(1) See whether one, when reading God’s words, can engage in self-reflection, is capable of discovering how their corruption is revealed in life, and can know themselves and genuinely repent;

(2) See whether one can seek the truth in performing their duty, can use it to resolve problems, can treat others fairly, and treat their brothers and sisters with love;

(3) See whether one can accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, as well as being pruned and dealt with by them such that their corruption is purified, and can express true testimony from their experience;

(4) See whether there has been any genuine transformation of their views on things, outlook on life, and values; whether they can view things in light of God’s words; and whether they are honest in both word and deed.

Relevant Words of God:

God is a practical God: All of His work is practical, all of the words He speaks are practical, and all of the truths He expresses are practical. Everything that is not His words is vacuous, non-existent, and unsound. Today, the Holy Spirit is to guide people into the words of God. If people are to pursue entry into reality, then they must seek reality, and know reality, after which they must experience reality, and live out reality. The more that people know reality, the more they are able to discern whether the words of others are real; the more people know reality, the fewer notions they have; the more people experience reality, the more they know the deeds of the God of reality, and the easier it is for them to break free from their corrupt, satanic dispositions; the more reality people have, the more they know God and the more they detest the flesh and love the truth; and the more reality people have, the closer they come to the standards of God’s requirements. People who are gained by God are those who are possessed of reality, who know reality, and who have come to know God’s real deeds through experiencing reality. The more you cooperate with God in a practical way and discipline your body, the more you will acquire the work of the Holy Spirit, the more you will gain reality, and the more you will be enlightened by God, and thus the greater your knowledge of God’s real deeds will become. If you are able to live in the present light of the Holy Spirit, then the present path to practice will become clearer to you, and you will be more able to separate yourself from the religious notions and old practices of the past. Today reality is the focus: The more reality people have, the clearer their knowledge of the truth, and the greater their understanding of God’s will. Reality can overcome all letters and doctrines, it can overcome all theory and expertise, and the more reality people focus on, the more they truly love God, and hunger and thirst for His words. If you always focus on reality, then your philosophy for living, religious notions, and natural character will naturally be expunged following the work of God. Those who do not pursue reality, and have no knowledge of reality, are likely to pursue that which is supernatural, and they will be easily tricked. The Holy Spirit has no means of working in such people, and so they feel vacant, and that their lives have no meaning.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. How to Know Reality

Holding up God’s words and being able to explain them unabashedly does not mean you are in possession of reality; things are not as simple as you imagine. Whether you are in possession of reality is not based on what you say; rather, it is based on what you live out. Only when God’s words become your life and your natural expression can you be said to have reality, and only then can you be counted as having gained true understanding and actual stature. You must be able to withstand examination over long periods of time, and you must be able to live out the likeness that is required by God. This must not be mere posturing; it must flow from you naturally. Only then will you truly possess reality, and only then will you have gained life. Let Me use the example of the trial of the service-doers with which everyone is familiar: Anyone can offer the loftiest theories regarding service-doers, and everyone has a decent understanding of the subject; they speak on it and each speech surpasses the last, as if it were a competition. However, if man has not undergone a major trial, then it is very difficult to say that he has good testimony to bear. In short, man’s living out is still very lacking, entirely contrary to his understanding. Therefore, it has yet to become man’s actual stature, and it is not yet man’s life. Because man’s understanding has not been brought into reality, his stature is still like a castle built on sand, teetering and on the verge of collapse. Man possesses far too little of reality; it is almost impossible to find any reality in man. There is too little reality naturally flowing from man, and all the reality they live out has been forced. This is the reason I say man possesses no reality. Although people claim their love of God never changes, this is merely what they say before they have faced any trials. When they are suddenly faced with trials one day, the things that they speak of will once again fall out of step with reality, and this will again prove that man possesses no reality. It can be said that whenever you encounter things that do not fit with your notions and that require you to put yourself aside, those things are your trials. Before God’s will is revealed, everyone goes through a rigorous test and an immense trial. Can you fathom this? When God wants to try people, He always allows them to make their choices before the actual truth has been revealed. This means that when God is subjecting man to trials, He will never tell you the truth; this is the manner in which people are exposed. This is one way that God carries out His work, to see whether you know the God of today, as well as whether you possess any reality. Are you truly free of doubts regarding God’s work? Will you be able truly to stand firm when a major trial comes upon you? Who dares to say, “I guarantee that there will be no problems”? Who dares to assert, “Others might have doubts, but I never will”? It is just as when Peter was subjected to trials: He always boasted before the truth had been revealed. This is not a personal flaw unique to Peter; this is the greatest difficulty currently facing every man. If I were to visit a few places or pay a visit to a few brothers and sisters to see what your understanding is of God’s work of today, you would certainly be able to say much about your knowledge, and you would seem not to have any doubts whatsoever. If I were to ask you, “Can you really determine that the work of today is performed by God Himself? Without any doubt?” you would certainly answer, “Without any doubt whatsoever, it is the work performed by the Spirit of God.” Once you had answered in such a way, you surely would not feel a shred of doubt, and you would even feel quite pleased, thinking you had gained a bit of reality. Those who tend to understand things in this way are people who possess less reality; the more one thinks one has gained it, the less one will be able to stand firm when faced with trials. Woe to those who are arrogant and haughty, and woe to those who have no knowledge of themselves; such people are adept at talking, yet fare the worst when putting their words into action. At the smallest sign of trouble, these people begin to have doubts, and the thought of quitting steals into their minds. They do not possess any reality; they merely have theories that are above religion, without any of the reality required now by God. I am most disgusted by those who only speak of theories without possessing any reality. They shout the loudest when carrying out their work, but as soon as they are faced with reality, they fall apart. Does this not show that these people have no reality? No matter how ferocious the wind and waves, if you can remain standing without allowing a shred of doubt to enter your mind, and can stand firm and remain free from denial, even when there is no one else left, then you will be counted as having true understanding and genuinely in possession of reality. If you turn whichever way the wind blows—if you follow the majority, and learn to parrot the speech of others—then no matter how eloquent you might be, it will not be proof that you possess reality. Therefore, I suggest that you not be premature in shouting out empty words. Do you know what God is going to do? Do not behave like another Peter, lest you bring shame upon yourself and lose the ability to hold your head high; that will not do anyone any good. Most people have no real stature. Though God has performed a great deal of work, He has not brought reality down upon people; to be more exact, He has never personally chastised anyone. Some people have been exposed by such trials, with their sinful hands reaching farther and farther out, thinking that it is easy to get the better of God, that they can do whatever they want. Since they are not able to withstand even this sort of trial, more challenging trials are out of the question for them, as is possession of reality. Are they not just trying to fool God? Possessing reality is not something that can be faked, nor is reality something that you can attain by knowing it. It depends on your actual stature, as well as whether or not you can withstand all trials. Do you understand?

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Putting the Truth Into Practice Is Possessing Reality

God does not require of people the mere ability to talk about reality; that would be too easy, would it not? Why, then, does God speak of entry into life? Why does He talk about transformation? If people are capable only of empty talk about reality, then can they achieve a transformation in their disposition? The good soldiers of the kingdom are not trained to be a group of people who can only talk about reality or boast; rather, they are trained to live out God’s words at all times, to remain unyielding no matter what setbacks they face, and to live constantly in accordance with God’s words and not to return to the world. This is the reality of which God speaks; this is God’s requirement of man. Thus, do not regard the reality spoken of by God as being overly simple. Mere enlightenment from the Holy Spirit does not equal the possession of reality. Such is not the stature of man—it is the grace of God, to which man contributes nothing. Each person must endure Peter’s sufferings, and, even more, possess Peter’s glory, which they live out after they have gained the work of God. Only this can be called reality. Do not think that you possess reality just because you can talk about it; that is a fallacy. Such thoughts do not accord with God’s will and have no actual significance. Do not say such things in the future—extinguish such sayings! All those with a false understanding of God’s words are unbelievers. They do not have any real knowledge, much less any real stature; they are ignorant people who lack reality. In other words, all those who live outside of the essence of God’s words are unbelievers. Those deemed unbelievers by people are beasts in the eyes of God, and those deemed unbelievers by God are people who do not have God’s words as their life. It can therefore be said that those who do not possess the reality of God’s words and who fail to live His words out are unbelievers. God’s intention is to cause everyone to live out the reality of His words—not merely to have everyone talk about reality, but, more than that, to enable everyone to live out the reality of His words. The reality that man perceives is too superficial; it has no value and cannot fulfill God’s will. It is too lowly and not even worthy of mention. It lacks too much and falls far too short of the standards of God’s requirements. You will each be subjected to a major inspection to see who among you merely know how to talk about your understanding without being able to point out the path, as well as to discover who among you are useless pieces of trash. Remember this from now on! Do not speak of empty knowledge; only talk about the path of practice and about reality. Transition from real knowledge to real practice, and then transition from practice to real living out. Do not lecture others, and do not talk about real knowledge. If your understanding is a path, then let your words go free upon it; if it is not, then please shut your mouth and stop talking! What you say is useless. You speak of understanding in order to deceive God and make others envy you. Is that not your ambition? Are you not deliberately toying with others? Is there any value in this? If you talk about understanding after you have experienced it, you will not be seen as boasting. Otherwise, you are someone who spits out arrogant words. There are many things in your actual experience that you cannot overcome, and you cannot rebel against your own flesh; you are always doing whatever you want, never satisfying God’s will—yet you still have the gall to talk about theoretical understanding. You are shameless! You still are so bold as to speak of your understanding of God’s words. How impudent of you! Orating and boasting have become your very nature, and you have become accustomed to doing so. Whenever you wish to speak, you do so with ease, but when it comes to practicing, you indulge in ornamentation. Is this not a way to fool others? You may be able to trick men, but God cannot be deceived. Men are unaware and have no discernment, but God is serious about such matters, and He will not spare you. Your brothers and sisters might advocate for you, praising your understanding and admiring you, but if you possess no reality, the Holy Spirit will not spare you. Perhaps the practical God will not seek your faults, but God’s Spirit will ignore you, and that will be difficult enough for you to bear. Do you believe this? Talk more about the reality of practice; have you forgotten already? Talk more about practical paths; have you forgotten already? “Offer fewer lofty theories and worthless, inflated talk; it is best to begin practice starting now.” Have you forgotten these words? Do you not understand at all? Do you have no comprehension of God’s will?

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Putting the Truth Into Practice Is Possessing Reality

How can it be seen whether a person is possessed of truth reality? It is apparent from the moment they open their mouth to speak. A person without truth reality speaks wholly of doctrine, no matter the topic; one knows at a glance that they do not generally practice the truth. As soon as one possessed of truth reality comes into contact with you, their fellowship can resolve the problems that beset you at once. With just a few words, they lay bare problems that have troubled you for years, problems that no one else has been able to clarify by preaching doctrine, and they enable you to understand the truth and God’s will. You are no longer troubled, and no longer do you feel fettered; you are no longer constrained, but free and liberated. So what those people say is truth reality, is it not? If you do not understand their words, no matter what they say, and if what they say does not solve your problem at its root, then what they are saying to you is merely letters and doctrines. Letters and doctrines cannot provide for people or help them, and they cannot resolve people’s practical difficulties.

—God’s Fellowship

There is a precise indication of whether or not someone has entered the truth reality: when you are able to use the words of God to accurately assess what kind of person you are, and what your conscience and sense are like. For example, if you can’t tell whether or not your actions are arrogant, whether you have shown yourself to be arrogant, then you have no entry; you do not understand this aspect of the truth, and thus have no basis. If you understood the truth, you would understand what indicates arrogance, and what indicates a lack of arrogance, and how to present yourself, and act, rationally and with normal humanity; at times, you might not know how to improve, or how to practice the truth, but you would know there was room for entry in such matters. But if you do not pursue the truth, if you do not reflect on yourself based on the reality of God’s words the truth, and God’s revelation of people’s corrupt essence, and do not check yourself against these things, you will always be muddled. With the truth, you can tell the difference; the truth makes you smart, and wise, it gives you sense, it allows you to tell right from wrong, black from white, and positive from negative. If you do not understand the truth, the difference will never be clear to you, you will always be muddle-headed. That’s how it is. No matter how great your mistake, or how right your actions, you still can’t determine the nature of such things by yourself. You’ve no idea whether, to God or before the truth, these things are good or bad. There may be times when you feel something is good, and times when you feel it isn’t; you lack clarity, your state is constantly muddled and unclear—which shows you have never referred to the truth. Those who never refer to the truth never enter the truth reality. If you can refer to the truth in any number of things—if the difference between right and wrong, positive and negative, is clear and transparent to you, and your powers of differentiation are strong—then in such matters you have entered the truth reality. If you have not achieved entry, then you will always be confused about these things.

—“How to Discern the Nature Essence of Paul” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

No matter how many years people have had faith, they never gain a sense of what is good about believing in God. They cannot sense what tangible benefits they can gain from having faith, and are often even like the unbelievers, unable to beat the world’s trends, or its various temptations and enticements, or the fame and gain of the flesh. They even feel quite empty, and this feeling emerges from time to time and becomes increasingly obvious. More and more, they wonder, “There isn’t any meaning to believing in God, is there? If my faith has developed to this degree, shouldn’t I be just about there? I guess this is just how it is then, and there’s no telling whether I can be saved.” What does this indicate? (Not understanding the truth, and not having entered truth reality.) That is it exactly; they have not entered truth reality. That is, people do not understand any of those truths they should understand that God has granted and provided to them. Why have they not understood? It is because they have not taken God’s words as principles and a path of practice to implement in their daily lives and turn into their own reality. None of what they do, how they live, how they exist, or the way they deal with people, events, and things is based on God’s words. You have not experienced or learned through practice any of these words of God, and you have not personally experienced, nor do you know, what the true meaning of His words is. For this reason, when God exposes the dark world, exposes people’s corruption, and reveals the various states of every type of person, you cannot fathom the essence of these issues. Because you lack experience and have not attained entry, you will never be able to fathom it. Nominally, you have believed in God for so many years, yet you are still just the same as worldly people; you have not changed at all. That is, with regard to the depths of your heart and to your nature essence, your corrupt disposition has not been purified, nor has your life disposition transformed in the least; thus, from start to finish, you cannot let go of the dark world, of satanic trends, of fame and gain, and of status, because you cannot see them for what they are. You often feel that life is empty and meaningless and that you have no path or confidence; this is because you do not know God’s work and are unable to give rise to genuine faith in God.

—“Only by Seeking the Truth in Everything Can One Enter Truth Reality” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

What manifestations do people who lack the truth life exhibit? Without the truth, they will naturally be subject to the constraints and bonds of their satanic nature; they will naturally reveal a disposition that is arrogant and conceited, selfish and contemptible, reckless and willful, and liable to decide and act alone. Such people will lie and cheat, be deceitful and treacherous, and be prone to feeling suspicious of others, and to attacking and judging others; they will always assess others through the lens of their prejudices and motives. Such people will always rely on their own preferences in both word and deed, and when encountering setbacks or failures, they will become negative. At times they will be supremely arrogant, and at times they will fall into such negativity that they practically burrow a hole into the ground. These people go to extremes, and are never normal. When they are not baring their fangs, they are putting on puppy dog eyes. This is the sort of state you are currently in: You are willing to suffer and pay a price; your resolution and determination are complete—but you do not yet possess truth reality. How do people who possess truth reality to serve as their lives express themselves? I will tell you a few major indications. When people possess truth reality, on the one hand, they have understood some of the truth; on the other, they have begun to exhibit some changes in disposition. Changes in disposition have a characteristic, which is being able to submit to what is right and in line with the truth. No matter who gives you suggestions—whether they are young or old, whether you get along well, and whether the relationship between you is good or bad—as long as they say something that is correct and in line with the truth, and also is beneficial to the work of God’s house, then you can listen, adopt it, and accept it, and not be impacted by any other factors. This is the first aspect of that characteristic. First of all, you can accept the truth, as well as things that are correct and in line with the truth. Another aspect is being able to seek the truth whenever you encounter a problem. You must not only be able to accept the truth; you must also be able to seek it. For example, if you encounter a new problem that no one can fathom, then you can seek the truth and see what you should do or practice to bring the matter in line with the truth principles and meet God’s requirements. Yet another aspect is gaining the ability to be considerate of God’s will. How should you be considerate of His will? This depends on what duty you are performing and what requirements He has of it. You must grasp this principle: Carry out your duty according to God’s requirements, and fulfill it to His satisfaction. You must also understand God’s will and what the desired result of your duty is, and you must be able to act with responsibility and faithfulness. All of these are ways to be considerate of God’s will. If you do not know how to be considerate of God’s will in the thing that you are currently doing, then you must do some seeking in order to accomplish that and to satisfy Him. If you can put these three principles into practice, measure how well you are actually living by them, and find a path of practice, then you will be handling matters in a principled manner. Regardless of what you might encounter, and no matter what problems you might have to deal with, you must always search for the right principles to practice by, what details these each include, and how they should be practiced so that you will not be violating the principles. Once you have a clear understanding of these things, you will naturally be able to practice the truth.

—“Only by Putting the Truth Into Practice Can One Cast off the Shackles of a Corrupt Disposition” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days

People who have the truth are those who, in their real experiences, can stand firm in their testimony, stand firm in their position, stand on the side of God, without ever retreating, and who can have a normal relationship with people who love God, who, when things happen to them, are able to completely obey God, and can obey God unto death. Your practice and revelations in real life are the testimony of God, they are man’s living out and the testimony of God, and this is truly enjoying God’s love; when you have experienced to this point, the due effect will have been achieved. You are possessed of actual living out and your every action is looked upon with admiration by others. Your clothing and outward appearance are unremarkable, but you live out a life of the utmost piety, and when you communicate the words of God, you are guided and enlightened by Him. You are able to speak God’s will through your words, communicate reality, and you understand much about serving in spirit. You are candid in your speech, you are decent and upright, non-confrontational and decorous, able to obey God’s arrangements and stand firm in your testimony when things befall you, and you are calm and composed no matter what you are dealing with. This kind of person has truly seen God’s love. Some people are still young, but they act as someone of middle age; they are mature, possessed of the truth, and admired by others—and these are the people who have testimony and are the manifestation of God. Which is to say, when they have experienced to a certain point, inside they will have an insight toward God, and their external disposition will also stabilize. Many people do not put the truth into practice and do not stand firm in their testimony. In such people there is no love of God, or testimony to God, and these are the people most loathed by God. They read the words of God in the gatherings, but what they live out is Satan, and this is dishonoring God, vilifying God, and blaspheming God. In such people, there is no sign of God’s love, and they do not have the work of the Holy Spirit at all. So, people’s words and actions represent Satan. If your heart is always at peace before God, and you always pay attention to the people and things around you, and what is going on around you, and if you are mindful of God’s burden, and always have a heart that reveres God, then God will often enlighten you within. In the church there are people who are “supervisors”: They set out to watch the failings of others and then copy and emulate them. They are incapable of differentiating, they do not hate sin and do not loathe or feel disgusted by the things of Satan. Such people are filled with the things of Satan, and they will ultimately be utterly forsaken by God. Your heart should be ever reverent before God, you should be moderate in your words and actions and never wish to oppose or upset God. You should never be willing for God’s work in you to have been for nothing, or to allow all the hardship you have endured and all that you have put into practice to come to naught. You must be willing to work harder and to love God more on the path ahead. These are the people who have a vision as their foundation. These are the people who seek progress.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Those Who Love God Will Forever Live Within His Light

If people have a genuine understanding of God’s disposition, and can give heartfelt praise to His holiness and righteousness, then it means they truly know Him and possess the truth; only then do they live in the light. Only once a person’s view of the world and of life changes does one undergo a fundamental transformation. When one has a life goal and comports oneself according to the truth, when one submits absolutely to God and lives by His words, when one feels peaceful and illuminated to the depths of one’s soul, when one’s heart is free of darkness, and when one can live entirely free and unrestrained in God’s presence, only then does one lead a genuine human life, and only then has one become a person who possesses the truth. In addition, all the truths in your possession have come from God’s words and from God Himself. The Ruler of the entire universe and all things—God Most High—approves of you as a real person living a true human life. What could be more meaningful than God’s approval? This is what it means to be in possession of the truth.

—“How to Know Man’s Nature” in Records of Talks of Christ of the Last Days