Item Nine: They Do Their Duty Only to Distinguish Themselves and Feed Their Own Interests and Ambitions; They Never Consider the Interests of God’s House, and Even Sell Those Interests Out in Exchange for Personal Glory (Part Nine)
II. The Interests of Antichrists
D. Their Prospects and Destiny
4. How Antichrists Regard the Title “Service-Doer”
Today we will continue to fellowship on item nine of the various manifestations of antichrists: They do their duty only to distinguish themselves and feed their own interests and ambitions; they never consider the interests of God’s house, and even sell those interests out in exchange for personal glory. With this item, our main topic for fellowship is a dissection of antichrists’ interests, and today we’ll fellowship on the fourth subtopic within the fourth item of antichrists’ interests—how they regard the title of “service-doer”—and dissect how antichrists regard this title. Those who have followed God until now are familiar with the word “service-doer,” and most of them have basically accepted this title in their hearts. In terms of their subjective inclinations, there is no resistance to this title. However, when it comes to the specifics of saying a certain person is a service-doer, that person primarily expresses reluctance and unwillingness, feeling wronged, not really wanting to be called this and not really wanting to be a service-doer. Judging from people’s expressions, although they agree that “service-doer” is not a bad title in terms of their subjective inclinations, from an objective perspective, people still treat the title “service-doer” with some elements of discrimination, hostility, and even unwillingness—they have these sentiments toward it. Regardless of what people think of the title “service-doer,” whether or not they can sincerely accept it and be a service-doer, or whether or not what they think of this title carries many of man’s impurities and wishes, today we’ll first fellowship on what exactly a service-doer is, how exactly the title “service-doer” is defined and classified in God’s eyes, what the essence is of these service-doers that God speaks of, and how God regards the word “service-doer” and how that differs from how people regard it, so that you can all come to have an accurate understanding and conception in your hearts of the title “service-doer.”
a. The Definition and Origin of the Title “Service-Doer”
The word “service-doer” literally means a person who works and exerts effort for something. If we measure this title in terms of position, it refers to someone who is used for a temporary period. That is to say, if someone is regarded as a service-doer and sets about doing a job or takes up work in an industry, then this is not a long-term industry career or job that they undertake, but rather it is temporary. They are temporarily made to exert some effort and serve for a while in this industry or job. They have no prospects, no future, and they receive no material benefits. They don’t need to shoulder any responsibility; they are just paid for their labor. When the job they’re assigned is complete, they’re no longer needed, and they just take their pay and go. In short, it is temporary, and they’re asked to work when they’re needed. This is the literal understanding of a service-doer. If we interpret the word “service-doer” according to the ideas of mankind, then service-doers are referred to as “contract workers” and “temporary workers,” people who work or exert effort temporarily for a job or industry. Their only connection is to the period of time in which they’re needed for a job, and once that time is over, they no longer have any value. This is because they’re not needed anymore, and they have no more usage value—their value has been exhausted during that time. This is the literal meaning that people can understand and see regarding the word “service-doer.” Within the meaning that human language can express, that is, the meaning of the title “service-doer” as spoken by God that humans can comprehend, is there a level of meaning that accords with the truth? Is there a level of meaning that conforms with normal humanity and rationality? Is there a level of meaning that people should understand as true created beings? Is there a level of meaning concerning how God treats this title? (No.) How do you know there isn’t? You’re stumped, you can’t explain it. Among you there are university students, graduate students, doctoral students, and professors, yet none of you can explain this clearly, right? (Yes, that’s right.) This is the difference between knowledge and the truth. You may be educated, you may know the individual terms “service” and “doer,” and when these terms combine to form a word, to describe a type of person and a group of people, you can understand these people’s essence, their manifestations, and their rank among all of mankind, but when you are not able to understand this word from the perspective of the truth and the perspective of a created being, where exactly does your understanding come from? What exactly is the essence of this word that you come to understand? Is it not an understanding of the word “service-doer” that has come from this corrupt humanity, from this society, and from the knowledge of mankind? (Yes, it is.) Is mankind’s knowledge compatible with the truth or antagonistic to the truth? (It is antagonistic to the truth.) So, when you have this understanding and comprehension of this word, are you standing in opposition to God or on the side of compatibility with God? Obviously, when you understand and comprehend this word with your knowledge, with your brain, you involuntarily and unknowingly stand in opposition to God. When you use your knowledge to understand this word, the things you have understood inevitably lead to you feeling resistance, repulsion, disgust, and even hatred toward the word “service-doer.” Is there any submission here? Is there any true acceptance? (No.) Some people say: “I accept good words, but why should I accept this bad word? It’s good enough that I feel no resistance toward it. For example, I accept positive terms such as ‘receiving a crown,’ ‘receiving rewards,’ ‘being blessed,’ ‘entering the kingdom,’ ‘going up to heaven,’ ‘not going to hell,’ ‘not being punished,’ and ‘being a firstborn son.’ This is natural, it is the ordinary response of man, and these are things that people should pursue. As for negative terms such as ‘evil people,’ ‘antichrists,’ ‘being punished,’ and ‘going to hell,’ no one likes accepting those. The word ‘service-doer’ is neutral, but in accordance with my understanding, I can’t accept it, and it’s good enough for me not to despise it. If I’m to willingly accept it and submit to it and receive it from God, then that’s just not possible.” Isn’t this how people think? (Yes, it is.) Is this way of thinking right or wrong? (It’s wrong.) When did you come to know that it’s wrong? Just now, right? That’s a problem. You only just came to know that this is wrong. Before you realized this, you appeared to have already accepted the title “service-doer” on the surface, and you had already accepted it subjectively—and was this acceptance true or false? (It was false.) Clearly it wasn’t true, nor were you perfectly willing to accept it. There was falsehood, pretense, and disinclination here, and there was also a sense that you had no other choice.
What we just fellowshipped on were people’s true reactions and manifestations concerning the title “service-doer,” and they fully demonstrate people’s opinions, views, and comprehensions of this title, fully revealing that people’s attitude toward this title is one of disinclination, one of discrimination and repulsion, and one of resistance from the bottom of their hearts. This is because people despise being service-doers, despise the word “service-doer,” aren’t willing to be service-doers, and hate being service-doers. This is people’s understanding of and attitude toward this title. Now, let’s look at exactly how God sees service-doers, how the word “service-doer” came about, what the essence of this title is in God’s eyes, and what its origin is. The literal meaning of “service-doer” is, to use the language of mankind, a temporary worker, someone who temporarily serves in an industry or job, and who is needed on a temporary basis. In God’s management plan, in God’s work, and in God’s house, this group of people called service-doers are indispensable. When these people came to God’s house, to the place of God’s work, they knew nothing of God or of faith in God, much less of God’s work or His management plan. They understood nothing; they were just outsiders, unbelievers. When people who are unbelievers in God’s eyes come to God’s house, what can they do for Him? It may be said that they can’t do anything. Because people are filled with corrupt dispositions and don’t know God at all, and because of people’s nature essence, all they can do is do whatever God instructs them to do. They follow God’s work to whatever point it reaches, their knowledge stretches as far as God’s words take them; they only know His words, and have no understanding of them at all. These people passively cooperate with every job God requires them to work on—they are entirely passive, and not active. Here, “passive” means that they don’t know what God will do, they don’t know what God is asking them to do, they don’t know the significance or value of the work God is asking them to do, and they don’t know what path they should be following. Coming to God’s house, they’re like machines, only functioning in the way that God operates them. What does God need from them? Do you know? (People are objects for God to express the truth to judge. People are the objects of God’s words.) This is one part; people are objects of God’s words. What else? What about people’s gifts? (Yes.) What about the thinking of normal humanity? (Yes.) God only uses you if you have the thinking of normal humanity. If you are without a conscience and reason, then you’re not qualified to even be a service-doer. What else is there? (People’s skills and special talents.) These are included in gifts and are also a part of it—the various skills that people possess. What else? (The determination to cooperate with God.) This is a part of it, too, the aspiration to obey and submit, and of course it can also be said to be people’s desire to love positive things and to love the light. The aspiration to obey and submit is the determination to cooperate with God, but which is the most appropriate way to say this? (The aspiration to obey and submit.) That’s right, the word “aspiration” is comparatively broader and encompasses a wider range. If we use the word “determination,” the scope is somewhat narrower. Moreover, “aspiration” is comparatively lighter in degree than “determination,” which means that after you have an aspiration, you gradually generate various determinations; determinations are more specific, whereas aspirations are somewhat broader. As far as the Creator is concerned, these are the several things that God needs from corrupt mankind. That is to say, when an outsider who knows absolutely nothing about God, God’s management, God’s essence, God’s utterances, and God’s disposition comes to God’s house, they are like a machine, and what they can do for God and in their cooperation with God’s work has basically nothing to do with the standard which God requires—the truth. The things of such people that God can use are the things that were just mentioned: First is that these people can become the objects of God’s words; second is the gifts that these people possess; third is that these people possess the thinking of normal humanity; fourth is the various skills that these people possess; fifth—and this is the most important one—is that these people have the aspiration to obey and submit to God’s words. All of these things are crucial. Once someone possesses all of these things, they then begin to work in service of God’s work and for His management plan, and to officially be on the right track, meaning that they have officially become a service-doer in God’s house.
When people don’t understand God’s words, the truth, or God’s will, and do not fear God in the slightest, there can be no other role for each of them than that of the service-doer. That is to say, you’re a service-doer whether you’re willing to be one or not—you cannot escape this title. Some people say: “I’ve believed in God all my life. Since I began believing in Jesus until now, it’s been decades—am I really still just a service-doer?” What do you think of this question? Who are they asking about this? They should ask themselves and reflect on themselves: “Do I understand God’s will now? When I do my duty now, am I just exerting effort or am I practicing the truth? Am I following the path of pursuing and understanding the truth? Have I entered the truth reality? Do I have a God-fearing heart? Am I someone who submits to God?” They must reflect on themselves considering these things. If they have met these criteria, if they can stand firm when encountering God’s trials, and if they can fear God and shun evil, then of course they are no longer a service-doer. If they haven’t met even a single one of these criteria, then they undoubtedly remain a service-doer, and this is something inescapable and inevitable. Some people say: “I’ve believed in God for over 30 years, which doesn’t even include the years I spent believing in Jesus. Ever since this time that God became flesh, appeared, worked, and began to speak His utterances, I’ve been a follower of God. I was among the first to personally experience God’s work, and I was among the first to hear words spoken from His mouth. So many years have passed since then, and I am still believing in and following God. I’ve been arrested and persecuted several times and have encountered so many dangers, and God has always protected me and guided me through; God never abandoned me. I’m still doing my duty now, my conditions are getting better and better, my faith is ever increasing, and I have no doubts about God at all—am I really still a service-doer?” Who are you asking? Aren’t you asking the wrong person? You shouldn’t ask this question. Since you’ve believed for so many years, don’t you know whether you’re a service-doer or not? If you don’t know this, then why don’t you ask yourself whether you possess the truth reality, whether you have a God-fearing heart, and whether you behave in a way that shuns evil? God has worked for all these years, spoken all these words, and how much have you understood and entered into? How much have you gained? How many instances of being pruned, and how many trials and refinements have you accepted? When you accepted these, did you stand firm in your testimony? Are you able to bear witness for God? When you encounter trials like those that Job encountered, are you capable of denying God? Exactly how great is your faith in God? Is your faith merely some belief, or is it true faith? Ask yourself these questions. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you’re a muddleheaded person, and I can tell that you are just going along with the crowd—you don’t even deserve to be called a service-doer. Someone who harbors this kind of attitude toward the title “service-doer” and is still all confused in their heart is so pitiful. They don’t even know what they are, whereas God is entirely clear and lucid in His treatment of all people.
We just fellowshipped on what exactly God’s original meaning is with regard to the word “service-doer.” When people enter God’s house, at the outset, when they don’t understand the truth and only possess various aspirations or some determination to cooperate, the role that they play during that period can only be that of the service-doer. Of course, the word “service” isn’t too pleasant-sounding. To say it another way, it means to serve and work in the service of God’s management work to save mankind; it means to exert effort. These people don’t understand any truths, nor do they understand God’s will, and they cannot contribute any effort toward or cooperate in any way with the specific work that God engages in to save and manage mankind, nor the various works related to truth. They only have some skills and gifts, and they can only put in some effort and say a few things for certain work of general affairs and do some peripheral service work. If this is the essence of the work done by people doing their duty, if they are just playing a service role, then it is difficult for them to shake off the title of “service-doer.” Why is it difficult to shake off? Does this have anything to do with God’s definition of this title? Yes, it absolutely does. It’s very easy for people to make a bit of effort and do things according to their natural abilities and their gifts and minds, but to live by the truth, enter the truth reality, and act in accordance with God’s will is very strenuous; it requires time, God’s guidance, God’s enlightenment, and God’s discipline, and even more so it requires accepting the judgment and chastisement of God’s words. Therefore, while people are working to achieve these goals, what most people can do and provide are the things that were just mentioned: being the objects of God’s words, possessing certain gifts and being of some use in God’s house, possessing the thinking of normal humanity and being able to comprehend and carry out any job they are instructed to do, possessing certain skills and being able to employ their special talents in a certain job in God’s house, and, most importantly, having the aspiration to obey and submit. When rendering service in God’s house, when exerting effort for the sake of God’s work, then with even just a pinch of aspiration to obey and submit, you won’t become negative and slack off. Instead, you’ll do all you can to exercise self-restraint and do fewer bad things while doing more good things. Isn’t this the state and condition most people are in? Of course, there is a very small minority of people among all of you who have already left this condition and scope behind. And what have this very small minority of people come to possess? They have come to understand the truth, to possess the truth reality. When they encounter issues, they can pray and seek God’s intentions, and they can act in accordance with the truth principles. Their aspiration to obey and submit no longer merely stops at the level of determination, but rather they can actively practice God’s words, act according to God’s demands, and have a God-fearing heart when encountering issues. They don’t speak or act thoughtlessly, and instead are cautious and careful. Especially when their being pruned is at odds with their own ideas, they don’t judge God, they don’t reason with Him, and they feel no resistance in their hearts. From the bottom of their hearts, they truly accept God’s identity, status, and essence. Is there any difference between these people and service-doers? What are those differences? The first difference is that they understand the truth, and the second is that they can put some truths into practice. Third, they have some knowledge of God, and fourth, their obedience and submission are no longer just aspirations, but have transformed into a subjective attitude—they have come to be truly submissive. Fifth—and this is the most important and most valuable of these points—a God-fearing heart has emerged inside them. It can be said that those who possess these things have already shaken off the title of “service-doer.” This is because, judging from their various aspects of entry, as well as their attitude toward the truth and the level of their knowledge of God, it is no longer as simple as them doing a single professional job in God’s house, and they are no longer temporary workers who have been temporarily called in to do a bit of work. That is to say, these people are not here for temporary rewards, they are not recruited for temporary use, and during their time period of being used, it is not being observed whether they can take up this work long-term. Rather, they are able to practice the truth and do their duties well. Therefore, these people have shaken off the title, the designation, of “service-doer.” Have you seen such people? There are such people in the church. You wish to know who these people are and how many of them there are, but I’m not able to say that just now; when you come to understand the truth, you’ll be able to discern them. What you should know is what kind of conditions you’re in, which path is the one ahead of you that you’re following, and which path you should be following—these are the things you should know.
Now, is the title “service-doer” imposed upon people by God? Does God use this title to belittle people, to categorize and grade people? (No.) So, how has God defined this title? God giving a title to people is not Him randomly giving them a nickname and He doesn’t define it based on external appearance; this title is not just a title. A person’s name is just a designation, an appellation, that bears no real meaning. For example, some Chinese parents hope that their daughter will be clever and pretty, so they use the character for “pretty” in her name, but that’s just a hope, and it has nothing to do with her essence. She may be really stupid and grow up to be unattractive, so what then is the point in calling her “pretty”? There are also some boys who are named “Chenglong” or “Chenghu,” using the characters that mean to become like a dragon or tiger—are they really formidable by being called such names? They may be cowards or good-for-nothings. These are just hopes parents have for their children; they give them such names as these, and these names bear no relation to their essence. Therefore, people’s names and titles carry people’s imaginings and good wishes, but they are just appellations and designations, and are not given based on their essence. The titles and names God defines, however, are absolutely not given based on people’s external appearance, nor of course are they based on God’s own wishes. Does God want people to be service-doers? (No.) Have you ever read in God’s words God saying, “I want every person to become service-doers and I don’t want anyone to be saved”? (No.) So what is it that God wants? People have previously said, “God wants every person to be saved and does not want anyone to suffer perdition.” This is a wish. However, the title of “service-doer” didn’t come from nowhere. It was just like God determining the names “tree” and “grass.” Trees are big and tall things, and when anyone mentions a tree, everyone knows that trees are big and tall, and when anyone mentions grass, everyone knows that grass is small and short, right? (Yes.) So, what about the title “service-doer”? This title came about according to the essence and manifestations of man, and according to the stage of God’s work. If people can gradually come to understand the truth in step with God’s work, enter the truth reality, and achieve submission to and fear of God, then at this time, this title changes. Therefore, even if you are one of the service-doers, it does not affect you doing the duty of a created being and pursuing and practicing the truth, and even less so does it affect your submission to and fear of God.
Are there any people who will never shake off the title of “service-doer”? (Yes.) What kind of people? It’s the kind of people who don’t pursue the truth, who may understand the truth but don’t practice it, much less do they love the truth, and they even often feel repulsed by and averse to the truth in their hearts. Why do they stay in God’s house if they’re averse to the truth? They want to gain some benefit, they exert some effort and exhibit some good behaviors with wishful thinking in God’s house. They use the price they pay, the giving and expending of themselves, as well as the whiling away of some of their youth and the spending of some of their time in return for whatever advantage they want to gain. Because of the path these people follow, in the end, they aren’t able to enter the truth reality, they can’t achieve submission to God, much less can they achieve fear of God—they will forever be defined as service-doers. There are some among this kind of people in God’s house who can render service till the very end, and some who cannot, and there is a slight difference in humanity between those who can render service till the very end and those who cannot. Those who don’t pursue the truth but who can render service till the very end—that is, those people who can dedicate some effort in God’s house toward God’s work while the work of God’s management plan is ongoing—have a relatively good and benevolent humanity. They don’t do evil, they don’t cause disturbances while they render service, and they’re not cleared out of the church. Such people can render service till the very end, and these are the ones who will always be service-doers. As for the others, because their humanity is very bad, because they are of low character and integrity, they frequently disturb and disrupt the various work in God’s house while they render service, and they cause loss to much of the work of God’s house. They don’t know to repent when they are pruned or isolated time after time, and they just return to their old bad ways; they don’t understand any truth at all, they don’t accept the truth, but instead act wantonly, and such people are cast out. Why are they cast out? People like this can’t even render service. They can’t work well when they exert some effort in God’s house, and while they’re exerting effort, they also do evil, and they make God’s house and brothers and sisters pay the price. Using such people is not worth the loss. They’re given opportunities to reflect time after time, but in the end their nature remains unchanged, and they don’t listen to anything anyone has to say. Such people don’t deserve even to render service in God’s house, nor are they capable of it, and so they are cleansed away.
Do you now generally understand this title of “service-doer”? Is “service-doer” a discriminatory title God gives to mankind? Is God intentionally using this title to belittle people? Is God using this title to reveal and try people? Is God using this title to make people know exactly what human beings are? Does God mean these things? Actually, God doesn’t mean any of these things. God doesn’t mean to reveal people, or to belittle and disparage people, nor does He mean to use this title of “service-doer” to try people. The only meaning God has for the title “service-doer” is that He defines and forms this title according to people’s performance and essence, according to the role people play during God’s work, as well as what people can do and their capacity for cooperation. From this meaning, we see that every person in God’s house is rendering service for God’s management plan and has at some point been in this role of service-doer. Can we say this? (Yes.) We really can, and you can now all understand this. God doesn’t want to use this title to discourage people or try people’s faith, much less to belittle them or to make them more well-behaved and obedient, or let them know what their identity and position are, and even less so does God want to use this title of “service-doer” to strip away people’s right to do the duty of a created being. This title is entirely determined according to the various corrupt dispositions people reveal and people’s true states while they’re following God. Therefore, this title has absolutely nothing to do with what people’s identity, status, position, and destination will be once God’s management work comes to an end. This title hails entirely from the needs of God’s management plan and management work, and it is a true condition of corrupt mankind in God’s management work. As for people providing services to God’s house as service-doers and being used like machines, whether this condition persists until the very end or can change for the better on their journey following God depends on their pursuit. If someone pursues the truth, and can achieve dispositional change and submission to and fear of God, then they will thoroughly cast off the title “service-doer.” And what do people become once they have cast off the title “service-doer”? They become true followers of God, God’s people, and people of the kingdom, that is, they become the people of God’s kingdom. If, while you’re following God, you settle only for exerting effort, suffering, and paying a price, and you don’t pursue the truth or put the truth into practice, your corrupt dispositions don’t change at all, you never do things in accordance with the principles of God’s house, and finally you aren’t able to achieve submission to and fear of God, then this title “service-doer,” this “crown” won’t be too big or too small for you, but will fit perfectly on your head, and you won’t ever be able to get rid of it. If you are still in this state when God’s work comes to an end and your dispositions still haven’t changed, then the title “people of God’s kingdom” will bear no relation to you, and you’ll forever be a service-doer. How can you understand these words? You should understand that the moment God’s work ends, that is, when all the people God wants to save have been saved, when the work God wants to do has achieved its effect and its goals have been achieved, God will no longer speak or guide people, He will no longer do any work to save man, and His work will end right there, as will the path of faith in God people follow. There is this verse in the Bible: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11). What does this mean? It means that the moment God says His work is over, this signifies that God will no longer be performing His work of saving man and of chastising and judging man, God will no longer enlighten or guide man, and He will no longer speak words to man patiently and earnestly exhorting them or pruning them—God will no longer perform this work. What does this mean? It means that the outcomes of all things will then be revealed, people’s outcomes will then be set, and no one will be able to change it, and there will be no more chances for people to be saved. This is what it means.
When someone casts off the title “service-doer” at the end of God’s work, when they cast off this appellation, this condition, it signifies that this person is no longer an outsider or an unbeliever in the eyes of God, but is rather a person of God’s house and God’s kingdom. And how has this title “a person of God’s house and God’s kingdom” come about? How do people gain this title? Through pursuing the truth and understanding the truth, through suffering and paying the price, through doing your duty well, by attaining a certain level of dispositional change and being able to submit to and fear God, you become a person of God’s house. Like Job and Peter, you no longer have to be harmed and corrupted by Satan, you can live freely in God’s kingdom and in God’s house, you don’t need to struggle with your corrupt dispositions anymore, and in God’s eyes you are a genuine created being, a genuine human being. Isn’t that something to be joyfully celebrated? What does it mean? It means that the life of suffering and hardship of a person who has been corrupted by Satan has entirely come to an end and they begin to live a life of joy, peace, and happiness. They can live in the light of the Creator’s countenance, live together with God, and this is something to be joyfully celebrated. However, as for the other kind of people who haven’t managed to cast off the title of “service-doer” by the end, what does it mean for them if they still haven’t taken this title, this “crown,” from their heads when God’s work ends? It means that they remain outsiders and that they’re still unbelievers in God’s eyes. The reason for this is that they don’t accept the truth or practice the truth at all, they haven’t attained dispositional change, they aren’t capable of submitting to God, and they don’t have a God-fearing heart. These people should be cast out from God’s house and they have no place in God’s kingdom. If there is no place for them in God’s kingdom, where are they? They are outside God’s kingdom and are a group set apart from the people of God. Such people are still called “service-doers,” and this signifies that they haven’t become people of God’s house, they’ll never be followers of God, God does not acknowledge them, and they’ll never again receive blessings or grace from God. Of course, it also signifies that they have no chance to enjoy good blessings with God in His kingdom or gain peace and joy—this chance is gone. So, is this moment something to be joyfully celebrated as far as they’re concerned, or is it a sorrowful event? This is a sorrowful event. And as for what their reward will be for bearing this title of “service-doer” outside God’s house and outside God’s kingdom, that is a matter for later. In any case, the difference between the reward given to service-doers and that given to the people of God’s kingdom is so great; there are differences in position, in reward, and in other such aspects. Isn’t it pitiful that people like this haven’t gained the truth and haven’t been able to attain dispositional change while God has been performing His work to save people? It’s so pitiful! These are some words regarding the title “service-doer.”
There are some people who say, “I feel resistance when service-doers are mentioned. I don’t want to be a service-doer and I’m not happy being one. If I’m one of God’s people, then I can accept that even if I’m the most insignificant of them, and it’s fine as long as I’m not a service-doer. I have no other pursuit and harbor no other ideal in this life; I just look forward to getting rid of the title ‘service-doer.’ I’m not asking for much.” What do you think of people like this? Is this the attitude of someone in pursuit of the truth? (No.) What attitude is this? Isn’t it a negative attitude? (It is.) When it comes to the title of “service-doer,” you don’t need to strive to shake it off, because this title is given based on the level of progress you make in your life and cannot be decided by what you want. It’s not dependent upon what you want, but rather it’s dependent upon the path you follow and whether your dispositions have changed. If your goal is only to pursue being able to cast off this title of “service-doer,” then let Me tell you the truth: You won’t ever be able to cast it off for as long as you live. If you focus on pursuing the truth and can attain dispositional change, then this title will slowly change. Looking at it from these two points, is the title “service-doer” imposed upon people by God? Absolutely not! It’s not a title God imposes upon people, nor is it a designation—it is a title given based on the level of progress people make in their lives. Your being a service-doer is reduced by however much progress you make in life and however much your dispositions change. When one day you are able to achieve submission to and fear of God, then even if you are willing to be a service-doer, you are a service-doer no longer, and this is decided by your pursuit, your attitude toward the truth, and the path you follow. There are also those who say, “I want to shake off this title of ‘service-doer’ and I don’t want to be one, but I don’t understand the truth and I’m not willing to pursue the truth. So, what can I do?” Is there a solution? God determines the outcomes of all kinds of people based on His words and the truth—there is no room for compromise. If you love the truth and can embark on the path in pursuit of the truth, then this is something to rejoice in; if you’re averse to the truth and choose not to follow the path in pursuit of the truth, then this is a cause for sorrow. These are the only two paths—there is no middle path to choose. The words God utters will never pass away; though all things will pass away, not one utterance of God’s can pass away. God’s words are the criteria for passing judgment on and defining all things; God’s words are the truth and can never pass away. When this world, mankind, and all things change and pass away, not one word of God’s will pass away, but instead all His words will be fulfilled. The outcomes of mankind and of all things are determined and revealed because of God’s words—no one can change this, and there can be no discussion on this matter. Therefore, when it comes to God holding sovereignty over and determining people’s outcomes, if people indulge in wishful thinking, then they are absolute fools. There is no second path for them to choose in this matter, as God has not given people a second path. This is God’s disposition, this is God’s righteousness, and people cannot interpose in this matter even if they want to. You think that out in the world of the unbelievers, you can spend some money and use your connections to handle matters, but that doesn’t work with God. Remember: This will get you nowhere with God!
b. The Ways in Which Antichrists Regard the Title “Service-Doer”
The topic for today’s fellowship is the dissection of antichrists’ attitude toward the title “service-doer.” Now that we’ve finished fellowshipping on the definition of the title “service-doer,” do most people not have a positive understanding of this title? Do you still feel resistance or unwillingness toward this title? (No.) So, let’s now look at how antichrists regard the title of “service-doer,” and what attitude they have toward it. What antichrists treasure most are high position, high prestige, and absolute power. When it comes to some very common, grassroots, and lower-level titles, and other titles which people find fairly humiliating, antichrists feel severe resistance and discrimination in their hearts, and they feel this for the title of “service-doer” in particular. No matter how tolerant and patient God is toward this group of people known as service-doers, and no matter what God’s explanation and interpretation of the title “service-doer” are, antichrists still look down upon this title deep inside their hearts. They think that this title is too lowly, and that if they themselves were service-doers, they’d be too ashamed to show their faces. They think that the moment they’re given this title, their integrity, pride and reputation are being challenged and belittled, their value takes a nosedive, and there’s no meaning to life anymore. Therefore, antichrists will not accept this title of “service-doer” no matter what. If you ask them to go to God’s house and render service for God’s work, they say: “The title of ‘service-doer’ is too degrading, and I’m not willing to be one anyway. By asking me to be a service-doer, you’re insulting me. I didn’t come to believe in God so that you could insult me—I came to receive blessings. Otherwise, what have I forsaken my family, left my job, and given up my worldly prospects for? I didn’t come to be a service-doer; I didn’t come to work for you and serve you. If you tell me to be a service-doer, then I’d rather not believe at all!” Isn’t this the antichrists’ attitude? There are even antichrists who say: “If you tell me to be a service-doer in God’s house, then what’s the point of me believing in God? What meaning does it still have?” Therefore, when they undertake a job and accept a commission or task in God’s house, they first want to figure out the following: “After I take on this job, will I be a church leader or a team leader, or will I be just a minion serving and working for others?” Before figuring this out, they get to work for the time being. During this period, they observe people’s words and expressions, keep their eyes peeled and their ears open, and ask for information from various sources. They want to know whether they’re temporarily rendering service here or whether they can do this job long-term, whether they’re someone who can be cultivated or someone who is just being temporarily used to fill a vacancy. If they’re just being used to fill a vacancy, and they’re being asked to serve for the merit of others and for the position and power of others, then they absolutely will not do it. They don’t care whether God’s house needs them to do a duty, or how important the duty they do is for the work of God’s house—they don’t care about these things. Once they realize that they’re rendering service here without the right to speak or the power to make decisions, they become perfunctory in their actions, they neglect their duty, they act recklessly, they also become autocratic, and they can even turn their back on their duty and leave at any moment; they regard the work of God’s house and their own duty as if they were children’s games. They have a life motto that goes like this: “I’m not going to toil away behind the scenes while others take the spotlight.” They think, “I was born to be a leader. I was born with the right to speak and the power to make decisions. If I were to lose those two things, then what would be the point of living anymore? What meaning would there be in believing in God anymore? Why am I believing in God? Didn’t I give up minor benefits in order to receive major blessings? If this desire can’t be fulfilled, then I’d unquestionably rather follow worldly trends and go down to hell!” What is the antichrists’ maxim? “No way am I letting anyone exploit me on their way to the top; I’m the one who exploits others. If people are rewarded based on their contributions, then I should be at the top of the list. Only then will I work energetically and give it my all, otherwise you can forget about getting me to do that. If you ask me to push myself, to give you advice, and to work with all my heart and soul, but in the end, when it comes time for people to be rewarded based on their contributions, I receive nothing, then you can forget about asking me to work for you, exert myself for you, and serve you!” Aren’t these the true revelations and manifestations of the antichrists’ disposition? Even though they don’t intentionally try to shake off the title of “service-doer,” in terms of their disposition and essence, they’re constantly shaking it off and constantly fighting, working hard, and struggling to rid themselves of this title. If, when an antichrist undertakes some work, they have a chance to stand out and take center stage, or if they have the final say and make decisions, become a leader, have position, influence, and prestige, and have some people under them, they feel so pleased. If one day someone exposes a problem with them and prunes them, saying, “There are a lot of things that you don’t handle according to the principles, and instead handle however you wish. This is the behavior of someone who is purely rendering service; you are not doing your duty,” can the antichrist accept that? (No.) First, they will profess their innocence, explain it away, and plead their case, and second, they’ll instantly feel aversion and resistance toward the words “rendering service,” and absolutely won’t accept them. They’ll say, “I’ve paid such a high price and suffered so much. I start work early and finish late at night, and I lose sleep and forget to eat, and yet you still say I’m rendering service? Are there really people who render service like this? I’ve paid such a high price and all I get for it is this title, this definition, of ‘service-doer.’ What is there for me to look forward to, then? What meaning is there to believing in God? What motivation is there? It’s better not to believe in this kind of God!” They lose their enthusiasm. After being pruned, not only do antichrists refuse to accept it, they also feel resistance and become averse, and even more so they form misunderstandings. When they work and do their duty after that, their attitude is changed, and they think, “I’m a service-doer now no matter what I do, so when I do this work I’d better hold back, leave myself a backup plan, and not give it all I’ve got. Everyone says God is righteous, so how come I can’t see it? How is God righteous? Since I’m a service-doer no matter what I do, then from now on I’ll change the way I believe in God; I’ll just render service, and we’ll see who fears who. Since I won’t be praised or approved of for anything I do, then so be it, I’ll change my way of living and my way of doing things. I’ll do whatever you ask me to do, and I won’t speak up if I have any ideas—whoever wants to speak can do it. If someone prunes me, I’ll appear to agree with them on the surface, and if anyone makes a mistake in their work, I won’t say anything even if I notice it. If someone acts without an understanding of the principles, I won’t tell them the principles even if I understand them. I’ll just watch them act like a fool, let them make mistakes so that they get pruned like I did, and see whether they can handle a taste of what it feels like to be classified as a service-doer. Since you gave me a hard time, then I’ll make things difficult for you and won’t let you have an easy ride either!” Just being pruned and disciplined causes them to feel such strong emotions and feelings of resistance—is this an attitude of accepting the truth? (No.) What’s wrong with rendering service? Is it bad to render service for God? Does rendering service for God harm your dignity? Is God not worthy of having you render service for Him? Then what are you worthy of having God do for you? Why are you so sensitive to and resistant toward these words? The Creator humbled Himself to become a person who lives among humans and serves every corrupt human being, human beings who oppose and reject Him. Why, then, can’t people render a little service for the sake of God’s management plan? What’s wrong with doing this? Is there something disreputable about it? Is there something unspeakable about it? Compared to the humility and hiddenness of God, human beings will forever be despicable and ugly. Isn’t that so?
Corrupt people who pursue the truth may now feel only momentarily upset when they hear the title “service-doer,” but this can become a motivating factor that can inspire them to pursue the truth to reach submission to God; they’re not so sensitive to this title that God gives to people. But this is not the case with antichrists. They’re always very nitpicky about the titles that God gives people and take them to heart. It doesn’t take much for a phrase that God says to infringe upon their interests and hurt them, and when something God says goes against their intention and desire to receive blessings, it hurts their self-esteem. The moment their self-esteem and dignity are hurt, they then judge, reject, and betray God; they want to leave God, they’re unwilling to keep doing their duty, while at the same time they curse God for being unrighteous and for not sympathizing with people. Some people even say that God is too hard to please, and that nothing they do is right. These words, sentiments, and dispositions all come from antichrists. Besides being entirely without an attitude of submission to God, they also split hairs when it comes to the various things God says, and they’re neglectful of and indifferent toward the various requirements of God. They are constantly resisting this title of “service-doer” and have no intention of accepting it or submitting, much less any intention of understanding God’s will. All they do is persistently seek to cast off this designation and identity, this status and position of “service-doer,” and not in the least do they seek how to cooperate with God in order to satisfy God’s will, or how to achieve dispositional change, enter the truth reality and submit to God. They don’t pursue these positive things at all, and even when they’re exposed as service-doers, the indignation and impetuousness that they feel come bursting out all at once. How serious can this be? Some antichrists secretly curse God in public places while cursing Him loudly behind closed doors, saying, “God isn’t righteous. I might as well not believe in this kind of God!” They openly call out and go against God. Just this word “service-doer” causes the essence of antichrists that opposes God and is averse to the truth to be revealed. Their wicked faces are thoroughly unmasked before the word “service-doer,” and they are utterly laid bare. What exactly is laid bare? It is that they don’t believe in God in order to accept His salvation or to accept the truth, nor do they believe in God because God is the truth or because God is the Sovereign over all things. Rather, they believe in God because they want something from Him. They subject themselves to coming to God’s house for the sake of their own ambitions and desires. They attempt in vain to stand out from the crowd and receive blessings through their own means, efforts, hard work, and struggles, or, even better, perhaps receive an even greater reward in their next life. Therefore, in their eyes, the word “service-doer” is forever something degrading and a derogatory term, something they can never accept. Some brothers and sisters think, “Rendering service for God is our blessing. It’s a good thing, an honorable thing.” Antichrists, however, never accept this fact, and say, “Rendering service for God is our blessing? What kind of thing is that to say? What a bunch of nonsense! Where is the blessing in doing that? Where is the pleasure? What can be gained by rendering service for God? Can you gain money, gold, or treasure from rendering service? Or can you get a house and a car? Everyone who renders service will be cast out; are there any service-doers who are good people? No one who renders service will ever gain anything.” They don’t accept the fact fellowshipped by brothers and sisters that “rendering service for God is a blessing upon mankind,” and they feel resistance and repulsion toward it; they’d rather listen to anything else.
Antichrists can exert themselves for, serve, and pour drinks for any official or anyone with position and prestige in the world, and will even accept rendering service for these people and be more than willing to do it. Only when they come to render service for God do they become unwilling and reluctant, full of complaints, resistance, and feelings. What kind of creatures are these people? Are these the manifestations that a follower of God should have? These are clearly manifestations of the antichrists’ essence. If an antichrist were to go into the world to serve a mayor, provincial governor, or any prestigious politician, they’d think this was something that brought glory to their ancestors and made their family proud. They would be indescribably happy; they’d be floating on cloud nine. If anyone asked them what their job was, they’d say, “I serve the mayor. I’m the mayor’s close attendant, his personal guard!” Or they’d say, “I take care of the president’s daily needs!” They’d say this so proudly. They’d think this was a fine job, and that their whole family would share in the glory of it. They’d dream at night and wake up happy, and they wouldn’t hide what they did no matter where they went. Why is that? They wouldn’t see their job as shameful; they’d feel that it was honorable, a job that placed them above others, a job that put a halo over their head. However, after someone like this comes to believe in God, if they’re asked to render service for Him, they aren’t willing to do it, they feel resistance and even complain about and curse God, and they can also betray and deny God. Comparing these two things, we can see that antichrists are antichrists, that they are part of Satan’s gang. No matter how they attend to Satan, and no matter how dirty, exhausting, or degrading that work is, they consider it an honor. When doing things for God in His house, however, no matter how meaningful, valuable, or noble the things they do are, or how exalted they are by doing them, they always consider these things to be not worth mentioning. Regardless of what a great blessing it is and how honorable it is to render service for God and God’s work, and what a precious opportunity it is for mankind, they just can’t be happy about it. Why is this? There is only one reason: Antichrists are part of Satan’s gang—they are satanic and are living Satans, inherently antagonistic to God. If they are asked to serve God and render service for God, they just can’t get happy about it. No matter how God’s house fellowships on the truth with people or tries to get people to understand God’s will in regard to the title “service-doer,” antichrists cannot accept it from God or accept any of the truths related to it, much less accept the fact or the truth that a created being rendering service for the Creator is an honorable, valuable, and meaningful thing—this is the attitude antichrists harbor toward the title “service-doer.” Faced with this title, and faced with the fact of people rendering service for God, all antichrists have ever done is endeavor to rid themselves of this title and evade this fact, instead of accepting the fact, accepting this title of “service-doer” from God, and then pursuing the truth, listening to God’s words, and submitting to and fearing God. Judging from the manifestations that antichrists exhibit toward the title “service-doer,” it must be said that antichrists are of a kind with Satan, that they are part of Satan’s hostile forces, and that they are antagonistic to God, the truth, and all positive things.
The attitude antichrists harbor toward the title “service-doer” is one of unacceptance, resistance, repulsion, and detestation. No matter who this title comes from, they constantly feel resistance toward it and do not accept it, believing that being a service-doer is lowly, and that it is always lowly no matter for whom they are rendering service. They think that “service-doer” is not a definition that God gives to man based on man’s essence, but is rather a challenge and a show of contempt toward man’s identity and worth—this is the main view that antichrists have of the title “service-doer.” From antichrists’ attitude toward God’s words, we can see that they don’t regard God’s words as criteria or as the truth, but instead as things for them to scrutinize and analyze. That is to say, they don’t accept God’s words on the premise of comprehending the truth or accepting that God is the Creator, but rather approach God’s words on the premise of scrutinizing, feeling resistance, and standing in opposition. To them, every word God says and every saying He utters is an object for scrutiny, and the title of “service-doer” is no exception. They put effort into scrutinizing and pondering the word “service-doer,” and in God’s words they see that God doesn’t regard service-doers as good, but rather as lowly, as inferior, as worthless, as people that God doesn’t love, and as people that God detests. Even though this is God’s attitude toward the title “service-doer,” there is a context to and a reason for Him having such an attitude—it is based on the essence of man. There is also another fact which they haven’t seen: No matter how much God detests and hates corrupt mankind, God has never given up on saving mankind, nor has He stopped the work of His management plan to save mankind. Antichrists don’t believe this fact, nor do they acknowledge it or see it. They just fixate on what God has to say about the outcomes of various kinds of people, and particularly in regard to the title “service-doer,” they have an exceedingly sensitive attitude. They don’t want to be service-doers, and they don’t want to be defined as service-doers by God, much less render service for God wearing the title of “service-doer.” That’s why, when antichrists come to God’s house, they make inquiries in many different circles, asking whether they themselves are service-doers, and from God’s words and what people say about them, they want to hear words of honesty and get to the truth of the matter—are they service-doers or not? If they are, then they instantly and immediately walk away; they don’t render service for God or for God’s house. They have such a strong reaction against the title of “service-doer,” and it becomes evident that identity, position, prospects, destiny, and destination are, as far as antichrists are concerned, items to be permanently pursued and interests that are never abandoned. To antichrists, service-doers rank lowest among mankind as defined by God. No matter what you say or how many people accept this fact and this title, antichrists will absolutely not accept it. When doing work, they only demand that others render service for them, listen to them, obey them, and revolve around them, and they never require themselves to cooperate or discuss things with others, or to ask for others’ opinions, consult God’s will, or seek the truth principles. They think, “If I were to cooperate and discuss things with others and seek the truth principles when I do things, then I’d be demeaning myself and losing my autonomy, and wouldn’t that be rendering service? Wouldn’t I be toiling away behind the scenes while others take the spotlight? Wouldn’t I be attending to and serving others?” This is something they absolutely do not want to do. They just demand that others attend to them, surrender to them, listen to them, appreciate them, give them high praise, make them look good in all things, leave them a place, serve them, and work for them, and even demand that God give them appropriate rewards and a suitable crown in accordance with what they’ve done. Even when anyone mentions how great a price God has paid and how much He has suffered for the salvation of mankind, how He has humbled Himself, and how much He has provided for mankind, when antichrists hear these words and see these facts, they remain indifferent and take them for granted. How do antichrists interpret such things? They say: “God is supposed to do everything for man and is supposed to bestow the best on man, bestow blessings and grace, and bestow peace and joy on man. He’s supposed to dedicate all of this to man; it’s His obligation. And when people forsake things, expend themselves, and pay a price for God, when they offer up everything for God, they’re supposed to get rewards from God and receive something even better. Isn’t that a fair transaction? An equal trade? What is there to talk about with this? What merit does God have? Why haven’t I seen any of God’s merit? God bestows things upon man, so isn’t it natural that man deserves to receive them? People have been paying a price!” They don’t believe that all these things God does for man are the greatest grace to man; they’re not grateful and they don’t think to repay God. Instead, they want to exchange the price they pay for the beautiful destination God has promised mankind, and they naturally believe that it’s proper for them to desire blessings and harbor all these intentions, and so however one looks at it, God shouldn’t make people His service-doers. They believe that people have dignity and integrity, and if people who have such great love and who can give to charity, expend themselves, and forsake things are made to render service for God, then they’re being seriously humiliated and treated too unjustly. To antichrists, all these things that God does are not worth mentioning. Rather, they infinitely magnify the things that they do themselves, even if it’s something quite small, and treat these things as capital for them to receive blessings.
Some people never do anything well when doing their duty in the church. If the brothers and sisters don’t accept the things they do, the skills and talents they provide, or the ideas and suggestions they offer, then they’ll refuse to keep working and want to call it quits and walk away—they’ll want to abandon God. If you ask them to cooperate with someone, they won’t do it, and if you ask them to do all they can in doing their duty, they won’t do that either. They’ll just issue orders left and right, get others to listen to them, and get people to attend to them, become their service-doers, and serve them instead of doing their own duties in God’s house. And if they don’t get this kind of treatment, or if they lose this kind of treatment, this treatment of having others wait upon them, work for them and follow their orders, then they want to call it quits and walk away; they believe that God isn’t righteous, their hearts are full of complaints and anger against God and develop hatred toward the brothers and sisters, and no one is able to help them. They can’t work harmoniously with anyone and can’t associate with anyone on equal footing. Their rules for associating with others are that it can only be them who stands above others when speaking and acting, watching others doing everything for them and following every order and slogan they utter; no one is worthy of cooperating with them, and no one is qualified to associate with them on equal footing. If someone treats them as a buddy or as an ordinary brother or sister, and speaks to them, discusses work with them, and fellowships on understanding with them as though they are equals, then they take this as a terrible insult and a tremendous challenge to their integrity. In their hearts, they hate and feel hostility toward such people, and they’ll look for opportunities to retaliate against anyone who treats them as an equal or who doesn’t take them seriously. Isn’t this what antichrists do? This is the hierarchical perspective that antichrists reveal when it comes to associating with other people. Of course, this relates to the genuine opinion and attitude that antichrists harbor toward the title of “service-doer.” They can’t even accept a title that God gives to mankind, so can they accept the condemnation, exposing, and evaluation of others? They’re even less able to accept these things. In one respect, they feel hostility and resistance toward the title and the essence of “service-doer,” but in another, they tirelessly draw more people in and bring them on board to render service for them, serve them, attend to them, and obey them. Isn’t this despicable? The essence of such people is wicked, and that is absolutely true. They desire to control others. They themselves are clearly worthless and can’t do anything; they’re just trash in God’s house, they have no normal humanity, and they can’t associate normally with others, let alone have any normal reason. They don’t understand the truth at all, they are not enlightened about the truth, they only have a little professional knowledge and grasp a few skills, and they can’t do any duty well. Yet still, they don’t behave well and want to seize power, and when they can’t seize power, they feel that they’re done for, thinking, “I must have been rendering service when I did those things before. I’m not willing to render service. I’d better hurry and leave now before I expend too much effort or lose too much.” This is the idea they have. They always make such a determination and come to such a decision; they can stop believing and leave at any time, dropping their duty at any moment and making their get-away, returning to Satan’s embrace and being its partner in evildoing. Are there such people as this? (Yes.) When it comes to some aspect of professional work, they may understand a little, but in terms of the truth principles that they must grasp for that aspect of professional work, they’re totally ignorant; when it comes to an aspect of knowledge or gifts, they may possess some of these, but as far as the truth principles they must understand to do their duty, they’re again utterly ignorant, and their comprehension is distorted. They can’t cooperate harmoniously with others, and they don’t speak the same language as others when fellowshipping together. What are such people suited for? If they truly have a conscience and reason, then they will be able to treat other people correctly, and when people say things that are right and that accord with the truth, they’ll be able to accept them, they’ll willingly submit, and they’ll be able to rebel against their flesh. They shouldn’t always want to stand out above the crowd, lead others, and control others; instead, they should let go of their ambition and desire to excel above others and be willing to be the most insignificant of people, even if it involves rendering service—they should do whatever they can. They themselves are ordinary people, so they should return to the position of ordinary people, do their best to do their duties, and be down-to-earth people. People like this will be able to stand firm in the end. If they don’t choose this path and instead think themselves to be great and noble, if no one can touch them or get to them, and if they want to be a local bully, a tyrant, and follow the path of antichrists, then they’re destined to be evil people. If they aren’t willing to be the most insignificant person, to be totally unknown or away from the limelight, or to give it their all, then they are surely antichrists and cannot be saved—this is dangerous for them. If someone like this can reflect on themselves, have self-knowledge, accept God’s sovereignty and arrangements, take their appropriate position, be an ordinary person, and no longer make any pretenses, then they’ll have a chance to attain salvation. If you always want to be overbearing and unreasonable and display yourself as a powerful figure, then that’s futile. God’s house is full of God’s chosen people, and no matter how formidable, fierce, or evil you are, it’s no use. God’s house isn’t a fighting arena, so if you want to fight, then go do it in the arena of the world. No one in God’s house wants to fight with you; no one is interested in it or has the spare time for it. God’s house is a place that preaches the truth, that helps people understand the truth and put the truth into practice. If you can’t practice the truth, then that’s difficult to handle, and it only shows that you don’t belong here. If you always want to fight, you always want to be fierce, you always want to be ruthless, and you always want to be overbearing and unreasonable, then the church is not the right place for you. Most people in God’s house love the truth; they want to follow God and gain life, and they don’t enjoy engaging in intrigue and fighting with devils. Only antichrists enjoy fighting right and left and competing for power and profit, and that’s why antichrists cannot stand firm in God’s house.
There is a kind of person who is incredibly sensitive to such things as identity, position, and status, and who feels enormous resistance and repulsion toward the title “service-doer” in particular, and absolutely cannot accept it—such people are antichrists. Not only do they not pursue the truth and are averse to the truth, but they’re also averse to being addressed as a “service-doer.” Those who are averse to the title “service-doer” should actually pursue the truth—if they were capable of pursuing the truth, wouldn’t they then have cast off the title of “service-doer”? But this is exactly the problem. Because they’re extremely averse to the truth, they will never walk the path of pursuing and practicing it. That’s why, in the work of God’s management plan, they will forever play the role of service-doers. Of course, for antichrists, to be able to act as service-doers in God’s management plan is still a blessing; it’s a chance for them to see the deeds of the Creator, to hear the Creator express the truth and share His innermost thoughts with mankind, and to appreciate the wisdom and almighty deeds of the Creator. To them, it’s not a bad thing to be service-doers for the Creator, and whether they can comprehend or not, being God’s service-doers and rendering service in God’s house should be something that these antichrists and companions of Satan will always remember, even if God’s work ends later on. Throughout the entire process of corrupt mankind’s antagonizing of God, antichrists unknowingly render service for God’s management plan, and this is the tiny bit of value in each antichrist’s existence—this is a fact. Antichrists make their contribution by allowing God’s chosen people to discern and recognize antichrists from the negative side. Whether they’re willing to acknowledge this fact or not, and regardless of whether they’re willing, glad, and happy to be service-doers, in any case, rendering service for God’s work as service-doers and taking on this role are things that are worthwhile—this is God exalting them. Some people say, “Does God exalt antichrists as well?” What’s wrong with that? They’re created beings; can’t God exalt them? What I say is true. Now, how do antichrists feel when they hear these words? They shouldn’t try to find faults and should gain some comfort. At the very least, they’ve contributed a measure of effort to the great matter of God’s management plan. Regardless of whether they did this willingly, or whether they did it actively or passively, in any case, this was God exalting them, and they should accept this joyfully and not resist it. If antichrists can rebel against their ancestors, rebel against Satan, and pursue the truth and pursue submission to the Creator, then tell Me, will God be happy? (Yes, He will.) This is also an honor for God’s chosen people, and they should be happy, too—this is a good thing. Whether or not this fact is tenable, in any case, if antichrists can change course and walk the path of repentance, then of course that’s a good thing. So, why do I say that this is an honor for God’s chosen people? If an antichrist rendered service willingly, wouldn’t there be one less scourge in God’s house? If you had one less devil among you, one less disturber and troublemaker, wouldn’t your days be much more tranquil? Looking at it from this perspective, if antichrists were truly willing to render service, then this would also be a good thing that is worth celebrating. You have to encourage and help them, and not completely dismiss them. If you have good intentions and let them stay, but their rendering service is more trouble than it’s worth and leads to disaster, then they should be handled according to the principles. Isn’t this a good way to do things? (Yes, it is.)
There is another kind of person who is worth mentioning. There are some people who are able to suffer and pay a price in the course of doing their duty, and sometimes they can also obey and submit or handle matters according to the principles. Their subjective desire is to walk the path of pursuing the truth, they can always submit to anything arranged by the Above or the church, and they can always complete tasks on time. They don’t cause disruptions and disturbances in God’s house, and the work they do and the duty they take on bring many benefits and advantages to brothers and sisters. From the outside, although they haven’t done any evil, they don’t disrupt or disturb, and they don’t seem like evil people, they do something that ordinary people can’t and don’t do, and that is that they enjoy cultivating their influence and establishing their own independent kingdoms. When they’re assigned to some task, the moment they become the person responsible for that job, they can start establishing their own independent kingdoms and can start unconsciously cultivating their power and connections within the scope of their influence. Within this scope, everyone is completely and totally won over by them, and people give loud praise to and greatly admire everything they do, everything they say, and the price they pay. They regard the scope of their management as their own little family within God’s family. From the outside, they appear to be able to pay a price, suffer, and bear responsibility—there appears to be no problem. However, at crucial moments, they’re capable of betraying the interests of God’s house. In order to safeguard their own prestige and their place atop the mountain, and to safeguard their absolute position, dignity, and power in the church, they don’t offend or hurt anyone. Even if someone harms or betrays the interests of God’s house, and even if someone disturbs or destroys the work of God’s house, they don’t look into the matter, they pay it no heed, and they can tolerate it. So long as that person doesn’t threaten their position and still works in service of them within their scope of influence, then that’s fine—this is their highest criterion. No matter what disturbances that person causes, they don’t see it, they take no notice, and they don’t prune or reprimand that person, much less handle them. Such people are dangerous elements. They’re difficult for the average person to discern, and perhaps you won’t be able to notice anything amiss with them when they have no position. As soon as they have position, however, their nature essence is totally unmasked. And what exactly is unmasked? It is that there is a purpose to the price they pay and everything they do; they don’t do these things for the sake of safeguarding the interests of God’s house, they’re not truly doing their duty, and they’re not doing all these things for God to see, but rather for people to see. They want to attract the gaze, the eyes, and the attention of others, and even more than this they want to mislead people’s hearts so that people look up to, admire, and praise them. That’s why they don’t care about how God sees or treats them; if God says they are only there to render service, they are indifferent. So long as people can kneel at their feet and bow down to them, then it’s fine. These people are dangerous elements and are not of the same mind as God and God’s house, and their hearts are not the same as those of God’s chosen people who genuinely pursue the truth. They are cultivating influence for themselves, and are also cultivating influence for Satan. Judging from their various manifestations, the duty they do and everything they do is all a way to show themselves off and fawn on others as much as they possibly can.
Antichrists can render some service in God’s house and in the work of God’s management plan, and at one stage they may even be good service-doers. However, because of the path they walk, and because of the objectives and direction they choose, as well as their desire for position and power and yearning for fame and gain that they have inside them, they can never shake off the title of “service-doer,” they can’t understand the truth, they can’t comprehend what the truth reality is or enter into it, they aren’t able to practice the truth, they can’t attain true submission, and they can’t attain fear of God. Such people are dangerous elements. They have profound philosophies for worldly dealings, have very clever ways of interacting with people, pay particular attention to the way they speak and their wording when speaking to others, and also pay close attention to the methods they use when associating with people. Although they may not appear to be treacherous and evil on the surface, their hearts are filled with wicked ideas, thoughts, and views, and even notions and misunderstandings about truth and failure to understand God. Even though people can’t see what about these people is evil or see that they are evil people, because their essence is so wicked, and because they can’t ever do their duty in line with the truth principles or walk the path of pursuing the truth and reach true submission to God, in the end they are forever unable to cast off this title of “service-doer.” These people are even more underhanded and more capable of misleading others than obvious antichrists and evil people. From the outside, they appear to have no opinion about and harbor no attitude toward the title of “service-doer,” much less do they feel any resistance toward it. However, the fact is that judging by their essence, even if they render service for God, they still harbor intentions and goals; they don’t render service unconditionally, and they don’t do it to gain the truth. Because these people are wicked and crafty inside, it’s not easy for them to be discerned by others. Only in crucial matters and at crucial times are their nature essence, thoughts, views, and the path they walk revealed. As this continues, if these people choose this way of pursuit and choose to walk such a path, then one can imagine that such people will not be able to attain salvation. They use the trust that God’s house places in them and the opportunity of God’s work to scheme for their own benefits, to control and torment people, and to satisfy their own ambitions and desires. In the end, they don’t gain the truth, but are instead revealed due to having done all sorts of evil. When they’re revealed, it becomes clear that these people don’t pursue the truth, and that they don’t believe in God for the sake of pursuing the truth and attaining salvation. After listening to God’s words and His exposure of all kinds of people, if these people consistently use the principles, means, and methods of dealing with the world to do their duty, then there can only be one final outcome: They must take on the role of service-doer in God’s management work and finally be revealed and cast out—this is a fact. Have you ever had experiences with such people yourselves before? When they’re revealed and expelled, some antichrists become commanders without an army. The evil they’ve done has been too much and too great, and brothers and sisters are repulsed by them and abandon them. There is also another kind of person who, when they’re revealed and when they’re condemned and rejected by the church, have many accomplices and helpers who speak up for them, take up the fight for them, and make a ruckus before God. Aren’t these kinds of people even more capable of misleading others? Such people are even more dangerous. As far as how antichrists regard the title “service-doer,” and which underlying practices, ideas, and manifestations they exhibit, we’ll just end our fellowship here for the time being.
c. Why Antichrists Are Unwilling to Be Service-Doers
Antichrists don’t want to be service-doers and are unwilling to be service-doers. They think that by being service-doers, they will suffer tremendous insult and discrimination. So, what exactly do they want to be? What’s their objective when they start to believe in God and come to God’s house? Are they willing to be one of God’s people, God’s followers? Are they willing to be a person who is perfected? Are they happy to be like Peter and Job and call it good? (No.) Does anyone say they’re happy to be one of God’s chosen people in their faith in God, that that’s enough for them? Is anyone willing to be a toy in the hands of God? No, people are especially not willing to be this. When anyone comes to God’s house, they come looking to gain benefits, blessings, rewards, and a crown. As they accept being exposed and judged by God’s words, they come to know that by harboring such intentions in their faith in God, they will not be able to understand the truth and will ultimately not be able to attain salvation. So, many people then choose to first let go of their desire for blessings and their desire for a crown and rewards, to let go of all these benefits and first listen to what God is saying, what His demands of man are, and what He has to say to man. Many people who listen to God’s words feel a secret joy in their hearts, saying: “God exposes our corruption, He exposes our ugly true colors, and He exposes our essence of opposing God and being averse to the truth—these are all facts. Fortunately for me, I didn’t hasten to stretch out my hands to God asking for good fortune, grace, and blessings; fortunately, I let these things go first. If I hadn’t let these things go, wouldn’t I have made a fool of myself? Everything God says exposes man’s nature and essence, so how could I cast off those things? God has said that people must first take up doing their duty and cooperate with the work within God’s management plan. During this process, if people can embark upon the path of understanding and accepting the truth, then they will have hope of attaining salvation and can gain many benefits in the future.” At this point, many people stop thinking about those things. Their wonderful wishes, their longing and hopes for the future don’t seem so realistic anymore. They feel that, in this moment, how to do their duties well, how to satisfy God’s will, and how to understand the truth and stand firm are more realistic, important, and crucial than those desires and ideals. Therefore, at this crucial juncture, most people choose to do their duty, experience God’s work, gain the truth, dedicate their time and youth, and forsake their family, their job, and their worldly prospects for God and for the performance of their duty, and some people even leave their marriage for this. These kinds of manifestations, behaviors, and actions people have are undoubtedly a kind of obedient and submissive attitude toward positive things and all the demands that God speaks of, and it is precisely this attitude that is a necessary condition people must possess in order to be able to understand the truth, practice the truth, submit to God, and finally attain salvation. These are the various manifestations and thoughts every normal person has before they come to God’s house to do their duty. From when these people first began to believe in God up until now, their thoughts and views are undergoing constant changes, and their attitude toward the truth and God are also undergoing constant transformation. At the same time as these previous desires and ambitions of man are undergoing constant destruction, they are gradually and actively letting go of these things and giving them up. This is the good fruit that is ultimately produced by people’s wish to cooperate with and submit to God. It is a positive and good manifestation, and it is a good result. While people are making constant progress, those who genuinely pursue the truth have almost let go of their desire and intention to gain blessings, and so most people are basically not very sensitive to or interested in the various promises that God made to man before. This is because, when measured according to the reason of a normal person, if someone can’t do their duty up to standard and fails to understand the truth, they will miss their chance to gain all the blessings promised by God and will have nothing to do with them. Everyone should understand this simplest of logic. Of course, there are now many people who already understand such a fact, and also acknowledge and accept this fact; it is only the antichrists who don’t accept it. Why don’t they accept it? It’s because they are antichrists. They don’t accept this fact, and so what do they want to do? When they come to God’s house, they scrutinize God’s words and find in them various titles and statuses such as “God’s person,” “firstborn sons,” “God’s sons,” “God’s people,” and “service-doers,” and their eyes light up. Their desires and ambitions are quickly satisfied, and they think, “Being one of God’s sons is too ordinary; most people are God’s sons. Being one of God’s people means being a commoner, part of the masses, just a regular person with no power or influence. And don’t even think about making me a service-doer. I’ll have nothing to do with being a service-doer for as long as I live; it’s totally unrelated to me.” And so, they fix their gaze on the two titles of “God’s person” and “firstborn sons.” In their notions, they believe that “God’s person” is God Himself, that the “firstborn sons” are God’s firstborn sons, and that these two bring power and influence, and can reign as kings among mankind, control people, control God’s chosen people, possess absolute power, and have the power of speech, the power to be a leader, and the power to orchestrate people and decide whether people live or die—they believe these powers to be so great. That’s why it’s impossible to get them to be service-doers. If they were allowed to choose for themselves, they would choose to be firstborn sons or God’s person; otherwise, they would stop believing in God. When they do their duty or act as leaders and workers in God’s house, they act, pay a price, suffer, and run about in pursuit of these two goals. During this time, they continually calculate how far they’ve gone while rushing about, how many people they’ve gained when spreading the gospel, how many people revere and look up to them, whether brothers and sisters dealing with problems go to others or come to them when they lead the church, and whether they can control and sway the thoughts and views of others. They continually calculate, weigh, and observe these things, aiming to achieve what they want: to rule as kings in God’s house. Most people, after coming to God’s house and understanding some truths, can normally do the duty of a created being—but not antichrists. They believe they come from a noble bloodline, that they are part of a noble and special group, and that they must be called great in God’s house; otherwise, they won’t believe in God. If they are to believe in God, then they must be honored as great in God’s house and be the top dog. At the same time, they also calculate and work out how much credit they have in God’s notebook, and whether they are sufficiently qualified to rule as kings alongside God. Therefore, the source, the starting point, and the motivation for some antichrists coming to God’s house to do their duty is to come to His house to rule as kings. They certainly aren’t willing to do their duty just to be ordinary and most insignificant followers, and the moment their ambition and desire is extinguished, they suddenly turn hostile and refuse to do their duty.
There are some people in God’s house now who have been doing their duty for several years, doing everything badly, and being cast out wherever they do their duty. Because they have terrible humanity and low integrity, don’t pursue the truth, and have a vicious and wicked disposition that is averse to the truth, they are ultimately rejected by brothers and sisters. As soon as they see that their desire for blessings is about to go up in smoke, and that their dream of ruling as a king and standing out in God’s house can no longer be realized, how do they live in their private life? They don’t read God’s words, they don’t listen to hymns, they don’t attend gatherings, they ignore God’s house when asked to do a duty, and brothers and sisters even need to call on them, invite them, and remind them when it’s time to attend gatherings. Some of them reluctantly keep attending gatherings, but during the gatherings they don’t say a word, they don’t fellowship, and they feel repulsed by everything the others say and don’t want to hear it. When brothers and sisters pray, they close their eyes too, but they don’t say anything—they have nothing to say to God. And what do some other people do during gatherings, when listening to sermons, or when brothers and sisters are fellowshipping on the truth? Some go to sleep, some look at their phones and read the news, some chat with others, and some play games online. Believing in God, they think that in God’s house, if they can’t be well-liked, can’t be in good graces with others, have no supporters crowding around them, and can’t be assigned important tasks, then they won’t be able to rule as kings with God in the future, and therefore, God does not exist to them. Whether God exists, to them, is linked to whether or not they can receive blessings. Isn’t this how antichrists behave? They believe that if God cannot let them receive blessings, then He is not God and He is without truth, and that only the one who can let them act wantonly, seize power in the church, and rule as kings in the future is God. This is the logic of Satan—it is confusing right and wrong and distorting facts. As believers in God, the reason they can’t follow God’s footprints and are unwilling to do their duty is that they’re averse to the truth, that in their hearts they revere only the philosophies of Satan, knowledge, fame, gain, and position. They deny that God is truth, they pay no attention to God’s work, and that’s why at gatherings they look at their phones, play games, eat snacks, and chat casually—they do whatever they want and still feel pleased with themselves. The moment their hopes of being blessed are shattered, they find no meaning to faith in God anymore, and when they find no meaning to faith in God, they regard the church—the place where brothers and sisters gather together—as a playground, they regard the time of gathering together as leisure time, and they think of gatherings and listening to sermons as oppressive, dull, and boring. What do they regard the sermons that brothers and sisters listen to and the truth as? They regard them as slogans, as groundless nonsense, and they regard the time spent gathered together with brothers and sisters as time wasted. Have these people not been revealed? They bring their ambitions, their desires, and their illusions to their faith in God, and this is a signal that determines they will be unable to follow the path to the end, and that they’re unworthy even of rendering service for God’s work and God’s management plan. They look with contempt upon those who listen to sermons and on brothers and sisters who pursue the truth, and even more so, they deny God’s work, God’s existence, and the existence of the fact of the work of God’s management plan.
When antichrists—those people who are averse to the truth—come to think that believing in God won’t bring them any benefits, their demonic countenance is unmasked. Some female antichrists apply makeup at home until they look like ghosts. They wear whatever is trendy or attractive to the opposite sex, and some even sneak around playing mahjong, gambling, and smoking—these people are too dreadful and disgusting. They come to God’s house with pretense, and what happens in the end? They can’t maintain it, can they? Only the truth can reveal people, and if someone doesn’t love the truth, is averse to the truth, and has a vicious disposition, then they are destined to be hostile to the truth and unable to hold on. Does the church still need to cast such people out? Does God still need to condemn them? Does God still need to reject such a person? No, God pays no attention to them whatsoever. To God, these people are just bugs, unworthy even of being service-doers—they are just not up to it. When they have such a contemptuous attitude toward gatherings, church life, and their duty, what does this prove? God does not watch over or protect them, nor does He lead them. He does not perform any work of enlightening, guiding, or disciplining them, and thus they live such undesirable and ugly lives. They themselves, however, think, “I don’t believe in God; I’m free. You folks who believe in God, you have to suffer and pay a price, forsake your families and careers, while I don’t have to suffer anything. I can enjoy the leisure of being at home, revel in the pleasures of the flesh, and enjoy the delights of life.” They believe they have gained happiness and freedom. Does God pay them any mind? (No.) Why not? To God, these people are bugs, not humans, and they are not worth His attention. If God pays them no mind, will He still save them? No, God won’t save them. So, does what they do have anything to do with God? Does it bear any relation to the administrative decrees of God’s house? No, it does not. Therefore, they appear on the outside to live very comfortably, freely, and loosely, quite happy every day. Did you think that was a good thing? One glance at what they live out and the path they follow, and you know that they’re finished, that God doesn’t want them anymore. These bugs are really a stinky bunch! God pays such people no mind whatsoever.
Those who, regardless of the environment and circumstances, strive as much as they can to reign as kings and be on an equal footing with God in the coming age are incorrigibly obstinate elements among the antichrists. Such people are just like Paul; they bear thorns in their flesh, they harbor doubts about God, they resist and threaten God, and they show great reluctance when they work, expend themselves, endure hardships, and pay a price. They do these things only in exchange for a crown and in exchange for being able to reign as kings in the coming age. Doesn’t this whole process make antichrists sound so pitiable? Actually, they’re not pitiable. Not only are they not pitiable, but they’re actually somewhat laughable. After God has said so much, if you still don’t understand the truth then just forget it; how can you not make sense of such straightforward language? How can you not understand such a simple tenet? If you don’t practice the truth, you won’t be able to achieve dispositional change or attain salvation; and even if God has made you a promise, you won’t be able to attain that. Any promise God makes to man is conditional; He does not make promises to people without reason or conditions. God has His requirements of man, and these requirements never change at any time. God will not violate the truth, nor will He change His will. If you understood this point, would you still stubbornly cling to your desires and ambitions? Only idiots and irrational people would stubbornly cling to these things. Those who have some normal rationality and normal humanity should let go of these things and pursue that which they should pursue, attain, and enter into—they should first meet God’s requirements. Second, what should people with normal rationality also understand? There are prophecies in the Bible that say we will reign as kings with God for all eternity, and in God’s current work, He also mentions God’s person, firstborn sons, God’s sons, God’s people, and so on, classifying various levels and titles for people. Since God has promised man these things, why can’t people pursue them? So, what should the correct comprehension and the correct approach be? If someone regards reigning as a king and the promises made by God as goals to pursue, is this the correct path? Certainly it isn’t; this isn’t positive, it is too adulterated by human will, and this path is at odds with the truth. Some people say, “Since You’ve made this promise, why won’t You permit us to attain it? Since You’ve said all these things and stated them publicly to all mankind, why won’t You permit us to pursue this?” This relates to the truth; no one has ever understood this right from the very beginning up till now. Which aspect of the truth does this relate to? You must look at it this way: God made a promise to man, and from God, man became aware of the idea of reigning as kings, as well as various titles like “God’s person,” “firstborn sons,” “God’s sons,” and so on. These are just titles, however. As to what title pertains to which people depends on an individual’s pursuit and performance. Whatever title the Creator gives to you, that is what you are. If He doesn’t give you a title, then you are nothing; it’s merely a promise from God, not something people are entitled to or deserving of. Of course, this promise is a goal people desire, but this goal is not the path that humans should take, and it has nothing to do with the path people take. Who has the right to make decisions on this matter? (God.) That’s right, people must understand this. If God says He’s giving you something, then you have something; if He says He’s taking it away from you, then you have nothing, you are nothing. If you say, “I’ll pursue this even if God doesn’t give it to me, and if God does give it to me, then I’ll accept it as a matter of course,” then this is wrong. Why is it wrong? It violates a major taboo. You don’t recognize the fact that God will always be God and man will always be man—this is why it’s wrong. Some people say, “It’s prophesied in the Bible. In many places, the Bible says that we’ll reign as kings with God for all eternity. Why can God say this and yet we can’t pursue it?” Is this the reason a created being should possess? You see God’s promise for people to reign as kings as a good thing and you pursue it, but God has spoken about service-doers too—would you pursue rendering service well for God? Would you seek to be a qualified service-doer? God also requires people to do their duty; would you require yourself to do your duty well? God also requires that people act as created beings, and what do you do? Do you regard being a qualified created being as your goal and go pursue it? God saying that people will reign as kings is a promise He made to man, and there is a premise and a context to this promise: You must be a good created being, do the duty of a created being well, cast off the role of service-doer, achieve submission to God and fear of the Creator. God has said that when you achieve all this, then you will be able to reign as kings with God forever—this is the context in which these words were spoken. People lack reason. As soon as they hear this, they think, “It’s great that we can reign as kings with God! When will this happen? How will we reign as kings? How will we be on an equal footing with God? Whose kings will we be? Who will we reign over? How will we reign? How will we be kings?” Aren’t people lacking in reason? Even though this is a promise God made to man, something that was spoken for man to hear, letting people know that there is this wonderful thing, you should take your own measure—who are you? God has this idea and is willing to allow man to live in this way with Him, but are you qualified to attain it? Why don’t you ask God, “Before we attain this promise, what requirements do You have of us? Is there anything You need us to do? What must we first achieve before we can attain this promise?” You don’t ask these things, you just demand it. Isn’t this lacking reason? Man lacks this kind of reason. When people see something beneficial, they reach out their hands and grasp for it. People are like bandits; if you don’t give them what they want, they get angry, they turn hostile, and they start shouting abuse. Isn’t this how people are? This is the lowliness of mankind.
One reason why man lacks reason is that people still don’t understand the truth; it has nothing to do with their corrupt dispositions. But when they aren’t given what they want, they get angry, shout abuse, hate, and take revenge—what is this? This is the demonic countenance of Satan emerging; it is their satanic corrupt dispositions. Therefore, as for the promise God made mankind, what every single person manifests before God doesn’t satisfy God. People immediately reach out their hands, wanting, without knowing their own measure, immediately demanding, and if they can’t get what they demand, they ponder what they can use to exchange for it. They forsake their families and careers, they suffer and pay a price, they run about and expend themselves, they spread the gospel and gain more people, they work more, and they use these things to exchange for what they want. If they can’t exchange these things for what they want, they become furious, hatred fills their hearts, and they grow averse to anything to do with faith in God. If they feel they can exchange these things for what they want, then every day they long for God’s work to end soon, for God to quickly destroy Satan, to quickly end mankind, to quickly bring down the disasters, otherwise they feel they can’t hold on. What does every single person reveal in the presence of the truth? They reveal such dispositions as being averse to the truth and viciousness. Looking at it now, people’s arrogance, deceitfulness, and occasional intransigence can be considered mild and not very severe among all of mankind’s corrupt dispositions. The corrupt dispositions that mankind has more of, that are more severe and deeper, are those of wickedness, being averse to the truth, and viciousness—these are the lethal elements among man’s corrupt dispositions. Of course, when it comes to antichrists, these dispositions are even more severe, and when they reveal them, they don’t take them seriously, they don’t examine them, they don’t feel any indebtedness to God, much less do they feel they have any problem whatsoever; they don’t accept the truth, they don’t know themselves, and even less is it possible for them to repent. Therefore, no matter the circumstances, the environment, or the context, they regard reigning as kings—the loftiest and best promise God has uttered—as their goal to be pursued. No matter how you fellowship on the truth with them, they won’t let go of this pursuit, but instead insist on following their path, and this makes them beyond saving. These people are so awful! From what these people reveal, you can see exactly what the disposition and true face of Satan are. So much truth has been fellowshipped, and those who have reason, who can accept the truth, and who have the aspiration to obey and submit actually understand exactly what God’s will is. They no longer doggedly pursue position, prospects, and destiny, but are willing to repent under the exposure of these words of God, willing to let go of their desire for blessings, pursue the truth, seek to submit to God and satisfy God, and strive to attain salvation. Looking now at the inner desires of most people, the goals they pursue have undergone a fundamental change; they’re willing to achieve adequate performance of their duty, they’re willing to be genuine created beings, and they’re willing to attain salvation. They don’t do their duty just to gain blessings, and they don’t just muddle through in God’s house for the sake of gaining blessings. Besides the antichrists, who always want to reign as kings, most people are willing to pursue the truth. Only antichrists regard the pursuit of prospects, blessings, and reigning as kings as goals and as the fruit to ultimately be gained in their faith in God. They won’t let these things go or change course no matter what you say—aren’t they in great trouble? They know perfectly well that God’s words are the truth, they just don’t accept it, so there is nothing that can change them; they can only be cast out and punished. This is the ultimate result of the antichrists’ belief in God.
Have I now fellowshipped clearly on this matter of people seeking to reign as kings? Have you come to a new comprehension? Is this path of pursuing reigning as a king correct? (No.) Then how should people approach this matter? In this matter, what truth should be understood in order to know man’s essence? It is up to God to judge what a person’s essence and behavior truly are. What does God base His judgment of all this on? He bases it on the truth. Therefore, a person’s outcome or destination is not determined by their own will, nor by their own inclinations or imaginings. The Creator, God, has the final say. How should people cooperate in such matters? People have but one path that they can choose: Only if they seek the truth, understand the truth, obey God’s words, achieve submission to God, and attain salvation will they ultimately have a good end and a good destiny. It is not hard to imagine people’s prospects and destiny if they do the opposite. And so, in this matter, do not focus on what God has promised man, what God says about mankind’s outcome, what God has prepared for mankind. These have nothing to do with you, they are God’s business, they can’t be taken, begged for, or bartered for by you. As a created being, what should you do? You should do your duty, doing what you ought to with all your heart, mind, and strength. The rest—things to do with prospects and destiny, and humankind’s future destination—these are not something you can decide, they are in the hands of God; all of this falls under the sovereignty of the Creator, it is arranged by Him and has nothing to do with any created being. Some people say, “Why tell us this if it has nothing to do with us?” Though it has nothing to do with you, it does with God. Only God knows these things, only God can speak of them, and only God is entitled to promise these things to humankind. And if God knows them, should God not speak of them? It is a mistake to still pursue your prospects and destiny when you do not know what they are. God did not ask you to pursue this, He was just letting you know; if you mistakenly believe that this was God telling you to make it the goal of your pursuit, then you are utterly lacking in reason, and do not possess the mind of normal humanity. It is enough to be aware of all that God promises. You must acknowledge one fact: No matter what kind of promise it is, be it good or ordinary, be it pleasing or uninteresting, all is encompassed within the sovereignty, arrangements, and determinations of the Creator. Only following and engaging in pursuit according to the correct direction and path indicated by the Creator is the duty and obligation of a created being. As for what you ultimately gain, and the share of which of God’s promises you receive, this is all based on your pursuit, on the path that you take, and on the Creator’s sovereignty. Are these words clear to you now? (Yes.) And will these words help you to satisfy your ambitions and desires, or will they help you to follow the right path in life in pursuit of the truth? (They’ll help us to pursue the truth and follow the right path in life.) For those who possess normal humanity and reason, who love positive things and the truth, not only are they not disappointed when they hear these words, but they can also be steadfastly faithful in their pursuit of the truth and acceptance of God’s salvation; those without normal rationality, however, those abnormal people who doggedly pursue blessings, fleshly interests, and the satisfaction of their ambitions and desires, may lose enthusiasm when they hear these words, and lose interest in believing in God. Of course, there are also some people who don’t know how to believe when they hear these words. Isn’t it so important for people to understand the truth? Isn’t the truth better able to lead people to follow the correct path and satisfy God? (Yes.) Only the truth can enable people to attain salvation; if you don’t understand the truth, then on the road to salvation you will often go astray, make mistakes, and suffer losses, and when you reach the end of the road in your faith, you will possess no truth reality whatsoever and become a service-doer through and through. If you play the role of a service-doer all through your many years of believing in God and aren’t able to ultimately become a qualified created being, then that is a tragedy.
May 9, 2020
