Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

The hardest to detect is wickedness, because it has become man’s nature and they start to glorify it, and even more wickedness will not seem wicked to them. So a wicked disposition is even harder to detect than an intransigent one. Some people say: “How can it not be easy to detect? People all have wicked lusts. Isn’t that wickedness?” That is superficial. What is true wickedness? Which states are wicked when they manifest? Is it a wicked disposition when people use high-sounding statements to hide the wicked and shameful intents that lie in the depths of their hearts, and then make others believe that these statements are very good, aboveboard, and legitimate, and ultimately achieve their ulterior motives? Why is this called being wicked and not being deceitful? In terms of disposition and essence, deceitfulness is not quite as bad. Being wicked is more serious than being deceitful, it is a behavior that is more insidious and vile than deceitfulness, and it is difficult for the average person to see through it. For example, what kind of words did the serpent use to entice Eve? Specious words, that sound correct and seem to be said for your own good. You are not aware that there is anything wrong with these words or any malicious intent behind them, and at the same time, you are unable to let go of these suggestions made by Satan. This is temptation. When you are tempted and you listen to these kinds of words, you cannot help but be enticed and it is likely that you will fall into a trap, thereby achieving Satan’s goal. This is called wickedness. The serpent used this method to entice Eve. Is this a type of disposition? (It is.) Where does this type of disposition come from? It comes from the serpent, from Satan. This type of wicked disposition exists within man’s nature. Isn’t this wickedness different from people’s wicked lusts? How do wicked lusts come about? It has to do with the flesh. True wickedness is a type of disposition, deeply hidden, that is wholly undiscernible to people without experience or understanding of the truth. That is why among man’s dispositions it is the most difficult to detect. In which type of person is a wicked disposition most severe? Those who love exploiting others. They excel so much at manipulation that the people they manipulate don’t even know what happened afterward. This type of person has a wicked disposition. Wicked people, based on deceitfulness, use other means to cover up their deceit, conceal their sins, and hide their secret intentions, goals, and selfish desires. This is wickedness. Furthermore, they will use various means to entice, tempt, and seduce, making you follow their wishes and satisfy their selfish desires to achieve their goals. This is all wicked. This is an authentic satanic disposition. Have you displayed any of these behaviors? Which of the aspects of a wicked disposition have you displayed more: temptation, enticement, or using lies to cover up other lies? (I feel like all of them a bit.) You feel like all of them a bit. That is, on an emotional level, you feel like you both have and haven’t displayed these behaviors. You can’t come up with any evidence. In your daily life, then, do you realize it if you reveal a wicked disposition when faced with something? Actually, these things exist inside everyone’s disposition. For instance, there’s something you don’t understand, but you don’t want to let others know you don’t understand it, so you use various means to mislead them into thinking you understand. This is fraud. This kind of fraud is a manifestation of wickedness. There’s also temptation and enticement, these are all manifestations of wickedness. Do you tempt others often? If you’re legitimately trying to understand someone, wanting to fellowship with them, and it’s required for your work and is a proper interaction, this doesn’t count as temptation. But if you have personal intent and purpose, and you don’t really want to understand this person’s disposition, pursuits, and knowledge, but rather want to extract their innermost thoughts and true feelings, then this is called wickedness, temptation, and enticement. If you do this, then you have a wicked disposition; is this not something that is hidden? Is this kind of disposition easy to change? If you can discern what manifestations each aspect of your disposition has, what states they often cause, and match these up with yourself, feeling how terrible and dangerous this kind of disposition is, then you will feel burdened to change in this regard, and you will be able to thirst for the words of God and accept the truth. That is when you can change and receive salvation. But if after matching them up you still don’t thirst for the truth, have no indebtedness or accusation—much less any repentance—and do not love the truth, then it will be difficult for you to change. And understanding won’t help, because all you’d understand is just doctrine. Regardless of what aspect of the truth it is, if your understanding stops at the level of doctrine and does not connect with your practice and entry, there won’t be any use for the doctrine you understand. If you do not understand the truth, you will not recognize your corrupt disposition and repent to God and confess, and you won’t feel indebted to God and hate yourself, so you will have zero chance of being saved. If you recognize how serious your problems are, but you don’t care and don’t hate yourself, still feeling quite numb and passive on the inside, not accepting God’s judgment and chastisement, and not praying to Him or relying on Him to resolve your corrupt disposition, then you are in great danger, and will not receive salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only Self-Knowledge Is of Aid in Pursuing the Truth

Wickedness goes to a deeper level than deceitfulness; it’s more insidious, more secretive, more misleading, and harder to fathom, and wickedness carries within it enticing, coaxing, drawing in, winning over, bribing, and tempting. These actions and behaviors go far beyond deceitfulness; they are wicked, without a doubt. The man didn’t say, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll hit you, kick you, or slaughter you!” He didn’t adopt such methods, and outwardly, he didn’t appear malicious. However, this is even more formidable than malice—this is wickedness. Why do I say it’s wickedness? Deceitfulness can usually be detected by most people, but his method is more devious. On the surface, he uses polite language that conforms to human affection; but in reality, deep down, there are things that are more hidden. His actions and methods are more concealed, more insidious than the deceitfulness commonly seen and encountered by people. His tactics are more sophisticated, more duplicitous, and more misleading. This is wickedness.

In daily life, can you distinguish and discern the revelation of other people’s wicked disposition and their wicked behavior? While deceitful individuals may be fairly tactful, after interacting with them for some time, most people can still see through them. However, those who have a wicked disposition are not so easy to see through. If you can’t see the essence or consequences, you have no way to see through them. Wicked individuals are even more insidious than deceitful ones. You have no way of seeing through them from just a sentence or two. When it comes to people with a wicked disposition, during some time or a short period you might not see through or penetrate why they are doing that certain thing, why they are speaking or acting in such a manner. One day, when they have been utterly revealed and entirely laid bare, then everybody will finally discover what kind of person they are. This is more than just deceitfulness—it is wickedness. Therefore, discerning a wicked disposition requires a period of time, and sometimes the consequences must first come into view before one is able to discern it—this isn’t something that can be discerned quickly. For instance, the great red dragon has misled people for decades, and only now have a small number of people had some discernment. The great red dragon often says things that sound the best and align most with human notions, raising the banner of serving the people to mislead people and the banner of justice to drive out dissidents, slaughtering countless good people. But few can discern this because what it says and does appears right to people. People all think that everything it does is just and fitting, legal and reasonable, and in line with humanism. As a result, it has misled people for decades. When it is finally exposed and collapses, people will see its true face is that of the devil, and its nature essence is wicked. The great red dragon has misled people for so many years, and the poison of the great red dragon is within everyone—they have become its descendants. Are any of you capable of doing the types of things the great red dragon has done? Some people speak like the great red dragon, using very pleasing words but doing no real work. All their words are pleasant, but they do no real work. Also, they are particularly insidious and wicked. When it comes to such people, if anyone offends them, they won’t let it go. Sooner or later, they will find the appropriate opportunity to achieve their purpose of revenge but not give them any leverage. They may even handle the matter without coming forward and showing their face. Isn’t this wicked? Wicked people operate with principles, methods, intentions, motives, and purposes that are particularly secretive and hidden. Wicked individuals employ schemes to harm others, sometimes using others to kill on their behalf, sometimes tormenting others by luring them to commit sins, and sometimes using laws or resorting to all sorts of despicable means to torment others. These are all manifestations of wickedness, and none of them are just or honest methods. Do any of you exhibit these behaviors or revelations? Can you discern them? Are you aware that they constitute a wicked disposition? Deceitfulness can usually be seen on the outside: Someone beats around the bush or uses flowery language, and no one can read what they are thinking. That is deceitfulness. What is the primary characteristic of wickedness? It’s that their words sound especially pleasing, and everything seems right on the surface. There doesn’t appear to be any problem, and things look pretty good from every angle. When they do something, you don’t see them using any particular means, and outwardly, there is no sign of weak points or flaws, yet they achieve their goal. They do things in an extremely secretive manner. This is how antichrists mislead people. People and matters like these are the most difficult to discern. Some people often say the right things, use good-sounding excuses, and employ certain doctrines, sayings, or actions that conform to human affection to pull the wool over people’s eyes. They feign one thing while doing another in order to achieve their ulterior purpose. This is wickedness, but most people consider these behaviors to be deceitful. People have a relatively limited understanding and dissection of wickedness. Actually, wickedness is more difficult to discern than deceitfulness because it is more secretive, and its methods and actions are more sophisticated. If someone has a deceitful disposition within them, usually, others can detect their deceitfulness within two or three days of interacting with them, or they can perceive the revelation of their deceitful disposition in the person’s actions and words. However, supposing that person is wicked: This isn’t something that can be discerned within a few days, because without any significant events or special circumstances taking place in a short period of time, it isn’t easy to discern anything from just listening to them talk. They always say and do the right things, and present one right doctrine after another. After a few days of interacting with them, you might think this person is pretty good, is able to forsake things and expend themselves, has spiritual understanding, has a God-loving heart, and has both conscience and reason in the way they act. But after they handle a few matters, you see that their speech and actions are mixed up with too many things, too many devilish intentions. You realize that this person isn’t honest but deceitful—a wicked thing. They frequently use the right words and pleasing phrases that align with the truth and possess human affection to interact with people. In one respect, they establish themselves, and in another, they mislead others, achieving prestige and status among people. Such individuals are incredibly misleading, and once they attain power and status, they can mislead and harm many people. People with wicked dispositions are highly dangerous. Are there any such people around you? Are you yourselves like this? (Yes.) Then how serious is it? Speaking and acting without any truth principles, wholly relying on your wicked nature to act, always wishing to mislead others and live behind a mask, so that others cannot see through or recognize you, and will regard your humanity and status with esteem and admiration—this is wickedness. Do you exhibit these wicked behaviors only on occasion, or are you like this most of the time? Is this just who you are, and is it challenging for you to break free? If it’s only on occasion that you employ such methods, this can still be changed. However, if this is just who you are, consistently acting tactfully and with deceitfulness, and constantly relying on schemes, then you are the craftiest of devils. I’ll tell you the truth: People like this will never change.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Five: They Mislead, Draw In, Threaten, and Control People

Tell Me, does practicing the truth and handling matters according to the truth principles require various excuses and justifications? (No, it doesn’t.) As long as a person has a sincere heart, they can put the truth into practice. Do people who don’t practice the truth come up with various excuses? For example, when they do something wrong, go against principles, and someone corrects them, can they listen? They don’t listen. Is the fact that they don’t listen all that there is? How are they wicked? (They find an excuse to persuade you, making you think they are right.) They will find an interpretation that aligns with your notions and imaginings, then they use a set of spiritual theories that you can acknowledge and accept and which align with the truth to convince you, make you go along with them, and make you sincerely believe they are right, all to achieve their goal of misleading and controlling people. Isn’t this wickedness? (Yes.) This is indeed wickedness. Clearly, they have done something wrong, gone against the principles and truth in their actions, and failed to practice the truth, yet they come up with a set of theoretical justifications. This is truly wicked. It’s like a wolf eating a sheep; it was originally in the wolf’s nature to eat sheep, and God created this kind of animal to eat sheep—sheep are its food. But after eating it, the wolf still finds various excuses. Do you have any thoughts about it? You think, “You ate my sheep, and now you want me to think that you ought to have eaten it, that it was reasonable and appropriate for you to eat it, and I should even thank you.” Don’t you feel angry? (Yes, I do.) While you are angry, what thoughts do you have? You think, “This fellow is too wicked! If you want to eat it, go ahead, that’s just what you are; eating my sheep is one thing, but you even come up with a bunch of reasons and excuses, and ask me to feel grateful to you in return. Isn’t this confusing right and wrong?” This is wickedness. When a wolf wants to eat a sheep, what excuses does it find? The wolf says, “Little lamb, today I must eat you because I need to get back at you for insulting me last year.” The lamb, feeling wronged, says, “I wasn’t even born last year.” When the wolf realizes it misspoke and miscounted the lamb’s age, it says, “Well we won’t count that then, but I still have to eat you because last time when I drank water from this river, you muddied the water, so I need to get back at you.” The lamb says, “I’m downstream from the river, and you’re upstream. How could I dirty the water upstream? If you want to eat me, just go ahead and eat me. Don’t look for various excuses.” That’s the nature of the wolf. Isn’t it wickedness? (Yes, it is.) Is the wolf’s wickedness the same as that of the great red dragon? (Yes.) This description best fits the great red dragon. The great red dragon wants to arrest people who believe in God; it wants to charge these people with crimes. So, it first creates certain fronts, it fabricates certain rumors, and then broadcasts them into the world in order to make the whole world rise up and condemn you. It assigns multiple charges to those who believe in God, such as “disturbing public order,” “leaking state secrets,” and “subverting state power.” It also spreads rumors that you’ve committed various criminal offenses and assigns these charges to you. Is it fine if you refuse to admit to them? Is it a matter of whether you admit to them or not? No, it isn’t. Once it is set on arresting you, then just like a wolf set on eating a sheep, it looks for various excuses. The great red dragon creates certain fronts, claiming that we have done something bad when, in fact, it was other people who did it. It shifts the blame and frames the church. Can you argue with it? (No.) Why can’t you argue with it? Can you have a clear argument with it? Do you think that by arguing with it and explaining the situation, it won’t arrest you? You think too well of it. Before you can finish speaking, it will grab you by the hair, slam your head into the wall, and then ask you, “Do you know who I am? I am a devil!” Following that, there will be a severe beating, along with days and nights of alternate interrogation and torture, and then you’ll start to behave. At this point, you’ll realize, “There’s no room for reasoning here; this is a trap!” The great red dragon doesn’t argue with you—do you think it creates those fronts unintentionally, by chance? It has a conspiracy behind it, and it has the next move planned. This is just a prelude to its actions. Some people may still think, “They don’t understand matters related to believing in God; if I explain it to them, everything will be fine.” Can you explain it clearly? It framed you for something you didn’t do—can you still explain things clearly? When it framed you, did it not know that you didn’t do it? Is it ignorant of who did it? It knows very well! So why does it pin the blame on you? You are the one it is capturing. Do you think when it pins the blame on you it doesn’t know you are being treated unjustly? It wants to treat you unjustly and to arrest and persecute you. That is wickedness.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Seven: They Are Wicked, Insidious, and Deceitful (Part Three)

Wicked dispositions are also manifested in another way. Some people see that gatherings in the house of God always involve reading God’s word, fellowshipping the truth, and discussions of self-knowledge, the proper performance of duty, how to act in accordance with principles, how to fear God and shun evil, how to understand and practice the truth, and various other aspects of the truth. Having listened for all these years, they begin to get more fed up the more they listen, and they begin to complain, saying, “Isn’t the purpose of faith in God to gain blessings? Why are we always talking about the truth and fellowshipping on God’s word? Does it ever end? I’m sick of it!” But they don’t want to return to the secular world. They think to themselves, “Faith in God is so dull, it’s boring—how can I make it a little more interesting? I must find something interesting,” so they go around asking, “How many believers in God are there in the church? How many leaders and workers are there? How many have been replaced? How many are young university students and graduate students? Does anyone know the number?” They treat these things and this data as the truth. What disposition is this? This is wickedness, commonly referred to as “vileness.” They’ve heard so many truths, but not one of them has inspired sufficient attention or focus in them. As soon as someone has some gossip or internal news, their ears immediately prick up, they’re afraid of missing it. This is vileness, is it not? (Yes.) What characterizes vile people? They don’t have the slightest interest in the truth. They are only interested in external matters, and tirelessly and rapaciously seek out gossip and things that have no bearing on their life entry or on the truth. They think that figuring out this stuff, all this information, and holding it all in their head, means that they possess the truth reality, that they are well and truly a member of God’s house, that they will surely be approved of by God and able to enter God’s kingdom. Do you think that is really the case? (No.) You can see through this, but many new believers in God can’t. They are fixated on this information, they think knowing these things makes them a member of God’s house—but in fact, God loathes such people the most, they are the most vain, superficial, and ignorant of all people. God has become flesh in the last days to do the work of judging and purifying people, the effect of which is to give people the truth as life. But if people do not focus on eating and drinking of God’s word and are always trying to find out gossip and trying to find out more about the internal affairs of the church, are they pursuing the truth? Are they people that do proper work? To Me, these are wicked people. They are disbelievers. People like this could also be called vile. They only ever focus on hearsay. This satisfies their curiosity, but they are loathed by God. These are not people who truly believe in God, much less people who pursue the truth. They are, quite simply, the servants of Satan, who come to disturb the work of the church. More than that, people who are always examining and investigating God are the servants and minions of the great red dragon. God hates and is disgusted by these people most of all. If you believe in God, why do you not trust in God? When you examine and investigate God, are you searching for the truth? Does searching for the truth bear any relation to the family into which Christ was born or the environment in which He grew up? People who are always putting God under the microscope—are they not disgusting? If you constantly have notions about things to do with Christ’s humanity, you should spend more time pursuing the knowledge of God’s words; only when you understand the truth will you be able to resolve the problem of your notions. Will examining Christ’s family background or the circumstances of His birth allow you to know God? Will this allow you to discover the divine essence of Christ? Absolutely not. People who truly believe in God devote themselves to God’s words and the truth, only this is conducive to knowing the divine essence of Christ. But why are those who constantly scrutinize God constantly engaging in vileness? These trashy people who lack spiritual understanding should hurry up and get out of God’s house! So many truths have been expressed, so much has been fellowshipped during gatherings and sermons—why must you still scrutinize God? What does it mean that you are always scrutinizing God? That you are extremely wicked! What’s more, there are even those who think that learning all this trivial information gives them capital, and they go around showing it off to people. And what happens in the end? They are loathsome and disgusting to God. Are they even human? Are they not living demons? How are they people who believe in God? They devote all their thoughts to the way of wickedness and crookedness. It’s as if they think that the more hearsay they know, the more they are a member of God’s house, and the more they understand the truth. People like this are utterly absurd. In the house of God, no one is more disgusting than them.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only Knowledge of the Six Kinds of Corrupt Dispositions Is True Self-Knowledge

What is the most wicked disposition people reveal before God? It is testing God. Some people worry that they might not have a good destination, and that their outcome may not be guaranteed because they went astray, did some evil, and committed many transgressions after coming to believe in God. They worry that they will go to hell, and are in constant fear about their outcome and destination. They are constantly anxious, and they always ponder, “Will my future outcome and destination be good or bad? Will I go down to hell or up to heaven? Am I one of god’s people or a service-doer? Will I perish or be saved? I need to find which of god’s words talk about this.” They see that God’s words are all the truth, and that they all expose people’s corrupt dispositions, and they do not find the answers that they seek, so they continually contemplate where else to inquire. Later, when they find an opportunity to get promoted and put into an important role, they want to sound out the Above, thinking: “What is the above’s opinion regarding me? If their opinion is favorable, it proves that god has not remembered the evil I did in the past and the transgressions I committed. It proves that god will still save me, that I still have hope.” Then, following through with their ideas, they directly say, “Where we are, most of the brothers and sisters are not very skilled at their professions, and they have believed in god for only a short time. I have believed in god the longest. I have fallen and failed, I’ve had some experiences and learned some lessons. If given the chance, I am willing to shoulder a heavy burden and show consideration for god’s intentions.” They use these words as a test to see if the Above has any intention to promote them, or if the Above has abandoned them. In reality, they do not genuinely want to take on this responsibility or burden; their purpose in saying these words is solely to test the waters, and see whether they still have a hope of being saved. This is testing. What is the disposition behind this approach of testing? It is a wicked disposition. Regardless of how long this approach is revealed for, how they do it, or how much it is implemented, in any case, the disposition they reveal is definitely wicked, because they have many thoughts, misgivings, and worries over the course of doing it.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Five: Summarizing the Character of Antichrists and Their Disposition Essence (Part Two)

If a man becomes infuriated and flies into a rage when God is mentioned, has he seen God? Does he know who God is? He does not know who God is, does not believe in Him, and God has not spoken to him. God has never troubled him, so why would he be angry? Could we say that this person is wicked? Worldly trends, eating, drinking, and pleasure-seeking, and chasing celebrities—none of these things would bother such a man. However, at the very mention of the word “God,” or of the truth of God’s words, he flies into a rage. Does this not constitute having a wicked nature? This is sufficient to prove that this is man’s wicked nature. Now, speaking for yourselves, are there times when truth is mentioned, or when God’s trials of mankind or God’s words of judgment against man are mentioned, you feel an aversion; you feel repulsed, and you do not want to hear such things? Your heart may think: “Don’t people all say that God is truth? Some of these words are not truth! They are clearly just God’s words of admonishment toward man!” Some people might even feel a strong aversion in their hearts, and think: “This is spoken about every day—His trials, His judgment, when will it end? When will we receive the good destination?” It is not known where this unreasonable anger comes from. What sort of nature is this? (Wicked nature.) It is directed and guided by the wicked nature of Satan.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Evil people all have wicked dispositions. Some wickedness is expressed through vicious dispositions, as in frequently bullying guileless people, treating them in a satirical or sarcastic way, always making them the butt of jokes, and taking advantage of them. Evil people bow and scrape in deference when they see another evil person, but when they see a weak person, they trample on them and throw their weight around. These are extremely vicious and wicked people. Anyone who bullies or oppresses Christians is a devil disguised as a person; they are a soulless beast, and the reincarnation of a devil. If there are those among the throng of evil people who do not bully guileless people, do not brutalize Christians, who only unleash their wrath on those who harm their self-interest, then these people are considered good people among the nonbelievers. But how does the wickedness of antichrists differ? The wickedness of antichrists is chiefly manifested in their particular penchant for competition. They dare to vie with Heaven, vie with the earth, and vie with other people. Not only do they not allow others to bully them, but they also bully and punish others. Every day, they contemplate how to punish people. If they are jealous of someone or hate someone, they will never let it go. These are the ways in which antichrists are wicked. Where else is this wickedness manifested? It can be seen in their devious way of doing things, which people with some brains, with some knowledge and some social experience, find difficult to detect. They do things in an exceptionally devious way, and this rises to wickedness; it is not ordinary deceitfulness. They can play shadow games and tricks, and do so at a higher level than most people. Most people cannot compete with them and cannot deal with them. This is an antichrist. Why do I say that ordinary people cannot deal with them? Because their wickedness is so extreme that they possess an enormous power to mislead people. They can think of all sorts of ways to make people worship them and follow them. They can also exploit all sorts of people to disturb and damage the church’s work. In such circumstances, the house of God repeatedly fellowships on every sort of manifestation, disposition, and essence of antichrists, so that people can discern them. This is necessary. Some people do not understand, and say, “Why always fellowship on how to discern antichrists?” Because antichrists are all too able to mislead people. They can mislead many people, like a lethal plague, which, through its contagion, can harm and kill many in a single outbreak; it is highly contagious and wide-reaching, and its infectiousness and mortality rates are quite high. Are these not severe consequences? If I don’t fellowship like this with you, can you break free from being misled and constrained by antichrists? Can you truly turn to God and submit to Him? This is very difficult. When ordinary people reveal an arrogant disposition, at most, it makes others see the ugly state of their arrogance. Sometimes they boast, sometimes they flaunt and show off themselves, and sometimes they love to brandish their status and lecture others. But is this the case with antichrists? On the surface, they may not seem to brandish their status or to be fond of it, they may never seem interested in status, but deep inside, they have a strong desire for it. It’s like some emperors or brigand lords of the nonbelievers: When fighting for their land, they suffer hardships together with their companions, appearing humble and unambitious. But have you seen the desires hidden deep in their hearts? Why can they endure such hardships? It’s their desires that bolster them. They harbor a grand ambition inside, ready to endure any suffering or withstand any slander, defamation, offenses, and insults so that they may one day ascend the throne. Isn’t this devious? Can they let anyone know about this ambition? (No.) They conceal it and keep it under wraps. What is visible on the surface is a person who can endure what others cannot, who can bear unbearable hardships, who appears tenacious, unambitious, down-to-earth, and good to those around them. But the day they ascend the throne and gain real power, to consolidate their authority and prevent usurpation, they kill all those who suffered and fought beside them. Only when the truth is revealed do people realize how deeply cunning they are. When you look back and see that everything they did was driven by ambition, you discover their disposition was that of wickedness. What tactic was this? It was deviousness. This is the disposition of how antichrists operate. Antichrists and the devil kings that wield official power are of the same ilk; they absolutely will not suffer and endure in the church for no reason if they don’t get power and status. In other words, these people are absolutely not content with being ordinary followers, compromising in God’s house as common worshipers of God, or doing some duty quietly and anonymously; they would certainly not be willing to do this. If someone with status is replaced because they walked the path of an antichrist, and they think, “Without status now, I’ll just straightforwardly act as an ordinary person, doing whatever duty I can; I can still believe in God just as well without status,” are they an antichrist? No, this person once walked the path of an antichrist, once taking the wrong path because of momentary foolishness, but they are not an antichrist. What would a true antichrist do? If they lose their status, they won’t believe anymore. Not only that, but they will also think of various ways to mislead others, making others worship and follow them, to fulfill their ambition and desire to have power. This is the difference between those who walk the path of antichrists and actual antichrists. We analyze and dissect these disposition essences and manifestations of antichrists because the nature of this issue is very serious. Most people cannot discern antichrists. Not to mention ordinary brothers and sisters, even some leaders and workers who think they understand some truth have not completely mastered discerning antichrists. It’s hard to say how much they’ve mastered, which indicates their stature is too small. Only those who can accurately discern antichrists are people with true stature.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Six

The most common manifestation of the wicked essence of antichrists is that they are particularly good at pretense and hypocrisy. Despite their particularly vicious, insidious, ruthless, and arrogant disposition, they present themselves externally as especially humble and benign. Isn’t this pretense? These people contemplate daily in their hearts, thinking, “What kind of clothing should I wear to make me look more Christian, more upstanding, more spiritual, more burdened, and more like a leader? How should I eat in order to make people feel that I am refined, graceful, dignified, and noble enough? What walking posture should I adopt to give an air of leadership and charisma, to appear like an extraordinary person and not an ordinary one? In my conversations with others, what tone, vocabulary, looks, and facial expressions can make people feel that I am high class, like a social elite or a high-ranking intellectual? How can my attire, style, speech, and behavior make people hold me in high regard, leave an indelible impression on them, and ensure that I remain forever in their hearts? What should I say to win over and warm people’s hearts, and to make a lasting impression? I must do more to help others and speak well of them, frequently talk about god’s words and use some spiritual terminology in front of people, read more of god’s words to others, pray more for them, speak in a low voice to make people perk up their ears and listen to me, and make them feel that I’m gentle, caring, loving, magnanimous, and forgiving.” Isn’t this pretense? These are the thoughts that occupy the hearts of antichrists. That which fills their thoughts is nothing but the trends of nonbelievers, wholly indicating that their thoughts and viewpoints belong to the world and Satan. Some people may dress like a prostitute or even a loose woman in secret; their clothing caters specifically to evil trends and is especially fashionable. However, when they come to the church, among the brothers and sisters they wear a completely different costume and demeanor. Aren’t they extremely adept at pretense? (Yes.) What antichrists contemplate in their hearts, what they do, their various manifestations, and the dispositions they reveal all illustrate that their disposition essence is wicked. Antichrists do not contemplate the truth, positive things, the right path, or God’s requirements. Their thoughts, and the approaches, methods, and goals they choose are all wicked—they all deviate from the right path and are incompatible with the truth. They even go against the truth, and in general, they can be summarized as evil; it’s just that the nature of this evil is wicked—therefore, it is collectively referred to as wickedness. They don’t contemplate being an honest person, being pure and open, or being sincere and loyal; instead, they think about wicked methods. Take, for example, a person who can open up about themselves in a pure manner, which is a positive thing and is practicing the truth. Do antichrists do this? (No.) What do they do? They are constantly pretending, and once they do something bad and start to give themselves away, they furiously hide it, justify and defend themselves, and conceal the facts—then they finally provide their reasons. Do any of these practices measure up to practicing the truth? (No.) Are any of them in accordance with the truth principles? Even less so.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Five: Summarizing the Character of Antichrists and Their Disposition Essence (Part Two)

What is the primary manifestation of an antichrist’s wickedness? It is that they know clearly what is right and what accords with the truth, but when it comes to them doing something, they will only ever choose that which violates principles and goes against the truth, and that which satisfies their own interests and position—this is the primary manifestation of an antichrist’s wicked disposition. No matter how many words and doctrines they understand, how pleasant-sounding the language they use in sermons, or how much they seem to other people to have spiritual understanding, when they do things, they only choose one principle and one method, and that is to go against the truth, to protect their own interests, and to resist the truth till the end, one hundred percent—this is the principle and method they choose to act by. Besides this, what exactly are the God and the truth they imagine in their hearts? Their attitude toward the truth is merely one of wanting to be able to speak and preach about it, and not wanting to put it into practice. They just talk about it, wanting to be held in high esteem by God’s chosen people and then to use this to seize the position of church leader and achieve their aim of gaining mastery over God’s chosen people. They use preaching doctrine to achieve their aims—is this not them showing contempt for the truth, playing with the truth, and trampling on the truth? Do they not offend God’s disposition by treating the truth in this way? They just use the truth. In their hearts, the truth is a slogan, some lofty words, lofty words which they can use to mislead people and win them over, that can satisfy people’s thirst for wonderful things. They think that there is no one in this world who can practice the truth or live out the truth, that this just doesn’t work, that it is impossible, and that only that which everyone acknowledges and is workable is the truth. Even though they talk about the truth, in their hearts they don’t acknowledge that it is the truth. How do we test this matter? (They don’t practice the truth.) They never practice the truth; this is one aspect. And what is another important aspect? When they encounter things in real life, the doctrine they understand is never workable. They appear as though they really have spiritual understanding, they preach doctrine after doctrine, but when they encounter issues, their methods are distorted. Even though they aren’t able to practice the truth, what they do must at least be in line with human notions and imaginings, in line with human standards and tastes, and must at least pass muster with others. In this way, their position will be kept stable. In real life, however, the things they do are incredibly distorted, and one glance is enough to tell that they don’t understand the truth. Why don’t they understand the truth? In their hearts, they’re averse to the truth, they don’t acknowledge the truth, they enjoy doing things according to satanic philosophies, they always want to handle matters using human ways, and if they can convince others and gain prestige by their handling of these matters, then that is enough for them. If an antichrist hears someone preaching empty theory when they go to a venue, they get so excited, but if someone is there preaching truth reality and going into such detail as people’s various states, they always feel that the speaker is criticizing them and jabbing at their heart, and so they feel repulsed and don’t want to hear it. If they’re asked to fellowship on how their state has been recently, whether they’ve made any progress, and whether they have encountered any difficulties in performing their duty, they have nothing to say. If you continue to fellowship on this aspect of the truth, they fall asleep; they don’t enjoy hearing about it. There are also some people who lean forward when you engage in chit-chat with them, but the moment they hear someone fellowshipping on the truth, they go hide in the corner and have a snooze—they have no love for the truth whatsoever. To what extent do they have no love for the truth? On the mild side, they aren’t interested in it and it’s enough for them to be laborers; on the serious side, they’re averse to the truth, they feel particularly repulsed by the truth, and they can’t accept it. If this kind of person is a leader, then they are an antichrist; if they are an ordinary follower, then they are still walking the path of antichrists and they are the successors of antichrists. From the outside, they appear intelligent and gifted, with some good potential, but their nature essence is that of an antichrist—this is how it is.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Seven: They Are Wicked, Insidious, and Deceitful (Part One)

People like antichrists feel hostile toward and loathe all positive things and the truth. Their hostility and loathing toward the truth and positive things doesn’t require a reason, nor does it happen as a result of anybody’s instigation, and it’s certainly not the result of them being possessed by an evil spirit. Instead, they inherently just don’t like these things. They feel hostile toward and loathe these things; in their lives and in their bones, they feel repulsion when they encounter positive things. If you bear testimony to God or fellowship about the truth with them, they will develop a hatred toward you, and may even have a mind to attack you. We covered this aspect of antichrists feeling hostile toward and loathing positive things in our last fellowship, so we won’t discuss it again this time. In this fellowship, we’ll explore another aspect. What is that other aspect? Antichrists feel hostile toward and loathe positive things, so what do they like? Today, we will analyze and dissect the wicked nature of antichrists from this side and perspective. Is this necessary? (Yes.) It is necessary. Could you realize it on your own? (No.) Antichrists’ dislike of positive things and the truth is their wicked nature. So, on this basis, consider carefully what antichrists like, and what manner of things they like to do, as well as their method and means of doing things, and the kind of people they like—isn’t this a better perspective and side from which to view their wicked nature? This provides a more specific and objective view. First, antichrists dislike positive things, which implies that they are hostile toward them and like negative things. What are some examples of negative things? Lies and trickery—aren’t these negative things? Yes, lies and trickery are negative things. So, what is the positive counterpart to lies and trickery? (Honesty.) Correct, it’s honesty. Does Satan like honesty? (No.) It likes trickery. What is the first thing God requires of humans? God says, “If you want to believe in Me and follow Me, what kind of person should you be first and foremost?” (An honest person.) So, what is the first thing that Satan teaches people to do? To lie. What is the first evidence of the wicked nature of antichrists? (Trickery.) Yes, antichrists like trickery, they like lies, and they detest and hate honesty. Though honesty is a positive thing, they do not like it, and instead they feel repulsion and hatred toward it. By contrast, they like trickery and lies. If someone often speaks truthfully in front of antichrists, saying something like, “You like conducting work from a position of status, and sometimes you’re lazy,” how do antichrists feel about it? (They don’t accept it.) Not accepting it is one of the attitudes they possess, but is that all? What is their attitude toward this person who speaks truthfully? They feel repulsed and don’t like them. Some antichrists say to the brothers and sisters, “I’ve been leading you for some time now. Please everybody tell me your opinions about me.” Everybody thinks, “Since you’re being so sincere, we’ll give you some feedback.” Some say, “You’re quite serious and diligent in everything you do, and you’ve endured a lot of suffering. We can hardly bear to watch it, and we feel distressed on your behalf. God’s house could use more leaders like you! If we had to point out a shortcoming, it would be that you’re too serious and diligent. If you overwork yourself and burn out, you won’t be able to keep working, and won’t we be done for then? Who will lead us?” When antichrists hear this, they feel pleased. They know it’s a lie, that these people are currying favor with them, but they’re willing to listen to it. In fact, the people saying this are playing these antichrists like fools, but these antichrists would rather play the fool than reveal the true nature of these words. Antichrists love people who lick their boots like this. These individuals don’t bring up the antichrists’ faults, corrupt dispositions, or shortcomings. Instead, they covertly praise and exalt them. Even though it’s clear that their words are lies and flattery, the antichrists gladly accept these words, finding them comforting and pleasing. To antichrists, these words are better than savoring the most exquisite delicacies. After hearing these words, they feel smug. What does this illustrate? It shows that there is a certain disposition within antichrists that loves lies. Suppose someone tells them, “You’re too arrogant, and you treat people unfairly. You’re good to those who support you, but if someone keeps their distance from you or doesn’t suck up to you, you belittle and ignore them.” Aren’t these truthful words? (Yes.) How do antichrists feel after hearing this? They become unhappy. They don’t want to hear it, and they can’t accept it. They try to find excuses and reasons to explain things away and smooth things over. As for those who constantly flatter antichrists in person, who always speak nice-sounding words to covertly praise them, and even clearly trick them with their words, antichrists never investigate these people. Instead, antichrists make use of them as important figures. They even put perpetual liars in important positions, assigning them to do certain significant and dignified duties, while arranging for those who always speak honestly, and often report issues, to do their duties in less conspicuous positions, preventing them from having access to upper leadership or from being known by or close to most people. It doesn’t matter how talented these people are or what duties they can do in God’s house—antichrists ignore all that. They only care about who can engage in trickery and who is advantageous to them; these are the individuals whom they put in important positions, without considering the interests of God’s house one bit.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Seven: They Are Wicked, Insidious, and Deceitful (Part Two)

Antichrists, due to their inherently wicked disposition, never speak or act straightforwardly. They do not handle things with an honest attitude and sincerity, or speak using honest words and act with a heartfelt attitude. Nothing they say or do is forthright but rather circuitous and furtive, and they never directly express their thoughts or motivations. Because they believe that if they express them, they would be fully understood and seen through, their ambitions and desires would be exposed in the light, and they would not be seen among other people as high or noble, or be looked up to and worshiped by others; hence, they always try to conceal and hide their disreputable motives and desires. So, how do they go about speaking and acting? They employ various methods. Just as there is a saying among nonbelievers, “sounding out a situation,” antichrists adopt a similar approach. When they want to do something and they hold a certain viewpoint or attitude, they never express it directly; rather they use certain methods such as subtle or inquiring methods or worming things out of people to gather the information they seek. Because of their wicked disposition, antichrists never seek the truth, nor do they want to understand it. Their sole concern is their own fame, gain, and status. They engage in activities that can give them fame, gain, and status, avoiding those that offer no such things. They eagerly undertake activities related to reputation, status, standing out, and glory, while avoiding things that safeguard the work of the church or may offend others. Therefore, antichrists do not approach anything with an attitude of seeking; rather, they use the method of testing to sound things out, and then decide whether to proceed—antichrists are just this cunning and wicked. For instance, when they want to know what kind of person they are in the eyes of God, they don’t assess themselves through God’s words by coming to know themselves. Instead, they inquire around and listen for implied speech, observing the tone and attitude of leaders and the Above, and looking in God’s words to see how God determines the outcomes of people like them. They use these paths and methods to see where they belong within the house of God and find out what their future outcome will be. Doesn’t this involve some nature of testing? After some people are pruned, for example, instead of examining why they were pruned, examining the corrupt dispositions and mistakes they revealed in the course of their actions, and what aspects of the truth they should seek to know themselves and rectify their former faults, they give others a false impression, using indirect means to find out the real attitude of the Above toward them. For instance, after being pruned, they quickly bring up an insignificant issue with which to seek the Above, to see what kind of tone the Above has, whether they are patient, whether the questions they are seeking will be answered seriously, whether they will adopt a softer attitude toward them, whether they will entrust them with tasks, whether they will still regard them highly, and what the Above really thinks about the mistakes they committed previously. All these approaches are a kind of testing. In short, when they face such situations and exhibit these manifestations, do people know in their hearts? (Yes, they do.) So, when you know and you want to do these things, how do you handle it? Firstly, at the simplest level, can you rebel against yourself? Some people find it challenging to rebel against themselves when the time comes; they think it over, “Forget it, this time it has to do with my blessings and outcome. I can’t rebel against myself. Next time.” When the next time comes, and they meet again with an issue involving their blessings and outcome, they still find themselves unable to rebel against themselves. Such individuals have a sense of conscience, and although they don’t possess an antichrist’s disposition essence, it’s still quite troublesome and dangerous for them. On the other hand, antichrists often entertain these thoughts and live in such a state, but they never rebel against themselves, because they lack a sense of conscience. Even if someone exposes and prunes them, pointing out their state, they persist and absolutely won’t rebel against themselves, nor will they hate themselves because of it or let go of and resolve this state. After some antichrists are dismissed, they think, “Being dismissed seems like a normal thing, but it feels somewhat disgraceful. Though it’s not a significant matter, there’s one crucial thing I can’t let go of. If I’m dismissed, does that mean the house of god will no longer cultivate me? Then what kind of person will I be in god’s eyes? Will I still have hope? Will I still be useful at all in the house of god?” They contemplate this and come up with a plan, “I have ten thousand yuan on hand, and now is the time to use it. I’ll offer this ten thousand yuan as an offering, and see if the above’s attitude toward me can change a bit, and if they can show some favor toward me. If the house of god accepts the money, it means I still have hope. If it rejects the money, that proves I have no hope, and I’ll make other plans.” What kind of approach is this? This is testing. In short, testing is a relatively apparent manifestation of the wicked disposition essence. People use various means to obtain the information they desire, gain certainty, and then achieve peace of mind. … No matter what method people use to treat God, if they have a guilty conscience about it, and then gain knowledge about these actions and dispositions and can promptly turn them around, then the problem isn’t that significant—this is a normal corrupt disposition. However, if someone can consistently and stubbornly do this, even if they know that it is wrong and detested by God, but persist in it, never rebelling against it or giving it up, this is the essence of an antichrist. The disposition essence of an antichrist is different from ordinary people, in that they never reflect on themselves or seek the truth, but consistently and stubbornly use various methods to test God, His attitude toward people, His conclusion regarding an individual, and what His thoughts and ideas are about a person’s past, present, and future. They never seek God’s intentions, the truth, and especially not how to submit to the truth to achieve a change in their disposition. The purpose behind all their actions is to probe into God’s thoughts and ideas—this is an antichrist. This disposition of antichrists is clearly wicked. When they engage in these actions and exhibit these manifestations, there is not a trace of guilt or remorse. Even if they link themselves to these things, they show no repentance or intention to stop, but still persist in their ways. In their treatment of God, their attitude, and their approach, it is evident that they regard God as their adversary. In their thoughts and viewpoints, there is no idea or attitude of knowing God, loving God, submitting to God, or fearing God; they simply want to obtain the information they want from God and use their own methods and means to ascertain God’s precise attitude toward them and definition of them. What’s more serious is that, even though they align their own approaches with God’s words of revelation, even if there is the slightest awareness that this behavior is detested by God and not what a person should do, they will never give it up.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus Six: Summarizing the Character of Antichrists and Their Disposition Essence (Part Three)

Antichrists believe in God solely for the purpose of obtaining profit and blessings. Even if they endure some suffering or pay some prices, it’s all in order to make a deal with God. Their intention and desire to obtain blessings and rewards is immense, and they cling to it tightly. They don’t accept any of the many truths that God has expressed, in their hearts they always think that believing in God is all about obtaining blessings and securing a good destination, that this is the highest principle, and that nothing can surpass it. They think that people should not believe in God unless for the sake of gaining blessings, and that if it wasn’t for the sake of blessings, belief in God would have no meaning or value, that it would lose its meaning and value. Were these ideas instilled in antichrists by someone else? Do they derive from someone else’s education or influence? No, they are determined by the inherent nature essence of antichrists, which is something no one can change. Despite God incarnate speaking so many words today, antichrists don’t accept any of them, but instead resist and condemn them. The nature of their being averse to the truth and hating the truth can never change. If they can’t change, what does this indicate? It indicates that their nature is wicked. This is not an issue of pursuing or not pursuing the truth; this is a wicked disposition, it is brazenly clamoring against God and antagonizing God. This is the nature essence of antichrists; it is their true face. Since antichrists are able to brazenly clamor against and oppose God, what is their disposition? It is wicked. Why do I say it is wicked? Antichrists dare to resist God and clamor against Him for the sake of obtaining blessings, and for fame, gain, and status. Why do they dare to do this? Deep within their hearts there is a force, a wicked disposition that governs them, so they are able to act unscrupulously, argue with God, and clamor against Him. Before God even says He won’t give them a crown, before God strips away their destination, their wicked disposition erupts from within their hearts, and they say, “If you don’t give me a crown and a destination, I’ll go to the third heaven and argue with you!” If it weren’t for their wicked disposition, where would they find such energy? Can most people muster such energy? Why don’t antichrists believe God’s words are the truth? Why do they tenaciously hold onto their desire for blessings? Isn’t this their wickedness once again? (It is.) The very blessings that God promises to grant people have become the ambition and desire of antichrists. They are determined to obtain them, but they don’t want to follow God’s way, and they don’t love the truth. Instead, they pursue blessings, rewards, and crowns. Even before God says He won’t grant them these things, they want to contend with God. What’s their logic? “If I can’t obtain blessings and rewards, I will argue with you, I will oppose you, and I will say that you are not god!” Aren’t they threatening God by saying such things? Aren’t they trying to overthrow Him? They even dare to deny God’s sovereignty over everything. As long as God’s actions don’t align with their will, they dare to deny that God is the Creator, the one true God. Isn’t this Satan’s disposition? Isn’t this Satan’s wickedness? Is there any difference between how antichrists act and Satan’s attitude toward God? These two approaches can be completely equated. Antichrists refuse to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over everything, and they want to wrest blessings, rewards, and crowns from God’s hands. What kind of disposition is this? On what basis do they wish to act and seize things like this? How can they muster such energy? The reason for this can now be summed up: This is the wickedness of antichrists. Antichrists don’t love the truth, yet they still want to obtain blessings and crowns, and to wrest these rewards from God’s hands. Isn’t this courting death? Do they realize they are courting death? (They don’t realize it.) They might also have a faint sense that obtaining rewards is impossible, so they first say a statement like, “If I can’t obtain blessings, I’ll go to the third heaven and argue with god!” They already foresee that it will be impossible for them to obtain blessings. After all, Satan has clamored against God in midair for many years, and what has God given it? God’s only statement to it is, “After the work is finished, I will throw you into the bottomless pit. You belong in the bottomless pit!” This is God’s only “promise” to Satan. Isn’t it twisted that it still desires rewards? This is wickedness. The inherent essence of antichrists is antagonistic toward God, and antichrists themselves do not even know why this is the case. Their hearts are solely focused on gaining blessings and crowns. Whenever anything involves the truth or God, resistance and anger arises inside them. This is wickedness. Normal people probably cannot understand the inward feelings of antichrists; it’s quite tough for antichrists. Antichrists possess such immense ambitions, they harbor such immense wicked energy within them, and such a great desire for blessings. They can be described as burning with desire. But God’s house continually fellowships on the truth—it must be very painful and difficult for them to hear it. They wrong themselves and pretend so much in order to endure it. Is this not a kind of wicked energy? If ordinary people didn’t love the truth, they would find church life uninteresting and even feel a sense of repulsion toward it. Reading God’s words and fellowshipping on the truth would feel more like suffering than pleasure to them. So, how can antichrists endure it? It is because their desire for blessings is so immense that it compels them to wrong themselves and reluctantly endure it. Moreover, they sneak into God’s house to act as Satan’s lackeys, and dedicate themselves to causing disruptions and disturbances to the work of the church. They believe that this is their mission, and until they complete their task of resisting God, they feel ill at ease and that they have let Satan down. This is determined by the nature of antichrists.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Seven: They Are Wicked, Insidious, and Deceitful (Part Two)

It is certain beyond doubt that antichrists do not accept the truth; if they could accept the truth then they would not be antichrists. So why do antichrists still do their duties? What exactly is their intention in doing their duties? It is to “receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the world to come.” They are entirely following this saying in their duties. Is this not a transaction? This is absolutely a transaction. Judging by the nature of this transaction, is this not a wicked disposition? (Yes.) So in what way are they wicked? Can anyone tell Me? (Although antichrists hear so many truths expressed by God, they never pursue them. They firmly hold on to their status and don’t let go, only doing their duty for their personal benefit and to wield power over others.) That answer is kind of right, you’ve sort of got it, but it’s not specific enough. If they know full well that it is wrong to make transactions with God, but still persist to the end and refuse to repent, then this problem is serious. Nowadays, most people do their duties with the intention of gaining blessings. They all want to use the performance of their duties to be rewarded and get a crown, and they do not understand the significance of performing one’s duty. This problem needs to be fellowshipped on clearly. So, let’s first talk about just how people’s duty came into being. God works to manage and save humankind. Of course God has requirements of people, and these requirements are their duty. It is evident that people’s duty arises from God’s work and His requirements of humankind. Regardless of what duty one performs, it is the most proper thing they could do, the most beautiful and just thing among humankind. As created beings, people ought to perform their duty, and only then can they receive the approval of the Creator. Created beings live under the Creator’s dominion, and they accept all that is provided by God and everything that comes from God, so they should fulfill their responsibilities and obligations. This is perfectly natural and justified, and was ordained by God. From this it can be seen that, for people to perform the duty of a created being is more just, beautiful, and noble than anything else done while living on earth; nothing among humankind is more meaningful or worthy, and nothing brings greater meaning and worth to the life of a created person, than performing the duty of a created being. On earth, only the group of people who truly and sincerely perform the duty of a created being are those who submit to the Creator. This group does not follow worldly trends; they submit to the leadership and guidance of God, only listen to the words of the Creator, accept the truths expressed by the Creator, and live by the words of the Creator. This is the truest, most resounding testimony, and it is the best testimony of belief in God. For a created being to be able to fulfill the duty of a created being, to be able to satisfy the Creator, is the most beautiful thing among humankind, and is something that should be spread as a tale to be praised by all people. Anything the Creator entrusts to created beings should be unconditionally accepted by them; for humankind, this is a matter of both happiness and privilege, and for all those who fulfill the duty of a created being, nothing is more beautiful or worthy of commemoration—it is something positive. And as for how the Creator treats those who can fulfill the duty of a created being, and what He promises them, this is a matter for the Creator; it is no business of created humankind. To put it a little more plainly and simply, this is up to God, and people have no right to interfere. You will get whatever God gives you, and if He gives you nothing, then there is nothing you can say about it. When a created being accepts God’s commission, and cooperates with the Creator to perform their duty and do what they can, this is not a transaction or a trade; people should not try to trade expressions of attitudes or actions and behaviors to gain any promises or blessings from God. When the Creator entrusts this work to you, it is right and proper that, as created beings, you accept this duty and commission. Is there anything transactional about this? (No.) On the Creator’s side, He is willing to entrust to each and every one of you the duties that people ought to perform; and on the created humankind’s side, people should gladly accept this duty, treating it as their life’s obligation, as the value they should live out in this life. There is no transaction here, this is not an equivalent exchange, much less does it involve any reward or other statements that people imagine. This is by no means a trade; it is not about exchanging the price people pay or the hard work they provide when performing their duty for something else. God has never said that, and it should not be understood in this way by people. The Creator gives humankind a commission, and a created being, having received from the Creator the commission God gives, undertakes to perform their duty. In this matter, this process, there is nothing transactional; it is quite a simple and proper thing. It is just as with parents, who, having given birth to their child, raise them without conditions or complaints. As for whether the child grows up to be filial, their parents had no such requirements since the day they were born. There isn’t a single parent who, after giving birth to a child, says, “I’m only raising him so that he’ll serve and honor me in the future. If he won’t honor me, I’ll throttle him to death right now.” There is not a single parent like this. So, judging from the way parents raise their children, it is an obligation, a responsibility, right? (Yes.) Parents will go on raising their child, no matter if they are filial or not, and whatever the hardships, they will raise them until they become a grown adult, and hope for the best for them. There is nothing conditional or transactional in this responsibility and obligation that parents have for their child. Those with relevant experience can understand this. Most parents have no required standards for whether their child is filial. If their child is filial, they will be a bit more cheerful than they would otherwise be, and they will be a bit happier in their old age. If their child is not filial, they will just let that be the case. This is how most parents who are relatively open-minded will think. All in all, whether it’s parents raising their children or children supporting their parents, the matter is one of responsibility, of obligation, and it falls within a person’s expected role. Of course, these are all petty matters compared to a created being’s performance of their duty, but of the matters of the human world, they are among the more beautiful and just ones. Needless to say, this applies even more to a created being’s performance of their duty. As a created being, when one comes before the Creator, they ought to perform their duty. This is a very proper thing to do, and they should fulfill this responsibility. On the basis that created beings perform their duties, the Creator has done even greater work among humankind, and He has carried out a further stage of work on people. And what work is that? He provides humankind with the truth, allowing them to gain the truth from Him as they perform their duties and thereby to cast off their corrupt dispositions and be purified. Thus, they come to satisfy God’s intentions and embark on the right path in life, and, ultimately, they are able to fear God and shun evil, attain complete salvation, and no longer be subjected to Satan’s afflictions. This is the effect that God would have humankind achieve in the end by performing their duties. Therefore, during the process of performing your duty, God does not merely make you see one thing clearly and understand a little truth, nor does He merely let you enjoy the grace and blessings you receive by performing your duty as a created being. Rather, He allows you to be purified and saved, and, ultimately, come to live in the light of the face of the Creator. This “light of the face” of the Creator involves a large amount of extended meaning and content—we won’t go into this today. Of course, God is sure to issue promises and blessings to such people, and make different statements about them—this is a further matter. In terms of the here and now, what does everyone who comes before God and performs their duty as a created being receive from God? Truth and life, the most valuable and beautiful things among humankind. Not a single created being among mankind can receive such blessings from the hand of the Creator easily. Such a beautiful and such a great thing is twisted by the ilk of the antichrists into a transaction, in which they solicit crowns and rewards from God’s hand. Such a transaction turns something most beautiful and just into something most ugly and wicked. Is this not what the antichrists do? Judging from this, are the antichrists not wicked? They are quite wicked indeed!

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

Resolving the issue of a corrupt disposition must begin with knowing oneself. It requires attentiveness, focusing on examining one’s intentions and states bit by bit, constantly examining intentions and habitual ways of speech. And then one day, there will be a sudden realization: “I’m always saying nice things to disguise myself, hoping to gain status in the hearts of others. This is a wicked disposition. It is not the revelation of a normal humanity and does not conform to the truth. This wicked way of speaking and intention are wrong, and must be changed and disposed of.” After having this realization, you will feel the grave severity of your wicked disposition with increasing clarity. You had thought wickedness just meant the existence of a little wicked lust between a man and a woman, and felt that although you displayed wickedness in this regard, you were not a person with a wicked disposition. This indicates that you lacked understanding of a wicked disposition; you seemed to know the superficial meaning of the word “wicked” but could not truly recognize or discern a wicked disposition; and in fact, you still do not understand what the word “wicked” means. When you realize that you have revealed this type of disposition, you start to self-reflect and recognize it, and dig deep into its origins, and you will see that you really do have such a disposition. What should you do next then? You must continually examine your intentions within your own similar ways of speaking. Through this constant digging, you will identify with increasing authenticity and accuracy that you do indeed have this kind of disposition and essence. Only on the day that you truly admit you really do have a wicked disposition will you start to develop hatred and detestation toward it. One goes from thinking they are a good person, upright in conduct, equipped with a sense of justice, a person of moral integrity, a guileless person, to recognizing that they possess such nature essences as arrogance, intransigence, deceitfulness, wickedness, and aversion to the truth. At that point, they will have accurately assessed themselves and know what they truly are. Merely verbally acknowledging or cursorily recognizing that you have these manifestations and states will not produce genuine hatred. Only by recognizing that the essence of these corrupt dispositions is the repulsive manner of Satan can one truly hate oneself. What sort of humanity is required to truly know oneself to the point of self-hatred? One must love positive things, love the truth, love fairness and righteousness, have conscience and awareness, be kind-hearted, and be able to accept and practice the truth—all people like this can truly know and hate themselves.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only Self-Knowledge Is of Aid in Pursuing the Truth

Related Experiential Testimonies

Finally Seeing My Deceitfulness

You Must Become Honest to Be Saved