God does His work in the entire universe. All those who believe in Him must accept His word, and eat and drink His word; no one can be gained by God through seeing the signs and wonders shown by God. Throughout the ages, God has always used the word to make man perfect, thus you should not devote all your attention to signs and wonders, but should pursue being made perfect by God. In the Age of Law of the Old Testament, God spoke some words, and in the Age of Grace, Jesus, too, spoke many words. After Jesus had finished saying these many words, the apostles and prophets that came later caused people to practice according to the laws and commandments set out by Jesus, and caused them to experience according to the principles spoken of by Jesus. God of the last days principally uses the word to make man perfect. He does not use signs and wonders to oppress man, or convince man; this cannot make plain the power of God. If God only showed signs and wonders, then it would be impossible to make plain the reality of God, and thus impossible to make man perfect. God does not make man perfect by signs and wonders, but uses the word to water and shepherd man, after which is achieved the complete obedience of man and man’s knowledge of God. This is the aim of the work He does and the words He speaks. God does not use the method of showing signs and wonders to make man perfect—He uses words, and uses many different methods of work to make man perfect. Whether it be the refinement, dealing, pruning, or provision of words, God speaks from many different perspectives to make man perfect, and to give man a greater knowledge of the work, wisdom and wondrousness of God. When man is made complete at the time that God concludes the age in the last days, he will be qualified to look upon signs and wonders. When you have a knowledge of God and are able to obey God no matter what He does, you will see signs and wonders, for you will have no conceptions about the reality of God. At the moment, you are corrupt and incapable of complete obedience to God—are you qualified to see signs and wonders? The time that God shows signs and wonders is when God punishes man, and also when the age changes, and, moreover, when the age concludes. When God’s work is being carried out normally, He does not show signs and wonders. Showing signs and wonders is supremely easy, but that is not the principle of God’s work, nor is it the aim of God’s management of man. If man saw signs and wonders, and if the spiritual body of God were to appear to man, would all people not believe in God? I have previously said that a group of overcomers are gained from the East, overcomers who come from amid the great tribulation. What is the meaning of such words? They mean that these people who have been gained only truly obeyed after undergoing judgment and chastisement, and dealing and pruning, and all kinds of refinement. The belief of such people is not vague and abstract, but real. They have not seen any signs and wonders, or any miracles; they do not speak of abstruse letters and doctrines, or profound insights; instead they have reality, and the words of God, and a true knowledge of the reality of God. Is such a group not more capable of making plain the power of God? God’s work during the last days is real work. During the age of Jesus, He did not come to make man perfect, but to redeem man, and so He displayed some miracles to make people follow Him. For He principally came to complete the work of crucifixion, and showing signs was not part of the work of His ministry. Such signs and wonders were work that was done in order to make His work effective; they were extra work, and did not represent the work of the entire age. During the Age of Law of the Old Testament, God also showed some signs and wonders—but the work God does today is real work, and He would definitely not show signs and wonders now. As soon as He showed signs and wonders, His real work would be thrown into disorder, and He would be unable to do any more work. If God said for the word to be used to make man perfect, but also showed signs and wonders, then could whether or not man truly believes in Him be made plain? Thus, God does not do such things. There is too much of religion within man; God has come during the last days to expel all the religious conceptions and supernatural things within man, and make man know the reality of God. He has come to remove an image of God that is abstract and fanciful—an image which, in other words, does not exist at all. And so, now the only thing that is precious is for you to have a knowledge of reality! The truth overrides everything. How much truth do you possess today? Is all that shows signs and wonders God? Evil spirits can also show signs and wonders; are they all God? In his belief in God, what man searches for is the truth, what he pursues is life, rather than signs and wonders. Such should be the goal of all those who believe in God.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. All Is Achieved by the Word of God