Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

You must see antichrists clearly and recognize them correctly. You must know how to discern the various manifestations of antichrists and, at the same time, you should clearly know that there are many things which your own nature essence has in common with antichrists. This is because you all belong to mankind which has been corrupted by Satan, and the only difference is that antichrists are completely under Satan’s control, and they have become Satan’s accomplices and speak on its behalf. You also belong to corrupt mankind, but you are able to accept the truth and have hope of attaining salvation. However, there are many things in terms of essence that you have in common with antichrists, and your methods and agendas are the same. It is only that, once you have heard the truth and listened to sermons, you are able to change course, and being able to change course determines that you have hope of attaining salvation—this is the difference between you and antichrists. Therefore, when I’m exposing antichrists, you should also make a comparison and recognize what things you and antichrists have in common, and which manifestations, dispositions, and aspects of essence you share with them. By doing this, won’t you then be able to better know yourself? If you always feel antagonistic, believing that you are not an antichrist, feeling intense hatred for antichrists, and are unwilling to make this comparison or reflect on yourself and understand what path you’re following, then what will the consequence be? With a satanic disposition, you are very likely to become an antichrist. This is because no antichrist purposefully seeks to become an antichrist and then becomes one; it’s because they don’t pursue the truth, and as a matter of course they end up following the path of an antichrist. Aren’t all those in the religious world who don’t love the truth antichrists? Every single person who doesn’t reflect on and understand their own nature essence, and who believes in God according to their notions and imaginings, is an antichrist. Once you have embarked upon the path of an antichrist, once you gain status, and combined with the fact that you have some gifts and learning, and everyone admires you, then as the time you spend working lengthens, you come to hold a place in people’s hearts. As the work you’re responsible for grows in scope, you come to lead more and more people, you gain more and more capital, and then you become a bona fide Paul. Is all this up to you? You had no plan to follow this path, but how come you unknowingly embarked upon the path of an antichrist? One important reason for this is that if you don’t pursue the truth, you will most certainly pursue status and prestige, you will engage in your own business, until finally, without being aware of it, you will be following the path of an antichrist. If people who are following the path of an antichrist don’t change course in time, then when they gain status they will quite possibly become antichrists—this result is inevitable. If they can’t see this matter clearly, then they are in danger, because everyone possesses corrupt dispositions and everyone loves reputation and status; if they don’t love the truth, then they are very prone to falling due to reputation and status. Without the judgment and chastisement of God, everyone would follow the path of an antichrist and fall due to reputation and status, and this is something no one can deny. You say, “I only have these revelations every now and then, they’re just temporary manifestations. Even though I have the same essence as that of antichrists, I’m still distinct from antichrists because I don’t have such great ambitions as they do. Also, while I’m doing my duty, I’m constantly reflecting on myself, feeling remorse, and seeking the truth, and I act in accordance with truth principles. Judging by my behavior, I’m not an antichrist and I don’t wish to be one, therefore I can’t possibly become an antichrist.” You may not be an antichrist right now, but can you ensure that you won’t follow the path of an antichrist and become an antichrist? Can you make such a guarantee? No, you can’t. So, how can you make such a guarantee? The one and only way to do this is to pursue the truth. How then should you pursue the truth? Do you have a way to do this? First, you must acknowledge the fact that you share the same disposition essence as antichrists. Although you aren’t an antichrist right now, for you, what is the most deadly and dangerous thing? It is that you possess the same nature essence as antichrists. Is this a good thing for you? (No.) It certainly isn’t. This is deadly for you. Therefore, while you’re listening to these sermons exposing antichrists’ various manifestations, don’t think that these things have nothing to do with you; this is the wrong attitude to have. So then, what kind of attitude should you have to accept these facts and manifestations? Compare yourself to them, acknowledge that you have an antichrist’s nature essence, and then examine yourself to find out which of your manifestations and revelations are identical to those of antichrists. First, acknowledge this fact—don’t try to disguise yourself or wrap yourself up. The path you walk is the path of an antichrist, so it is in accordance with the facts to say you are an antichrist; it’s just that God’s house hasn’t yet defined you as such and is giving you a chance to repent, that’s all. Do you understand? First, accept and acknowledge this fact, and then what you have to do is come before God and ask Him to discipline you and hold you in check. Don’t depart from the light of God’s presence or leave His protection, and in this way you will be held in check by your conscience and reason when you do things, and you will also have God’s words to illuminate you, lead you, and keep you in check. Moreover, you will have the work of the Holy Spirit to guide you, to arrange the people, events, and things around you to serve as warnings for you and to discipline you. How does God warn you? God acts in many ways. Sometimes, God will cause you to have an obvious feeling in your heart, allowing you to clearly realize that you need to be held in check, that you cannot act willfully, that if you act wrongly then you will bring shame upon God and make a fool of yourself, and so you restrain yourself. Isn’t this God protecting you? This is one way. Sometimes, God will reproach you inside yourself and present clear words to you to tell you that acting in that way is shameful, that He detests it, that it is accursed, that is, He uses clear words to reproach you so that you make a comparison with yourself. What is God’s aim in reproaching you in this way? He does it to make your conscience feel something, and when you feel something, you will consider the impact, consequences, and your own sense of shame, and you will exercise some restraint in your actions and practices. Once you have had many such experiences, you will find that although these corrupt dispositions are rooted inside people, when people become able to accept the truth and clearly see the truth of their own corrupt dispositions, they can purposefully rebel against their flesh; when people become able to put the truth into practice, their satanic disposition is cleansed and changed. Man’s satanic disposition is not indestructible or immutable—when you become able to accept the truth and put the truth into practice, your satanic disposition will naturally be broken down and replaced. Once you taste how sweet it is to put the truth into practice, you will think, “I was so shameless before. No matter how barefaced my words or how I exalted myself to make others worship me, I felt no shame and had no awareness afterward. Now I feel that acting in that way was wrong and I lost face, and I feel as though many eyes are upon me.” This is God’s doing. He gives you a feeling, and you would feel as though you are reproaching yourself, and then you won’t commit evil or stick to your own path. Unknowingly, your ways of exalting and testifying about yourself grow fewer and fewer, you increasingly exercise self-restraint, and you feel more and more that by acting in this way your heart is at ease and your conscience is at peace—this is living in the light, and there is no longer any need to be on tenterhooks or to use lies or pleasant words to camouflage yourself. In the past, you lied and kept the lies going every day to protect your reputation. Every time you told a lie, you had to then keep that lie going, so afraid that you might give the game away. The result of this was that you told more and more lies, and later had to put in great effort and rack your brains to keep your lies going; you were living a life that resembled neither that of humans nor that of demons, and so exhausting! Now, you are seeking to be an honest person, and you can open your heart and speak things that are real. There is no need for you to tell lies and keep your lies going every day, you’re not constrained by lies anymore, you suffer much less, you live a life that is increasingly relaxed, free, and liberated, in your innermost heart you enjoy feelings of peace and joy—you are tasting the sweetness of this life. And while you are tasting the sweetness of this life, your inner world is no longer deceitful, wicked, or false. Instead, you are now willing to come before God, you pray to God and seek the truth when you have an issue, you are able to discuss it with others when you have an issue, and you no longer act unilaterally or arbitrarily. You feel more and more that the way you used to do things was contemptible and you don’t want to do things like that anymore. Instead, you act in whichever way accords with the truth, with reason, and with God’s intentions; the way you act has changed. When you are able to achieve these things, doesn’t that mean that you have departed from the path of an antichrist? And when you have departed from the path of an antichrist, doesn’t that mean that you have embarked upon the path to attaining salvation? When you have embarked upon the path to attaining salvation and often come before God, your attitude, intent, perspective, your life goals and direction in life are no longer in opposition to God, you begin to love positive things, and you begin to love fairness, righteousness, and truth. When this happens, your innermost heart and thoughts have begun to transform. When you have embarked upon the path to attaining salvation, can you still become an antichrist? Can you still intentionally resist God? No, you can’t, and you are out of danger now. Only by entering this state will people be on the right track of faith in God, and only by seeking and accepting the truth in this way can they cast off the troubles, the control, and the disturbance caused by their satanic nature and antichrist nature.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Four: They Exalt and Testify About Themselves

How can the problem of them walking the path of antichrists be resolved? (In one respect, they must understand this matter, and come before God to pray when they reveal thoughts of striving for status. Furthermore, they must lay themselves bare to the brothers and sisters, and then consciously rebel against these incorrect thoughts. They must also ask for God to judge, chastise, prune, and discipline them. Then they will be able to embark on the correct path.) That’s quite a good answer. However, this is not easy to achieve, and it’s even harder for those who love reputation and status too much. Letting go of reputation and status isn’t easy—it depends on people pursuing the truth. Only by understanding the truth can one come to know oneself, see clearly the emptiness of seeking fame, gain and status, and see clearly the truth of mankind’s corruption. Only when a person truly comes to know themselves can they abandon status and reputation. It’s not easy to cast off one’s corrupt disposition. If you have recognized that you lack the truth, are beset with deficiencies, and reveal too much corruption, yet you put no effort into pursuing the truth, and you disguise yourself and engage in hypocrisy, leading people to believe that you can do anything, then this will put you in danger—and sooner or later, there will come a time when you will hit a roadblock and fall. You must admit that you don’t have the truth, and be brave enough to face reality. You have weaknesses, reveal corruption, and are beset with all manner of inadequacies. This is normal, because you’re a regular person, you’re not superhuman or omnipotent, and you must recognize that. When other people scorn or satirize you, don’t immediately react with antipathy because what they say is unpleasant, or resist it because you believe yourself to be capable and perfect—this shouldn’t be your attitude toward such words. What should your attitude be? You should say to yourself, “I have my faults, everything about me is corrupt and flawed, and I’m simply an ordinary person. Their scorn and satirizing of me notwithstanding, is there any truth to it? If part of what they say is true, then I must accept it from God.” If you have this attitude, it is proof that you are capable of handling status, reputation, and what other people say about you correctly. Status and reputation are not easily put aside. For those who are somewhat gifted, have some degree of caliber, or are possessed of some work experience, putting these things aside is even harder. Though they may sometimes claim to have put them aside, they cannot do so in their hearts. As soon as the situation permits and they have the opportunity, they will go on striving for fame, gain, and status as they did before, because all corrupt humans love these things, it’s just that those who don’t possess gifts or talents have a slightly weaker desire to pursue status. Those who possess knowledge, talent, good-looks, and special capital, have a particularly strong desire for reputation and status, to the extent that they are filled with this ambition and desire. This is the hardest thing for them to put aside. When they have no status, their desire is in the nascent stage. Once they acquire status, when the house of God entrusts them with some important task, and particularly if they have worked for many years and have a lot of experience and capital, the desire is no longer nascent, but has already taken root, blossomed, and is about to bear fruit. If a person has the constant desire and ambition to do great things, to become famous, to become some great figure, then as soon as they commit a great evil, and its consequences take effect, they’ll be completely finished, and eliminated. And so, before this leads to great calamity, they must quickly turn the situation around, while there’s still time. Whenever you do anything, and in whatever context, you must seek truth, practice being someone who is honest and obedient to God, and put aside the pursuit of status and reputation. When you have the constant thought and desire to compete for status, then you must realize what bad things this kind of state will lead to if left unsolved. So waste no time in searching for the truth, overcome your desire to compete for status while it is in the nascent stage, and replace it with practicing the truth. When you practice the truth, your desire and ambition to compete for status will be diminished, and you will not disturb the work of the church. In this way, your actions will be remembered and approved of by God. So what am I trying to emphasize? It is this: You must rid yourself of your desires and ambitions before they flower, come to fruition, and lead to great calamity. If you don’t address them while they are still in their infancy, you will miss a great opportunity; and once they have led to great calamity, it will be too late to solve them. If you lack even the will to rebel against the flesh, it will be very difficult for you to set foot upon the path of pursuing the truth; if you encounter setbacks and failure in your pursuit of fame, gain, and status, and you do not come to your senses, then this is dangerous: There is a possibility that you will be eliminated. When those who love the truth encounter one or two failures and setbacks in terms of their reputation and status, they can see clearly that reputation and status have no value at all. They are able to utterly forsake status and reputation, and resolve that, even if they never possess status, they will still continue to pursue the truth and perform their duty properly, and share their experiential testimony, and thereby achieve the result of bearing testimony to God. Even when they are ordinary followers, they are still capable of following to the very end, and all they want is to receive God’s approval. Only these are people who genuinely love the truth and have resolve. The house of God has eliminated many antichrists and evil people, and some who pursue the truth, after seeing the failure of antichrists, reflect on the path that those people took, and also reflect on and know themselves. From this, they gain an understanding of God’s intention, resolve to be ordinary followers, and focus on pursuing the truth and doing their duty well. Even if God says they are service-doers or lowly nobodies, it’s fine by them. They will just try to be lowly people, and small, insignificant followers in God’s eyes, who will ultimately end up being called acceptable created beings by God. People like this are the good ones and those that God approves of.

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

Are you afraid of walking the path of antichrists? (Yes.) Is fear useful on its own? No—fear alone cannot fix the problem. It is normal to be afraid of walking the path of antichrists. It shows one to be a lover of the truth, someone who is willing to strive toward the truth and who is willing to pursue it. If you are fearful at heart, then you should seek the truth and find the path of practice. You must begin by learning to cooperate with others in harmony. If there is a problem, resolve it with fellowship and discussion, so that everyone may know the principles, as well as the specific reasoning and program regarding the resolution. Does this not keep you from making decisions alone? Additionally, if you have a God-fearing heart, then you will naturally be capable of receiving God’s scrutiny, but you must also learn to accept the supervision of God’s chosen people, which requires you to have tolerance and acceptance. If you see someone supervising you, inspecting your work, or checking up on you without your knowledge, and if you grow hot-headed, treat this person like an enemy and despise them, and even attack them and deal with them as a traitor, longing for them to disappear, then this is trouble. Is it not extremely vile? What is the difference between this and a devil king? Is this treating people fairly? If you walk the right path and act the right way, what do you have to fear from people checking up on you? If you are scared, it shows there is something lurking in your heart. If you know in your heart that you have a problem, then you should accept the judgment and chastisement of God. This is reasonable. If you know you have a problem, but you don’t allow anyone to supervise you, inspect your work, or investigate your problem, then you are being highly unreasonable, you are rebelling against and resisting God, and in this case, your problem is even more serious. If God’s chosen people discern that you are an evil person or a disbeliever, then the consequences will be even more troublesome. Thus, those who are able to accept the supervision, examination, and inspection of others are the most reasonable of all, they have tolerance and normal humanity. When you discover you are doing something wrong or have the revelation of a corrupt disposition, if you are able to open up to and communicate with people, this will help those around you to keep an eye on you. It is certainly necessary to accept supervision, but the main thing is to pray to God and rely on Him, subjecting yourself to constant examination. Especially when you have gone the wrong way or done something wrong, or when you are about to act or decide something on your own, and someone nearby mentions it and alerts you, you need to accept that and hasten to reflect on yourself, and admit to your mistake, and correct it. This can keep you from setting foot on the path of antichrists. If there is someone helping and alerting you in this way, are you not being protected without knowing it? You are—that is your protection. You should not, therefore, always guard yourself against your brothers and sisters, or people around you. Do not always disguise yourself and shroud yourself, not allowing others to understand you or see who you are. If your heart is always guarding itself against others, it will affect your search for truth, and it will be easy for you to lose out on the Holy Spirit’s work, as well as many opportunities to be made perfect. If you always guard yourself against others, you will have secrets in your heart, and you will not be able to cooperate with people. It will be easy for you to do the wrong things and walk the wrong path, and you will be dumbstruck when you make mistakes. What will you think at that time? “If only I had known, I would have collaborated with my brothers and sisters to perform my duty right from the start, and surely wouldn’t have any problems. But because I was always afraid of others seeing through me, I guarded myself against others. But ultimately, no one else made a mistake—it was me who made the first mistake. What an embarrassing and foolish thing!” If you can focus on seeking the truth, and open up in fellowship with your brothers and sisters when you have difficulties, your brothers and sisters can help you, and enable you to understand the correct path of practice, and principles of practice. It can safeguard you from walking the wrong path when performing your duty, so you will not fail or fall, or be spurned and eliminated by God. Instead, you will receive protection, perform your duty properly, and gain God’s approval. How vast the benefits people gain from harmonious cooperation!

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Proper Fulfillment of Duty Requires Harmonious Cooperation

As you do not now have the reality of God’s words as your life, what will become of you once you have status and official titles? Will you walk the path of antichrists? (That’s unsure.) This is the time of greatest peril. Can you see this clearly? Tell Me, is it dangerous to be a leader or a worker? (It is.) Knowing the danger, are you still willing to perform this duty? (Yes.) This willingness to perform your duty is human will, and it is a positive thing. However, will this positive thing alone allow you to put the truth into practice? Will you be able to rebel against the wants of the flesh? Relying on human good intentions and human will, and relying on human desires and ideals, will you be able to bring your will to fulfillment? (No.) Then you must ponder what you must do to make your wishes, your ideals, and your will into your reality and into your true stature. That is not so much of a problem, really. The true problem is that given man’s current state and stature, and given the qualities of his humanity, he is far from satisfying the conditions of God’s approval. Your human character has no more than a bit of conscience and reason, not the will to pursue the truth. When performing your duty, you may wish not to be perfunctory, nor to attempt to trick God, but you will. Given your current, true state and stature, you are already in a perilous place. Would you still maintain that to have status is dangerous, but to lack it means you are safe? In fact, to lack status is also dangerous. As long as you live in a corrupt disposition, you are in peril. Now, is it the case that it is only dangerous to be a leader, while those who are not leaders are safe? (No.) If you are not a person who pursues the truth and do not possess the slightest truth reality, you are in danger whether you are a leader or not. So, how should you pursue the truth so as to escape this danger? Have you considered this question? If you have only a small desire and simply follow some regulations, will that work? Can you truly escape the place of peril in this way? It may work in the short term, but it’s hard to say what will happen in the long term. So, what’s to be done? Some people say that pursuing the truth is the best way. This is absolutely correct, but in what way must one pursue in order to enter the truth reality? And in order for their life to grow? None of these are simple matters. First, you must understand the truth, and then you must put it into practice. So long as one understands the truth, half of these problems are already resolved. They will be able to reflect on their own state and see it clearly. They will feel the peril they are living in. They will be able to put the truth into practice proactively. Such practice naturally leads one to submission to God. Is a person who submits to God out of danger? Do you really need an answer? Those who truly submit to God will no longer rebel against or resist God, much less betray Him. Their salvation is assured. Is such a person not completely out of danger? Therefore, the best means of resolving problems is to bring one’s seriousness to bear on the truth and put one’s efforts into the truth. Once people have truly understood the truth, all problems will be solved.

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

When leaders and workers are working, they are sometimes enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit, they can speak of some true experiences, and naturally they will have people holding them in high esteem and worshiping them, naturally they will have people following them, as inseparable from them as their own shadow—at times like these, how should they approach these things? Everyone has their own predilections, everyone is vain; if people hear someone speaking approvingly and flatteringly about them, they will enjoy it greatly. This is a normal thing to feel and is not a big deal. However, if they promote someone who can lavish praise on them, and flatter them, and they put someone like this to some important use, then that is dangerous. This is because people who love to flatter and lavish praise on others are all exceedingly sly and deceitful, and they are not honest or truthful. As soon as such people gain status, they are of no benefit to the life entry of God’s chosen people or to church work. These people are cunning, and they are most capable of messing things up. Those people who are comparatively upright never lavish praise on others. Even if they approve of you in their hearts, they won’t say it out loud, and if they discover that you have flaws or that you’ve done something wrong, then they’ll point it out to you. Some people, however, don’t like straightforward people, and when someone points out their flaws or reproaches them, they will oppress and exclude that person, and will even seize upon that person’s flaws and shortcomings to constantly judge and condemn them. By doing this, aren’t they oppressing and harming good people? Doing things like this and persecuting such good people are things God most detests. Persecuting good people is a villainous thing to do! And if someone persecutes a great many good people, then they are a devil. Leaders and workers should treat everyone fairly and lovingly, and they should handle matters according to principle. Especially when you have people flattering and fawning on you, revolving around you, you must treat them correctly, lovingly help them, and get them to perform their proper tasks and not flatter people like the nonbelievers do; state your position and perspective clearly, make them feel humiliated and ashamed so that they never do it again. If you can adhere to principles and treat people fairly, then would these contemptible clowns and satanic types not feel ashamed? This would make Satan feel ashamed, and it would satisfy God. Those who love to flatter others believe that leaders and workers all love people who flatter them, and whenever anyone says anything flattering or fawning to them, their vanity and desire for status are satiated. People who love the truth don’t like all this, and they very much detest it all and are disgusted by it all. Only false leaders enjoy being flattered. God’s house may not applaud or praise them, but if God’s chosen people applaud and praise them, they feel so pleased and they enjoy it greatly, and eventually they derive some comfort from it. Antichrists enjoy being flattered even more, and the thing they enjoy the most is when people like this get close to them and revolve around them. Isn’t this troublesome? This is what antichrists are like; they like having people praising and applauding them, worshiping and following them, whereas those who pursue the truth and who are relatively upright don’t like any of this. You must get close to people who can speak truthfully to you; having people like this beside you is greatly to your advantage. In particular, having such good people around you as those who, when they discover a problem with you, have the courage to reproach you and expose you, can prevent you from going astray. They don’t care what your status is, and the moment they discover that you have done something against the truth principles, then they will reproach and expose you if necessary. Only such people are upright people, people with a sense of justice, and no matter how they expose and reproach you, it is all of help to you, and it is all about supervising you and pushing you forward. You must draw close to such people; having such people beside you, helping you, you become relatively much safer—this is what it is to have God’s protection. Having people who understand the truth and uphold principles by your side every day supervising you is so beneficial to you doing your duty and work well. You must absolutely not have those sly, deceitful people who toady up to you and flatter you as your assistants; having people like this stuck to you is like having stinking flies on you, you’ll be exposed to so many bacteria and viruses! Such people are liable to disturb you and affect your work, they can cause you to fall into temptation and go astray, and they can bring disaster and calamity to you. You must keep away from them, the farther the better, and if you can discern that they have the essence of disbelievers and get them cleared out of the church, then even better. Once an upright person who pursues the truth sees that you have a problem, they will tell you the truth regardless of your status, regardless of how you will treat them, and even if you will dismiss them. They’ll never try to cover it up or prevaricate. It is so beneficial to have more people like this around you! When you do something that goes against principles, they will expose you, give opinions on your issues, and point out your problems and faults frankly and honestly; they will not try to help you save face, and they will not even give you a chance to avoid embarrassment in front of lots of people. How should you treat such people? Should you punish them or get close to them? (Get close to them.) That’s right. You should open your heart and fellowship with them, saying, “That issue I have that you pointed out to me was right. At the time, I was filled with vanity and thoughts of status. I felt that I had been a leader for so many years, yet not only did you not try to help me save face, but you also pointed out my problems in front of so many people, and so I couldn’t accept it. Now, however, I see that what I did really was at odds with principles and the truth, and that I shouldn’t have done that. What does having the position of leader count for? Isn’t this simply my duty? We’re all doing our duty and we’re all equal in status. The only difference is that I shoulder a little more responsibility, that’s all. If you discover any problem in the future, then say what you ought to say, and there shall be no personal grudges between us. If we differ in our comprehension of the truth, then we can fellowship together. In God’s house and before God and the truth, we shall be united, not estranged.” This is an attitude of practicing and loving the truth. What should you do if you wish to give the path of an antichrist a wide berth? You should take the initiative to draw close to people who love the truth, people who are upright, get close to people who can point out your issues, who can speak truthfully and reproach you when they discover your problems, and especially people who can prune you when they discover your problems—these are the people who are most beneficial to you, and you should cherish them. If you exclude and get rid of such good people, then you will lose God’s protection, and disaster will gradually come to you. By getting close to good people and people who understand the truth, you will have peace and joy, and you will be able to keep disaster at bay; by getting close to vile people, shameless people, and people who flatter you, you will be in danger. Not only will you be easily duped and tricked, but disaster may come upon you at any time. You must know what kind of person can benefit you the most—it is those who can warn you when you do something wrong, or when you exalt and testify about yourself and mislead others, that can benefit you the most. Getting close to such people is the correct path to take.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Four: They Exalt and Testify About Themselves

In order to win people’s favor and ensure re-election as a leader, some church leaders practice democratic principles in everything they do under the pretense that they are not being dictatorial. They use this as a way to buy people’s favor, but in reality, they are doing it to solidify their own status. Is this not the behavior of an antichrist? (Yes.) Only an antichrist would act in this manner. Do you do these things too? (Sometimes.) And do you reflect on what intents govern these actions? This makes sense if the person has just started training in the work of a leader and doesn’t understand principles. But if they have been a leader or worker for some years and still insist on doing this, then this is lacking in principles. This is false leadership and the person is not one who pursues the truth. If a person has their own intents and goals and persists in doing it this way, they are an antichrist. How do you view this issue? What do you practice when faced with this issue? If you have your own intents and goals, what should you do to resolve them? (I’ve noticed I harbor some intents within me. Sometimes, I’m afraid the brothers and sisters will say that I am not open and transparent in my actions, that I make decisions on my own without telling them. When I have such thoughts, I will discuss and resolve matters with the brothers and sisters. I will not make decisions of my own accord.) It is acceptable to consult with others. It is appropriate to ensure everyone is informed; this is accepting the oversight of your work by the brothers and sisters, which helps you do your duty. However, during your discussions, you must also adhere to the truth principles. If you deviate from the truth principles, the discussion may go off-topic or waste time, and you will not arrive at the correct conclusions. Therefore, when starting a discussion, leaders and workers must take the lead in reading relevant passages of God’s words. This way, everyone can fellowship according to His words. A fellowship such as this will provide a path and bear good results. You cannot just stand to the side and have everyone fellowship however they want. If no one has any strong opinions, and they do not seek the truth, then this manner of fellowshipping is pointless, no matter how long you do it. It will never achieve the correct outcome. …

… you must understand that the duties you perform and the work you do are commissions from God, and you must do your work in accordance with God’s requirements. In doing so, you will have an objective and a direction in mind, and you will be able to seek the truth and look for a path within God’s words. You should then lead everyone to fellowship about relevant passages of God’s words and enable them to fellowship about the truth according to His words, to obtain more light within God’s words, to understand God’s intentions and the truth, and then to practice according to the truth principles. This is setting foot on the right path. In essence, the work of the church is to lead God’s chosen people in understanding and entering into all the truths that God expresses. This is the church’s most fundamental work. So, no matter what problem is being resolved, no gathering can be separated from reading relevant passages of God’s words or from fellowshipping about the truth. Ultimately, if you can fellowship about the truth and the principles of practice until they are clear, everyone will understand the truth and know how to practice it. Regardless of which aspect of the truth you are eating and drinking during a gathering, you must fellowship in this manner and seek the truth based on the issues you face. Those who understand the truth must lead the fellowship, and those who have been enlightened can then continue the fellowship. In this way, the more they fellowship, the more the Holy Spirit will work upon them, and the more they fellowship the truth, the more clarity they will achieve. When everyone understands the truth, they will achieve complete liberation and freedom and have a path to follow. This is the best result that a gathering can achieve. When everyone communicates about the truth reality until it is clear through this kind of fellowship, won’t they then understand the truth? (Yes.) After people understand the truth, they will naturally know how to experience and practice it. When they can practice the truth accurately, won’t they have obtained the truth? (Yes.) When a person has obtained the truth, won’t they have gained God? If someone has gained God, won’t they have attained God’s salvation? (Yes.) If, in your work as a leader or worker, you can achieve this result, you will have done your work properly, you will have fulfilled your duty up to standard, and you will receive God’s approval. When all of God’s chosen people understand the truth, will they still worship, look up to, and follow you? (No.) People will only commend you, respect you, be willing to come into contact and interact with you, and be willing to listen to your fellowship so they can benefit from it. Those who understand the truth can truly be the light and the salt. This is what it means to fulfill one’s duty as a created being, and to be an adequate created being. When people have understood the truth and attained a closer relationship with God, they can achieve compatibility with God, no longer rebelling against, misunderstanding, or resisting Him, and they will be able to exalt and bear witness for God no matter what issues they face. If, as a leader or worker, you practice according to principles such as these, before you know it, you will have brought people before God. The people you lead will also be able to practice the truth, enter into reality, and exalt God and bear witness for Him. In this way, the people you lead will also be capable of being approved of and gained by God. So, when a leader walks the path of pursuing the truth, this is entirely in accordance with God’s intentions. As long as what people do aligns with the truth principles, the results of their actions will only get better and better, without a single adverse side-effect, and they will have the blessing and protection of God in every matter. Even if they cause some deviations at times, God will enlighten and lead them, and they will find correction within God’s words. When people take the right path, they will have God’s blessing and protection.

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

Corrupt man loves to pursue status and enjoy its benefits. This holds for any person, whether you presently have status or not: It is exceedingly difficult to abandon status and be rid of its temptations. This requires much cooperation on man’s part. What does such cooperation entail? Mainly, seeking the truth, accepting the truth, understanding God’s intentions, and clearly penetrating the essence of problems. With these things, one will have the faith to overcome the temptation of status. In addition, you must think of effective ways to rid yourself of temptation and satisfy God’s intentions. You must have paths of practice. This will keep you on the correct path. Without paths of practice, you will often fall into temptation. Though you will want to take the right path, your efforts will not come to much in the end, no matter how hard you try. So, what are the temptations you often encounter? (When I achieve some success in performing my duty and win the high regard of the brothers and sisters, I feel self-satisfied and enjoy this feeling greatly. Sometimes I don’t realize it; sometimes I do realize that this state is wrong, but I still can’t rebel against it.) That is a temptation. Who else will speak? (Because I am a leader, our brothers and sisters sometimes give me special treatment.) That is also a temptation. If you are not conscious of the temptations you encounter, but handle them poorly and can’t make the correct choices, these temptations will bring you to grief and misery. As an example, say the brothers’ and sisters’ special treatment of you includes the material perks of feeding you, clothing you, housing you, and providing your daily necessities. If what you enjoy is nicer than what they give you, you’ll look down on it, and you may spurn their gifts. However, if you met a rich man and he gave you a fine suit of clothes, saying that he does not wear it, could you stand firm in the face of such temptation? You might think over the situation, saying to yourself, “He is rich, and these clothes mean nothing to him. He doesn’t wear them anyway. If he doesn’t give them to me, he’ll just pack them away somewhere. So, I will keep them.” What do you make of that decision? (They are already enjoying the benefits of status.) Why is this enjoying the benefits of status? (Because they accepted fine things.) Is it enjoying the benefits of status just to accept the fine things offered to you? If you are offered something ordinary, but it is just what you need and so you accept it, does this also count as enjoying the benefits of status? (Yes. Whenever they accept things from others to satisfy their own selfish desires, it counts.) It seems you’re not clear on this. Have you ever thought about this: If you were not a leader and had no status, would he still offer this gift? (He wouldn’t.) He certainly would not. It is because you are a leader that he makes this gift to you. The nature of the thing has changed. This is not normal charity, and herein is the problem. If you asked him, “If I were not a leader, but simply an ordinary brother or sister, would you make such a gift to me? If this item were needed by a brother or sister, would you give it to them?” He would say, “I couldn’t. I can’t give things willy-nilly to anyone. I give it to you because you are my leader. If you did not have this special status, why would I give you such a gift?” Now see how you have failed to understand the situation. You believed him when he said he had no use for that fine suit of clothes, but he was deceiving you. His purpose is to have you accept his gift so that, in the future, you will be good to him and afford him special treatment. This is the intention behind his gift. The fact is that you know in your heart that he would never give you such a gift if you had no status, but you still accept it. With your tongue, you say “Thanks be to God. I have accepted this gift from God, it is God’s benevolence to me.” Not only do you enjoy the benefits of status, but you also take enjoyment in the things of God’s chosen people, as though they were your proper due. Is this not shameless? If man has no sense of conscience and lacks all shame, then that is the problem. Is this just a matter of behavior? Is it simply wrong to accept things from others and right to refuse them? What should you do when you encounter such a situation? You must ask this giver of gifts if what they are doing conforms to the principles. Say to them, “Let us look for guidance from God’s word or the administrative decrees of the church and see if what you are doing is in line with principles. If not, I cannot accept such a gift.” If those resources inform the giver that their action violates the principles but they still wish to give you the gift, what should you do? You must act according to principles. Ordinary people can’t overcome this. They long eagerly for others to give them more, and they wish to enjoy more special treatment. If you are the right kind of person, you should immediately pray to God when faced with such a situation, saying, “Oh God, what I’m faced with today is certainly a sign of Your goodwill. It’s a lesson You’ve set out for me. I’m willing to seek the truth and act according to the principles.” The temptations facing those with status are too great, and once a temptation comes, it is hard indeed to overcome. You need the protection and assistance of God; you must pray to God, and you must also seek the truth and frequently reflect on yourself. In this way, you will feel grounded and at peace. However, if you wait until after you receive such gifts to pray, will you still feel such groundedness and peace? (Not anymore.) What will God think of you then? Will God be pleased by your actions, or will He detest them? He will detest your actions. Is the problem simply one of whether you accept a thing? (No.) So, where is the problem? The problem lies in the opinions and attitude you adopt when confronting such a situation. Do you decide for yourself or do you seek the truth? Do you have any standard of conscience? Do you have a God-fearing heart at all? Do you pray to God whenever you encounter the situation? Do you first seek to satisfy your own desires, or do you first pray and seek God’s intentions? You are revealed in this matter. How should you handle such a situation? You must have principles of practice. First, externally, you must refuse these special material considerations, these temptations. Even when you are offered something you especially desire or precisely the thing you need, you must likewise refuse it. What is meant by material things? Food, clothing, and shelter, and items for daily use are all included. These special material considerations must be refused. Why must you refuse them? Is doing so merely a matter of how you act? No; it’s a matter of your cooperative attitude. If you want to practice the truth, satisfy God, and shun temptation, you must first have this cooperative attitude. With this attitude, you will be able to shun temptation, and your conscience will be at peace. If you are offered something you want and you accept it, your heart will feel the reproach of your conscience, to some degree. However, due to your excuses and self-justifications, you will say that you ought to be given this thing, that it’s your due. And then, the pangs of your conscience won’t be so accurate or evident. Sometimes, certain reasons or thoughts and views may sway your conscience, so that its pangs are not obvious. So, is your conscience a reliable standard? It is not. This is an alarm bell that warns people. What kind of warning does it give? That there’s no security in relying on feelings of conscience alone; one must also seek the truth principles. That is what’s reliable. Without the truth to restrain them, people can still fall into temptation, giving various reasons and excuses that let them satisfy their greed for the benefits of status. Therefore, as a leader, you should adhere in your heart to this one principle: I will always refuse, always shun, and absolutely reject any special treatment. Absolute rejection is the prerequisite for shunning evil. If you possess the prerequisite for shunning evil, you are already under the protection of God to some degree. And if you have such principles of practice and hold fast to them, you are already practicing the truth and are satisfying God. You are already walking the correct path. When you are walking the correct path and already satisfying God, do you still require the test of your conscience? Acting according to principles and practicing the truth is higher than the standards of conscience. If someone has the determination to be cooperative and is able to act according to principles, they have already satisfied God. This is the standard God requires of men.

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

Some people do not understand the work of God, and they do not know how or whom God saves. They see that all people have the disposition of antichrists and can walk down the path of antichrists, and thus feel that such people must have no hope of salvation. In the end, they will all be judged to be antichrists. They cannot be saved and must all perish. Are such thoughts and views correct? (No.) So, how is this problem to be solved? First, you must have an understanding of God’s work. It is corrupt man whom God saves. Corrupt man can walk the path of antichrists and resist God. That is why he requires God’s salvation. So, how can a man be made truly to follow God, rather than going down the path of antichrists? He must understand the truth, reflect on and know himself, know his own corrupt disposition, and know his own satanic nature. Then, he must go on to seek the truth and solve his corrupt disposition. It is only thus that you can ensure you won’t walk the path of antichrists, avoid becoming an antichrist yourself, and avoid becoming that which God spurns. God does not work in supernatural ways. Rather, He scrutinizes deep in the hearts of people. If you are always enjoying the benefits of status, God will only reprimand you. He will make you conscious of this fault so that you reflect on yourself and know that this is unaligned with the truth and not pleasing to God. If you can come to this realization, and reflect on and know yourself, you will not have difficulty solving the problem. But if you live in such a state for an extended time, always enjoying the benefits of status, failing to pray to God or reflect on yourself, and failing to seek the truth, then God will do nothing. He will forsake you, so that you do not feel Him to be with you. God will bring you to the realization that, should you go on like this, you will certainly become that which God detests. God will make known to you that this path is wrong, that your way of living is wrong. God’s purpose in giving people such awareness is to make known to them those actions that are right and those that are wrong, allowing them to make the correct choice. However, whether one can choose to walk the right path depends on their faith and cooperation. When God is doing these things, He guides you to an understanding of the truth, but beyond that, He leaves the power of choice to you, and that comes down to whether you’re walking the right path. God never imposes on you. He never forcibly controls you or commands you to do something, having you do this or that. God does not act thus. He allows you to choose freely. At such times, what should one do? When you realize that what you’re doing is wrong, that your way of living is wrong, can you come at once to practice in accord with correct methods? That would be very difficult. There is a battle to be fought in it, because the things loved by man are Satan’s philosophy and logic, which stand in opposition to the truth. At times, you know what would be right and what would be wrong, and there is a battle in your heart. During such a battle, you must pray frequently, let God guide you, and let God rebuke you, so that you become aware of the things you should not do. Then, actively rebel against, shun, and avoid such temptations. This requires your cooperation. During the battle, you will still make mistakes, and it is easy to take the wrong path. Though you may choose the right direction in your heart, it isn’t assured that you will take the right path. Is this not how things really are? With a moment’s carelessness, you’ll take the wrong path. What does “a moment’s carelessness” mean here? It means that a temptation is too great. To you, this may come down to considerations of face, or your mood, or some special context or a special environment. The most serious factor is, in fact, your corrupt disposition, which dominates and controls you. This is what makes it difficult for you to follow the right path. You may have a little faith, but you are still tossed about and swayed to and fro by circumstance. It will not be until you are pruned, until you are punished and disciplined, until obstacles litter your path and you see no way forward, that you will realize that the pursuit of fame, gain, and status is not the right way, but something detested and cursed by God, that only walking the path that God requires is the proper way in life, and that if you do not set your will on walking this path, you will be eliminated entirely. People don’t weep until they see the coffin! However, in the course of this battle, if a man has great faith, a strong determination to cooperate, and the will to pursue the truth, it will be easier for him to overcome these temptations. If your vital weakness is a particular care for dignity and a love of status, a greed for fame, gain, and the pleasures of the flesh, and these things are particularly strong within you, it will be difficult for you to emerge victorious. What does this mean, that it will be difficult for you to emerge victorious? It means that it will be difficult for you to choose the path of the pursuit of truth, so instead you may choose the wrong path, causing God to detest and forsake you. However, if you are always careful and prudent, and can often come before God to be rebuked and disciplined, and if you do not enjoy the benefits of status, nor covet fame, gain, or the comforts of the flesh, and if, when you have such thoughts, you rely on God to rebel against them with all your strength, before they give rise to action, and pray to God and seek the truth, and are ultimately able to walk the path of practice of the truth and enter that reality, regardless of all else, will you not then be more likely to choose the right direction when confronted with great temptation? (Yes.) This depends on your usual accumulated reserves. Tell Me: If a man encounters a great temptation, can he fully satisfy God’s intention by relying on his stature as it is, on his own will, or on his usual accumulated reserves? (No.) Can he satisfy it partially? (Yes.) Man may be able to satisfy it partially, but when he runs into great difficulties, God’s intervention is needed. If you wish to practice the truth, relying solely on human understanding of the truth and human will cannot afford you complete protection, nor can you satisfy the intentions of God and completely shun evil. The key is that man must have the determination to cooperate, and rely on the works of God for the rest. Suppose you say, “I have expended great effort to this end and done all I could. Whatever temptations or circumstances confront me in the future, my stature is only so large, and I can only do so much.” Seeing you act thus, what will God do? God will protect you from these temptations. When God protects you from these temptations, you will be able to practice the truth, your faith will become increasingly firm, and your stature will gradually grow.

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