(1) It is necessary to know that all God’s words are the truth and should be accepted, no matter whether they accord with human notions. One must not accept and obey them selectively;

(2) One must put those of God’s word the truth they have understood into practice and experience them. Whether one’s understanding of the truth is shallow or profound, they must come to a lucid comprehension through practice and experience;

(3) It is necessary to submit to the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, as well as their dealing and pruning. Only when one has come to know their own corrupt essence will they repent truly;

(4) It is necessary to submit to the authority of God’s words. One should accept and obey the words of anyone who speaks in accord with God’s word the truth, no matter who that person is. God’s words are the highest authority.

Relevant Words of God:

In every age, while working among humans, God bestows some words upon them and tells them of some truths. These truths serve as the way people should adhere to, the way they should walk in, the way that enables them to fear God and shun evil, and the way that people should put into practice and adhere to in their lives and over the course of their life journeys. It is for these reasons that God expresses these utterances to humanity. These words that come from God should be adhered to by people, and to adhere to them is to receive life. If a person does not adhere to them, does not put them into practice, and does not live out God’s words in their life, then this person is not putting the truth into practice. Furthermore, if people are not putting the truth into practice, then they are not fearing God and shunning evil, nor can they satisfy God. People who are incapable of satisfying God cannot receive His praise, and such people have no outcome.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. How to Know God’s Disposition and the Results His Work Shall Achieve

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 the ones who can obtain the truth and achieve a transformation of disposition. There are also those who do not focus on seeking the truth. They are satisfied with merely understanding doctrines; they hear good doctrine and keep it, and after understanding it, they can perform their duties—to a point. These people do what they are told and have mediocre humanity. They are willing, to a certain extent, to expend, abandon worldliness, and endure suffering. However, they are not earnest with regard to the truth; they believe it is sufficient that they commit no sin, and are unable ever to understand the essence of the truth. If such people can stand firm in the end, then they can also be spared, but they cannot have their dispositions transformed. If you wish to be purified 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 indicates that no matter what sort of corrupt disposition you have, or which of the great red dragon’s poisons are in your nature, you acknowledge it when it is revealed by God’s words, and submit to these words; you accept them unconditionally, without making any excuses or trying to pick and choose, and you come to know yourself based on what He says. This is what it means to accept God’s words. No matter what He says, no matter how much His utterances might pierce your heart, 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 fellowshiped by your brothers and sisters. When such a person has pursued the truth to a certain point, he can obtain the truth and achieve a transformation of his disposition. Even if those who do not love the truth may be of decent humanity, when it comes to the truth, they are muddleheaded and do not take it seriously. Though they may be capable of a few good deeds, and can expend of themselves for God, and are capable of renunciation, they cannot achieve a change in disposition.

—“How to Know Man’s Nature” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

When receiving the judgment of God’s words, we must not fear suffering, nor should we be afraid of pain, and much less should we fear that God’s words will pierce our hearts. We should read more of His utterances about how He judges and chastises us and exposes our corrupt essences. We must read them and hold ourselves up to them more. Do not compare others to them—we must compare ourselves against them. We are not lacking in any single one of these things; we can all square with them. If you do not believe it, go experience it yourself. After reading God’s words, some people are incapable of applying them to themselves; they think that parts of these words are not about them, but are instead about other people. For example, when God exposes people as sluts and whores, some sisters feel that because they have been unerringly faithful to their husbands, such words must not be in reference to them; some sisters feel that since they are unmarried and have never had sex, such words must not be about them, either. Some brothers feel that these words are only aimed at women, and have nothing to do with them; some people believe that such words of God are too unpleasant-sounding, and refuse to accept them. There are even people who say that in some instances, God’s words are wrong. Is this the right attitude to have toward God’s words? People are incapable of reflecting upon themselves based on God’s words. Here, “sluts” and “whores” refer to people’s corruption of promiscuity. Whether man or woman, married or not married, everyone is possessed of the corruption of promiscuity—so how can it have nothing to do with you? God’s words expose people’s corrupt dispositions; whether male or female, one’s level of corruption is the same. Is this not fact? Prior to doing anything else, we have to realize that we must accept every one of the words spoken by God, whether these utterances are pleasant-sounding or not and whether they give us a bitter feeling or a sweet one. Such is the attitude we should have toward God’s words. What sort of attitude is this? Is it a devout attitude, a patient attitude, or an attitude of embracing suffering? I tell you that it is not any of these. In our faith, we must firmly maintain that God’s words are the truth. Since they are indeed the truth, we should accept them rationally. Whether or not we are able to recognize or admit it, our first attitude toward God’s words should be one of absolute acceptance. Every single line of God’s words pertains to a specific state. That is, none of the lines of His utterances are about external appearances, much less about external rules or a simple form of behavior in people. They are not like that. If you see every line uttered by God as being about a simple kind of human behavior or external appearance, then you have no spiritual understanding and you do not understand what the truth is. God’s words are profound. How are they profound? Everything that God says, everything that He reveals, is about people’s corrupt dispositions, and essential and deep-rooted things within their lives. They are essential things, not external appearances, and particularly not external behaviors. Viewing people from their external appearance, they might all seem to be fine. Why, then, does God say that some people are evil spirits and some are unclean spirits? This is a matter that is not visible to you. Thus, you cannot rely on appearance or what you see from the outside to hold up to God’s words. After being fellowshiped to thusly, have you experienced a change in your attitude toward God’s words? No matter how great or small the change, the next time you read such words, you at least will not try to reason with God. You will not say, “God’s words are really hard to listen to; I’m not going to read this page. I’ll just skip over it! Let me search for something to read about blessings and promises, so as to find some comfort.” You must not pick and choose what you read like that.

—“The Importance of Pursuing the Truth and the Path of Pursuing It” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

Whatever you do, you must learn to seek and obey the truth in it. So long as you act in accordance with the truth, you are acting correctly. Even if it was a child who proposed it, or the most inconspicuous young brother or young sister, so long as what they say conforms to the truth, then what you are doing will have a good outcome, and it will conform to God’s will. The handling of a matter depends on your impulse and your principles for handling it. If your principles arise from man’s will; if they arise from human thoughts, notions, or imaginings; or if they arise from human emotions and points of view, then your handling of the matter will be wrong, because its source will be wrong. When your views are based on the principles of the truth, and you handle matters in accordance with the truth principles, then you are sure to handle the matter at hand correctly. Sometimes, other people will be unable to accept your handling of the matter at the moment, and, at such times, they may seem to have their own notions, or their hearts will be ill at ease. After a while, however, you will be proven right. Matters that conform to God’s will look better over time; the outcome of matters that do not conform to God’s will, however—matters that accord with man’s will and are man-made—grow worse over time, and will all be proven so. When you act, do not concern yourself with whose way should or should not guide you, and do not make assumptions. First of all, you should seek and pray, and then feel your way forward, and fellowship with everyone together. What is the purpose of fellowship? It enables one to do things in precise accordance with God’s will, and to act in line with God’s will. This is a somewhat grand way of putting it; let us say it enables one to handle affairs in precise accordance with the truth principles—this is somewhat more practical. If you can achieve this, that will do.

—“The Path to Resolving a Corrupt Disposition” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

People’s pursuit of entry into life is based upon the words of God. Previously, it was said that everything is accomplished because of His words, but no one saw this fact. If you enter into experiencing the current step, all will be clear to you, and you will be building a good foundation for future trials. Whatever God says, focus only on entry into His words. When God says He will begin to chastise people, accept His chastisement. When God asks people to die, accept that trial. If you are always living within His newest utterances, God’s words will perfect you in the end. The more you enter into God’s words, the more quickly you will be perfected. Why, in fellowship after fellowship, do I ask you to know and enter into God’s words? Only when you pursue and experience in God’s words, and enter into the reality of His words, does the Holy Spirit have the opportunity to work in you. Therefore, you are all participants in every method by which God works, and whatever the degree of your suffering, in the end you will all receive a “souvenir.” In order to attain your final perfection, you must enter into all of God’s words. The Holy Spirit’s perfection of people is not unilateral; He requires people’s cooperation, He needs everyone to consciously cooperate with Him. Whatever God says, focus only on entry into His words—this will be more beneficial to your life. Everything is for the sake of achieving a change in your disposition. When you enter into God’s words, your heart will be moved by Him, and you will be capable of knowing everything that God wishes to achieve in this step of His work, and you will have the resolution to achieve it. During the time of chastisement, there were those who believed that this was a method of work, and did not believe in God’s words. As a result, they did not undergo refinement, and emerged from the time of chastisement without gaining or understanding anything. There were some who truly entered into these words without a shred of doubt, who said that the words of God are the infallible truth and that humanity should be chastised. They struggled therein for a period of time, letting go of their future and their destiny, and when they emerged, their dispositions had undergone some change, and they had gained a deeper understanding of God. Those who emerged from chastisement all felt the loveliness of God and realized that this step of work embodied God’s great love descending into them, that it was the conquest and salvation of God’s love. They also said that God’s thoughts are always good, and that everything God does in man comes from love, not hate. Those who did not believe in God’s words, who did not look to His words, did not undergo refinement during the time of chastisement, and as a result, the Holy Spirit was not with them, and they gained nothing. For those who entered the time of chastisement, although they did undergo refinement, the Holy Spirit was working hidden inside them, and their life disposition was changed as a result. Some seemed, to all outward appearances, very positive, filled with good cheer all day, but they did not enter into the state of the refinement of God’s words and so did not change at all, which was the consequence of not believing in God’s words. If you do not believe in God’s words, then the Holy Spirit will not work in you. God appears to all those who believe in His words, and those who believe in and accept His words will be able to gain His love!

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. People Whose Dispositions Have Changed Are Those Who Have Entered Into the Reality of God’s Words

Listening to the word of God and obeying God’s requirements is man’s heaven-sent vocation; what God says is no business of man. No matter what God says, what God asks of man, the identity, essence, and status of God do not change—He is always God. When you have no doubt that He is God, your only responsibility, the only thing you should do, is to listen to what He says; this is the path of practice. A creature of God should not study, analyze, explore, reject, contradict, disobey, or deny the words of God; this is abhorred by God, and not what He wishes to see in man. So just what is the path of practice? It is actually very simple: Learn to listen, listen with your heart, accept with your heart, understand and comprehend with your heart, and then go and do, carry out, and execute with your heart. What you hear and comprehend in your heart is closely connected to what you put into practice. Do not separate the two; everything—what you practice, what you obey, what you do by your own hand, everything you run around for—is connected to what you hear and comprehend in your heart, and in this, you will achieve obedience to the words of the Creator. This is the path of practice.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Three: How Noah and Abraham Listened to God’s Words and Obeyed Him (Part Two)

Noah was a man who, of all men, is most worthy of emulation, who feared God, obeyed God, and completed what God entrusted to him; he was commended by God, and should be a model to those who follow God today. And what was most precious about him? He had only one attitude toward God’s words: to listen and accept, to accept and obey, and to obey unto death. It was this attitude, which was most precious of all, that won him God’s commendation. When it came to God’s words, he didn’t just make a token effort, he didn’t just go through the motions, and he did not study, analyze, resist, or reject them inside his head then relegate them to the back of his mind; instead, he listened in earnest, accepted them, little by little, in his heart, and then pondered how to bring God’s words to fruition, how to put them into practice, how to carry them out as originally intended, without distorting them. And at the same time as he pondered God’s words, he said privately to himself, “These are the words of God, they are God’s instructions, God’s commission, I am duty-bound, I must obey, I cannot leave out any details, I cannot in any way go against God’s wishes, nor can I overlook any one of the details of what He said, or else I would not be fit to be called human, I would be unworthy of God’s commission, and unworthy of His exaltation. If I fail to accomplish all that God has told me and entrusted to me, I will be left with many regrets; more than that, I will know myself unworthy of God’s commission and His exaltation of me, and will not have the face to come before the Creator again.” Everything that Noah thought and contemplated in his heart, his every perspective and attitude, all these determined how he became able to put God’s words into practice, and make God’s words a reality, bring God’s words to fruition, make it so that they were fulfilled through him and turned into a reality through him, and so that they did not come to nothing. Judging by everything that Noah thought, every idea that arose in his heart, and his attitude toward God, Noah was worthy of God’s commission, he was a man trusted by God, and one preferred by God. God surveys man’s every word and deed, He looks upon their thoughts and ideas. In God’s eyes, for Noah to be able to think like this, He had not mischosen. Noah showed himself worthy of undertaking God’s commission, worthy of receiving God’s trust, he was able to complete God’s commission: He was the only choice among all of humankind.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Three: How Noah and Abraham Listened to God’s Words and Obeyed Him (Part Two)

Abraham was an honest man. He had but one attitude toward God’s words: to listen, accept, and obey. He listened to whatever God said; if God said something was black, even if it didn’t look black to Abraham, he believed without question that it was black. If God said something was white, it was white. That’s how simple it was. When God said He would give him a child, he thought to himself, “I am a hundred years old. If God says He is going to give me a child, then I give thanks to God, I thank my Lord.” He didn’t overthink things; he just believed in God. And what was the essence of this belief? He believed in the essence and identity of God; his knowledge of the Creator was true. He was not like some people, who say out loud that they believe that God is possessed of the power to create all things, and that God made humankind, and yet in their hearts are doubtful: “Aren’t we evolved from apes? Why didn’t I see it when God created all things?” Every time they hear God speak, there are big question marks in their hearts. Every fact, thing, and instruction spoken by God they have to minutely, diligently, and cautiously study and analyze; otherwise, if they’re not careful, they could be tricked, and taken advantage of. But Abraham wasn’t like this. His heart was pure, he listened to God’s words with a pure heart, and though, when God spoke this time, it pained him, he chose to still believe and obey; he believed that God’s words would not change, that they would become reality, that they were what should be carried out and obeyed by created humankind; faced with God’s words, created mankind had no right to choose, much less should it study or analyze. Such was Abraham’s attitude toward God’s words. And so, even though it pained him greatly, even though, because of his attachment, love, and adoration toward his son, he felt the utmost stress and suffering, still he chose to give his son back to God. Why did he have to return him to God? If God had not asked, he need not take it upon himself to return his son—but once God asked, he had to give him back to God; he had no excuses, people shouldn’t try to reason with God; this was Abraham’s attitude. Such was the pure heart with which he obeyed God: This was what God wanted, and it was what God wished to see. What Abraham accomplished in offering up Isaac, and what was exhibited in him before God, was what God wished to see, and was God’s test of him. And yet, God did not treat Abraham as He treated Noah. He did not tell Abraham the whole story, the process, everything behind this matter. Abraham only knew one thing: God has asked him to return Isaac, that is all. He did not know that in doing this, God was testing him, nor was he aware of what, after being subjected to this test, God wished to accomplish in him and his descendants. God didn’t tell him everything, He just gave him a simple instruction, a request. And though these words of God were very simple, and cold-blooded, yet as expected, Abraham did as God wished and required: He sacrificed Isaac upon the altar. Everything he did shows that his offering wasn’t just a formality, he was not just going through the motions, but was sincere from his inmost heart. Even though he couldn’t bear to, even though it pained him, when faced with what the Creator asked, Abraham chose that method which any member of humankind would not: Absolute obedience to what the Creator asked, obedience without compromise, without excuses, and without any conditions—he did whatever God asked. And what was found in him, that he could do what God asked? Partly, there was in him the true faith in God; he was sure that the Creator was God, his God, his Lord, the One who ruled over all things and had created humankind. This was true faith. Partly, his was a pure heart. He trusted in every word uttered by the Creator, and was able to simply and straightforwardly accept every word uttered by the Creator. And partly, no matter how great the difficulty of what the Creator asked, how much pain it would bring him, the attitude he chose was obedience, not trying to reason with God, or push back, or refuse, but complete and total obedience, acting and implementing according to what God asked, according to His every word, and every order issued. As God asked and wished to see, Abraham sacrificed Isaac on the altar, he sacrificed him to God—and all that he did proved that God had chosen the right person, that in God’s eyes, he was righteous.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Three: How Noah and Abraham Listened to God’s Words and Obeyed Him (Part Two)

I appear to you in your lives, but you are always unaware of it. You do not even recognize Me. Nearly half of the words I say are in judgment of you, and they only achieve half of the effect that they should, which is to instill deep fear within you. The remaining half consists of words to teach you about life and how to conduct yourselves. However, it would seem that as far as you are concerned these words do not even exist, or as if you were listening to the words of children, words to which you always give a veiled smile, but never act upon. You have never been concerned about these things; it has always primarily been in the name of curiosity that you have observed My actions, with the result that now you have fallen into darkness and cannot see the light, and so you cry piteously in the dark. What I want is your obedience, your unconditional obedience, and even more, I require that you be completely certain of everything I say. You should not adopt an attitude of neglect and in particular you should not treat the things I say selectively, nor be indifferent toward My words and My work, as is your wont. My work is done in your midst and I have bestowed a great many of My words upon you, but if you treat Me in this way, I can only give away to Gentile families that which you have neither gained nor put into practice. Who among all of the created beings is not held by Me in My hands? Most of those among you are of a “ripe old age,” and you do not have the energy to accept this kind of work that I have. You are like a Hanhao bird,^[a] just barely getting by, and you have never treated My words seriously. The young people are extremely vain and overindulgent and pay even less mind to My work. They have no interest in feasting on the delicacies of My banquet; they are like a little bird that has flown out of its cage to venture far away into the distance. How can these kinds of young and old people be useful to Me?

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Words for the Young and the Old

Originally, I wished to supply you with more truths, but I have had to refrain from this because your attitude toward the truth is much too cold and indifferent; I do not wish for My efforts to be wasted, nor do I wish to see people holding My words yet in all regards doing that which resists Me, maligns Me, and blasphemes Me. Because of your attitudes and your humanity, I merely supply you with a small and, for you, very important part of My words, which serves as My trial work among mankind. Only now have I truly confirmed that the decisions and plan I have made fit your needs and, moreover, that My attitude toward mankind is the correct one. Your many years of behavior before Me have given Me an answer without precedent, and the question to this answer is: “What is man’s attitude before the truth and the true God?” The efforts I have devoted to man prove My essence of love for man, and man’s every action before Me proves his essence of loathing toward the truth and opposition to Me. At all times, I am concerned for all who follow Me, yet at no time are those who follow Me able to receive My words; they are not even able to accept My suggestions. This is what saddens Me most of all. No one has ever been able to understand Me and nor, moreover, has anyone ever been able to accept Me, even though My attitude is sincere, and My words are gentle. Everyone tries to do the work I have entrusted to them according to their own ideas; they do not seek My intentions, let alone do they ask what I require of them. They still claim to serve Me loyally, all while they rebel against Me. Many believe that the truths that are unacceptable to them or that they cannot practice are not truths. In such people, My truths become something that is denied and cast aside. At the same time, people recognize Me as God in word, yet also believe Me an outsider who is not the truth, the way, or the life. No one knows this truth: My words are the forever unchanging truth. I am the supply of life for man and the only guide for mankind. The worth and meaning of My words are not determined by whether they are recognized or accepted by mankind, but by the essence of the words themselves. Even if not a single person on this earth can receive My words, the value of My words and their help to mankind are inestimable to any man. Therefore, when faced with the many people who rebel against, refute, or are utterly contemptuous of My words, My stance is only this: Let time and facts be My witness and show that My words are the truth, the way, and the life. Let them show that all I have said is right, that it is that which man should be furnished with and, moreover, that which man should accept. I will let all who follow Me know this fact: Those who cannot fully accept My words, those who cannot practice My words, those who cannot find a purpose in My words, and those who cannot receive salvation because of My words, are those who have been condemned by My words and, moreover, have lost My salvation, and My rod shall never stray from them.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. You Ought to Consider Your Deeds

Footnotes:

a. The story of the Hanhao bird is very similar to Aesop’s fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The Hanhao bird prefers to sleep instead of building a nest while the weather is warm, despite repeated warnings from his neighbor, a magpie. When winter arrives, the bird freezes to death.