I

What people should strive to achieve most

is to make God’s words their basis, and the truth their criterion;

only then can they live in the light

and live out the likeness of a normal person.

If you wish to live in the light, live in the light,

you should act according to the truth; you should be an honest person

who says honest words and does honest things.

What’s fundamental is to have the truth principles in one’s comportment;

once people lose the truth principles, and focus only on good behavior,

this inevitably gives rise to fakery and pretense.

If there is no principle to people’s comportment,

then no matter how good their behavior is, they are hypocrites;

they may be able to mislead others for a time,

but they will never be trustworthy.

II

Only when people act and comport themselves,

act and comport themselves according to God’s words

do they have a true foundation, have a true foundation.

If they don’t comport themselves according to God’s words,

and only focus on pretending to behave well,

can they become good people as a result? Absolutely not, absolutely not.

Good doctrines and good behavior cannot change man’s corrupt dispositions,

and they cannot change his essence, they cannot change his essence.

Only the truth and the words of God can change people’s corrupt dispositions,

change their thoughts and opinions,

and become their life.

from The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (3)