His utterances are, and no matter what words He uses, you can accept them as long as what He says is the truth, and you can acknowledge them as long as they conform to reality. You can submit to God’s words regardless of how deeply you understand them, and you accept and submit to the light that is revealed by the Holy Spirit and fellowshipped by your brothers and sisters. When such a person has pursued the truth to a certain point, they can obtain the truth and achieve a transformation of their disposition. Even if people who don’t love the truth have a bit of humanity, can do some good deeds, and can forsake and expend for God, they are confused about the truth and don’t treat it seriously, so their life disposition never changes. You can see that Peter had similar humanity to the other disciples, but he stood out in his fervent pursuit of the truth. Regardless of what Jesus said, he pondered it in earnest. Jesus asked, “Simon Barjona, do you love Me?” Peter answered honestly, “I only love the Father who is in heaven, yet I have not loved the Lord on earth.” Later he understood, thinking, “This is not right, the God on earth is the God in heaven. Is it not the same God both in heaven and on earth? If I only love God in heaven, then my love is not practical. I must love God on earth, for only then will my love be practical.” Thus, Peter came to understand the true meaning of the word of God from what Jesus had asked. To love God, and for this love to be practical, one must love the incarnate God on earth. Loving a vague and invisible God is neither realistic nor practical, whereas loving the practical, visible God is truth. From Jesus’ words, Peter gained the truth and an understanding of God’s intention. Clearly, Peter’s belief in God had only been focused on pursuing the truth. Ultimately, he achieved a love of the practical God—the God on earth. Peter was especially earnest in his pursuit of the truth. Each time Jesus counseled him, he pondered Jesus’ words in earnest. Perhaps he pondered for months, a year, or even years before the Holy Spirit enlightened him and he understood the essence of God’s words. In this way, Peter entered the truth, and as he did so, his life disposition was transformed and renewed. If a person does not pursue the truth, they will never understand it. You can speak on the words and doctrines ten thousand times, but they will still just be words and doctrines. Some people just say, “Christ is the truth, the way, and the life.” Even if you repeat these words ten thousand times, it will still be useless; you have no understanding of their meaning. Why is it said that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life? Can you articulate the knowledge you have gained about this from experience? Have you entered the reality of the truth, the way, and the life? God has uttered His words so that you can experience them and gain knowledge. Merely speaking on words and doctrines is useless. You can only know yourself once you have understood and entered into God’s words. If you do not understand God’s words, then you cannot know yourself. You can only gain discernment when you understand the truth. Without understanding the truth, you are incapable of discernment. You can only see matters clearly when you understand the truth. Without understanding the truth, you cannot see matters clearly. You can only know yourself when you understand the truth. Without understanding the truth, you cannot know yourself. Your disposition can only change when you have gained the truth. Without the truth, your disposition cannot change. Only after you have gained the truth can you serve in accordance with God’s intentions. Without gaining the truth, you cannot serve in accordance with God’s intentions. Only after you have gained the truth can you worship God. Without understanding the truth, even if you worship Him, your worship will be nothing more than a performance of religious rites. Without the truth, nothing you do is reality. By gaining the truth, everything you do has reality. All of these things hinge on gaining the truth from God’s words.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Know Man’s Nature