All Things Under God’s Sovereignty Are Positive Things

We have fellowshipped a bit on the aspect of “what is ordained by God.” So, shouldn’t we also fellowship on the truth concerning “what is under God’s sovereignty”? (Yes.) Is there a subtle difference between “what is under God’s sovereignty” and “what is created by God and what is ordained by God”? (Yes.) What does God’s sovereignty involve? It is often said that God is sovereign over people’s fates. Regardless of what kind of fate people have, is the matter of fate itself a positive thing? (Yes.) No matter what a person’s fate is like, whether it appears good or bad on the outside, as long as it comes from God, is ordained by God, or is under God’s sovereignty, then it is a positive thing. Then how can it be determined that people’s fates are positive things? People have all kinds of fates. Outwardly, some seem to live blessed lives, while others suffer; some people are prosperous all their lives, while for others things never go smoothly; some people live in affluence, others in extreme poverty; some people have happy, blissful families, while others have unhappy marriages and unfilial children; some people are alone their whole lives, while others enjoy being surrounded by their children and grandchildren; some people are plagued by illness and pain all their lives, living in great anguish, while others are strong and healthy, living a comfortable, free life, and eventually die peacefully at a ripe old age. Are these not the fates of different kinds of people? (Yes.) Then is fate under God’s sovereignty? (It is under God’s sovereignty.) In people’s notions, they think, “Since fate is under God’s sovereignty, then people’s fates should all be good. Why are there so many bad ones?” There is an even more baffling fact, which is that most people’s fates are not as they would wish. Look—how many people don’t suffer any hardship their whole lives, are born into wealth and status, and are showered with affection from all sides? How many such people are there? Only those born into elite families have such a fate. Most other people suffer all their lives and endure innumerable hardships, running into hurdles at each step—things are extremely difficult for them and don’t go smoothly at all. Although in theory you acknowledge that people’s fates are all under God’s sovereignty, and that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things, you still don’t understand in your heart: “If it’s said that it’s a positive thing for those who are born into incredible privilege to have good fates, in terms of doctrine, this is acceptable. But for 80 to 90 percent of people, things don’t go smoothly and they suffer their whole lives—so why are such fates also positive things and also under God’s sovereignty? This feels somewhat unacceptable. Whether out of a sense of moral justice or out of sympathy, fates like this cannot be classified as positive things. It doesn’t add up. Could it be that this definition is wrong? If it truly is wrong, then the part about people’s fates should be removed from what God is sovereign over. But if it’s removed, that would be denying the fact that God is sovereign over people’s fates. Wouldn’t that be outrageously rebellious? But how should we understand the fact that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things, and that bad fates are also positive things?” People become a bit perplexed. This presents a difficult question for you, does it not? (Yes, it does.) Then you tell Me. Let’s see who can explain this matter clearly. (I think it’s wrong for people to regard encountering hardships as a bad thing. In fact, the fate God ordains for someone, regardless of whether it is one of hardship or ease, is most beneficial for them. Suffering, in particular, is even more capable of shaping people. In addition, these things are related to the reincarnation of people’s souls. Perhaps because of evildoing in their previous life or some debt owed from their previous life, one must suffer in this life to repay it. This is all subject to God’s ordination and arrangement.) Then what is the positive thing in this? Can you explain it clearly? (No.) You see, if someone really were to ask you about this, you wouldn’t be able to explain it clearly; you’d get stuck right here. If you did not take it seriously, you would just let it pass, but this would affect your acceptance of the truth that “all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things,” it would affect your use of this truth to characterize which things are positive, it would affect your acceptance and recognition of any positive thing, and it would also affect your attitude toward all things within the scope of “what is under God’s sovereignty,” which, of course, involves whether you accept or condemn them—this issue is very serious. If you can’t see through the matter of fate, you are likely to regard it as a negative thing and characterize it as such. But people’s fates are under God’s sovereignty and are ordained by God. If you characterize the fates of people, which God is sovereign over and has ordained, as negative things, what is the nature of this issue? (Blasphemy against God.) This is condemning God and blaspheming God. In human terms, it means “You’ve committed a great sin, so go and confess your sins immediately!” We won’t say much more about this.

We just fellowshipped on “all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things” and we mentioned people’s fates. Although the scope of this content is vast, it is also very specific; it relates to the life of every person and all of mankind. People’s fates come in every different kind, but the fates of most people, as people see it or as experienced by themselves, can be described with one word: ill-fated. “Ill-fated” means one’s fate is full of rough patches and frustrations; such a person lives a particularly difficult life, and most of the time things don’t go as they wish. Regardless of whether one is subjected to smooth or rough experiences, regardless of what they see or come to realize, one undeniable point is that although the vast majority of people find their fates to be not as they wish, everyone’s fate is under God’s sovereignty. This should never be denied. Since God’s sovereignty over people’s fates has produced such a reality that is difficult for people to accept, it is necessary to fellowship on what the principles and root of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates are, and what God’s motive is in holding sovereignty over people’s fates—that is, why God holds sovereignty over people’s fates in this way, and why He arranges such fates for people. First, let’s look at what God’s motive in holding sovereignty over people’s fates is. Do people come into this world to muddle through or to fritter away their time? (Neither.) In terms of God’s motive in arranging people’s fates, it is not for them to come into the world to just stroll around a bit like walking corpses and be done with it. Rather, it is for people to live in the flesh and experience life, and to go through all sorts of living environments, as well as different circumstances in various periods. Speaking of experiencing life, man’s flesh has an attribute: If a person lives in a comfortable environment without going through any rough patches, difficulties, setbacks, or failures, it is not easy for them to grow and mature. It is like a plant growing in a greenhouse without being exposed to wind and sun; its life is very fragile, because it is not easy for it to absorb various nutrients from nature. Once it is exposed to the scorching sun and strong winds, it is very easy for it to snap and die prematurely, and then its life cannot continue. Therefore, in terms of the nature and instinct of man’s flesh, mankind should not be like flowers in a greenhouse that do not experience wind and rain, but should endure various setbacks, rough patches, and disappointments from the human world. In such a living environment, mankind will make use of their God-given free will and thoughts, and they will—by every means possible, independently, tenaciously, and without fear of any difficulties—keep going and keep living. This will stimulate people’s various instincts for life and survival, and people will be able to use their God-given instinct for survival to live independently and to face every environment, as well as all the people, events, and things around them. For one thing, from the perspective of the objective instinct of man’s flesh, people need the stimulation and impetus of this environment to generate the desire to survive, so that they can live with fortitude. On the surface, living like this seems difficult, but amid the stimulation and blows of this environment, people develop a stronger desire to survive, and so they will keep going, and they will gradually grow into maturity, gradually adapt to living with others, and become less fragile, having instead perseverance, endurance, and tenacity, being able to remain unafraid of any difficulties. This is God’s initial motive in arranging people’s fates; this is the basic concept of people’s fates which are designed based on the original form of the instinct of their flesh. This is one aspect. The other is that—building on from this basic concept—when people make their journey through this world, going from childhood to old age, in the process of gradually growing older, they experience life events, gain life experience, and gain some principles and paths for facing various difficulties in life. In this way, people gradually grow into maturity, and become increasingly capable of living independently between heaven and earth, and among others. They will not be so fragile, and they will not feel discouraged or disappointed—or even feel that there is no hope in living—when they encounter a little setback or failure. Rather, after experiencing various rough circumstances, they will be increasingly capable of viewing life and death correctly, and increasingly capable of realizing which duties are those that they should perform in life and are what they need most, and in this way, they will feel increasingly at ease in life. In this process, people gradually grow into maturity; that is, they gradually get to the point of not fearing hardships and danger, not fearing death, and not fearing any difficulties. At first, when people are young, they cry and are unable to sleep when they hear some unpleasant and heart-piercing words or encounter a little difficulty or setback, and feel there’s no hope in living. Gradually, they reach the point where they have a certain amount of immunity and resistance in their hearts when they hear heart-piercing words and encounter difficulties, and they no longer feel there’s no point in living, nor do they think of death. Later on, when they hear even more heart-piercing words and encounter setbacks and failures, they can endure them in their hearts without being greatly affected, and feel that it is very normal for people to experience these things in life, and they no longer need the comfort, encouragement, or assistance of others in order to carry on with their lives. In this way, don’t people gain more and more fortitude? People have the ability to survive independently, and also the motivation to survive independently. Everyone must go through the stage of being young and naive. It’s not until after the age of forty or fifty that they gradually reach a state of maturity and become adults. Even if someone hasn’t started a family, built a career, or become a parent, judging from what they’ve gone through in life, from the words they speak, and from the realizations, understanding, and attitude they have toward their life, toward living, toward the difficulties they face, and toward things that go or don’t go as they wish, you will find that this person has grown up and matured. What is all this thanks to? It is thanks to the various difficulties, disappointments, and even setbacks and failures that appear in people’s fates as ordained by God. Therefore, from this perspective, it is beyond doubt that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and people should accept this truth to the fullest extent. Can it be said here that God truly has painstaking intentions in His sovereignty over people’s fates? (Yes.) Regardless of whether one believes in God or not, as people grow into maturity starting from their births, those with good caliber can even reach a point of understanding that they are subject to fate and of seeking God. Judging from this fact, isn’t the original intention of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates a positive thing? (Yes.) You see, when I say this, you all nod and acknowledge that it is a positive thing. Why is that? Because what I am saying is a fact, and I have explained the essence of this matter clearly, and you have also experienced it, right? (Yes.) Mankind has indeed benefited from the fate that is under God’s sovereignty. No matter what your background is, or where you come from, and no matter what role you play in this society, in short, as long as you live under God’s sovereignty, you have received benefits from God. Some people say, “That’s not right. God has to be sovereign over the fates of God’s chosen people, over the fates of humans. God is not sovereign over the fates of those who are reincarnated from devils or animals.” Is this statement correct? (No.) Anything that is a created being is under God’s sovereignty. As long as it is a created being, it has a fate. You are a created being, so you have your fate. God has arranged a fate for you, so your fate is not something you have chosen, nor is it something you have created; it comes from God’s sovereignty. Therefore, no matter what role you play, whether you are reincarnated from a human, an animal, or a devil, since you now appear to be a member of the human race, you certainly have a fate, and your fate is definitely under God’s sovereignty. Based on this point, isn’t God’s sovereignty over people’s fates a positive thing? (Yes.) Why do we say that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing? Because God has painstaking intentions behind the fate He arranges for any created being; it’s all for mankind to be able to live normally and in an orderly way in this world, with the various innate conditions endowed by God. God does not treat any person unfairly. As it is said, the sun shines on the good and on the evil. This is God’s sovereignty. Otherwise, why would we say that only God is the Creator of mankind, and only God is sovereign over mankind? Because this is what God does, God has this ability, and He has this essence and this authority. This point makes it clear—God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and this can neither be denied nor doubted. That is to say, given the laws of the fleshly life of mankind, the fates of hardships and rough patches that God arranges for people can help them gradually grow into maturity and be able to complete their journey through this life smoothly. From this perspective, God’s sovereignty is a positive thing.

Looking at another aspect of people’s fates, many people live difficult, disappointing lives. They don’t appear to have done anything bad, but it seems they’re being punished. For example, some people lose their fathers in their youth, their husbands in middle age, and their sons in old age, their families torn apart by death. Some have accidents, such as car crashes or plane crashes. Some have disabilities: Some are blind, some are deaf, and some have lost arms or legs. Some are reduced to abject poverty from being cheated, and others spend their whole lives repaying debts. When these various unfortunate things befall people, many say, “Heaven is unfair. This doesn’t seem like something Heaven should do. If God is sovereign over people’s fates, how could He make them so miserable? How could He let innocent people suffer such blows and encounter such misfortune?” If people look at it from the perspective of the Creator’s original intention in ordaining people’s fates, the Creator’s intentions for mankind are painstaking, and God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing. But when some special things happen in people’s fates that seem tragic from the perspective of the conscience of humanity, people can’t wrap their heads around why God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and they can’t figure out what’s going on. Many people believe that there are unfair aspects to the Creator’s arrangement of people’s fates, and feel it doesn’t quite make sense to say that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things. Therefore, some people have come up with a common saying: “Those who build bridges and repair roads end up blind, while those who do many evil deeds are blessed with big families.” Some people say, “This is unfair. Building bridges and repairing roads is accumulating merit and doing good. People who do that should have big families and be very wealthy. How could they end up blind? Could it be that such a fate is also under God’s sovereignty and is also a positive thing? This doesn’t make sense!” If people don’t understand the truth and don’t have knowledge of God, they really can’t figure out or make sense of these things. Nonbelievers always say, “Heaven cherishes living things.” What does this mean? It means that if there is a God, if there is a Heaven, then God should care for His populace. If He is the Creator, He should care for His created beings and treat them kindly; He should not let them suffer these pains. As people see it, if mankind lived under the power of Satan and devils, it would be understandable that they may suffer these pains, but since mankind lives under God’s dominion and under God’s sovereignty, they should not suffer them. Especially when it comes to this kind of fate being under God’s sovereignty, people are even more unable to understand what’s going on. If people don’t understand the truth, it is very difficult for them to recognize that there is meaning behind each thing that God exercises sovereignty over and arranges; they can’t wrap their heads around some things, and get stuck on these special situations. If someone has a bit of a God-fearing heart, they will say, “If we can’t explain this matter, then let’s not talk about it, we shouldn’t judge it at will.” They can be considered to have a bit of reason. Some people have no conscience or reason, much less God-fearing hearts. They are audacious and have the gall to judge wantonly when they encounter things that don’t go as they wish, “Humph! People say Heaven cherishes living things, so why do some people who seem to be quite good die at a young age? And they die violent deaths, leaving behind a bunch of children. It’s so pitiable, so tragic! And people still claim God’s sovereignty is a positive thing. If people having such tragic fates is under god’s sovereignty, then god is not righteous!” These people judge God so wantonly. People’s fates are undoubtedly under God’s sovereignty. This can never be questioned or denied at any time. The statement “People’s fates are in God’s hands” is sound at all times and is a fact at all times, because God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and this will never change at any time. So why do people encounter such tragic situations? There is one thing that people don’t know about, or they may understand it in terms of doctrine but can’t explain it clearly, which is that every person’s fate has a cause and effect. What kind of fate you have and what things you suffer in this life may be the effects of your previous life, and may also become causes in your next life. It’s just like nonbelievers say, “What goes around comes around.” In your previous life, you may have sown certain causes and effects—if God arranges for you to be reincarnated as a human and become a member of the human race in this life, then you must pay the price for the causes and effects you sowed; you must make up for them. Whether you are going to make up for them and whether you should is not for you to decide. No one who has done evil is willing to accept punishment. Only the Creator can arrange this matter, has the authority to do this, and, of course, has the power to do this. So what is the Creator’s principle in doing this? It is to reward the good and punish the evil. Although mankind does not understand God’s sovereignty, does not know God, and does not comprehend the fundamentals and principles of God’s sovereignty, for God, because He has a righteous disposition and because of His identity as the Creator, He has established heavenly rules and laws for mankind and for all things. What are these heavenly rules and laws based on? They are based on God’s righteous disposition and on God’s authority and power. The establishment of these heavenly rules and laws is reflected in a phenomenon in the human world, which is the reincarnation of humans. The process of human reincarnation is often directly related to cause and effect, and this causality is reflected and manifested in some special things in people’s fates. In addition, in the process of human reincarnation, people receive God’s rewards as well as God’s punishments. God punishes those who do evil; that is, He has them encounter all kinds of misfortunes and mishaps, and all kinds of punishments that people view as undeserved and unreasonable. Some of these punishments are even particularly tragic in the eyes of man, but there is a background to why this tragic situation happens to them. It is not something that God has inflicted on them for no reason, but a punishment they must suffer because they have done a myriad of evil deeds. When people can’t see through the ins and outs of this matter, they talk nonsense and complain about Heaven and God, which is very stupid. So what’s the situation with those who enjoy God’s grace? Because they accumulated merit and did many good in their previous life—many things that benefited mankind, and many things that did not earn them condemnation but rewards according to God’s heavenly rules and laws, they enjoy many blessings in this life. Let Me give you an example. Say there’s a woman born into a happy family—although the family is not very rich, it has many male children and no female children, and God arranges for her to be in this family. As soon as this baby girl is born, she becomes the apple of the family’s eye—so precious that they seem afraid to even breathe near her for fear of harming her. This girl is beautiful, smart, and lovely, and her parents and elders all like her. Her whole life is smooth sailing. No matter what she does or what difficulties she encounters, there are always nice people to help her, and all her difficulties are resolved easy as pie. She has no worries and lives a relaxed, happy life. She is truly blessed! What’s going on here? Is the Creator partial to certain people? (No.) Then why can some people enjoy such great blessings? It is stipulated in the heavenly rules and laws that a certain type of person who has done things that are beneficial to mankind should be rewarded, and she may be one such person. Having received the reward from the Creator, she enjoys such great blessings in the human world. She never has to worry about food and clothing; wherever she goes, there are nice people to help her, and wherever she goes, people like her. Even when she is in her forties or fifties and her children are grown up, her parents still treat her as the apple of their eye; any time they have something good, they save it for her. Others are envious when they see her enjoying such blessings, and some feel it’s unfair because they cannot enjoy such blessings. If you also want to enjoy such a fate arranged by the Creator, and enjoy such luck and blessings as she does, then you should also accumulate more merit and do more good, and you should also do more of the things that are stipulated by Heaven as accumulating merit and doing good—then you’ll also be able to enjoy such blessings. What does this phenomenon, this fact, tell people? No matter what kind of fate a person has in the human world—whether they enjoy blessings or encounter mishaps, whether their whole life is smooth or they encounter many misfortunes and calamities—it has a certain relationship with their past and present lives. Ultimately, then, what their fate is is related to the heavenly rules and laws set by God. If everything they did in their previous life was in line with the provisions of the heavenly rules and laws that result in being rewarded, then their fate in this life may be, in people’s view, glamorous, smooth sailing, and very good. If what they did in their previous life violated many heavenly laws, and just happened to match up with the provisions of the heavenly rules and laws set by God that result in punishment, then the fate that God arranges for them will, in people’s view, be that they lead a particularly miserable, pitiful life, as if this life is just for them to come and repay their past debts. They never enjoy any good food or clothing, and no one likes them or cares about them. They feel it’s because of their rotten fate that they suffer so much in this life. It’s not until they believe in God that they understand that a person’s whole life is ordained by God. When they recognize that God ordains things, it becomes easier for them to submit to God, and they become much more well-behaved and no longer fight against their fate. Before, they felt defiant inside: “What bad things have I done? I have a clear conscience in this life. I’ve never harmed anyone. Why have I encountered such a fate? Heaven is not fair!” After accepting God’s work, they understand: “This is God’s righteousness. God has impelled me to come before Him through these things!” It is also right to think this way, and this is a fact. But it is also a fact that the punishment people receive comes from God’s sovereignty. What does all this—the cycle of causes and effects, punishing the evil and rewarding the good, and the heavenly rules and laws—come down to? Behind it all is God’s righteous disposition; God’s righteous disposition is sovereign over it all. Therefore, even when all sorts of things that are not in line with people’s notions, tastes, or wishes appear in their fates, the matter of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates remains a positive thing. Doesn’t this make sense? (Yes.) Out of your human kindness, when you see people suffering, you think, “That person is so pitiable! I can’t bear to see anyone suffer, and I can’t bear to see evil people bullying others.” Some people are always bullied in this life. What’s the reason for that? It’s because in their previous life they always bullied people and harmed quite a few people, so in this life they have to be bullied themselves. If you always bully people, the fruit you bear in the end is to be bullied yourself. This is the righteousness of the Creator. By conducting yourself in that way, you violated the heavenly laws, so you should pay the price and endure pain and torment for the evil you did in your previous life. This is God’s righteousness, and you cannot escape it. Therefore, the fact that there are all kinds of fates for people makes it increasingly clear that the heavenly rules and laws set by God cannot be changed by any person, and no one is an exception. The Creator has never had fleshly feelings for mankind, and of course, the essence of the Creator is to have no fleshly feelings. He only has a righteous disposition. All that God does, in human language, is reasonable and righteous. So how should it be viewed from the perspective of the truth? It’s God’s righteous disposition—it’s all positive things. People should accept it from God, and should not have any judgments or evaluations of God which aren’t in line with reality or don’t accord with the truth. Even if you sympathize with and pity some people from a human perspective, as a follower of God who understands some truths, you should praise God’s righteous disposition, and you should also praise God’s sovereignty. It is so good that God is sovereign in this way! It is precisely because God is sovereign over people’s fates in this way that mankind has been able to survive in an orderly manner to this day. If Satan were sovereign over people’s fates, mankind would have long been in chaos, and it would have been impossible for them to live to this day. Look at what the devil’s realm is like; without God’s sovereignty, the human world would be the same as the devil’s realm. What is the devil’s realm? The most realistic example is the internal struggles—carried out both in the open and in secret—within the CCP’s autocratic rule, which are filled with bloodshed and murderous intent. That is the devil’s realm. Isn’t the interior situation of the CCP’s autocratic rule chaotic? People often disappear, and even when they are clearly assassinated, nobody dares to announce it. This is the chaos of the devil’s realm, and it is also the chaos of today’s evil world.

It is certain beyond all doubt that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing. Whether from the perspective of God’s original intention in designing people’s fates or from the perspective of the results of people’s fates produced by the heavenly rules and laws established by God, it should be said with absolute certainty that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, not a negative one. If you have notions about this truth, you can seek the truth in God’s words to resolve your notions, but you cannot say based on your notions and imaginings, “People’s fates under God’s sovereignty should all be good and beneficial to them. Why do things end up so poorly for some people due to God’s sovereignty? This shouldn’t be God’s sovereignty, right?” You must never say such a thing. Such an outrageously rebellious and blasphemous statement must never come from your mouth. From today onward, you must accept and affirm the truth that “People’s fates are under God’s sovereignty, and God’s sovereignty is a positive thing.” Do not doubt this. No matter how the fates of people that you see with your own eyes or that you experience conflicts with your notions, or even if you think they are inhumane, you should believe and affirm that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is real, and is a positive thing. This point cannot be doubted. Has this truth been fellowshipped clearly? (Yes.) This is a very crucial issue in knowing God, and it’s been resolved, right? (Yes.) Then let’s end our fellowship here for today. Goodbye!

April 6, 2024