The work and expression of Christ determines His substance. He is able to complete with a true heart that which has been entrusted to Him. He is able to worship God in heaven with a true heart, and with a true heart seek the will of God the Father. This is all determined by His substance. And so too is His natural revelation determined by His substance; the reason His natural revelation is so called is because His expression is not an imitation, or the result of education by man, or the result of many years of cultivation by man. He did not learn it or adorn Himself with it; rather, it is inherent within Him. Man may deny His work, His expression, His humanity, and the entire life of His normal humanity, but none can deny that He worships God in heaven with a true heart; none can deny that He has come to fulfill the will of the heavenly Father, and none can deny the sincerity with which He seeks God the Father. Though His image is not pleasing to the senses, His discourse not possessed of an extraordinary air, and His work not as earth-shattering or heaven-shaking as man imagines, He is indeed Christ, who fulfills the will of the heavenly Father with a true heart, completely submits to the heavenly Father, and is obedient to the death. This is because His substance is the substance of Christ. This truth is hard for man to believe but does indeed exist. When the ministry of Christ has been completely fulfilled, man will be able to see from His work that His disposition and His being represent the disposition and being of God in heaven. At that time, the summation of all His work can affirm that He is indeed the flesh which the Word becomes, and not alike that of a flesh and blood man. Every step of Christ’s work on earth has its representative significance, but man who experiences the actual work of each step is unable to grasp the significance of His work. This is especially so for the several steps of work carried out by the second incarnate God. Most of those who have only heard or seen Christ’s words yet who have never seen Him have no notions of His work; those who have seen Christ and heard His words, as well as experienced His work, find it difficult to accept His work. Is this not because the appearance and the normal humanity of Christ are not to the taste of man? Those who accept His work after Christ has gone away will not have such difficulties, for they merely accept His work and do not come into contact with Christ’s normal humanity. Man is unable to drop his notions of God and instead scrutinizes Him intensely; this is due to the fact that man focuses only on His appearance and is unable to recognize His substance based on His work and His words. If man shuts his eyes to the appearance of Christ or avoids discussing the humanity of Christ, and speaks only of His divinity, whose work and words are unattainable by any man, then the notions of man will decrease by half, even to the extent that all man’s difficulties are resolved.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Essence of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father

I

Christ’s substance is determined by His work and expressions. With a heart that is true, He completes what’s entrusted, worships God in heaven and seeks His Father’s will. This is all determined by His substance, and so too are His natural revelations. So called because His expressions aren’t imitations, or from years of man’s cultivation or education. They are not learned or self-adorned, but inherent, ah. They are not learned or self-adorned, but inherent, ah.

II

Man may deny His work, His expressions and humanity, they may even deny His life of normal humanity, but not His true heart when worshiping God in heaven. No one can deny that He’s here to fulfill the will of the heavenly Father. And no one can deny the sincerity with which He seeks God the Father. His image may not be pleasing to the senses, His discourse may not possess an air of sensation, His work may not be as earth-or heaven-shattering, as what is believed in man’s imagination. But He’s indeed Christ, who fulfills His Father’s will, with a true heart, and total submission and deathly obedience, ah. It’s because His substance is that of the Christ. A truth that’s hard to believe but is indeed in existence. A truth that’s hard, hard to believe but is indeed in existence. A truth that’s hard, it’s hard to believe but is indeed in existence, ah.

Adapted from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Essence of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father