I

To believe in God is to walk the right path in life, and one must pursue the truth. This is a matter of the spirit and of life, and it's a different thing from nonbelievers' pursuit of wealth and glory, of making an eternal name for themselves. These are separate paths. The path walked by believers in God is that of pursuing the truth and gaining life; it is the path of following God and gaining the truth. To gain the truth, you must diligently read, practice and experience God's words—only after doing so will you understand the truth. And when you understand the truth, you must consider how to perform your duty well so that you may do things in accordance with the principles, and how you may come to submit to God. This requires practicing the truth.

II

Practicing the truth is no easy matter: Not only must you seek the truth, you must also reflect and recognize whether you have erroneous ideas and notions, and if problems exist, you must fellowship about the truth to resolve them. When you understand the principles of practicing the truth, you can then practice the truth. And only by practicing the truth can you enter into the truth reality and become someone who submits to God. By practicing and experiencing in this way, you will change your dispositions and attain the truth without even realizing it.

III

Nonbelievers are always striving for fame, gain, and status. As a result, they walk the path of evil, becoming more and more depraved, more and more shrewd and deceitful, and more and more calculating and conspiratorial; their hearts become more and more evil, and they become more and more unfathomable—this is the path of nonbelievers. The path of those who believe in God is just the opposite of this. Believers in God want to separate themselves from this evil world and from evil mankind; they want to pursue the truth and purify their corruption. Their hearts are only steady and at peace when they live out human likeness; they want to know God, fear God, shun evil, and gain His approval and blessing. This is what those who believe in God seek.

from The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only an Honest Person Can Live Out True Human Likeness