Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Corrupt human beings are good at disguising themselves. No matter what they do or what corruption they reveal, they always have to disguise themselves. If something goes wrong or they do something wrong, they want to put the blame on others. They want credit for good things to go to themselves, and blame for bad things to go to others. Is there not a lot of disguising like this in real life? There is too much. Making mistakes or disguising oneself: which of these relates to disposition? Disguising is a matter of disposition, it involves an arrogant disposition, wickedness, and deceitfulness; it is especially loathed by God. In fact, when you disguise yourself, everyone understands what is happening, but you think others do not see it, and you try your best to argue and justify yourself in an effort to save face and make everyone think you did nothing wrong. Is this not stupid? What do others think about this? How do they feel? Sick and loathing. If, having made a mistake, you can treat it correctly, and can allow everyone else to talk about it, permitting their commentary and discernment about it, and you can open up about it and dissect it, what will everyone’s opinion of you be? They will say you are an honest person, for your heart is open to God. Through your actions and behavior, they will be able to see your heart. But if you try to disguise yourself and deceive everyone, people will think little of you, and say you are a fool and an unwise person. If you do not try to put on a pretense or justify yourself, if you can admit your mistakes, everyone will say you are honest and wise. And what makes you wise? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has faults and flaws. And actually, everyone has the same corrupt disposition. Do not think yourself more noble, perfect, and kind than others; that is being utterly unreasonable. Once people’s corrupt dispositions and the essence and true face of their corruption are clear to you, you will not try to cover up your own mistakes, nor will you hold other people’s mistakes against them—you will be able to face both correctly. Only then will you become insightful and not do foolish things, which will make you wise. Those who are not wise are foolish people, and they always dwell on their minor mistakes while sneaking around behind the scenes. It is disgusting to witness. In fact, what you are doing is immediately obvious to other people, yet you are still blatantly putting on a show. To others, it has the appearance of a clownish performance. Is this not foolish? It really is. Foolish people do not have any wisdom. No matter how many sermons they hear, they still do not understand the truth or see anything for what it really is. They never get off their high horse, thinking they are different from everyone else and more respectable; this is arrogance and self-righteousness, this is foolishness. Fools do not have spiritual understanding, do they? The matters in which you are foolish and unwise are the matters in which you have no spiritual understanding, and cannot easily understand the truth. This is the reality of the matter.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Principles That Should Guide One’s Conduct

What kind of disposition is it when people always put up a front, always whitewash themselves, always put on airs so that others think highly of them, and cannot see their faults or shortcomings, when they always try to present their best side to people? This is arrogance, fakery, hypocrisy, it is the disposition of Satan, it is something wicked. Take members of the satanic regime: No matter how much they fight, feud, or kill in the dark, no one is allowed to report or expose them. They are afraid that people will see their demonic face, and they do everything they can to cover it up. In public, they do their utmost to whitewash themselves, saying how much they love the people, how great, glorious and infallible they are. This is the nature of Satan. The most prominent feature of Satan’s nature is trickery and deception. And what is the aim of this trickery and deception? To hoodwink people, to stop them from seeing its essence and true colors, and thus achieve the aim of prolonging its rule. Ordinary people may lack such power and status, but they, too, wish to make others hold a favorable view of them, and for people to have a high estimation of them, and elevate them to a high status in their hearts. This is a corrupt disposition, and if people do not understand the truth, they are incapable of recognizing this. Corrupt dispositions are the hardest of all to recognize: Recognizing your own faults and shortcomings is easy, but recognizing your own corrupt disposition is not. People who do not know themselves never talk about their corrupt states—they always think that they are okay. And without realizing it, they start to show off: “Through all my years of faith, I have undergone so much persecution and suffered so much hardship. Do you know how I overcame it all?” Is this an arrogant disposition? What is the motivation behind putting themselves on display? (To make people think highly of them.) What is their motive in making people think highly of them? (To be given status in such people’s minds.) When you are given status in the mind of someone else, then when they are in your company, they are deferential toward you, and especially polite when they talk to you. They always look up to you, they always let you go first in all things, they give way to you, and they flatter and obey you. In all things, they seek you out and let you make decisions. And you get a sense of enjoyment from this—you feel that you are stronger and better than anyone else. Everyone likes this feeling. This is the feeling of having status in someone’s heart; people wish to indulge in this. This is why people vie for status, and all wish to be given status in others’ hearts, to be esteemed and worshiped by others. If they could not derive such enjoyment from it, they would not pursue status. For example, if you do not have status in someone’s mind, they would engage with you on an equal footing, treating you as an equal. They would contradict you when necessary, they would not be courteous or respectful toward you, and might even leave before you have finished speaking. Would you feel put out? You do not like it when people treat you like this; you like it when they flatter you, look up to you, and worship you at every moment. You like it when you are the center of everything, everything revolves around you, and everyone listens to you, looks up to you, and submits to your direction. Is this not a desire to reign as a king, to have power? Your words and actions are driven by the pursuit and acquisition of status, and you contend, grasp, and compete with others for it. Your goal is to seize a position, and have God’s chosen people listen to you, support you, and worship you. Once you have taken hold of that position, you have then acquired power and can enjoy the benefits of status, admiration from others, and all other advantages that come with that position. People are always disguising themselves, showing off in front of others, putting on appearances, putting up a front, and embellishing themselves to make others think they are perfect. Their aim in this is to gain status, so they can enjoy the benefits of status. If you don’t believe this, think it over carefully: Why do you always want to make people think highly of you? You want to make them worship you and look up to you, so you can eventually take power and enjoy the benefits of status. The status that you so desperately seek will bring you many benefits, and these benefits are precisely what others envy and desire. When people get a taste of the many benefits status confers, it intoxicates them, and they indulge in that luxurious life. People think only this is a life that has not been squandered. Corrupted humanity delights in indulging in these things. Therefore, once a person attains a certain position and begins to enjoy the various benefits it brings, they will relentlessly lust after these sinful pleasures, even to the point of never letting them go. In essence, the pursuit of fame and status is driven by the desire to bask in the advantages that come with a certain position, to reign as a king, to exert control over God’s chosen people, to have dominion over everything, and to establish an independent kingdom where they can luxuriate in the benefits of their status and indulge in sinful pleasures. Satan uses methods of all kinds to deceive people, dupe them, and play them for fools, giving them false impressions. It even uses intimidation and threats to make people admire and fear it, with the ultimate goal of making them submit to it and worship it. This is what pleases Satan; this is also its goal in competing with God to win people over. So, when you fight for status and reputation among other people, what are you fighting for? Is it really for renown? No. You are actually fighting for the benefits that renown brings you. If you always want to enjoy those benefits, then you will have to fight for them. But if you do not value those benefits and say, “It doesn’t matter how people treat me. I am just an ordinary person. I am not worthy of such good treatment, nor do I desire to worship a person. God is the only One I should truly worship and fear. Only He is my God and my Lord. No matter how good someone may be, how great their abilities, how vast their talent, or how magnificent or perfect their image, they are not the object of my reverence because they are not the truth. They are not the Creator; they are not the Savior, and they cannot orchestrate or reign sovereign over man’s destiny. They are not the object of my worship. No human person deserves my worship,” is this not in accordance with the truth? Conversely, if you do not worship others, how should you treat them if they begin to worship you? You must find a way to stop them from doing so, and help them break free from such a mentality. You must find a way to show them your true face, and let them see your ugliness and true nature. The key is to make people understand that no matter how good your caliber is, how highly you are educated, how knowledgeable you are, or how intelligent, you are still just an ordinary person. You are not an object of admiration or worship for anyone. First and foremost, you must stand firm in your position, and not withdraw after making mistakes or embarrassing yourself. If, after making mistakes or embarrassing yourself, you not only fail to acknowledge it, but also use deception to conceal or sugarcoat it, then you compound your error and make yourself appear even more ugly. Your ambition becomes even more apparent.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Principles That Should Guide One’s Conduct

People themselves are created beings. Can created beings achieve omnipotence? Can they achieve perfection and flawlessness? Can they achieve proficiency in everything, come to understand everything, see through everything, and be capable of everything? They cannot. However, within humans, there are corrupt dispositions, and a fatal weakness: As soon as they learn a skill or profession, people feel that they are capable, that they are people with status and worth, and that they are professionals. No matter how unexceptional they are, they all want to package themselves as some famous or exceptional individual, to turn themselves into some minor celebrity, and make people think they are perfect and flawless, without a single defect; in the eyes of others, they wish to become famous, powerful, or some great figure, and they want to become mighty, capable of anything, with nothing they cannot do. They feel that if they sought others’ help, they would appear incapable, weak, and inferior, and that people would look down on them. For this reason, they always want to keep up a front. Some people, when asked to do something, say they know how to do it, when they actually do not. Afterward, in secret, they look it up and try to learn how to do it, but after studying it for several days, they still do not understand how to do it. When asked how they are getting on with it, they say, “Soon, soon!” But in their hearts, they’re thinking, “I’m not there yet, I have no idea, I don’t know what to do! I must not let the cat out of the bag, I must continue putting on a front, I can’t let people see my shortcomings and ignorance, I can’t let them look down on me!” What problem is this? This is a living hell of trying to save face at all costs. What kind of disposition is this? Such people’s arrogance knows no bounds, they have lost all reason. They do not wish to be like everyone else, they don’t want to be ordinary people, normal people, but superhumans, exceptional individuals, or hotshots. This is such a huge problem! With regard to the weaknesses, shortcomings, ignorance, foolishness, and lack of understanding within normal humanity, they will wrap it all up, and not let other people see it, and then keep on disguising themselves. There are some who are blind to everything, yet still claim they understand in their heart. When you ask them to explain it, they cannot. After someone else has explained it, they then claim that they were about to say the same thing but were unable to voice it in time. They do everything they can to disguise themselves and try to look good. What do you say, do such people not live with their heads in the clouds? Are they not dreaming? They do not know who they themselves are, nor do they know how to live out normal humanity. They have never once acted like practical human beings. If you pass your days with your head in the clouds, muddling through, not doing anything with your feet on the ground, always living by your own imagination, then this is trouble. The path in life you choose is not right. If you do this, then no matter how you believe in God, you will not understand the truth, nor will you be able to obtain the truth. To be honest with you, you cannot obtain the truth, because your starting point is wrong. You must learn how to walk on the ground, and how to walk steadily, one step at a time. If you can walk, then walk; do not try to learn how to run. If you can walk one step at a time, then do not try to take two steps at a time. You must conduct yourself with your feet firmly on the ground. Do not try to be superhuman, great, or lofty.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Five Conditions That Must Be Met to Embark on the Right Track of Belief in God

How are Pharisees described? They are people who are hypocritical, completely fake, and put on an act in everything they do. What act do they put on? They pretend to be good, kind, and positive. Is this what they are actually like? Absolutely not. Given that they are hypocrites, everything that is manifested and revealed in them is false; it is all pretense—it is not their true face. Where is their true face hidden? It is hidden deep within their hearts, never to be seen by others. Everything on the outside is an act, it is all fake, but they can only fool people; they cannot fool God. If people do not pursue the truth, if they do not practice and experience God’s words, then they cannot truly understand the truth, and so no matter how nice-sounding their words are, these words are not the truth reality, but words and doctrines. Some people only focus on parroting words and doctrines, they ape whoever preaches the highest sermons, with the result that in just a few years their recital of words and doctrines grows ever more advanced, and they are admired and venerated by many people, after which they start to camouflage themselves, and pay great attention to what they say and do, showing themselves to be especially pious and spiritual. They use these so-called spiritual theories to camouflage themselves. This is all they talk about wherever they go, specious things that fit with people’s notions, but which lack any of the truth reality. And through preaching these things—things that are in line with people’s notions and tastes—they mislead many people. To others, such people seem very devout and humble, but it is actually fake; they seem tolerant, forbearing, and loving, but it is actually a pretense; they say they love God, but it is actually an act. Others think such people holy, but it is actually fake. Where can a person who is truly holy be found? Human holiness is all fake. It is all an act, a pretense. On the outside, they appear loyal to God, but they are actually just performing for others to see. When no one is looking, they are not the slightest bit loyal, and everything they do is perfunctory. Superficially, they expend themselves for God and have given up their families and careers. But what are they doing in secret? They are conducting their own enterprise and running their own operation in the church, profiting from the church and stealing offerings secretly under the guise of working for God…. These people are the modern hypocritical Pharisees. Where do Pharisees come from? Do they emerge among the nonbelievers? No, all of them emerge among believers. Why do these people become Pharisees? Did someone make them that way? This is obviously not so. What is the reason? It is because this is what their nature essence is like, and this is due to the path they have taken. They use God’s words only as a tool to preach and profit from the church. They arm their minds and mouths with God’s words, they preach fake spiritual theories, and package themselves as holy, and then use this as capital to achieve the purpose of profiting from the church. They merely preach doctrines, yet have never put the truth into practice. What sort of people are those who continue to preach words and doctrines despite never having followed God’s way? These are hypocritical Pharisees. Their meager, so-called good behaviors and good conduct, and what little they have given up and expended, are accomplished entirely through the restraint and packaging of their own will. Those actions are entirely fake, and they are all pretense. In these people’s hearts, there is not the slightest fear for God, nor do they have any genuine faith in God. More than that, they are disbelievers. If people do not pursue the truth, then they will walk this sort of path, and they will become Pharisees. Is that not frightful? The religious place in which the Pharisees gather becomes a marketplace. In God’s eyes, this is religion; it is not the church of God, nor is it a place in which He is worshiped. Thus, if people do not pursue the truth, then no matter how many literal words and superficial doctrines about God’s utterances they equip themselves with, it will be of no use.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Six Indicators of Life Growth

Antichrists are particularly adept at pretense when around other people. Just like the Pharisees, they appear on the outside to be very tolerant of people and patient, humble and good-natured—they seem so very lenient and tolerant with everyone. When handling problems, they always show how incredibly tolerant they are toward people from their position of status, and in every aspect they appear magnanimous and broad-minded, not being nitpicky with others, and showing people how great and kind they are. In reality, do antichrists actually possess these essences? They act for the good of others, are tolerant with people, and can help people in all situations, but what is their hidden motive for doing these things? Would they still do these things if they weren’t trying to win people over and buy people’s favor? Is this really how antichrists are behind closed doors? Are they really as they appear to be when around other people—humble and patient, tolerant of others, and helping others with love? Do they possess such an essence and such a disposition? Is this what their character is? Not at all. Everything they do is a pretense and is done to mislead people and buy people’s favor so that even more people come to have a favorable impression of them in their hearts, and so that people think of them first and seek their help when they have a problem. In order to achieve this aim, antichrists deliberately scheme to show off around others, to say and do right things. Before they speak, who knows how many times they will filter or process their words in their minds. They will deliberately scheme and rack their brains, pondering over their wording, expressions, pitch, voice, and even over the look they give people and the tone they speak with. They will ponder over who it is they’re talking to, whether that person is old or young, whether that person’s status is higher or lower than their own, whether that person holds them in high esteem, whether that person privately resents them, whether that person’s personality is compatible with their own, what duty that person does, and what their position in the church and in the hearts of their brothers and sisters is like. They will carefully observe and attentively ponder these things, and once they’ve pondered them, they come up with ways to approach all kinds of people. Regardless of the ways in which antichrists treat different kinds of people, their aim is nothing more than to get people to hold them in high esteem, to get people to no longer look at them as equals but rather to look up to them, to have even more people admire and look up to them when they speak, endorse and follow them when they do things, and absolve and defend them when they make a mistake, and to have even more people fight in their corner, complain bitterly on their behalf, and take a stand to argue with and oppose God when they are revealed and rejected. When they fall from power, they’re able to have so many people assist, express support for, and stick up for them, which shows that the status and power that the antichrists have deliberately schemed to cultivate in the church have taken root deeply in people’s hearts, and that their “painstaking effort” has not been in vain.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Ten)

Regardless of the context, no matter what duty they do, an antichrist will try and give the impression that they aren’t weak, that they are always strong, full of faith, and never negative, so that people never see their real stature or real attitude toward God. In fact, in the depths of their heart, do they really believe there is nothing they cannot do? Do they genuinely believe that they are without weakness, negativity, or revelations of corruption? Absolutely not. They are good at putting on an act, adept at hiding things. They like showing people their strong and splendid side; they don’t want them to see the side of them that is weak and true. Their purpose is obvious: It is, quite simply, to keep face, to protect the place they have in people’s hearts. They think that if they open up before others about their own negativity and weakness, if they reveal the side of them that is rebellious and corrupt, this will be grievous damage to their status and reputation—more trouble than it’s worth. So they would rather die than admit to having times when they are weak, rebellious, and negative. And if a day does come when everyone sees the side of them that is weak and rebellious, when they see that they are corrupt, and have not changed at all, they will still keep putting on an act. They think that if they admit to having a corrupt disposition, to being an ordinary person, someone who is insignificant, then they will lose their place in people’s hearts, will lose everyone’s worship and adoration, and thus will have utterly failed. And so, whatever happens, they will not open up to people; whatever happens, they will not give their power and status to anyone else; instead, they try as hard as they can to compete, and will never give up. Whenever they encounter an issue, they take the initiative to step into the limelight and show and display themselves. The moment a problem occurs and consequences arise, they rush off and hide or try to put the responsibility onto someone else. If they encounter an issue they understand, they immediately show off what they can and grasp the opportunity to let others know them, so that people can see they have gifts and special skills and can think highly of them and worship them. If something major should occur, and someone asks them for their understanding of the event, they are reticent to reveal their views, instead letting others speak first. Their reticence has its reasons: Either it is not that they have no view, but they are afraid that their view is wrong, that if they say it aloud, others will rebut it, making them feel ashamed, and that is why they do not say it; or they do not have a view, and, unable to perceive the matter clearly, they do not dare speak arbitrarily, for fear of people laughing at their mistake—so silence is their only choice. In short, they do not readily speak up to express their views because they are afraid of revealing themselves for what they are, of letting people see that they are impoverished and pathetic, thus affecting the image others have of them. So, after everyone else has finished fellowshipping their views, thoughts, and knowledge, they seize upon some loftier, more tenable claims, which they trot out as their own views and understanding. They summarize them and fellowship them to everyone, thereby gaining high status in the hearts of others. Antichrists are extremely crafty: When the time comes to express a point of view, they never open up and show others their true state, or let people know what they really think, what their caliber is like, what their humanity is like, what their powers of understanding are like, and whether they have true knowledge of the truth. And so, at the same time as bragging and pretending to be spiritual, and a perfect person, they do their utmost to cover up their true face and real stature. They never reveal their weaknesses to the brothers and sisters, nor do they ever try to know their own deficiencies and shortcomings; instead, they do their utmost to cover them up. People ask them, “You’ve believed in God for so many years, have you ever had any doubts about God?” They reply, “No.” They are asked, “Have you ever regretted forsaking everything in expenditure for God?” They reply, “No.” “When you were ill, did you feel upset and did you miss home?” And they reply, “Never.” So you see, antichrists portray themselves as staunch, strong-willed, and able to forsake and suffer, as someone who is simply flawless and without any faults or problems. If someone points out their corruption and shortcomings, treats them equally, as a normal brother or sister, and opens up and fellowships with them, how do they treat the matter? They do their utmost to vindicate and justify themselves, to prove they are correct, and ultimately to make people see that they have no problems, and that they are a perfect, spiritual person. Is it not all imposture? Any who think themselves flawless and holy are all imposters.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Ten)

When they have some kind of skill, antichrists think themselves to be remarkable, they make themselves out to be mysterious, and they show themselves off and testify to themselves, making others esteem and worship them. When people of this sort have a bit of a strength or a gift, it makes them think that they are better than others, and aspire to lead them. When other people come to them for answers, antichrists lecture them from on high, and if those people still don’t understand afterward, they simply attribute it to them being poor of caliber, though in actuality, it is the antichrists themselves who haven’t provided a clear explanation. For instance, upon seeing that someone is unable to repair a faulty machine, an antichrist will say: “How can you still not know how to do this? Haven’t I already told you how to do it? I explained it so clearly, yet you’re still not getting it. You truly are of poor caliber. You fail to learn every time I teach you how to do this.” Yet when that person asks them to fix the machine, they will look at it for the longest time and also not know how to repair it, and they will even hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix it from that person. After sending that person away, the antichrist will secretly do research and try to figure out how to repair the machine, but they still won’t be able to fix it. They will end up taking the machine apart, making a complete mess, and being unable to put it back together again. Then, afraid of this being seen by the others, they will hide the pieces. Is it shameful to not know how to do some things? Is there anyone who can do everything? There’s nothing shameful in not knowing how to do some things. Do not forget that you are just an ordinary person. No one esteems you or worships you. An ordinary person is just that: an ordinary person. If you do not know how to do something, just say you do not know how to do it. Why would you try to disguise yourself? People will feel disgusted with you if you’re always disguising yourself. Sooner or later, you’ll give yourself away, and at that time, you’ll lose your dignity and your integrity. This is the disposition of an antichrist—they always think of themselves as jacks-of-all-trades, as someone who can do everything, who is capable and competent in all things. Won’t this get them into trouble? What would they do if they had an honest attitude? They would say: “I’m not proficient in this technical skill; I just have a little bit of experience. I’ve applied all that I know, but I do not understand these new problems we’re encountering. Therefore, we must learn some professional knowledge if we wish to do our duty well. Mastering professional knowledge will allow us to do our duty effectively. God entrusted this duty to us, so we have a responsibility to do it well. We should go and learn this professional knowledge based on an attitude of taking responsibility for our duty.” This is practicing the truth. A person with the disposition of an antichrist would not do this. If a person has a bit of reason, they will say: “I only know this much. You do not need to esteem me, and I do not need to put on airs—won’t that make things easier? It’s miserable to always be disguising ourselves. If there’s something we don’t know, we can learn it together and then work harmoniously to do our duty well. We must have a responsible attitude.” Upon seeing this, people would think, “This person is better than us; when a problem befalls them, they don’t blindly force themselves beyond their limits, nor do they pass it on to others, or shirk responsibility. Rather, they take it on themselves and approach it with a serious and responsible attitude. This is a good person who is serious and responsible toward their work and duty. They are trustworthy. God’s house was right to have entrusted them with this important task. God truly scrutinizes the depths of people’s hearts!” By doing their duty in this way, they would improve their skills and gain everyone’s approval. How does this approval come about? Firstly, they are approaching their duty with a serious and responsible attitude; secondly, they are able to be an honest person, and they have a practical and studious attitude; thirdly, it can’t be ruled out that they have the guidance and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Such a person has God’s blessing; this is what someone with conscience and reason can achieve. Although they have corrupt dispositions, deficiencies, and shortcomings, and they do not know how to do many things, they are still on the right path of practice. They don’t disguise themselves or deceive; they have a serious and responsible attitude toward their duty, and a longing and pious attitude toward the truth. Antichrists will never be able to do these things because their way of thinking will always be different from those who love and pursue the truth. Why do they think differently? Because Satan’s nature lies within them; they live by the disposition of Satan in order to achieve their goal of assuming power. They always seek to use various means to engage in schemes and tricks, misleading people by hook or by crook into worshiping and following them. Therefore, in order to pull the wool over people’s eyes, they find all kinds of ways to disguise themselves, trick, lie, and deceive, to make others believe that they are right about everything, that they are capable at everything, and that they can do anything; that they are smarter than others, that they are wiser than others, that they understand more than others; that they’re better at everything than others, and that they are above others in every respect—even that they are the best of the best in any group. They have such a need; this is the disposition of antichrists. Thus, they learn to pretend to be something they are not, producing each of these various practices and manifestations.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Eight: They Would Have Others Submit Only to Them, Not the Truth or God (Part Three)

All corrupted humans suffer from a common problem: When they have no status, they do not put on airs when interacting or speaking with anyone, nor do they adopt a certain style or tone in their speech; they are simply ordinary and normal, and do not need to package themselves. They do not feel any psychological pressure, and can fellowship openly and from the heart. They are approachable and are easy to interact with; others feel that they are very good people. As soon as they attain status, they become high and mighty, they ignore ordinary people, nobody can approach them; they feel that they have a sort of nobility, and that they and ordinary people are cut from different cloths. They look down on ordinary people, put on airs when they speak, and stop fellowshipping openly with others. Why do they no longer fellowship openly? They feel that they now have status, and are leaders. They think that leaders must have a certain image, be a bit loftier than ordinary people, have more stature and are better able to assume responsibility; they believe that compared to ordinary people, leaders must have more patience, be able to suffer and expend more, and be able to withstand any temptation from Satan. Even if their parents or other family members die, they feel they must have the self-control to not cry, or that they must cry in secret at the very least, out of sight of others, so that no one can see any of their shortcomings, defects, or weaknesses. They even feel that leaders cannot let anyone know if they have become negative; instead, they must hide all such things. They believe this is how one with status should act. When they repress themselves to this extent, has status not become their God, their Lord? And this being so, do they still possess normal humanity? When they have these ideas—when they put themselves in this box, and put on this kind of act—have they not become enamored with status? Whenever another is stronger and better than them, this touches their vital weakness. Can they overcome the flesh? Can they treat the other person as is proper? Certainly not. To free yourself from status’s control over you, what must you do first? You must first purge it from your intentions, your thoughts, and from your heart. How is this achieved? Before, when you were without status, you would ignore those who were not appealing to you. Now that you have status, if you see someone who is unappealing, or who has issues, you feel responsible for helping them, and so spend more time fellowshipping with them, trying to solve some of the practical problems they have. And what is the feeling in your heart when you do such things? It is a feeling of joy and peace. So, too, should you confide in people and more often open up to them when you find yourself in difficulty or experience failure, fellowshipping your problems and weaknesses, how you rebelled against God, and how you then emerged from this, and were able to satisfy God’s intentions. And what is the effect of confiding in them in this way? It is, without doubt, positive. No one will look down on you—and they may well envy your ability to go through these experiences. Some people always think that when people have status, they should act more like officials and speak in a certain way so as to be taken seriously and respected. Is this way of thinking correct? If you are able to realize that this way of thinking is wrong, then you should pray to God and rebel against fleshly things. Do not put on airs, and do not walk the path of hypocrisy. As soon as you have such a thought, you should address it by seeking the truth. If you do not seek the truth, this thought, this viewpoint, will take form and become rooted in your heart. As a result, it will come to dominate you and you will disguise yourself and craft your image to such an extent that no one will be able to see you through it or understand your thoughts. You will talk to others as through a mask that hides your true heart from them. You must learn to let others see your heart, and learn to open your heart to others and become close to them. You must rebel against the wants of the flesh and conduct yourself according to God’s requirements. In this way, your heart will know peace and happiness. Whatever events befall you, first reflect on what problems exist in your own ideology. If you still wish to construct an image for yourself and disguise yourself, you should immediately pray to God: “Oh God! I again want to put on a disguise. I am once again deceptively scheming. What a true devil I am! I must truly be detestable to You! I am now completely disgusted by myself. I beseech You to rebuke, discipline, and punish me.” You must pray, bring your attitude out into the open, and rely on God to expose it, dissect it, and restrict it. If you thus dissect and restrict it, your actions will produce no problems because your corrupt disposition is thwarted and does not reveal itself. At this time, what emotions are in your heart? At the very least, you will feel some release. Your heart will be joyful and at peace. Your pain will be lessened, and you will not suffer from refinement. In the worst case, there will be times when you momentarily feel a bit lost and think to yourself, “I am a leader, a person of status and standing, how can I be just like ordinary people? How can I converse with ordinary people in a heartfelt, genuine, and open way? This would be such a lowering of myself!” As you see, this is a bit troublesome. Man’s corrupt disposition cannot be shed entirely all at once, nor can it be completely solved in a short period of time. You thought that solving your corrupt disposition would be so simple, that it’s like what people imagine it to be—that once they fellowship clearly on the truth and recognize their corrupt disposition, then they will be able to promptly cast it off. It is not so simple a thing. The process by which man practices the truth is the process of fighting against his corrupt disposition. Man’s individual will, imagination, and extravagant desires are not completely resolved by rebelling against and overcoming them once and for all through prayer. Rather, they can only be finally abandoned after many repeated battles. Only when one can practice the truth will this process truly bear fruit.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Resolve the Temptations and Bondage of Status

You must seek the truth to resolve any problem that arises, no matter what it is, and by no means disguise yourself or put on a false face for others. Your shortcomings, your deficiencies, your faults, your corrupt dispositions—be completely open about them all, and fellowship about them all. Do not keep them inside. Learning how to open yourself up is the first step toward life entry, and it is the first hurdle, which is the most difficult to overcome. Once you have overcome it, entering the truth is easy. What does taking this step signify? It means that you are opening your heart and showing everything you have, good or bad, positive or negative; baring yourself for others and for God to see; hiding nothing from God, concealing nothing, disguising nothing, free of deceit and trickery, and being likewise open and honest with other people. In this way, you live in the light, and not only will God scrutinize you, but other people will also be able to see that you act with principle and a degree of transparency. You do not need to use any methods to protect your reputation, image, and status, nor do you need to cover up or disguise your mistakes. You do not need to engage in these useless efforts. If you can let these things go, you will be very relaxed, you will live without constraints or pain, and you will live entirely in the light. Learning how to be open when you fellowship is the first step to life entry. Next, you need to learn to dissect your thoughts and actions to see which are wrong and which God does not like, and you need to reverse them immediately and rectify them. What is the purpose of rectifying them? It is to accept and take on board the truth, while getting rid of the things within you that belong to Satan and replacing them with the truth. Before, you did everything according to your deceitful disposition which is lying and deceptive; you felt that you could get nothing done without lying. Now that you understand the truth, and loathe Satan’s ways of doing things, you no longer act that way, you act with a mentality of honesty, purity, and submission. If you hold nothing back, if you do not put on a front, a pretense, or cover things up, if you lay yourself bare to the brothers and sisters, do not hide your innermost ideas and thoughts, but instead allow others to see your honest attitude, then the truth will gradually take root in you, it will blossom and bear fruit, it will yield results, little-by-little. If your heart is increasingly honest, and increasingly oriented toward God, and if you know to protect the interests of God’s house when you perform your duty, and your conscience is troubled when you fail to protect these interests, then this is proof that the truth has had an effect in you, and has become your life.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three

Some people are promoted and cultivated by the church, receiving a good chance to be trained. This is something good. It can be said they have been elevated and graced by God. So how, then, should they do their duty? The first principle they should abide by is to understand the truth—when they do not understand the truth, they must seek the truth, and if they still don’t understand after seeking on their own, they can find someone who does understand the truth to fellowship and seek with, which will make solving the problem faster and more timely. If you focus only on spending more time reading God’s words by yourself, and on spending more time pondering these words, in order to achieve understanding of the truth and solve the problem, this is too slow; as the saying goes, “Distant water won’t slake an urgent thirst.” If, when it comes to the truth, you wish to make quick progress, then you must learn how to work in harmony with others, and to ask more questions and seek more. Only then will your life grow quickly, and will you be able to solve problems promptly, without any delay in either. Because you have only just been promoted and are still on probation, and do not truly understand the truth or possess the truth reality—because you still lack this stature—do not think that your promotion means you possess the truth reality; this is not the case. It is merely because you have a sense of burden toward the work and possess the caliber of a leader that you are selected for promotion and cultivation. You should have this reason. If, after being promoted and becoming a leader or worker, you start to assert your status, and believe that you are someone who pursues the truth and that you possess the truth reality—and if, regardless of what problems the brothers and sisters have, you pretend that you understand, and that you are spiritual—then this is a foolish way to be, and it is the same way as the hypocritical Pharisees. You must speak and act truthfully. When you don’t understand, you can ask others or seek fellowship from the Above—there is nothing shameful about any of this. Even if you don’t ask, the Above will still know your true stature, and will know that the truth reality is absent in you. Seeking and fellowshipping are what you ought to be doing; this is the reason that should be found in normal humanity, and the principle that should be adhered to by leaders and workers. It is not something to be embarrassed about. If you think that once you are a leader it is embarrassing to not understand the principles, or to constantly be asking other people or the Above questions, and you’re afraid that others will look down on you, and then you put on an act as a result, pretending that you understand everything, that you know everything, that you have work capability, that you can do any church work, and do not need anyone to remind you or fellowship with you, or anyone to provide for you or support you, then this is dangerous, and this is too arrogant and self-righteous, too lacking in reason. You don’t even know your own measure—does this not make you a muddle-headed person? Such people do not actually meet the criteria for being promoted and cultivated by the house of God, and sooner or later they will be dismissed or eliminated. And so, every leader or worker that has just been promoted should be clear that they do not have the truth reality, they should have this self-awareness. You are now a leader or worker not because you were appointed by God, but because you were promoted to be one by other leaders and workers, or were elected by God’s chosen people; this does not mean that you have the truth reality and true stature. When you understand this, you will have a little reason, which is the reason that leaders and workers must possess. … You are in the training and cultivation period, and you have a corrupt disposition, and you do not understand the truth at all. Tell Me, does God know about these things? (Yes.) So wouldn’t you look foolish if you pretended? Do you want to be foolish people? (No, we don’t.) If you don’t want to be foolish people, what kind of people should you be? Be people with reason, people who can humbly seek the truth and can accept the truth. Don’t pretend, don’t be hypocritical Pharisees. What you know is just some professional knowledge, it is not the truth principles. You must find a way to appropriately leverage your professional strengths and put your acquired knowledge and learning to use on the basis of understanding the truth principles. Is this not a principle? Is this not a path of practice? Once you learn to do this, you will have a path to follow and you will be able to enter into the truth reality. Whatever you do, don’t be stubborn, and don’t pretend. Being stubborn and pretending is not a rational way of doing things. Rather, it is the most foolish way of doing things. People who live by their corrupt dispositions are the most foolish people. Only those who seek the truth and handle matters according to the truth principles are the smartest people.

—The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (5)

Standing in the proper place of a created being and being an ordinary person: Is this easy to do? (It is not easy.) Wherein is the difficulty? It is this: People always feel that their heads are topped with many halos and titles. They also give themselves the identity and status of great figures and supermen and engage in all those pretended and false practices and outward shows. If you don’t let go of these things, if your words and deeds are always constrained and controlled by these things, then you will find it difficult to enter into the reality of God’s word. It will be hard to stop fretting for solutions for things you don’t understand and bring such matters before God more often and offer to Him a sincere heart. You won’t be able to do this. It is exactly because your status, your titles, your identity, and all such things are false and untrue, because they go against and contradict God’s words, that these things bind you up so that you cannot come before God. What do these things bring to you? They make you good at disguising yourself, pretending to understand, pretending to be smart, pretending to be a great figure, pretending to be a celebrity, pretending to be capable, pretending to be wise, and even pretending to know everything, be capable of everything, and be able to do everything. This makes it so others will worship and admire you. They will come to you with all their problems, relying on you and looking up to you. Thus, it is as if you put yourself on a fire to roast. Tell Me, does it feel good to roast on the fire? (No.) You don’t understand, but you dare not say that you don’t understand. You can’t see through, but you don’t dare to say you can’t see through. You obviously made a mistake, but you dare not admit it. Your heart is in anguish, but you dare not say, “This time it’s really my fault, I owe a debt to God and to my brothers and sisters. I have caused such a great loss to the house of God, but I don’t have the courage to stand before everyone and admit it.” Why do you dare not speak? You believe, “I need to live up to the reputation and halo my brothers and sisters have given me, I can’t betray the high regard and trust they have for me, much less the eager expectations that they have held for me over so many years. Therefore, I have to keep pretending.” What is such a disguise like? You have successfully made yourself into a great figure and a superman. Brothers and sisters want to come to you to inquire, consult, and even beseech your counsel about whatever problems they face. It seems that they cannot even live without you. But isn’t your heart in anguish? Of course, some people don’t feel this anguish. An antichrist doesn’t feel this anguish. Instead, they delight in it, thinking that their status is above all else. An average, normal person, however, feels anguish when they are roasted on the fire. They feel that they are nothing at all, just like an ordinary person. They do not believe that they are stronger than others. They not only think that they cannot accomplish any practical work, but that they will also delay the work of the church and delay God’s chosen people, so they will take the blame and resign. This is someone with reason. Is this problem easy to solve? It is easy for people with reason to solve this problem, but difficult for those who lack reason. If, once you obtain status, you shamelessly enjoy the benefits of status with the result that you are revealed and eliminated for your failure to do real work, you have brought this upon yourself and deserve what you get! You do not merit even one bit of pity or compassion. Why do I say this? It’s because you insist on standing in a high place. You put yourself on the fire to roast. Your wound is self-inflicted. If you don’t want to sit on the fire and roast, you should give up all these titles and halos and tell your brothers and sisters the true states and thoughts in your heart. In this way, the brothers and sisters can treat you correctly and you don’t have to put on a disguise. Now that you have opened up and shed light on your true state, doesn’t your heart feel more at ease, more relaxed? Why walk with such a heavy burden on your back? If you give out your true state, will the brothers and sisters really look down on you? Will they really abandon you? Absolutely not. On the contrary, the brothers and sisters will approve of you and admire you for daring to speak your heart. They will say that you are an honest person. This will not hinder your work in the church, nor have the slightest negative effect on it. If the brothers and sisters really see that you have difficulties, they will voluntarily help you and work with you. What do you say? Isn’t this how it would be? (Yes.) To always put on a disguise so that others will look up to you is the stupidest thing. The best approach is to be an ordinary person with a regular heart, be able to open up to God’s chosen people in a pure and simple manner, and often engage in heartfelt talks. Never accept it when people look up to you, admire you, give you excessive praise, or speak flattering words. These things should all be rejected. For example, some people may say: “Aren’t you a university professor? Since you are so knowledgeable, you must have a great understanding of the truth.” Say to them: “What kind of university professor am I? No amount of knowledge can take the place of the truth. This knowledge has caused me great suffering. It is completely useless. Don’t think highly of me, I’m just an ordinary person.” Of course, some people have a hard time letting go of their status. They do want to be ordinary, everyday people and stand in the proper place of a created being. They do not want to suffer so, but they can’t help themselves. They always see themselves as superior people and can’t step down from their lofty perch. This is problematic. They like it when people revolve around them, gazing at them with admiring eyes. They like that people go to them with all their problems, rely on them, listen to them, and look up to them. They like that people believe that they are superior people who are experts in all things, that they are omniscient so that there is nothing they don’t understand, and they even think that it would be so good and wonderful if people were to regard them as overcomers. This is beyond all remedy. Some people accept the compliments and crowns bestowed by others and play the part of the superman and great figure for a time. But they feel uncomfortable and suffer anguish. What should they do? Whoever wants to flatter you is actually putting you on the fire to roast, and you should stay away from them. Or else, find an opportunity to reveal to them the truth of your corruption, speak to them about your true state, and expose your flaws and failings. In this way, they will not worship or look up to you. Is this easy to do? In fact, it is easy to do. If you really can’t do this, it proves that you are too arrogant and conceited. You really regard yourself as a superman, a great figure, and you don’t at all hate and abhor this kind of disposition in your heart. This being so, you can but wait for the stumble that disgraces you in the eyes of others. If you are someone who truly has reason, you will abhor and feel disgusted by the corrupt disposition that always wants to play the superman and great figure. At the very least, you must have this feeling. Only then can you hate yourself and rebel against the flesh. How should you practice to be an everyday person, an ordinary person, a normal person? First, you should deny and let go of those things you hold on to that you think are so good and valuable, as well as those superficial, pretty words with which others admire and praise you. If, in your heart, you are clear about what kind of person you are, what your essence is, what your failings are, and what corruption you reveal, you should openly fellowship this with other people, so that they can see what your true state is, what your thoughts and opinions are, so that they know what knowledge you have of such things. Whatever you do, don’t pretend or put up a front, don’t hide your own corruption and failings from others, so that no one knows about them. This kind of false behavior is an obstacle in your heart, and it is also a corrupt disposition and can stop people from repenting and changing. You must pray to God, and hold up for reflection and dissection the false things, like the praise others give to you, the glory they shower you with, and the crowns they bestow on you. You must see the harm these things do to you. In so doing, you will know your own measure, you will attain self-knowledge, and will no longer see yourself as a superman, or some great figure. Once you have such self-awareness, it becomes easy for you to accept the truth, to accept God’s words and what God asks of man into your heart, to accept the Creator’s salvation of you, to steadfastly be an ordinary person, someone who is honest and reliable, and to establish a normal relationship between yourself—a created being, and God—the Creator. This is precisely what God asks of people, and it is something that is wholly attainable to them. God only allows ordinary, normal people to come before Him. He does not accept worship from those feigned and false celebrities, great figures, and supermen. When you let go of these false halos, admit that you are an ordinary, normal person, and come to God to seek the truth and pray to Him, the heart that you have for Him will be much more genuine, and you will feel much more at ease. At such time, you will feel that you need God to support and help you, and you will be able to come before God more often to seek and pray to Him. Tell Me, do you think it is easier to be a great figure, a superman, or an ordinary person? (An ordinary person.) In theory, it is easy to be an ordinary person, but hard to be a great figure or superman, which always causes anguish. However, when people make their own choices and put this into practice, they cannot help but want to be a superman or great figure. They cannot help themselves. This is caused by their nature essence. Thus, man requires God’s salvation. In the future, when someone asks you, “How can one stop trying to be a superman and great figure?” will you be able to answer this question? All you need to do is practice the method I laid out. Be an ordinary person, don’t disguise yourself, pray to God, and learn to open yourself up in a simple way and speak with others from the heart. Such practice will naturally bear fruit. Gradually, you will learn to be a normal person, you will no longer be tired of life, no longer be in anguish, and no longer be in pain. All people are ordinary people. There is no difference between them, except that their personal gifts are different and they can vary somewhat in caliber. If not for God’s salvation and protection, they would all do evil and suffer the punishment. If you can admit that you are an ordinary person, if you can step out from within man’s imaginings and empty illusions and seek to be an honest person and do honest deeds, if you can conscientiously submit to God, then you will have no problems and you will fully live out a human likeness. It’s as simple as that, so why is there no path? What I have now said is very simple. In fact, that’s exactly the way it is. Those who love the truth can completely accept it, and they will also say, “Actually, God does not require too much of man. His requirements can all be met with human conscience and reason. It is not difficult for a person to perform their duty well. If a person acts from the heart and has the will and desire to put this into practice, it is easy to achieve.” But some people cannot achieve this. For those who always have ambitions and desires, who always want to be supermen and great figures, although they want to be ordinary people, it is not easy for them. They always feel that they are superior and better than others, so their whole heart and mind are consumed with the desire to be a superman or great figure. Not only are they unwilling to be ordinary people and keep to their status as created beings, but they vow that they will never give up on their pursuit to be supermen and great figures. This is beyond remedy.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Treasuring God’s Words Is the Foundation of Belief in God

Related Experiential Testimonies

Pretending to Understand Did Me In

The Path to an Honest Appearance