Last time, we fellowshipped about the thirteenth responsibility of leaders and workers: “Protect God’s chosen people from being disturbed, misled, controlled, and grievously harmed by antichrists, and enable them to discern antichrists and forsake them from their hearts.” Now, let’s review: What specific items concerning the specific content of the thirteenth responsibility of leaders and workers did we fellowship? (We fellowshipped five items: exposing, pruning, dissecting, restricting, and supervising.) These five items are the specific tasks involved in this responsibility of leaders and workers; these are the specific tasks that leaders and workers need to carry out concerning antichrists. So, what manifestations do false leaders have in regard to these tasks? Did we also fellowship some details last time? (Yes.) The manifestations of false leaders are as follows: The first is that they are afraid of offending people and do not dare to clear out or expel antichrists. The second is that they cannot discern antichrists. The third is that they act as a protective umbrella for antichrists. The fourth is that they are irresponsible to God’s chosen people. What does irresponsibility look like? When faced with disturbances and misleading from antichrists, false leaders cannot protect the brothers and sisters, cannot expose the evil deeds of antichrists, cannot expose Satan’s schemes, and cannot fellowship the truth to help the brothers and sisters discern antichrists—they do not perform such work. Additionally, for those small in stature and lacking in discernment who are misled by antichrists, they not only fail to do any recovery work, but also say inhumane things like “serves you right.” This is a specific manifestation of irresponsibility, indicating that false leaders have no sense of burden for the church’s work. These manifestations are specific actions and approaches of false leaders when antichrists mislead and disturb God’s chosen people. Their specific attitude toward this work is irresponsibility and disloyalty. They make various excuses and use various methods to give antichrists the green light, acting as a protective umbrella for antichrists, while failing to protect the work of the church and the rights and interests of God’s chosen people. If false leaders could promptly resolve such problems as antichrists disturbing, misleading, controlling, and grievously harming God’s chosen people, and then restrict, isolate, and clear out or expel the antichrists, then God’s chosen people would receive the greatest protection. However, as leaders, they are incompetent for this work. From a certain perspective, it can be said that they are covertly protecting antichrists and paving the way for them, making it so they can continue to mislead, control, and harm God’s chosen people, and disturb normal church life and the performance of duty of God’s chosen people. These are various manifestations of false leaders.

Item Fourteen: Promptly Discern, and Then Clear Out or Expel All Manner of Evil People and Antichrists (Part One)

Having finished fellowshipping about the thirteenth responsibility of leaders and workers, today we will fellowship about the fourteenth. The content of the fourteenth responsibility is similar in some ways to the thirteenth. The specific work that leaders and workers need to do in the fourteenth responsibility not only relates to antichrists but also involves various evil people, making its scope broader than the thirteenth responsibility. Before fellowshipping about the fourteenth responsibility, let’s first read its content. (The fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers: Promptly discern, and then clear out or expel all manner of evil people and antichrists.) This sentence is not long, but when it comes to the specific work that leaders and workers need to do, it is not as simple as it appears on the surface. What exactly are the responsibilities of leaders and workers mentioned in this sentence? Who are the targets of the work that leaders and workers need to perform? (Various evil people and antichrists.) What is the specific work that needs to be done? (Promptly discern them. Once they are discerned, clear them out or expel them.) Prompt discernment, without procrastination; once signs are identified, accurate judgments and characterizations should be made, followed by dealing with the individuals involved by clearing them out. In fact, the specific work that leaders and workers need to do consists of two tasks: discerning people and solving problems. On the surface, it seems this simple: First discern, then promptly work out solutions and measures, targeting the various evil people and antichrists that God’s house requires to be cleared out or expelled. From this perspective, it appears easy for leaders and workers to do this work well and fulfill this responsibility, without much difficulty, because God’s house has previously done extensive fellowshipping on the details of discerning and clearing out various people, with much being said on the matter. On the surface, the work involved in the fourteenth responsibility seems similar in some ways to the specific content of the twelfth and thirteenth responsibilities fellowshipped previously, but in the fourteenth responsibility, the targets of the work done by leaders and workers are not only antichrists but also various evil people. This broadens the scope to include various types of evil people, requiring systematic and specific fellowship. Because it’s not about the manifestations of one type of evil person, but various types, when fellowshipping about the fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers, we will focus on specifying the targets of this work. This is one aspect. Additionally, just how to treat these people—whether to restrict, isolate, clear them out, or expel them—is what we will next fellowship about in detail.

What a Church Is

Before fellowshipping about this work in detail, let’s first fellowship on a side topic. This side topic may be well known, or it may be a topic you do not have a specific understanding of. What is the topic? It is “What is a church?” How does this topic sound? Some people might say, “You are fellowshipping about the responsibilities of leaders and workers, so just specifically fellowship about that. Why fellowship about what a church is? Is it related to this topic?” On the surface, it may seem unrelated, and some might even say, “This is a completely unrelated topic. Why bring it up for fellowship?” Regardless of how you think, put aside these thoughts and first ponder what a church is. Once the definition of this word, the designation “church,” is clearly fellowshipped, you will know why we are fellowshipping on this topic.

I. Several Understandings of a Church

Fellowshipping about what a church is means to provide a clear and accurate explanation of the designation “church”; it means to communicate the specific and accurate definition of the term “church.” First, you can discuss how you understand and comprehend the term “church.” What is a church? Let’s start with the theoretical explanation and then move to a more specific and relatively practical definition. (My understanding is that a place where brothers and sisters who sincerely believe in God and pursue the truth gather to worship God is called a church.) This definition refers to what kind of place a church is; it is basically a tangible, physical entity. This is a theoretical definition. Is this definition accurate? Are there any inaccuracies? In terms of theory, this definition is acceptable. Who can add more? (I’ll add a bit. Due to God’s appearance and work, and His expressing the truth, there is a group of people who follow God; the collective they form is called a church.) This definition describes what kind of collective a church is. This is also a formal, theoretical definition. (I’ll add that this group of people has the work of the Holy Spirit, and when they gather to read God’s words, there is the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and they are able to practice the truth and grow in life. A church is a gathering of such people.) This addition to the definition of a church describes what kind of gathering it is—the qualifier for this gathering is eating and drinking God’s words, having the work of the Holy Spirit, and growing in life. This is also basically a formal, theoretical definition of a church. Any more additions? (It is a group of people that takes God’s words as the principle of practice, and that is governed by the truth and Christ. This group can experience God’s work, accept the truth, grow in life, and be saved. Such a group is called a church.) This “group” is identical to the “collective” mentioned just now. Any more additions? If you have no further additions, you can restate the four understandings mentioned above; namely, what exactly you have considered the definition of a church to be from the beginning of your belief in God to now. Defining it theoretically should be easy, right? For example, a collective of people who sincerely follow and worship God can be called a church; or a group that follows God’s will, pursues submission to God, and worships God can be called a church; or a group that has the work of the Holy Spirit, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence, and is able to worship God, can be called a church. Aren’t these theoretical definitions of a church? (Yes.) You all understand and know the content of these qualifiers in the definition of a church, right? (Yes.) Then, repeat it. (A church refers to a collective of people who sincerely believe in God and follow Christ. A true church has the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s guidance; it is governed by Christ and the truth, it is where followers of God eat and drink God’s words, experience God’s work, and have life entry. This is a true church. A church is different from religious communities. A church does not engage in religious rituals or outward forms of worshiping God.) This is basically the theoretical definition of a church. For example, defining a church as a place where people called by God gather, or defining a church as a collective of people who sincerely believe in, follow, submit to, and worship God, or defining a church as a gathering of people called by God, and so forth—these designations reflect some basic understandings or definitions of a church by various groups of believers. Let’s not go into how exactly different religions and denominations define a church—for us who follow God, what is the definition of a church? It is nothing more than a group of people who sincerely believe in God, have the work of the Holy Spirit, have God’s guidance, and can eat and drink God’s words, pursue the truth, pursue submission to God, and worship God. Whether it is defined as a place, a collective, a gathering, a group, a community, or anything else—whatever term is used—the qualifiers for the definition are basically these. Judging from people’s basic understanding of a church, from the qualifiers you use to define the designation “church,” it is clear that once people follow God and understand some truths, their understanding of a church is that it is no longer an ordinary community or group. Instead, it is related to sincere belief in God, reading God’s words, having the work of the Holy Spirit, and being able to submit to and worship God, or to aspects involving life entry, dispositional change, bearing testimony for God, and others. Looking at it this way, after God has started to do His work, the designation “church” in most people’s hearts has acquired a deeper, more specific understanding and comprehension, one that is more closely aligned with God’s idea of a church. It is no longer simply a building, a societal community, a department, an institution, or anything else; rather, it is related to things like believing in God, God’s words, the truth, and worshiping God.

II. The Value of a Church’s Existence and the Work It Does

As for the specific concept and definition of a church, we will not rush to conclusions right now. After you have a basic concept of the designation “church” or its definition, are you clear about such things as the value of a church’s existence, the work produced by a church’s existence, and the role a church plays among people? Does the content of these aspects also relate to the definition of a church? Simply put, what a church does is the value of its existence. Take a house, for example—what is the purpose of this house? What is its value and significance to the people who live in and use it? At the very least, it provides shelter from the wind and rain, which is one of its values; another value is that when you are exhausted and tired and have nowhere to go, a home is a place where you can rest and stay in peace and contentment. This house is called a home, but what is its function for you? It provides shelter from the wind and rain, rest, relaxation, the ability to enjoy freedom, and so on; these functions are the value of this house for you. Now, once again, what is the role of a church? What is the value and significance of its formation and existence? Simply put, what does a church do, what role does it play? Are you clear about this? What specific work or type of work should a church do, and what must the scope of its work entail, for it to be called a church, for this work to be what a true church should do? This is some of the specific content that should be fellowshipped regarding the definition of a church. First, just what work does a church do? (Mainly, it proclaims God’s words, testifies to God’s work, and spreads the gospel, allowing more people to come before God and accept His salvation.) Is this a specific task? (Yes.) This is the significance of a church’s existence and one of the specific tasks it needs to do, but it is not everything. Spreading God’s words and testifying to God’s work is a specific task. Who is responsible for this task? It is the current gospel team. What other work does a church do? (Organizing brothers and sisters to gather together, eat and drink God’s words, and fellowship God’s words, enabling them to continually understand the truth and do their duties normally.) This specific task is to lead people to eat and drink God’s words, understand the truth, and do their duties normally. Spreading God’s words is a major and important task of a church. Leading people to eat and drink God’s words, understand the truth, and do their duties normally is the essential work of a church; this is internally directed. These two tasks, one external and one internal, are the work produced by a church’s existence. They can also be said to be two important tasks that a church should perform. Are there any others? (Another task is leading people to experience God’s judgment so as to be cleansed and achieve dispositional change.) This is a specific internal task of a church. All of these tasks you’ve mentioned are basically representative ones. Experiencing God’s work, such as experiencing various environments, experiencing judgment, chastisement, pruning, and so on, ultimately achieving dispositional change and attaining salvation, is a specific task. This is the effect and the impact a church’s formation and existence have on people. The work of spreading God’s words and testifying to God is not only carried out by the gospel team; it is also accomplished through various experiential testimony articles, hymns, various videos and movies, and so on, which are also the specific contents and projects included in the work of spreading God’s words. Additionally, there are tasks related to church life: eating and drinking God’s words to understand the truth, being able to submit to God and know God, and experiencing God’s work and the various environments arranged by God during the process of doing duties so as to achieve dispositional change and attain salvation. These are several tasks produced on the basis of a church’s existence after it has been formed. Besides these main tasks, are there any peripheral tasks? What are the peripheral tasks? They refer to non-important or general affairs work, which, however, also has some benefits for God’s chosen people in pursuing the truth and doing their duties; this work can positively affect people’s life growth and the transformation of their views on matters. In special circumstances, does general affairs work related to people’s physical survival which arises from church work count as the necessary work of a church? For example, farming, raising livestock, and other activities that provide some necessary food for those doing their duties—do these count as the essential work of a church? (No.) What about providing computers, equipment, and other things for those doing their duties—do these count as the essential work of a church? (No.) Then what does the essential work of a church refer to? This involves the definition of a church. Your previous definitions of a church were good; I was quite satisfied with them because the qualifiers in your definitions are related to such higher truths as people’s life entry, their true belief in and following God, knowing God, and even dispositional change, submission to God, and worshiping God. In light of this point, the existence of a church is absolutely not for the sake of things related to people’s fleshly life and interests, such as keeping them warm and fed, keeping them healthy, or looking out for their prospects. A church does not exist to support people’s physical survival or to allow people to better enjoy life of the flesh. Some people say, “That’s not right. Our physical life and survival are mentioned in God’s words, which tell us to learn some modern arts and knowledge about staying healthy. Aren’t these related to our survival?” Are these considered the essential work of a church? (No.) Since a church is composed of believers in God and people’s lives naturally involve food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and daily necessities, a church helps people resolve these issues incidentally. With these being resolved, people think, “The church is also responsible for our daily needs. This is the regular work of the church and its essential work.” Is this not a misunderstanding? (Yes.) What causes this misunderstanding? (They are not clear about what the essential work of a church is.) Why are they still unclear about this even now? Is there not a problem with their comprehension? (Yes.) Why is there a problem with their comprehension? This is a matter of caliber. Ultimately, it comes down to poor caliber.

Regarding the essential work of a church, three items were just mentioned: One is bearing testimony to and spreading God’s words. Another is leading people to eat and drink God’s words, enter the reality of God’s words, and helping people understand the truth, practice God’s words, and better do their duties. And another is leading people to experience God’s work, experience God’s sovereignty, and cast off their corrupt disposition to achieve dispositional change based on understanding God’s words. All of these aim for people to attain salvation. These three items are well summarized; they are the work a church needs to do and the value and significance of a church’s existence for humankind, for church members, and for God’s chosen people. But this is not comprehensive enough. Besides these essential tasks, think again about what other essential benefits people gain aside from experiencing this work that churches perform. (People learn to discern various people, events, and things.) Discerning various people, events, and things is somewhat close; it’s related to the essential work of a church. When we talk about essential work, we are talking about the representative tasks. What we fellowshipped about just now are the positive gains people achieve, or some of the work carried out by churches that people engage in or experience. Besides these essential tasks, another value of a church’s existence is helping people understand humankind, the world, and the influence of darkness. Is this an essential task of a church beyond the three tasks you fellowshipped? Is this a specific task? (Yes.) Compared to the first three tasks, this is considered a peripheral task. Why is it considered peripheral? Because it is a result achieved by people through experiencing the first three tasks—it is achieved by experiencing God’s work, eating and drinking God’s words, understanding the truth, understanding one’s own corrupt disposition, and knowing God. The result is that people come to understand this wicked humankind, this dark world, and the influence of darkness. Has this result been partially achieved now? (Yes.) Is this not the value of a church’s existence? Is this not a function and effect that a church’s existence should have for those who follow God? (Yes.) For one thing, it has this objective effect; additionally, churches are also positively and actively carrying out this work. What specific projects are involved in this work? For example, films about God’s chosen people experiencing arrest and torture—for one thing, these are testimonies produced by those who follow God when they suffer Satan’s brutal persecution; for another, they expose how this wicked humankind, this dark world, and dark influences resist and condemn God and the truth, as well as the various ways they brutally persecute those who follow God. While exposing these things, the films help people understand humankind, the world, and the influence of darkness from this perspective. Some people say, “What do You mean by ‘understanding humankind and the world’?” What do you all think it means? (Understanding the darkness and wickedness of humankind and the world, as well as understanding the essence of all humankind being enemies of God.) Correct. It means understanding the wickedness and darkness of humankind, understanding the ugly faces and true colors of all humankind as enemies of God. Videos about torture or personal experiential testimonies are specific examples of this work that churches do. Additionally, exposing traditional culture, human moral views, the thoughts of certain ethnic groups or races, as well as traditional doctrines of Daoism and Confucianism in China, some pseudo-truths, and family rules and upbringing that bind people and confine their thoughts—what is the purpose of exposing these? Which category of work does this fall under? Isn’t the content I previously dissected in the story “Sleeping on Brushwood and Licking Gall” part of understanding the world, humankind, and the influence of darkness? (Yes.) This is an example of the specific content of this work. So, this work is also a specific task that a church should perform. In summary, the work of a church is, in one regard, to positively guide people into the truth reality through the truth, leading them to achieve submission to God. In another regard, it is to expose the satanic, dark world, expose Satan’s various acts of hostility toward the truth and God, and expose the evil trends in human society, the various ideas and notions of corrupt humankind, as well as their heresies, fallacies, and so on, so that people can understand the true nature and essence of this wicked age. Is this not the essential work of a church? (Yes.) In fact, you have already gained a lot from the church’s work and have gained substantial benefits. When it comes to people in the church, whether they are those who are interested in the truth, or those who are not interested in the truth, after following God for three to five years, through gatherings to fellowship about the truth, pray-reading God’s words, and experiencing the persecution and denigration from nonbelievers, the disturbances from evil people and antichrists, and all sorts of other people, events, and things, they will, unknowingly, come to discern and understand this dark world, wicked humankind, the ruling authorities, and the dark influence of the entire world. These are the gains they achieve. And how do these gains come about? Are they brought about by the existence of the churches? Are they brought about by the work that churches do? (Yes.) On one hand, people have gained some understanding of God’s words, work, and disposition; on the other, they have also gained some corresponding awareness and discernment of the world, humankind, and the influence of darkness. The results and positive effects of these two gains on people are what they should achieve to attain salvation.

The work of a church can be summarized as spreading and testifying to God’s words and work, and leading people to eat and drink God’s words so that they can understand the truth, practice God’s words, and better do their duties. Additionally, on the foundation of understanding the truth, they can experience God’s work, cast off their corrupt dispositions and achieve a change in disposition. Besides these three aspects, it involves helping people understand wicked humankind, the dark world, and the influence of darkness. Although the projects of a church’s work are not many, the specific content is vast. The content all relates to God’s words, the truth, casting off one’s corrupt dispositions, and submitting to God; of course, it even more so relates to being saved. This is the function of a church and the value of a church’s existence. Every aspect of a church’s work is intimately related to the life entry of God’s chosen people because it involves how people treat God’s words, their attitude toward God, their salvation, and their views and attitudes toward the world, humankind, and the influence of darkness. In short, the existence of a church is intimately related to everyone, and the work a church engages in, along with the value and significance of its existence, is inseparable from every person who accepts God’s salvation.

After fellowshipping about the specific work a church needs to do, let’s discuss the inappropriate definitions and views people have about the designation “church” and the significance of a church’s existence. First of all, people think of a church as a relatively comforting place, a place filled with warmth and sunshine, a relatively friendly place free from conflict, war, killing, or bloodshed—an ideal place that people’s hearts yearn for, filled with happiness. Here, there is no jealousy or strife, no scheming, no evil trends, or any other phenomena found in the secular world. It is seen as an ideal harbor where people may anchor their hearts. Regardless of how beautiful people’s imaginings of the designation “church” are, all in all a church does provide them with a certain amount of spiritual sustenance. This spiritual sustenance has a more tangible function for people: When they encounter difficulties, they can come to the church to express their troubles, and the church can help them alleviate worries and resolve their difficulties. For example, if they encounter difficulties at work or in life, if their children are disobedient, if their husband or wife has an affair, if there are conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, if there are disputes with colleagues or neighbors, if their children are bullied, if their land is taken over by some local despot, and so on—when these things happen, people hope that someone in the church can stand up for them and help resolve and sort out these issues. In people’s minds, a church is such a place. Without a doubt, in people’s minds a church is a refuge, an ideal paradise, a place to alleviate worries and resolve difficulties, eliminate violence and let kind people live in peace, and uphold justice. If life becomes difficult, the church should provide relief; if there are no vegetables to eat and no rice to cook, the church should distribute them; if there are no clothes, the church should buy them; if someone falls ill, the church should pay for treatment. When someone encounters difficulties at work, the brothers and sisters in the church should lend a helping hand, pull strings, leverage connections, or offer guidance. When one’s children are taking college entrance exams, they turn to the church to find more people to pray for them, striving to ensure their children can successfully get into college. Regardless of what difficulties are encountered, as long as one comes to the church, all these difficulties can be resolved and sorted out. Even if one suffers mistreatment at the hands of evil people, the church, with its many people and great influence, can settle things. Encouraged and supported by many, one will no longer be timid or afraid of being pushed around by thugs. Even when bullied, ostracized, and constantly struggling in society without a way to make a living, one can seek help and good advice from the church, and find suitable work. All these things, and more, are the role people believe a church should play and the work it should perform. Judging from people’s thoughts and notions, or from what they demand from a church, it is clear that they undoubtedly view the church as a welfare institution, a charity organization, a matchmaking or headhunting agency, or a Red Cross Society. Some even think that no matter how capable they are or what their status is within society and among humankind, they always need a powerful entity to rely on. When they encounter difficulties in society or face the powers that be, they need a strong force to back them up, speak for them, run the show for them, and advocate for their rights and interests. In their view, the church can fulfill this role and achieve their hoped-for purpose, so the church becomes their only choice. Clearly, they view the church as a social union or association, such as a teachers’ union, transportation union, farmers’ association, women’s association, elderly association, and so on—these types of social groups and organizations. No matter what people’s definitions of a church actually are, judging from the work a church does and a church’s accurate definition, it is clear that people’s attitudes and demands toward the church are incorrect and invalid, and people should not have them. A church is not a place to “rob the rich to feed the poor,” eliminate violence and let kind people live in peace, or uphold justice, much less is it a place to help the world and save people or alleviate people’s worries and resolve their difficulties. A church is not a charity organization, not a welfare institution, and not a social communion. The establishment and presence of a church are not to act as a social group or organization. Apart from the few essential tasks a church should undertake, which are to testify to and spread God’s words, and lead people to eat and drink God’s words, experience God’s work, and cast off their corrupt dispositions to achieve salvation, a church has no obligations to provide any functions or help to society or any ethnic group. Additionally, a church is not a place to fight for people’s rights and interests and has no obligation to ensure people’s physical lives, social status, job titles, salaries, social welfare, and so on. In people’s notions, they believe a church’s functions are to eliminate violence and let kind people live in peace, uphold justice, alleviate people’s worries and resolve their difficulties, help the world and save people, and fight for people’s rights and interests—basically these functions. Therefore, people believe the church is their immediate help and that any difficulty can be resolved and sorted out by the church. Clearly, people regard the church as a social institution, organization, or group. However, is a church such an institution? (It is not.) If the functions and roles people believe a church exists for are to eliminate violence and let kind people live in peace, uphold justice, alleviate people’s worries and resolve their difficulties, help the world and save people, fight for people’s rights and interests, and so on, then this church cannot be called a church because it has no connection with God’s words, the work of the Holy Spirit, or God’s work of saving people. Such a group or organization should simply be called a group or organization, having no relationship with a church, nor any connection with the work of a church. If an organization, under the banner of believing in God, engages in activities such as attending services, worshiping God, reading the Bible, praying, singing hymns, and praising, or even if it has formal gatherings and worship, as well as so-called Bible study meetings, prayer meetings, co-worker meetings, exchange meetings, and so on, regardless of the type of members and structure it has, these have no connection with a true church. So, what exactly is a true church? How does it come into being? A true church is formed because of God’s appearance, His work, and His expression of the truth to save humankind. It is produced when people hear God’s voice, turn to God, and submit to God’s work. This is a true church. A church is not organized and established by humans but is personally set up by God and personally led and shepherded by God. Therefore, God has commissions for His churches. A church’s mission is to spread God’s words, testify to God’s work, and help people hear God’s voice, return to God’s presence, accept God’s salvation, experience God’s work to gain God’s salvation, and bear witness for God—it’s just that simple. This is the value and significance of a church’s existence.

III. The Definition of a Church

After fellowshipping on the topic of what a church is, you now have some understanding of the formation of a church, the work a church does, and the results it achieves. You can also understand some of the value and significance of a church’s existence. So, can we now make an accurate definition of what exactly a church is? First of all, a church is not a place to provide people with emotional comfort, nor is it a place to ensure people are well-fed and clothed or to give people refuge. A church is not a place to ensure people’s physical rights and interests or resolve the difficulties they face in life. It is not a place to fill people’s spiritual voids and provide spiritual sustenance. Since churches are not what people assume them to be according to their notions and imaginings, then just what is the specific definition of a church? What exactly is a church? In the Bible, the Lord Jesus gave a fundamental description of the designation of a church. How exactly did He put it? (“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the middle of them” (Matthew 18:20).) These words mean that no matter how many people are gathered together, so long as they have the work of the Holy Spirit and they feel God there with them, that place is a church—exactly that. In the last days, God has appeared to work and express the truth. When people come together to eat and drink, pray-read and fellowship God’s words, God is present there, and so is the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, which means that God recognizes it as a church. If people gather but do not eat and drink the words of God, if they merely parrot empty spiritual doctrines, and they are unable to feel the work of the Holy Spirit, then it is not a church, for it is not recognized by God, and so it does not have the work of the Holy Spirit. Gatherings where God is present are blessed and guided by Him, and when people come together at such gatherings, no matter whether they are eating and drinking God’s words, fellowshipping the truth, or using the truth to resolve problems, these are all connected to God’s requirements and leadership, and are therefore all blessed by Him. That is why, as long as a kind of gathering has the guidance, leadership, and presence of God, it can be called a church. This is the simplest, most fundamental definition of a church, and it was the definition of a church during the Age of Grace. It was born out of the context of God’s work at that time, and is therefore accurate and holds true. But during this stage of work of judgment in the last days, because God has spoken more words, and has done greater work, the definition of a church must go deeper than that fundamental definition from the Age of Grace. God’s work has progressed further. A church no longer merely features the work of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God. Now God is personally working in His churches, guiding and shepherding them; God’s chosen people are able to eat and drink His present words, and follow and bear testimony to Christ. Therefore, the definition of a church in the last days is more advanced than it was in the Age of Grace; it is a more profound, more accurate, and more specific description than before, and it is of course inseparable from the truth and the words of God. So what is the most accurate and appropriate way of defining a church? Firstly, the basic definition should be a group of people who sincerely follow God. More specifically, a church is a group of people who sincerely follow God, who are governed by His words, pursue the truth, practice and experience His words, and can submit to and worship God, follow His will, and attain His salvation. The key part of this definition is “a group of people.” A church is not a place, or a collective, or a community, much less is it a mere gathering of people with faith. The “group” can be made up of a dozen or so people, or thirty to fifty people, or of course even greater numbers. They can gather together, or they can split into smaller groups to gather; this is flexible and changeable. In short, when these followers of God exalt, testify to, and worship Him, and follow His will, they are a church. No matter how many of them gather together, they are still a church. For example, 50 people are called a small church, and 100 people are called a large church—the size of the church is determined by the number of members. There are large-, medium-, and small-scale churches, the number of people in a church is not fixed. Let us look once more at the definition of a church: a group of people who sincerely follow God, who are governed by His words, pursue the truth, practice and experience His words, and can submit to and worship God, follow His will, and attain His salvation. Why is a church defined in this way? Because God wants to work in the churches, and God wishes to save that group of people. Only this kind of group of people can be called a church. And it is only when a group of people like this come together that they can eat and drink God’s words normally and practice them, and truly pray to God, submit to Him, and worship Him. That group of people is governed and led by God’s words; so, it is through such a group of people that the definition of a church is produced. Because people in religions do not accept the truth and do not accept God’s work, and God does not save them, they are not a church, they are a religious community. This is the clearest difference between a church and religion. Only a church is governed by God’s words, and only a church personally shepherded by Christ is governed by God’s words. What does it mean to be governed by God’s words? Do we need to mention the work of the Holy Spirit, or the guidance, enlightenment, and illumination of the Holy Spirit here? (No.) Tell Me, which is more practical: being governed by God’s words, or having the work of the Holy Spirit? (Being governed by God’s words.) Being governed by God’s words is more practical and more concrete. The work of the Holy Spirit merely provides people with some enlightenment and illumination to help them understand the truth and lead them to find principles of practice in God’s words. The achieved result is that they are governed by God’s words. If the Holy Spirit did not work, could people still fulfill their duties by understanding God’s words and grasping principles? (Yes.) Now, God’s words have been spoken so much; people often listen to sermons and can understand God’s words. Even without the work of the Holy Spirit, people know what to do. Those who love the truth can practice God’s words and submit to God’s work as long as they understand the truth. Those who do not love the truth will not understand God’s words even if they hear them, and even if they understand a little, they will be unwilling to practice, and thus can only be eliminated. In the last days, God directly expresses the truth to personally lead and shepherd people. The work of the Holy Spirit is only auxiliary. It is like when a child is just learning to walk; sometimes an adult will lend a hand to help. Once the child can walk steadily and run, there is no need for someone to support them. Therefore, the work of the Holy Spirit is not absolute, nor is it crucial. When people are governed by God’s words, it means that they understand God’s words, understand the truth, and know what God’s words mean and what the principles and standards that God requires of people are, and that they can understand and apply these principles and standards. This is what it means for people’s hearts to be governed by God’s words. God has already spoken about these things with sufficient clarity and perspicuity, so there is no need to mention the work of the Holy Spirit here. In the last days, God has expressed so many truths, making each truth clear and understandable to people. Therefore, the work of the Holy Spirit is not as important and is only auxiliary. It is only when people do not understand the truth or when God had not spoken so many words with such thoroughness and clarity that the Holy Spirit does some work of an auxiliary, prompting nature, which provides people with some simple light and serves to urge them a bit, helping them to make correct choices and walk the right path in their lives and various environments. Now is the era of God’s words, where God personally speaks to lead humankind, and God’s words dominate everything. The work of the Holy Spirit is only auxiliary. When people understand the truth, can practice God’s words, and live by God’s words, God’s intentions are satisfied.

Let’s look at the first phrase in the basic definition of a church: “Sincerely follow God.” This “sincerely” has a specific meaning. It does not refer to those who are just passing time, those who are merely filling up seats in name only, those who eat their fill of loaves, those who rely on grace for salvation, or those who have any ulterior motives and goals. So, what does “sincerely” mean? The most basic and simplest explanation is this: As long as someone hears about God, the truth, or the Creator, they feel a yearning in their hearts, willingly forsake, willingly devote themselves, willingly endure hardship, and are willing to come before God to accept God’s call, and abandon everything to follow God. As long as they have a sincere heart, that is enough. Some people say: “Why don’t You say it is a group of people full of faith who follow God?” People cannot reach that level. Of those doing their duties now, some have believed for about ten years, and some have believed for twenty or thirty years; having this sincerity is basically enough. Defining it as being full of faith is not accurate. Our definition of a church is based on a basic and specific situation, without nitpicking words or setting the definition and standard too high, as that would be impractical. Some people say, “Saying ‘sincerely’ and ‘full of faith’ is not enough. It should be called a group of righteous people who fear God and shun evil—that would be great!” If we set the standard this high, then the subsequent phrases, “pursue the truth, practice and experience His words,” would all be unnecessary. The key point is that all the members of the church are those whom God wants to save. This group of people is filled with Satan’s corrupt dispositions and full of notions and imaginings about God. Speaking more realistically, they are full of rebellion, lack submission, do not understand the truth, and have no knowledge of God at all—this is the most realistic situation. Therefore, in God’s eyes, church members are in such a real situation and actual status. God’s selection of people is based on this basic condition: whether they can sincerely follow God, and genuinely expend themselves and forsake. Some people say, “If they are sincere, then why do they still have extravagant desires? If they are sincere, why do they still want to gain blessings?” These will gradually change as people experience God’s work. Right now, we are defining the basic concept of a church. This basic concept is the minimum requirement and the lowest standard for God’s selection of people. These standards are not empty or exaggerated at all; they are particularly in line with your real situation. In other words, when God chooses you and decides to save any one of you, these are the criteria God looks at. If you meet these requirements, you are brought into God’s house by God and become a member of the church. This is the actual situation. Therefore, the first phrase in the definition of a church is “sincerely follow God”; this is relatively accurate. This group of people fall short of fearing God and shunning evil, they fall short of being able to break away from the dark influence, and they fall short of completely rebelling against the world and the great red dragon. They fall short of all these things. Why? Because the definition further mentions being able to pursue the practice of God’s words. In the process of pursuing, because people have a heart that loves the truth and yearns for the truth, they can experience and practice God’s words, and ultimately, they can worship God. Worshiping God entails submitting to God, listening to God’s words, accepting God’s orchestrations, and accepting God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Ultimately, this group of people can attain salvation. This is the actual status of church members in God’s eyes. Is this not the most basic condition? (Yes.) Some people say, “You didn’t mention casting off Satan’s corrupt dispositions and achieving purification. This definition of a church doesn’t include these.” Are they included in this definition? (Yes.) Which part includes them? Pursuing to practice God’s words. If you can pursue to practice God’s words, aren’t your corrupt dispositions gradually resolved? Aren’t you able to cast off Satan’s corrupt dispositions and achieve a change in disposition? (Yes.) During the period of achieving a change in disposition, you gradually understand God’s words and resolve your own corrupt dispositions. As you resolve some of your corrupt dispositions, does your faith in God and submission to God increase? Is there a connection between these? (Yes.) The more you worship God, the more submission to God you will have. As your submission to God increases, aren’t you getting closer to attaining salvation? (Yes.) So, what kind of people are this group? They are those who can attain salvation. This is the actual situation of church members. Some say, “This definition of a church doesn’t mention the work the church engages in.” Is there any part here related to the essential work a church engages in? (Pursuing the attainment of salvation.) This part is closely related. The work a church does, whether it is spreading God’s words or leading people to eat and drink God’s words, helping people to know themselves and cast off Satan’s corrupt dispositions, ultimately aims to help people attain salvation. So, can you accept this most basic and simplest concept of a church now? (Yes.) This definition is not exaggerated or empty, and it does not use high-sounding terms and phrases, but it includes the most basic needs for the formation or definition of a church.

Do you understand the background of the definition of the concept of a church, now that I’ve explained it to you? (Yes.) If I hadn’t explained it this way, you would think that the essential work of a church and the definition of a church were very profound. Now that you understand the definition of a church, you feel that your understanding of a church is so superficial. The definition of a church has been made clear—it is just that practical. The more practical things are, the more people often feel they are superficial. Actually, if you look closely, every word of this definition is linked and closely related to practical and specific situations, and isn’t superficial at all. The first phrase in the definition of a church is “sincerely follow God.” This “sincerely” is what God wants. How many people possess such sincerity? Is it easy for people to have this sincerity? It is not easy. As for “governed by God’s words,” have you achieved that yet? You think this phrase is superficial and easy to achieve. If God says, “Rise, follow Me, and do your duty,” and people obey, does this mean they are governed by God’s words? This only means that people are willing to believe in God and follow God, but they have not reached the point where they are governed by God’s words—they are still far from it! What do you need to possess in order to be governed by God’s words? The minimum requirement is that you must understand God’s words; you need to know what the requirements in God’s words are referring to, what principles are required by God’s words, and, when facing various people, events, and things, how to apply God’s words, and how to turn God’s words into your practice to satisfy God. This is not easy. A long period of eating and drinking, pray-reading, experiencing, engaging with, and understanding God’s words, and an understanding of God’s intentions and God’s disposition, are required in order to gradually come to be somewhat governed by God’s words. Therefore, the phrase “governed by God’s words” seems simple on the surface, as if most people are governed by God’s words, but actually that is not the case. Judging from people’s actual situations, it is clear that this phrase is merely God’s requirement of people, which they have not achieved yet at all. The next phrase, “pursue to practice His words,” is God’s requirement for people. You have not yet achieved the practice of God’s words; you are merely pursuing to practice God’s words. How should you pursue? When you encounter situations, practice according to God’s requirements. Do not lie; be an honest person. Can you do that? It is not easy to do. When you are pruned, you should be able to submit and reflect upon and know yourself, and practice according to the truth. Can you achieve this? If it feels strenuous or if your own will is too strong, and you always want to let your impetuousness burst forth, then you must pursue to handle matters according to principles, and not expose your impetuousness or act in a willful and arbitrary way; you must do as God’s words say, accept pruning, come to know your transgressions, and understand where you went wrong. This is called pursuing to practice God’s words. Does starting to practice God’s words mean that a person has changed? It’s not that simple. If you are chosen as a leader or worker, can you refrain from acting willfully and arbitrarily? It is not easy; it requires you to understand the truth, be able to practice God’s words, and experience for a period of time; only then can you achieve this. If you say you want to practice God’s words but only have this verbal willingness and no motivation in your heart, that won’t do. When your heart is willing, and you really want to practice the truth, you can put the truth into practice. When you are unwilling to practice the truth in your heart, even if you make an oath or if others support you, it will be of no use. You must have the resolve, that is, you must have a heart with a tremendous desire for God. You need to know how God defines a matter and what He requires in regard to it, find and collect all of God’s words related to this aspect, and then pray-read and understand them. Write them down in a notebook or place them where you can easily see them. During your work breaks, look at them, read them, and over time, you will memorize these words of God and keep them in your heart. Every day, ponder the true meaning of God’s words and contemplate just what way of speaking and acting counts as practicing God’s words. This is called pursuing to practice God’s words. Is it easy to achieve? It is not easy; it is not something that can be accomplished overnight or with a burst of effort. Some people say, “I swear an oath in blood,” but it is useless. You say, “I will fast and pray without eating or drinking,” but it is useless. You say, “I will stay up all night and suffer,” but it is useless, too. You must pursue the truth; you must possess manifestations of pursuing the truth, and you must have a path for pursuing the truth; you must have the right means and methods. No matter what kinds of means or methods you have, you cannot depart from God’s words; you must put effort into God’s words, compare everything against God’s words, use God’s words to solve problems in every situation, and make God’s words your top priority. This is called pursuing the truth. For example, in terms of interacting with others, you need to see what God’s words say about this and find the words of God that relate to interacting with others. For harmonious cooperation, also find God’s words regarding this aspect. Regarding loyally performing a duty, find God’s words about the up-to-standard performance of duties and memorize the essential words of God, keeping them in your heart. As for what a false leader is, what manifestations false leaders have, whether they have conscience and reason, and how God defines false leaders, find these key words of God and write them down in a notebook, place them where you can easily see them, and pray-read them whenever you have time. For every matter that relates to your life entry and dispositional change, practice and exert effort in this way. This is called pursuing the truth. If your effort does not reach this level, it is not called pursuing the truth; it is called going through the motions, skimming the surface, and muddling through your days.

Let’s look at “worship God.” Worshiping God involves genuine dread, fear, respect, and sincerity, as well as treating God as God, having a place for God in one’s heart, dealing rationally with the environments God has arranged and the commissions God has given, and seriously and responsibly treating every word that God has said, etc. All these manifestations are called worship. Whether it is words spoken to you face-to-face by God or all the words that He has ever expressed, as long as you know and remember them, and as long as you understand and confirm them in your heart, you should treat them as the criteria for how you conduct yourself, live, etc.—this is the manifestation of worshiping God. When faced with matters, regardless of whether they conform to your own tastes, desires, or notions, you should still be able to quiet your heart and consider, “Was this done by God? Did it originate from God? Why did God do this? What does God want to refine in me, what does He want to transform in me? What exactly is God’s intention? How should I submit to God’s arrangements? How should I satisfy God’s intention? How should I fulfill my responsibility as a human being?” All of these manifestations, in addition to other such ones, are manifestations of worshiping God. Even if you do not understand more truth, as a normal person, as someone who believes in the existence of God, as someone who sincerely follows God, this is the attitude you should at least have toward God. Everything involving God, everything concerning God’s words, everything about God’s commission to you, your duty, and your responsibility, you should treat all these with care and caution, not carelessly, not negligently, not contemptuously—this is called worshiping God. To deal with everything related to God with a cautious, careful, God-fearing, God-dreading heart—this is called worshiping God. Is this easy to achieve? It is not easy. Without real experience, even understanding the two words “worship God” is difficult, let alone actually practicing worshiping God. The last phrase of the definition of a church is “attain His salvation.” How should this be understood? The path to attaining salvation is long, and even more is required here. First, the path you walk must be right; you must be able to accept all the truths in God’s words, and be someone who pursues to practice God’s words and submits to God. Your life must be governed by God’s words. You must not only acknowledge God’s existence but also love the truth and act according to the truth; you must have genuine fear of and submission to God, often pray to God in your heart, and gradually transition to worshiping God. Then you are someone who loves the truth and submits to God; you are precisely the kind of person God wants to save. A person who sincerely believes in God must be a right person. What is the benefit of being a right person? The benefit is that attaining salvation will not be too difficult for you; you will have hope of attaining it. This is all the fellowship we have carried out on the specific details of the definition of a church.

IV. The Notions and Views People Harbor Toward the Church

Just now, we fellowshipped about what a church is, the essential work a church does, and what people imagine about and require from a church within their notions. Finally, we provided a definition for the concept of a church. Now that it has been defined, you should now have an accurate understanding of the designation “church”; you should have a basic understanding of the work a church should do, the role a church plays in helping people gain the truth and attain salvation, and the significance of a church for everyone who follows God. We also briefly carried out a representative dissection and exposure of what people believe is the value of the existence of a church and the work a church should do in their notions. Is there anything you are unable to see through or comprehend about the understandings and interpretations that people have regarding churches in their notions? Some people think a church should engage in some kind of work in society or have some sort of role in society, such as upholding justice. In people’s notions, the church represents a positive image, so why can’t it uphold justice? Does upholding justice have anything to do with a church’s work or God’s requirements? (No.) What does this “upholding justice” that people speak about refer to? (What people call upholding justice is not true justice. It’s just safeguarding the interests of the flesh and it does not align with the truth.) Does this justice have anything to do with the truth? (No.) This is what humankind calls justice. For example, beating down some evil forces, rectifying some injustices and instances of people being wronged and humiliated, or rendering deserved punishment onto evil people, and restoring and protecting the interests of vulnerable groups, and so on—these are what people call upholding justice. What is the main purpose of this upholding of justice? Does it have anything to do with people pursuing the truth? Does it have anything to do with people being saved? (No.) This is merely a saying that arises on the basis of human righteousness and ethics; it has absolutely nothing to do with the truth. Can we say it does not rise to the level of the truth? (Yes.) Can we? (No; the two are unrelated.) Right, they are completely unrelated; they are two different things. What sort of justice does humankind uphold? It is the sort where, after a common person of slightly lower social status is oppressed or deprived of any rights or interests by evil people, the evil people are duly punished, and the common or ordinary person no longer suffers mistreatment. It is about restoring and guaranteeing people’s fleshly interests, achieving relative equality between people, eliminating gaps between social tiers, and ensuring that evil people do not succeed in their evil deeds, and that the grievances of those wronged are redressed. This is what humankind calls upholding justice, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the truth. How can you still say that it does not rise to the level of the truth? Is it related to the truth? No, it is not. Tell Me, are those ordinary and common people who have suffered grievances necessarily good people? (Not necessarily.) To stop them from suffering grievances—is that justice? Does that accord with the truth? Can those people then be saved? These are clearly two different matters—how can they be conflated? There is no question of this rising to the level of the truth; it is simply not the same thing as the truth. If you have some contentions about this issue, then perhaps the majority of you cannot see through the matter of upholding justice and are still somewhat attached to it, thinking, “How can this be wrong? How can this not be the work a church should do?” In fact, this has nothing to do with the work of a church. There are also some people who think that a church should be a place where evil is punished and good is promoted, that it should serve this function, punishing evil deeds and evil, dark forces, while promoting good and virtuous things. Is this the case? Can punishing evil and promoting good rise to the level of the truth? When it comes to what is evil and what is good, people cannot distinguish between these things clearly. What do people mean by punishing evil and promoting good? Is it related to the punishing of evil, rewarding of good, and separating of all according to their own kind that God speaks of? (No.) It is unrelated. What is humankind’s standard for defining evil and good? According to the definition of Chinese people, what is evil and what is good? What is the basis for their definition of evil and good? It is Buddhist culture. Buddhism speaks of concepts like helping the world and saving people, abstaining from killing, and so on—these are considered good, while eating chicken, fish, beef, or lamb is considered evil and people who do so should be punished. No meat should be eaten, and no living creatures should be killed. Killing is considered evil, and those who kill should confess and plead for forgiveness before Buddha. This is the Buddhist definition of evil; is it the same as the evil that God speaks of? (No.) They are two different things, so that definition of evil has absolutely nothing to do with the truth and certainly cannot rise to the level of the truth. So, what does Buddhism mean by good? It is even more absurd, superficial, and hypocritical. Buddhists believe that not killing any living creatures is good and freeing captive animals is good. Regardless of how many people an evil person has killed or how many sins they have committed, if they lay down the butcher’s knife, they can immediately become a Buddha—this is considered good. There’s also the saying, “Saving one life beats building a seven-tier pagoda,” which means blindly saving people unconditionally and without principles—even saving devils, evil people, thugs, hooligans, and anyone else—is considered good. What kind of good is this? Such people are dimwits, without any discernment, stance, or principles. Saving anyone and forgiving anyone—can that be considered good? It is not even worthy of the word; this is a pretense of Satan and devils. They do not kill animals but have devoured countless souls. This is their so-called good, which is actually just a pretense. So, does the human notion that the church should play the role of punishing evil and promoting good hold up? (No.) Regardless of the cultural background of any race or religion, punishing evil and promoting good has nothing to do with the work of a church or the testimony of a church. Do not think that because these terms seem just and commendatory, they should be related to a church’s work or that this is the role a church should play in society. This is a human notion and imagining. Besides “upholding justice” and “punishing evil and promoting good,” other good terms according to human notions like “fighting for people’s rights and interests” and “alleviating worries and resolving difficulties” also have no connection to a church’s work or the testimony of a church. You all should be able to understand this. The definition of a church, the work a church should do, and the value and significance of a church’s existence have more or less been fellowshipped clearly.

The Standards and Bases for Discerning Various Kinds of Evil People

Let’s return to the fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers: to promptly discern, and then clear out or expel all manner of evil people and antichrists. Let’s look at whether this work that leaders and workers must do is related to each detail about churches which I just fellowshipped. Why do we need to fellowship these specific details? What is the relationship between these details and this work that leaders and workers must do? (These evil people and antichrists are not church members and need to be cleansed away. Moreover, their existence obstructs and disturbs the work that churches do.) So, there is a connection; this fellowship is not in vain. After understanding each detail about the designation or definition of a church, let’s examine how leaders and workers should treat church members, how they should treat the various people that need to be cleared out or expelled from the church, how they can do this work well, and how they should fulfill their responsibility and maintain the church’s work. First, leaders and workers must understand what the definition of a church is, why a church needs to exist, and what work a church should be doing. After understanding these things, they should then look at which current church members do not play a positive role when it comes to the value of the church’s existence or the work the church does, or who may cause disruptions, disturbances, and negative impacts to the church’s essential work, or even seriously affect the church’s reputation and disgrace God’s name. Discerning clearly and promptly clearing out or expelling these people—is this not the work that leaders and workers should do? (Yes.) So, what is involved in doing this work well? In order to clear out or expel all kinds of evil people and purify the church, and allow the value of the church’s existence to be manifested and the church to fulfill the role it should, and at the same time allow the work of the church to progress smoothly, leaders and workers must first discern just which people in the church are evil people and antichrists. This is the information or actual situation that leaders and workers need to first grasp when carrying out this work. The first matter leaders and workers face in this work is discerning different kinds of people. What is the purpose of discerning different kinds of people? It is to separate them according to their own kind and protect those who are true members of the church. However, protecting these people alone does not mean that the work outlined in the fourteenth responsibility is being successfully carried out. What, then, is the most important aspect of successfully carrying this work out? It is clearing out or expelling all kinds of disbelievers and evil people who do not belong to the church. Regardless of whether these people are defined as evil people or antichrists, if they meet the conditions for being cleared out or expelled, then the need for this work arises, and it is time for leaders and workers to fulfill their responsibility. Let us first fellowship on how to discern different kinds of people.

I. Based on One’s Purpose for Believing in God

How should we discern different kinds of people? The first criterion is to discern them according to their purpose for believing in God. The second is according to their humanity. And the third is according to their attitude toward their duty. If we were to use some simple, short headers, they would be: first, their purpose for believing in God; second, their humanity; and third, their attitude toward their duty. Now that we have these three headers, what are your understandings of each of them? We haven’t discussed much about people’s purpose for believing in God before. We have talked more about people’s humanity and their attitude toward their duty, so you are more familiar with these things. People’s purpose for believing in God is actually also not very unfamiliar to you because you yourselves came to believe in God with a purpose. Some people believe in God because they do not want to go to hell, some because they want to go to heaven, some because they do not want to die, some to avoid the disasters, some just because they want to be good people, some because they want to avoid mistreatment, and so on. This topic should not be unfamiliar to you; it is just that the details I will talk about may be somewhat unfamiliar—you might feel uncertain about them, not knowing what I am going to say about them or where I am going to start. So, let’s talk about this briefly. Tell Me, people who harbor which types of intentions and purposes in believing in God are those who should be cleared out or expelled? (Those who only pursue fame and status and only want to hold power, and who will unscrupulously disturb the church for the sake of their status.) This is one type of person. Are there others? (Disbelievers who only pursue blessings and seek to eat their fill of loaves.) Disbelievers, this is another type. Are there more? You might be thinking of some people’s manifestations, but you can’t clearly discern whether these people are just revealing corrupt dispositions or if they are actually people with impure purposes for believing in God who should be cleared out or expelled. You can’t figure this out and feel it’s a bit unclear, so you cannot articulate it. The topic of people’s purpose for believing in God is quite broad. Everyone has some intentions and purposes in believing in God. However, the types of people with impure purposes for believing in God that we are talking about here do not meet the conditions for God’s salvation. They cannot achieve salvation and they cannot even reach the minimum standard of being a laborer. No matter what purpose these people have for believing in God, in any case, when given the opportunity, these people who come to believe in God with a purpose, will try to achieve their goals, and if they don’t have the opportunity, they will commit evil and cause disturbances. This will bring unimaginable consequences to the church’s work or to the life entry of God’s chosen people, and these people should be the targets for clearing out or expulsion. Putting aside for now these people’s humanity or what attitudes they harbor toward their duties, just speaking in terms of their purpose for believing in God, it is absolutely not to accept the truth and attain salvation, much less is it to submit to and worship God. Therefore, their belief in God will naturally not result in salvation. Rather than allowing these people to stay in the church and continuously disturb God’s chosen people—the genuine brothers and sisters—it is preferable to accurately discern and define them as early as possible, and then promptly clear them out of the church. They should not be treated like church members or brothers and sisters. So, who are these types of people? Just now, you spoke in a broad way about some concepts. I will give some concrete examples, and you will understand once you hear them.

A. To Satisfy One’s Desire to Be an Official

First, let’s talk about the first type of person that should be cleared out or expelled from the church. Some people always want to become officials in society and bring glory to their ancestors, but their career paths are unsuccessful. However, their desire to be officials does not diminish at all. But their family’s social status is not high, so they feel life is hopeless and see the world as too unfair, not even being able to achieve this small desire. They feel that they have some knowledge and competence, but no one appreciates them. They can’t find a backer, and the prospect of becoming an official seems very remote to them. In this desperate situation, they found the church. They feel that if they can become a leader in the church, it is also like being an official, and their desire can be satisfied. So, they come to God’s house wanting to achieve greatness. They think their competence and capabilities are just right for being utilized in God’s house, and their hope of being an official and a distinguished individual can be realized, thus fulfilling a lifelong wish. Their view on believing in God can be summarized by such sayings as “One good turn deserves another,” “True gold is destined to glitter eventually,” and “The smart bird chooses its perch wisely”—this is the sort of background from which they chose to walk the path of believing in God. Judging from the essence of this person, it is clear they do not believe in the existence of truth in the world, much less do they believe in the existence of the Savior. In short, they do not believe in the one true God and even less do they believe in the existence of the Creator. Whether it is what is written in the Bible or what is preached in the religious world—that God created the world and humankind, that God is sovereign over and leads humankind—all these sayings are just historical records to them. No one investigates them, and no one can verify them; they are just legends and stories, a kind of religious culture. This is their most basic understanding of faith. They come to believe in God with this understanding, thinking that they are walking the right path, abandoning darkness for light, that they are the “smart bird” choosing its perch wisely. Of course, their choice and desire to become an official and a distinguished individual have not been given up. They believe that in this vast world with so many people, there is no place for them, and only God’s house can bring them hope. Only living in the church can give them a chance to utilize their talents and realize their desire to become a distinguished individual. Because judging from the current situation, the outside world is becoming increasingly wicked and dark; only the church is a land of pureness in this world—the church is the only place in the world that can provide people with spiritual sustenance, and only the church is flourishing more and more. They come to believe in God with such wishes and purposes. After taking up faith, they don’t understand anything about believing in God, pursuing the truth, or about matters involving the truth, God’s disposition, and God’s work. They do not pursue or pay attention to these matters. In their heart, they have not let go of their desire for status and officialdom at all; rather, they continue to hold onto these notions and viewpoints while hanging about in the church. They view the church as a social organization, a religious community, and see God’s work and God’s words as illusions created by believers because of their superstitious beliefs. Therefore, whenever it comes to pursuing the truth, whenever it comes to God’s words and God’s work, they feel disgusted and resistant. If anyone says that something is God’s doing, God’s sovereignty, or God’s orchestration, they feel disgusted. However, no matter how disgusted they feel, and regardless of whether they acknowledge or accept the truth, their desire to gain a position of status in the church to satisfy their craving for authority has never diminished or been let go. Since they have such ambition and desire, they naturally reveal various manifestations. For example, they incite people by saying things like: “Do not base everything on God’s words or connect everything to God’s words and God. Actually, many of people’s ideas and sayings are correct; people should have their own viewpoints and stances.” They spread these statements to mislead people. At the same time, they also vigorously display their talents, gifts, and the various tactics and tricks they can play in the world, trying to attract people’s notice and gain their attention and their high regard. What is the purpose of their vigorous display? It is to make people think highly of and look up to them; it is to have status among people and thereby satisfy their wish to pursue an official career and to bring glory to their ancestor. They are satisfied when respected, praised, followed, endorsed, adored, and looked up to by people, and even when flattered. Moreover, they tirelessly pursue and enjoy these things. Even though God’s house constantly exposes antichrists, evil people, and people’s various corrupt dispositions, in their heart they disdain these as beneath their contempt and feel especially disgusted by them. They single-mindedly pursue status and being admired and looked up to by others to fulfill the wishes they could not achieve in the world and society. So, what is their purpose for believing in God? It is not to gain a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the world to come, and it certainly is not to accept the truth and be saved. Their purpose for believing in God is not to act as a created being but to be an official and a lord, to enjoy the benefits of status. There are certainly such people in the church; these are the evildoers who infiltrate the church. The church absolutely does not allow such people to mix among God’s chosen people, so these people are ones to be cleared out. Is it easy to discern their purpose for believing in God? (Yes.) Considering their intentions and purposes in believing in God, combined with their various manifestations in the church, what kind of people are they? (Disbelievers.) Yes, they are disbelievers. Besides being disbelievers, they also want to pursue status and prospects in God’s house to satisfy their craving for authority. Their purpose for believing in God is to become an official. So, why is it that these people should be cleansed away? Someone might say, “If disbelievers labor in God’s house, and as church friends they can help a bit, isn’t it alright to keep them around?” Does this statement hold up? (No.) Why doesn’t it hold up? (Their desire to become officials will certainly lead to doing things that disturb others, provide no benefit to the work of God’s house, and affect the brothers’ and sisters’ pursuit of the truth.) No matter how you look at it, disbelievers resist the truth and deny God, so God’s house cannot keep them. They won’t play a positive role. Regardless of whether they pursue becoming officials, just their remarks, manifestations, and actions as disbelievers can cause disturbances and won’t have a positive effect. Some brothers and sisters, when experiencing certain environments, say, “This is God’s sovereignty, and we must submit.” Can disbelievers submit? It’s already good enough if they don’t stand up to disturb and oppose. In their hearts, they even say, “Don’t say everything is God’s sovereignty. People should have some opinions of their own and have some independence; don’t attribute everything to God’s sovereignty!” They not only drag others down but also say some ambiguous, specious fallacies to mislead people. Isn’t this shameless? They might be able to pull some clever maneuvers and tricks among nonbelievers, but God’s house is the wrong place for trying to pull these maneuvers and tricks! Some people run clinics where everyone likes to go because they say the injections there don’t hurt. Why don’t the injections hurt? The needle tip is dipped in anesthetic, so it surely doesn’t hurt. Is this a wise move? (No, it’s a pernicious move.) Yet they take it as a wise move and boast about it, thinking it shows their capability and skill, saying, “All you do is talk about submitting to God, God’s orchestration, and God’s sovereignty. Do you have the skills I have?” Isn’t this shameless? (Yes.) They even boast about such pernicious tricks! People harboring the motives of disbelievers who infiltrate the church are those who should be cleared out from the church. Why? In their hearts, these people resist the truth and are averse to it. Regardless of their purpose for believing in God, whether it is something they can openly admit or not, based on their essence as disbelievers, the church should clear them out or expel them. These disbelievers infiltrate the church with a certain purpose, wanting to display their talents, realize their ambitions, and satisfy their wishes within the church. They want to use the precious place that is the church as a means to achieve their goal of holding power, showing off, and misleading and controlling people. Considering their purpose for believing in God, they are capable of disturbing and disrupting God’s chosen people and the work of the church. Therefore, these people must be cleared out or expelled from God’s house. Leaders and workers must see through to their disbeliever essence. Whether you base it on their manifestations or their consistent statements about believing in God, once you have grasped the situation and clearly discerned that they are disbelievers, you should decisively reject them without hesitation. No matter what method or wisdom you employ, find any way you can to clear them away—this is the work leaders and workers should do; it is the work they should shoulder. This is one type of people who should be cleared out or expelled.

B. To Seek Out the Opposite Sex

So, what are the manifestations of the second type of people who should be cleared out or expelled? Some people have never been involved in believing in God; they just have a favorable impression of it. They are not interested in knowing what one should pursue or gain by believing in God. They heard that people who believe in God are quite dutiful and guileless, so they want to find a romantic partner in the church, then get married and live a stable life. This is their intention and purpose, so they come to the church to find their ideal partner. These disbelievers have no interest whatsoever in believing in God; they do not care at all about the Creator, the truth, being saved, knowing God, doing duty, or any such matters. Even if they can understand after hearing God’s words and listening to sermons, they don’t want to take it to heart. They just want to find an ideal partner and, of course, hope to meet more people and broaden their network. They come to believe in God with the purpose of finding an ideal partner. Some people might say, “How do You know they have this purpose? They haven’t said anything or mentioned it to You!” They display it through their behavior. Look at how they always seek out the opposite sex when they do their duties or make contact with someone. Once they fancy someone, they keep fellowshipping with that person and getting close to them, always inquiring about their information and getting to know them. These unusual actions and manifestations should draw enough attention from leaders and workers, who should observe what their intentions are and what purpose they aim to achieve; they should ascertain who preached the gospel to them, why they especially seek contact with the opposite sex, why they always have something to say to the opposite sex, and why they have a particular fondness for the opposite sex, in particular showing special curiosity toward and concern for the people they like. Such individuals have a favorable impression of those who believe in God. Even if they are not very interested in gatherings, listening to sermons, fellowshipping God’s words, singing hymns, fellowshipping personal experiences, and other such matters, they generally don’t say anything that causes disturbances and disruptions. They are solely focused on finding a romantic partner to live a good life with. If they find a partner, they can follow along in believing in God; even if they themselves do not pursue, they can support their partner in believing in God. Some people have relatively acceptable humanity, are helpful, and try their best to be friendly and kind. For example, they can tolerate others, think of everything they can to help those with difficulties resolve them, or provide some advice, and so on. They are relatively kind to others and harbor no malice, but their purpose and goal in believing in God are not very honorable. They do not pursue the truth, and they do not accept the truth no matter who fellowships it with them. After following for half a year or one or two years, there is no change in them. Although they do not say anything about not believing and they do not cause any disturbances or disruptions, they do not develop any interest in matters of believing in God. Is it appropriate for such people to stay in the church? (No.) Should such people be cleansed away? (They should also be cleansed away.) What is the reason? (Because they are not interested in the truth, and they are not targets for salvation. If they stay in the church while always looking for a partner, it will disturb others and lead them into temptation; they will not play a positive role.) That’s exactly how it is. For example, some people particularly like eating meat. When they eat meat, they forget about their work. If there is no meat, they are still able to attend to some proper tasks, but when there is meat available, their work gets delayed. What is meat to them? (Temptation.) Exactly, it is a temptation. So, can those who are always looking for a partner be considered a source of temptation? (Yes.) They are indeed a source of temptation. For such people, it should be made clear to them: “You do not have sincerity toward believing in God or doing your duty. You have never been able to integrate into the church and have never been considered a true believer. Over these two years of contact, we have seen your purpose: You just want to find a partner in the church. Isn’t this harming good people? The people in the church are not suitable for you. There are many suitable for you among the nonbelievers. Go and find someone among the nonbelievers.” The implication is to tell them, “We have seen through you. You are not one of God’s chosen people. You are not a person of God’s house. You cannot be considered our brother or sister.” Such people should be cleared out of the church, according to the principles of God’s house. This way, these people who are recklessly looking for a partner and seducing others will be cleansed away. Are such people not easy to discern? (Yes.) These people are also disbelievers. They have a slight fondness for the church, for religious faith, and for those who believe in God. They just want to use the opportunity of believing in God to find a partner among believers to live with and devotedly serve them. Tell Me, is such a thing possible? Should we satisfy them? Should the church arrange such matters? (No.) The church has no obligation to satisfy their personal preferences. No matter how much they think believers are good people, that they’d be able to live their life in a proper manner with these believers, or that believers can walk the right path, it’s useless—their opinion doesn’t matter. Such disbelievers can also be found in most churches. The way to deal with these people is to use the method we just fellowshipped about, or you can use better methods if you have them, as long as they are handled according to principles. These disbelievers are categorized among the various types of evil people—is that excessive? (No.) This is precisely how we treat disbelievers.

C. To Avoid Disasters

What other types of people should be cleared out or expelled from the church? (Another type is those who believe in God just to avoid disasters.) Believing in God just to avoid disasters is also a purpose people have for believing. Don’t most people who believe in God also have this kind of adulteration? (Yes.) So how should we distinguish between which people should be cleared out or expelled because of this, and which people are just exhibiting a normal revelation of corruption and should not be cleared out or expelled? For the majority of people, their faith is mixed with the motive of believing in God to avoid disasters—this is a fact. Among those who believe in God to avoid disasters, you must distinguish the disbelievers who fit the criteria for being cleared out or expelled. For example, such people, when they see that disasters are starting to get worse, start attending gatherings more frequently and quickly take back the books of God’s words they had previously returned to the church, saying they want to believe in God seriously now. However, once the disasters pass or subside, they go back to doing business and making money, blocking all contact methods so the brothers and sisters cannot find or reach them for gatherings. When disasters strike, they actively seek out the brothers and sisters, but when the disasters are over, it becomes very difficult for the brothers and sisters to find them, and very rarely is anyone able to get in touch with them. Are these manifestations not quite obvious? (Yes.) When there is no disaster, they say, “People need to have a normal life. We have to go about our days. I have to do the cooking at home every day, and I have to take the kids to and from school, so sometimes I can’t make it to the gatherings. Besides, living requires money; all living expenses have to be paid for. We can’t survive without earning money. In this world, nobody can get by without money. Believing in God has to be practical!” They speak plausibly and provide ample reasons, being entirely focused on earning money and going about their days, only occasionally attending a gathering and rarely reading God’s words. Their attitude toward believing in God is lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. When disaster strikes, they say, “Oh, I can’t be without God; I need God! I must pray to God and call upon Him every day! I’m not trying to avoid disasters; the main thing is that I can’t be without God in my heart. Living a good life without God in my heart still feels empty!” They can’t say a single word that demonstrates any knowledge of God; all they say are words to justify their actions and behavior. They don’t know how many books God’s house distributes to everyone; they don’t know what topic the sermons have reached; they don’t know which truths are currently being fellowshipped about in church life. They attend a gathering once every six months or once every year. When they do attend, they say, “Nonbelievers are just terrible. Society is unfair. This world is evil. Making an effort to earn money is so hard! God’s burden on people is light….” They keep talking about these useless things that have nothing to do with the topics and content of the gathering’s fellowship. They say a few empty words in their prayer and a few superficial words about believing in God and then consider themselves believers, feeling at ease in their hearts and peaceful. Is this believing in God? What sort of wretches are such people? If you ask them, “Why don’t you attend gatherings regularly?” they say, “My conditions don’t allow it. This is the environment God has arranged for me, and I must submit.” How nice these words sound! They also say, “Look, God has arranged this environment for me. My whole family depends on me for food, so I have to earn money to get by! At the moment, earning money is the task God has given me.” They utterly fail to mention doing their duty, as well as their responsibilities and obligations as a created being, much less do they mention how to practice God’s words; only occasionally do they attend a gathering and make an offering of a few yuan, thinking they have made a contribution to God’s house. There are others who, when their children get sick, pray to God, and a few days later, when their children are better, they quickly make an offering of some money to the church and then disappear again. Every time they interact with the brothers and sisters, they never fellowship about the truth, nor do they read God’s words. When there are no disasters or calamities, they never pray to God. Their daily conversations are always about domestic trivialities, disputes over right and wrong, fleshly life, various social phenomena, and various things they see and hear; they rarely fellowship about God’s words and never utter a heartfelt word related to believing in God. They just keep their place in the church to seek God’s care and protection. This is just their way of believing in God; they just seek peace and blessings without pursuing the truth at all. They have no interest in the truth whatsoever. They only want to gain benefits, grace, and blessings from believing in God. They don’t care about the next life because they can’t see it and don’t believe in it at all. They only want to enjoy God’s grace in this life and avoid all disasters. Since God and the church are their refuge, whenever they do attend gatherings, it is certainly when they have encountered difficulties or disasters. Are such people sincere believers in God? (No.) What kind of people are they? (Opportunists and disbelievers.) These are disbelievers who want to use the church to avoid disasters. Should such people be allowed to stay in the church? (No.) When they come to gatherings, they disturb others and upset them internally. Most people are too polite and would feel embarrassed to try to curb them, so they let them prattle on and disturb everyone’s eating and drinking of God’s words. What should leaders and workers do at this point? Shouldn’t they take on the responsibility of restricting such people, protecting the interests of the majority, and maintaining normal church life? (Yes.) You can take back their books of God’s words and advise them to leave the church. There are various ways to persuade someone to leave the church—you can think up your own. Just make sure they can’t contact the brothers and sisters anymore. Suppose someone says, “This person is good. They just talk about some domestic trivialities in the church, but they don’t disturb the church’s work or affect our performance of duty, so we should be tolerant! In believing in God, shouldn’t we tolerate and endure all kinds of people? God wants every person to be saved and does not want anyone to suffer perdition!” Then you need to consider whether they are a target for salvation. If they are not, shouldn’t we discern and clear them out? (Yes.) Some people say, “I’m too polite; I’d feel embarrassed to try to persuade them to leave the church.” This problem is easy to solve. If you simply don’t contact them, you won’t be disturbed or constrained by them. Even if you run into them, you don’t need to engage with them. There’s no need to talk about matters of believing in God with them; just treat them as nonbelievers. Some people say, “Can’t we help them with love and fellowship the truth we understand with them?” For such disbelievers, if you truly have love, you can give it a shot. If you can truly change them, then they don’t need to be cleared out or expelled. Some people say, “I won’t waste my effort. Helping them is useless, like giving a pig a bath; no matter how clean you wash it, it will still go and roll around in the mud. That’s exactly the kind of creature it is; it won’t change!” If you can understand this, then you are right. Will you still fellowship the truth with such disbelievers to help them? Will you still do this pointless work? (No.) At this point, you realize you were foolish and did not see through people. Disbelievers cannot change. These people also know that those who believe in God do good deeds and avoid doing bad deeds, that they don’t push others around or swindle them. They have a good impression of those who believe in God, so they disguise themselves under the banner of “believing there is a God” and “believing in God is good” and worm their way into the church, making people think of them as a brother or sister. Some people are indeed taken in by this, truly regarding them as a brother or sister, often visiting and helping them. Only after a long time do they realize: “This person only comes to the church when they face disasters or difficulties, saying useless, nonsensical things. When things are going smoothly and everything is fine for them, when their life is good, they ignore everyone. If we had known earlier that they were such a scoundrel, we wouldn’t have helped them or put in so much effort!” Is it any use feeling regretful now? It’s too late for regret—you’ve already spoken so much in vain! In short, such disbelievers need to be discerned, dealt with, and cleared out of the church as early as possible. Don’t regard them as brothers and sisters; they are not brothers and sisters. Only people who are chosen by God are brothers and sisters; only those who can be saved and who pursue worshiping God are brothers and sisters. Those who hang around in God’s house to avoid disasters and greedily enjoy God’s grace without accepting the truth are disbelievers. They are not brothers and sisters, and they certainly are not God’s chosen people. Do you understand? Such disbelievers must be treated according to principles; they should be disposed of in the way they ought to be. This is the responsibility of leaders and workers, and it is also a principle that every one of God’s chosen people should be clear on.

October 23, 2021