God’s Holiness (I)

We had some further fellowship about God’s authority during our last gathering. For now, we will not be discussing the topic of God’s righteousness. What we will be talking about today is an entirely new topic—God’s holiness. God’s holiness is yet another aspect of God’s unique essence, so it is necessary for us to fellowship about this topic. I previously fellowshipped about two other aspects of God’s essence—God’s righteous disposition and God’s authority; are these aspects, and the aspect about which I will be fellowshipping today, all unique? (Yes.) God’s holiness is also unique, so the theme of our fellowship today will be what constitutes the basis and root of this uniqueness. Today we are going to fellowship about the unique essence of God—God’s holiness. Perhaps some of you have some questions, and are asking, “Why should we fellowship about God’s holiness?” Don’t worry, I will talk you through it slowly. Once you have heard what I have to say, you will know why it is necessary for Me to fellowship about this topic.

First, let us define the word “holy.” Within your thoughts and notions, and all the knowledge you have gained, what is the definition of “holy” as you understand it? (“Holy” means unstained, entirely without human corruption or flaws. Whether in thought, speech, conduct, or action, only positive things are revealed from holiness.) Very good. (“Holy” is divine, without filth, and tolerates no offense by man. It is unique, it is the distinctive emblem of God.) This is your definition. In each person’s heart, the word “holy” has a scope, a definition, and an interpretation. At the very least, when you see the word “holy,” your minds are not empty. You have a certain scope of definition for this word, and some people’s sayings come somewhat close to sayings that define the essence of God’s disposition. This is very good. Most people believe the word “holy” to be a positive one, and this is certain. But today, as we fellowship about the holiness of God, I will not merely be talking about definitions or explanations. Instead, I will present facts as proof to show you why I say God is holy, and why I use the word “holy” to describe the essence of God. By the time our fellowship is over, you will feel that the use of the word “holy” to define God’s essence and in reference to God is fully justified and most appropriate. At the very least, in the context of current human language, using this word to refer to God is particularly apt—it is the single most fitting word in human language to apply to God. This word, when used to refer to God, is not an empty word, nor is it a term of groundless praise or empty flattery. The purpose of our fellowship is to allow every person to recognize the veracity of this aspect of God’s essence. God does not fear man’s understanding, but He fears his misunderstanding. God wishes for every person to know His essence and what He has and is. So every time we mention an aspect of God’s essence, we can call on many facts to allow people to see that this aspect of God’s essence does indeed exist.

Now that we have a definition of the word “holy,” let us discuss some examples. In people’s notions, they imagine many things and people to be “holy.” For example, virgin boys and girls are defined as holy in mankind’s dictionaries. But are they actually holy? Are this so-called “holy” and the “holy” that we will fellowship about today one and the same? Those among people who possess high moral character, and whose speech is refined, cultured, has never hurt anyone, and leaves others feeling comfortable and approving of it—are they holy? Those who often do good, are charitable, and provide great assistance to others, and who bring great enjoyment into people’s lives—are they holy? Those who harbor no self-serving thoughts, who place no harsh demands on anyone, who cut everyone plenty of slack—are they holy? Those who have never quarreled with or taken advantage of anyone—are they holy? And what of those who work for the good of others, who benefit others and bring edification to others in every way—are they holy? Those who give all their life savings away to others and live a simple life themselves, who are strict with themselves but tolerant of others—are they holy? (No.) In your eyes, your mothers showed you concern, looked after you, and protected you in every conceivable way—are they holy? The idols in your hearts—whether they be famous people, celebrities, or great figures—are they holy? (No.) Let us look now at those prophets in the Bible who were able to tell many things about the future that were unknown to other people—were these people holy? The people who were able to record God’s words and the facts of His work in the Bible—were they holy? Was Moses holy? Was Abraham holy? (No.) How about Job? Was he holy? (No.) Job was called a righteous man by God, so why is even he said to be not holy? Are people who fear God and shun evil really not holy? Are they or not? (No.) You are a little uncertain, and you are not sure of the answer. You do not dare to say “No,” but neither do you dare to say “Yes,” so in the end you half-heartedly say “No.” Let Me ask another question. God’s messengers—the messengers God sends down to earth—are they holy? Are angels holy? (No.) Was mankind holy before they were corrupted by Satan? (No.) You keep answering “No” to every question. On what basis? You are confused, are you not? So why are even angels said to be not holy? You feel uncertain now, do you not? Can you work out on what basis the people, things, or non-created beings we mentioned previously are not holy? I think you definitely can’t. So isn’t your saying “No” then a little irresponsible? Isn’t that kind of a blind guess? Some people are wondering: “Since You have phrased Your question in this way, the answer must certainly be ‘No.’” Do not make a blind guess. Think carefully whether the answer is “Yes” or “No.” You will know why the answer is “No” once we have fellowshipped about the following topic. I will give you the answer shortly. First, let us read from the Scriptures.

1. Jehovah God’s Command to Man

Genesis 2:15–17 And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

2. The Serpent’s Enticement of the Woman

Genesis 3:1–5 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not necessarily die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil.

These two passages are excerpts from the book of Genesis in the Bible. Are you all familiar with these two passages? They relate events that happened at the beginning, when mankind was first created; these events were real. First let us look at what kind of command Jehovah God gave to Adam and Eve; the content of this command is very important for our topic today. “Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.” What does God’s command to man in this passage consist of? Firstly, God tells man what he can eat, namely, the fruits of many kinds of trees. There is no danger and no poison; all can serve as food for man, and can be eaten freely, without any apprehension. This is one part of God’s command. The other part is a warning. In this warning, God tells man he must not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What will happen if he eats from this tree? God told man: If you eat from it you will surely die. Are these words not straightforward? If God told you this but you did not understand why, would you treat His words as a regulation or an order to be obeyed? You should obey them. But whether or not man is able to obey, God’s words are unequivocal. God told man very clearly what he may eat and what he may not eat, and what will happen if he eats what he may not eat. In these brief words that God spoke, can you see anything of God’s disposition? Are these words of God true? Is there any deception? Is there any falsity? Is there any intimidation? (No.) God honestly, truthfully, and sincerely told man what he may eat and what he may not eat. God spoke clearly and plainly. Is there any hidden meaning in these words? Are these words not straightforward? Is there any need for conjecture? There is no need for guesswork. Their meaning is obvious at a glance. They can be understood immediately, giving people a strong sense of clarity about their meaning. That is, what God wants to say and what He wants to express comes from His heart. The things God expresses are very clean, straightforward, and clear. There are no concealed barbs, nor any hidden meanings. He speaks to man directly, telling him what he may eat and what he may not eat. That is to say, through these words of God, man can see that God’s heart is transparent and true. There is no trace of falsehood here; it is not a case of telling you that you may not eat what is edible, or telling you “It’s up to you” regarding things that you cannot eat. This is not what God means. Whatever God thinks in His heart, that is what He says. If I say God is holy because He shows and reveals Himself within these words in this way, you may feel that I have made a mountain out of a molehill or that I have stretched a point a little too far. If so, do not worry; we are not yet finished.

Let us now talk about “The Serpent’s Enticement of the Woman.” Who is that ancient serpent? Satan. It plays the role of the foil in God’s six-thousand-year management plan, and it is a role that we have to mention when we fellowship about the holiness of God. Why do I say this? If man does not know the wicked disposition of Satan and does not know what Satan’s nature essence is, then he does not know what true holiness is. Man is always confused, and he even believes that what Satan does is right, because he lives within this kind of corrupt disposition. With no foil, with no point of comparison, man cannot know what holiness is. That is why we must mention here how Satan entices man to commit sins. Through Satan’s words and deeds, we will see how Satan corrupts mankind, what Satan’s nature is, and what Satan’s countenance is. So what did the woman say to the serpent? The woman recounted to the serpent what Jehovah God had said to her. When she said these words, was she certain that what God had said to her was true? She could not be sure. As someone who was newly created, she had no ability to discern good from evil, nor did she have any cognitive ability regarding anything. Judging by the words she spoke to the serpent, she was not sure in her heart that God’s words were right; such was her attitude. So when the serpent saw that the woman did not have an attitude of certainty toward God’s words, it said: “You shall not necessarily die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil.” Is there anything problematic within these words? When you read this sentence, do you gain a sense of the serpent’s intention? What is that intention? It wanted to seduce this woman, to stop her from heeding God’s words. But it did not say this directly. That’s why it is said to be very cunning. It expresses its meaning in a slick way, and thus achieves its hidden intention and objective, which cannot be perceived by man—such is the serpent’s cunning. This has always been Satan’s way of speaking and acting. It said “not necessarily,” without confirming one way or the other. But upon hearing this, this ignorant woman’s heart was moved. The serpent was pleased, because its words had had the desired effect—such was the serpent’s cunning motive. Furthermore, it used an outcome that man deems good to entice her, saying, “In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened.” So she pondered: “To have my eyes opened is a good thing!” And then it said something even more effective, words never before known to man, words that wield a great seductive power over those who hear them: “You shall be like God, knowing good and evil.” Are these words not powerfully enticing to man? It is like someone saying to you: “Your face is shaped wonderfully, except that the bridge of your nose is a little short. If you have that corrected, then you will be a world-class beauty!” Would these words move the heart of someone who had never previously harbored any desire to have cosmetic surgery? Are these words not a form of enticement? For you, is this enticement not a seduction? And is it not also a temptation? (Yes.) Does God say things like this? Was there any hint of this in the words of God that we read just now? Does God not say what He thinks in His heart? Can man see God’s heart through His words? (Yes.) But when the serpent spoke those words to the woman, were you able to see its heart? No. And because of man’s ignorance, man was easily enticed by the serpent’s words and easily duped. So were you able to see Satan’s intention? Were you able to see the purpose behind what it said? Were you able to see Satan’s plots and schemes? (No.) What kind of disposition is represented by Satan’s way of speaking? What kind of essence have you seen in Satan through these words? Is it not insidious? Perhaps on the surface it smiles at you, or perhaps it reveals no expression whatsoever. But in its heart, it is plotting to achieve its objective, and you are unable to perceive its objective. All the promises it makes to you, all the advantages it describes, become a form of enticement for you. You see these things as good, so you feel that what it says is more useful, more substantial than what God says. When this happens, have you not been captured and brought to heel? Is this strategy that Satan has used not diabolical? It has caused you to willingly sink into degeneracy. Without Satan having to move a finger, but merely by speaking these two sentences, it has caused you to follow along with it, to comply with it. Thus, Satan’s objective has been attained. Is this motive not sinister? Is this not Satan’s most primal countenance? From Satan’s words, man can see its sinister motive, see its hideous countenance, and see its essence. Is that not so? In comparing these sentences, without analysis you may think that Jehovah God’s words are ordinary, commonplace, and plain, that they do not justify waxing lyrical here in praise of God’s honesty. However, when we take Satan’s words and Satan’s hideous countenance as a foil, do these words of God not carry significant weight for the people of today? (Yes.) Through this foil, man can sense God’s purity and flawlessness. Every word Satan says, as well as Satan’s motives, intentions, and the way it speaks—they are all adulterated. What is Satan’s main way of speaking? It is enticing you in a roundabout way, making it so that you can’t tell, so that you can’t discern its objective from listening to it, and causing you to take the bait of your own accord, and you even have to praise it and sing its merits. Is this ploy not Satan’s habitual tactic? (Yes.) Let us now look at what other words and revelations from Satan allow man to see its hideous countenance. Let us read some more from the Scriptures.

3. Dialogue Between Satan and Jehovah God

Job 1:6–11 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.

Job 2:1–5 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Satan, From where come you? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.

These two passages consist entirely of a dialogue between God and Satan; they record what God said and what Satan said. God did not speak much, and He spoke very simply. Can we see the holiness of God within His simple words? Some will say this is not easily done. So can we see the hideousness of Satan in its replies? Let us first look at what kind of question Jehovah God asked of Satan. “From where come you?” Isn’t this a straightforward question? Is there any hidden meaning? No; it is just a straightforward question. If I were to ask you: “Where do you come from?” how then would you answer? Is it a difficult question to answer? Would you say: “From going to and fro, and from walking up and down”? (No.) You would not answer like this. So, how then do you feel when you see Satan answering in this way? (We feel that Satan is being absurd and deceitful.) Can you tell what I am feeling? Every time I see these words of Satan, I feel disgusted, because it’s not even a proper sentence. Did Satan answer God’s question? No, the words Satan spoke were not an answer, they did not yield anything. They were not an answer to God’s question. “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” What do you understand from these words? Just where does Satan come from? Have you received an answer to the question? (No.) This is the “genius” of Satan’s schemes—not letting anyone discover what it is actually saying. Having heard these words you still cannot discern what it has said, even though it has finished answering. Yet Satan believes it has answered perfectly. How then do you feel? Disgusted? (Yes.) Now you begin to feel disgust in response to these words. Satan’s words have a certain characteristic: What Satan says leaves you scratching your head, unable to perceive the source of its words. Sometimes Satan has intentions and speaks deliberately, and sometimes governed by its nature, such words emerge spontaneously, and come straight out of Satan’s mouth. Satan does not spend a long time weighing such words; rather, they are expressed without thinking. When God asked where it came from, Satan answered with a few ambiguous words. You feel very puzzled, never knowing exactly where Satan is from. Are there any among you who speak like this? What kind of way is this to speak? (It is ambiguous and does not give a certain answer.) What kind of words should we use to describe this way of speaking? It is diversionary and misguiding. Suppose someone does not want to let others know what they did yesterday. You ask them: “I saw you yesterday. Where were you going?” They do not tell you directly where they went. Rather, they say: “What a day it was yesterday. It was so tiring!” Did they answer your question? They did, but they did not give the answer you wanted. This is the “genius” within the artifice of man’s speech. You can never discover what they mean, nor perceive the source or intention of their words. You do not know what they are trying to avoid because in their heart they have their own story—this is insidious. Are there any among you who also often speak in this way? (Yes.) What then is your purpose? Is it sometimes to protect your own interests, sometimes to maintain your own pride, position, and image, to protect the secrets of your private life? Whatever the purpose, it is inseparable from your interests, linked to your interests. Is this not the nature of man? All who have such a nature are a close relative of Satan, if not its immediate family. We can put it like this, can we not? Generally speaking, this manifestation is detestable and abhorrent. You also now feel disgusted, do you not? (Yes.)

Let’s look at the following verses. Satan responds again to Jehovah, saying: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan is opening an attack on Jehovah’s assessment of Job, and this attack is colored by hostility. “Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side?” This is Satan’s understanding and assessment of Jehovah’s actions toward Job. Satan assesses it like this, saying: “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.” Satan always speaks ambiguously, but here it speaks in certain terms. However, these words, though they are spoken in certain terms, are an attack, a blasphemy, and an act of defiance to Jehovah God, to God Himself. How do you feel when you hear these words? Do you feel aversion? Are you able to see through to Satan’s intentions? First of all, Satan repudiates Jehovah’s assessment of Job—a man who fears God and shuns evil. Then Satan repudiates what Job says and does, that is, it repudiates his fear of Jehovah. Is this not accusatory? Satan is accusing, repudiating, and doubting what Jehovah does and says. It does not believe, saying, “You say things are like that, but then how is it that I have not seen it? You have given him so many blessings, so how can he not fear you?” Is this not a repudiation of what God does? Accusation, repudiation, blasphemy—are Satan’s words not an assault? Are they not a true expression of what Satan thinks in its heart? These words are certainly not the same as the words we read just now: “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” They are completely different. Through these words, Satan completely lays bare the contents of its heart—its attitude toward God and its hatred of Job’s fear of God. When this happens, its malice and wicked nature are completely exposed. It hates those who fear God, hates those who shun evil, and even more so hates Jehovah for bestowing blessings on man. It wants to use this opportunity to destroy Job, whom God raised with His own hand, to ruin him, and so says, “You say Job fears you and shuns evil. I see it differently.” It uses various ways to provoke and tempt Jehovah, and uses various ploys so that Jehovah God hands Job over to Satan to be manipulated, grievously harmed, and treated however it will. It wants to take advantage of this opportunity to destroy this man who is righteous and perfect in God’s eyes. Is it just a momentary impulse that causes Satan to have this kind of heart? No, it is not. It has been long in the making. When God works—when God cares for a person and scrutinizes them, and when He finds them worthy and approves of them—Satan trails closely behind, trying to mislead and grievously harm them. Since God wishes to gain this person, Satan does everything in its power to get in the way, using various wicked methods to tempt, disturb, and damage the work of God, in order to achieve its unspeakable objective. What is this objective? It does not want God to gain anyone; it wants to snatch away those whom God intends to gain, so that it can occupy them, control them, and take charge of them, so that they worship it and join it in doing evil to resist God. Is this not Satan’s sinister motive? You often say how wicked and bad Satan is, but have you really seen it? You can see how bad mankind is; you have not seen how bad the real Satan is. Yet in the matter of Job, you have clearly observed just how wicked Satan is. This matter has made Satan’s hideous countenance and its essence very clear. In warring with God, and trailing along behind Him, Satan’s objective is to demolish all the work God wants to do, and to occupy and control those whom God wants to gain. It wants to destroy all those whom God wants to gain, or to possess them and use them if they are not destroyed. This is its objective. And what does God do? God says only a simple sentence in this passage; there is no further record of how God acts, but we see there are many more records of what Satan does and says. In the following passage of the Scriptures, Jehovah asks Satan, “From where come you?” What is Satan’s answer? (It is still “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”) It is still that same sentence. How has it become Satan’s motto or signature line? Is Satan not loathsome? Surely it is enough to utter this disgusting sentence just once. Why does Satan keep repeating it? This proves one thing: Satan’s nature is unchanging. Satan cannot use pretense to conceal its hideous face. God asks it a question and this is how it responds. Since this is so, imagine then how it must treat man! Satan is not afraid of God, does not fear God, and defies God. So it dares to be wantonly presumptuous before God, to use these same words to brush off God’s question, to repeatedly use this same answer to God’s question, to attempt to use this answer to confound God—this is the ugly face of Satan. It does not believe in the almightiness of God, does not believe in the authority of God, and especially is not willing to submit to the dominion of God. It is constantly in opposition to God, constantly attacking all that God does, attempting to wreck all that God does—this is its wicked objective.

As recorded in the Book of Job, these two passages said by Satan and the things Satan did are representative of its resistance to God in His six-thousand-year management plan—this is Satan’s true face. Have you seen Satan’s words and deeds in real life? When you do see them, you may not think them to be things spoken by Satan, but instead think them to be things spoken by man. What is represented when such things are spoken by man? Satan is represented. Even if you recognize it, you still cannot perceive that it is really being spoken by Satan. But here and now you have unequivocally seen what Satan itself has said. You now have an unequivocal, crystal-clear understanding of the hideous countenance and the wickedness of Satan. So are these two passages spoken by Satan of value in helping people today to gain knowledge about Satan’s nature? Are these two passages worth treasuring in order for mankind today to be able to know Satan’s hideous face, to know Satan’s original, true face? This wording seems not quite apt, but can still be considered an accurate way to express it. Indeed, this is the only way that I can express this idea, and it’s fine as long as you can understand it. Again and again, Satan attacks the things Jehovah does, throwing out accusations about Job’s fear of Jehovah God. Satan attempts to provoke Jehovah by various methods, trying to get Jehovah to condone its temptation of Job. Its words therefore have a highly provocative nature. So tell Me, once Satan has spoken these words, can God clearly see what Satan wants to do? (Yes.) In God’s heart, this man Job that God scrutinizes—this servant of God, that God takes to be a righteous man, a perfect man—can he withstand this kind of temptation? (Yes.) Why is God so certain about that? Is God always scrutinizing the heart of man? (Yes.) So is Satan able to scrutinize the heart of man? Satan cannot. Even if Satan could see your heart, considering its wicked nature, Satan would never believe that holy things are holy, or that filthy things are filthy. The wicked Satan can never treasure anything that is holy, just, or bright. Satan just tirelessly and involuntarily acts in accordance with its nature, its wickedness, and through these kinds of methods. Even at the cost of itself being punished or destroyed by God, it does not hesitate to stubbornly oppose God. This is wickedness, this is the nature of Satan. So in this passage, Satan says, “Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.” Satan thinks that man’s fear of God is due to man having obtained so many benefits from God. Man obtains benefits from God, so he says God is good. But it is not because God is good, it is only because man obtains so many benefits that he can fear God in this way. Once God deprives him of these benefits, he then forsakes God. In Satan’s wicked nature, it does not believe that man’s heart can truly fear God. Because of its wicked nature, it does not know what holiness is, much less what fear is. It does not know what it is to submit to God or what it is to fear God. Because it does not know these things, it thinks that man cannot fear God either. Tell Me, is Satan not wicked? See how, outside our church, none of the various religions and denominations, or religious and social groups, believe in the existence of God, and much less do they believe that God has become flesh and is doing the work of judgment; therefore, they think that what you believe in is not God. Someone who engages in promiscuity sees everyone as promiscuous, the same as they are. Someone mendacious sees everyone as dishonest and lying. Someone evil sees everyone as evil and wants to fight everyone they see. People who are relatively guileless see everyone else as guileless, so they are always duped, always cheated, and can never guard against it. I give these few examples to fortify you in your conviction: Satan’s wicked nature is not a fleeting compulsion or compelled by circumstances, nor is it a temporary manifestation arising from any reason or contextual factors. Absolutely not! Satan just cannot help but be this way! It can do nothing good. Even when it says something pleasant to hear, it is just to entice you. The more pleasant, the more tactful, the more gentle its words are, the more malicious the sinister intentions behind these words. What kind of face, what kind of nature does Satan show in these two passages? (Insidious, malicious, and wicked.) Satan’s primary characteristic is wickedness; it is particularly wicked and malicious.

Now that we have finished our discussion of Satan, let us return to talking about our God. During God’s six-thousand-year management plan, very little of God’s direct speech was recorded in the Bible, and that which has been recorded is very simple. So let us start at the beginning. Ever since God created mankind, He has always guided the life of mankind, whether it be by bestowing blessings on mankind, establishing laws and commandments for mankind, or stipulating various ordinances for life—what is God’s intent and aim in doing these things? Do you know what it is? Firstly, can you say with certainty that all these things that God does are for the good of man? This statement may seem quite broad and hollow to you, but looking specifically at the details, are all these things that God does not leading and guiding man to live a normal life? Whether man abides by regulations or keeps the laws, God’s aim is for man not to fall into worshiping Satan and being harmed by Satan—this is His most fundamental aim, and it is His original aim. At the very beginning, when man did not understand God’s intentions, God made some simple regulations such as laws and ordinances, which covered various aspects. These regulations are fairly simple, yet within them they contain God’s intentions. God treasures, cherishes, and dearly loves mankind. So can we say that this heart of God is holy, that it is clean? (Yes.) Does God have any additional motives? (No.) So is this aim of His right and positive? No matter what kind of regulations God makes, the results He intends all these regulations to achieve in the course of His work are positive for man and serve to guide him. So are there any self-serving thoughts in God’s mind? Does God have any additional aims for man, or want to make use of man in some way? Not in the slightest. God does as He says, and His words and actions are matched by His thoughts in His heart. It has no impurity, no self-serving thoughts. He acts not for His own sake, but totally for man’s, without any private objectives. Although He has plans and intentions regarding man, this is not for His own sake. All of these things that He does are done purely for mankind, to protect mankind, to keep mankind from going astray. So is this heart of His not precious? Can you see even the tiniest sign of such a precious heart in Satan? You cannot see the slightest hint of this in Satan, you cannot see it at all. Everything God does is revealed naturally. Now, judging from the way God works, how is it that He does His work? Does God take these laws and His words and bind them tightly around the head of every person, like the band-tightening spell,^[a] imposing them on each and every human being? Does He work in this way? (No.) So in what way does God do His work? Does He threaten? Does He beat about the bush when He speaks to you? (No.) When you do not understand the truth, how does God guide you? He enlightens and illuminates you, telling you clearly that what you’re doing is not in accordance with the truth, and what you should do. Based on these ways in which God works, what kind of relationship do you feel you have with God? Do they make you feel that God is beyond reach? (No.) So how do they make you feel? They make you feel that God’s words are especially real, that His relationship with man is especially normal, that God is exceptionally close to you, and that there is no distance between you and God. When God guides you, when He provides for you, helps you, and supports you, you feel God’s amiability and respectability, you feel His loveliness and His warmth. But when God reproaches you for your corruption, or when He judges and disciplines you for your rebelliousness, what methods does He use? Does He reproach you with words? Does He discipline you through environments and through people, events, and things? (Yes.) To what extent does God discipline you? Does God discipline you to the same degree that Satan grievously harms people? (No, God disciplines people only to the extent that they can endure.) God works in a gentle, delicate, loving, and caring way, a way that is extraordinarily measured and appropriate, and that will not provoke in you intense feelings such as: “God is making me do this” or “God is making me do that.” God will never give you that kind of intense realization or feeling which your heart cannot bear. Is that not so? Even when you accept God’s words of judgment and chastisement, how do you feel then? When you sense the authority and might of God, how do you feel then? Do you feel that God is divine and inviolable? Do you feel distance between yourself and God at these times? Do you feel how frightening God is? No—rather, you feel fear toward God. Is it not because of God’s work that people feel all of these things? Would they have these feelings if it were Satan who was at work? Absolutely not. God uses His words, the truth, and His life to continuously provide for man, to support man. When man is weak, when man is feeling negative, God does not forcibly tell you, “Do not feel negative. What is there to be negative about? Why are you weak? What reason is there to be weak? You are always so weak, and you are always so negative—what is the use of you being alive? Just die then!” Would God work in this way? (No.) Does God have the authority to act in this way? Yes, He does. Yet God does not act in this way. That God does not act in this way is because of His essence, His essence that is holiness. His love for man, His treasuring and cherishing of man cannot be expressed clearly by man in just one or two sentences. These are not things that are brought about by man’s vaunting but things that God Himself brings forth in actual action; they are the revelation of God’s essence. Can all these ways in which God works cause man to see the holiness of God? Considering all these ways in which God works, the results He aims to achieve in man, the different methods He uses to work on man, the work He does on man, and what He enables man to understand, is there any wickedness or deceit in His painstaking intentions in any of these things? (No.) So in everything God does, everything God says, everything He thinks in His heart, as well as all the essence of God that He reveals—can we call God holy? (Yes.) Has any man ever seen this holiness in the world, or within himself? Apart from God, have you ever seen it in any human being, or in Satan? (No.) Based on our discussion thus far, can we say that God is the unique and holy God Himself? (Yes.) All the things that God gives to man, including the words of God, what God works on man through various means, what God tells man, what God reminds and exhorts man of, originate from one essence: the holiness of God. If there were no such holy God, no man could take His place to do the work He does. If God had handed all of you entirely over to Satan, have you ever considered what kind of condition all of you would be in today? Would you all be sitting here, complete and whole? Would you also say: “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it”? Would you be able to strut around saying such things before God in such a brazen, cock-sure, and swaggering manner? You absolutely would, without a shadow of doubt! Satan’s attitude toward man allows man to see that Satan’s nature essence is utterly different from God’s. What is it about the essence of Satan that is the opposite of the holiness of God? (Satan’s wickedness.) Satan’s wicked nature is the opposite of the holiness of God. The reason why the majority of people do not recognize this revelation of God’s and this essence of God’s holiness is that they live under the power of Satan, within the corruption of Satan, and within Satan’s sphere of life. They do not know what holiness is, or how to define holiness. Even when you perceive the holiness of God, you still cannot define it as being the holiness of God with any certainty. This is a gap in man’s knowledge of the holiness of God.

What characterizes Satan’s work on man? You should be able to know some of this through your own experiences—it is Satan’s archetypal feature, the thing it repeatedly does, the thing it tries to do with every single person. Perhaps you cannot see this feature, so you do not feel that Satan is so frightful and loathsome. Does anyone know what this feature is? (It entices, seduces, and tempts man.) That is correct; these are several ways in which this feature manifests. Satan also misleads, attacks, and accuses man—these are all manifestations. Are there any more? (It tells lies.) Cheating and lying come most naturally to Satan. It often does these things. There’s also instigation, incitement, forcing them to do things, ordering them around, and forcibly possessing them. Now I will describe something to you that will make your hair stand on end, but I do not do it to scare you. When God works on man, He cherishes man both in His attitude and in His heart. Satan, on the other hand, does not cherish man at all, and it spends all its time thinking about how to harm man. Is this not so? When it is thinking about harming man, is its state of mind one of urgency? (Yes.) So, as regards Satan’s work on man, I have two phrases that can amply describe the wickedness and maliciousness of Satan, that can allow you to truly understand the loathsomeness of Satan: In Satan’s approach to man, it always wants to forcibly occupy and possess man, each and every one, to the extent that it can gain complete control of man and harm man grievously, so that it can achieve this objective and fulfill this ambition. What does “forcibly occupy” mean? Is it something that happens with your consent, or without your consent? Does it happen with or without your knowledge? You have no knowledge of it at all! While you’re unaware, perhaps without it even saying or doing anything to you, with no premise, no context—there Satan is, circling around you, surrounding you. It looks for an opportunity to exploit and then it forcibly occupies you, possesses you, achieving its objective of gaining complete control of you and of inflicting grievous harm upon you. This is one of the most typical intentions and manifestations of Satan in its vying with God over mankind. How do you feel when you hear this? (Our hair stands on end and there is fear in our hearts.) Do you feel disgusted? (Yes.) As you feel this disgust, do you think that Satan is shameless? When you think that Satan is shameless, do you then feel disgusted with those people around you who always want to control you, those who harbor enormous ambitions for status and personal gain? (Yes.) So are you clear as to what methods Satan uses to forcibly possess and occupy man? Whenever you hear these two terms—“forcible occupation” and “possession”—you feel disgust and can sense the wickedness about these words. Without either your consent or your knowledge, Satan possesses you, forcibly occupies you, and corrupts you. How does that make you feel in your heart? Do you feel hatred and disgust? (Yes.) When you feel this hatred and disgust for these ways of Satan, what kind of feeling do you have for God? (Gratitude.) Gratitude to God for saving you. So now, at this moment, do you have the desire or the resolve to let God take over and hold sovereignty over everything about you? (Yes.) In what context do you do this? Is it in the context of fearing being forcibly occupied and possessed by Satan? (Yes.) You must not have this kind of mentality; it is not right. Do not be afraid. God is here; there is nothing for us to fear. Once you have understood the wicked essence of Satan, regarding God’s love, God’s painstaking intentions, God’s mercy and forbearance for man, and His righteous disposition, you should have a more accurate understanding of these things or treasure them. Satan is so odious, yet if this still does not inspire your love of God and your reliance on and trust in God, then what kind of person are you? Are you willing to let Satan harm you so? After seeing the wickedness and hideousness of Satan, we turn around and look then at God. Has your knowledge of God now undergone any change? Can we say that God is holy? Can we say that God is flawless? “God is uniquely holy”—can God live up to this designation? (Yes.) So in the world and among all things, isn’t it only God Himself that can live up to this understanding that man has of God? (Yes.) So what exactly does God give to man? Does He only give you a little care, concern, and consideration without your being aware of it? What has God given to man? God has given life to man, given man everything, and bestows all this on man unconditionally without demanding anything, without any intention. He uses the truth, His words, and His life to lead and guide man, bringing man away from the grievous harm of Satan, away from Satan’s temptations and enticements, allowing man to see through Satan’s wicked nature and hideous face and see them clearly. Is God’s love and concern for mankind true? Is it something that every one of you can experience? (Yes.)

Now, take a moment to look back on all the work God has done on you in all the years of your faith. Whether your impressions are deep or shallow, has this not been what you have needed most? Was it not what you should gain above all else? (Yes.) Is this not the truth? Is this not life? (Yes.) Has God ever enlightened you as to what He would have you give Him in return or how He would have you repay Him after giving you these things? (No.) So what is God’s purpose? Why does God do this? Does God have the objective of occupying you too? (No.) Does God want to ascend His throne within the heart of man? (Yes.) So what is the difference between God ascending His throne and Satan’s forcible occupation? God wants to gain the heart of man, He wants to occupy the heart of man—what does this mean? Does it mean that God wants man to become His puppets, His machines? (No.) So what is God’s purpose? Is there a difference between God wanting to occupy the heart of man and Satan’s forcible occupation and possession of man? (Yes.) What is the difference? Can you tell Me clearly? (Satan compels man, whereas God lets man choose freely.) Is this the difference? What use does God have for your heart? And what use does God have for occupying you? How in your hearts do you understand “God occupies man’s heart”? Here we must set the record straight on God’s behalf, otherwise people will always misunderstand, and think: “God always wants to occupy me. What does He want to occupy me for? I do not want to be occupied, I just want to be my own master. You say Satan occupies people, but God also occupies people. Isn’t it the same either way? I do not want to let anyone occupy me. I am myself!” What is the difference here? Give it some thought. I ask you, is “God occupies man” an empty phrase? Is the meaning of “occupation” along these lines: God’s occupation of man is when He lives in your heart and controls your every word and every move, so that if He tells you to sit, you dare not stand, and if He tells you to go east, you dare not go west? (No, it is not. God wants man to live out what God has and is.) Through these years that God has managed man, in His work on man up until now in this last stage, what effect are all these words He has spoken intended to achieve in man? Is it that man lives out what God has and is? Looking at the literal meaning of “God occupies man’s heart,” it seems as if God takes man’s heart and occupies it, lives in it, and does not come out again; He becomes the master of man and is able to dominate and manipulate man’s heart at will, and man must do whatever God tells him to do. In this sense, it would seem as though every person could become god and possess his essence and disposition. So in this case, could man also perform the deeds of god? Can “occupation” be explained in this way? (No.) So what is it? I ask you this: Are all the words and truth that God supplies to man a revelation of the essence of God and what He has and is? (Yes.) This is certainly true. But are these words that God supplies to man something which He Himself must practice and possess? Give this some thought. When God judges man, why does He judge? How did these words come to be? What is the content of these words that God speaks when He judges man? What are they based on? Is it man’s corrupt disposition upon which they are based? (Yes.) So is the effect achieved by God’s judgment of man based on the essence of God? (Yes.) So is “God wants to occupy man” an empty phrase? It certainly is not. So why does God say these words to man? What is His purpose in saying these words? Does He want to make these words the life of man? (Yes.) God wants to make all of this truth that He has spoken the life of man. When man takes all of this truth and the word of God and transforms them into his own life, can man then submit to God? Can man then fear God? Can man then shun evil? When man has reached this point, can he then submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangement? Is man then in a position to submit to the authority of God? When people like Job, or like Peter, reach the end of their road, when their life can be considered to have reached maturity, when they have a real understanding of God—can Satan then still lead them away? Can Satan then still occupy them? Can Satan still forcibly possess them? (No.) So what kind of person is this? Is this someone who has been completely gained by God? (Yes.) At this level of meaning, how do you see this kind of person who has been completely gained by God? From God’s perspective, under these circumstances, He has already occupied this person’s heart. But what does this person feel? Is it that the word of God, God’s authority, and God’s way, become life within man, and that this life then occupies man’s entire being, enabling the things that he lives out and his essence to satisfy God? From God’s perspective, is mankind’s heart at this very moment occupied by Him? (Yes.) How do you understand this level of meaning now? Is it God’s Spirit that occupies you? (No, it is the word of God that occupies us.) It is the way of God and the word of God that have become your life, and it is the truth that has become your life. At this time, man then possesses the life that comes from God, but we cannot say that this life is God’s life. In other words, we cannot say that the life man should derive from the word of God is God’s life. So, no matter how long man follows God, no matter how many words man gains from God, man can never become god. Even if one day God said, “I have occupied your heart, you now possess My life,” would you then feel that you are god? (No.) What would you then become? Would you not have an absolute submission to God? Would your heart not be filled with the life God has bestowed on you? This would be a very normal manifestation of what happens when God occupies man’s heart. This is fact. So in terms of this sense, can man become god? When man is able to live out the reality of the words of God, and becomes someone who fears God and shuns evil, can man then possess the life essence and holiness of God? Absolutely not. No matter what the time, ultimately man is still man. You are a created being; when you have received the word of God from God and received God’s way, you only possess the life that comes from the words of God, you become someone who is approved of by God, but you will never possess the life essence of God, much less the holiness of God.

Now we will return to the topic that we just discussed. I asked you a question earlier—is Abraham holy? Is Job holy? (No.) This “holiness” represents the essence and disposition of God, and mankind is far lacking. Man does not have God’s essence or God’s disposition. Even when man has experienced all of God’s words and possesses their reality, man can still never possess God’s holy essence; man is man. You understand, yes? So what is your understanding now of this phrase: “God occupies man’s heart”? (It means God’s words, God’s way, and the truth become man’s life.) You have memorized these words. I hope you will have a deeper understanding. Some people may ask, “So why say that God’s messengers and angels are not holy?” What do you think about this question? Perhaps you have not considered it before. I will use a simple example: When you turn on a robot, it can both dance and talk, and you can understand what it says. You may call it cute and vivacious, but it will not understand because it does not have life. When you turn off its power supply, can it still move about? When this robot is activated, you can see that it is vivacious and cute. You make an evaluation of it, whether it be essential or superficial, but whatever the case, you can see it moving. But when you turn off its power supply, do you see any kind of personality in it? Do you see it possessing any kind of essence? Do you understand the meaning of what I am saying? That is to say, even though this robot can move and stop, you could never describe it as having any kind of essence. Is this not a fact? Now, we will not talk any more on this. It is enough for you to have a general understanding of the meaning. Let us end our fellowship here. Goodbye!

December 17, 2013

Footnotes:

a. The “band-tightening spell” is a spell used by the monk Tang Sanzang in the Chinese novel Journey to the West. He uses this spell to control Sun Wukong by tightening a metal band around the latter’s head, giving him acute headaches, and thus bringing him under control. It has become a metaphor to describe something that binds a person.