In His life, the incarnate God inevitably interacts and associates with people, including some brothers and sisters who believe in God, as well as some nonbelievers. When interacting with brothers and sisters who believe in God, He of course also has some principles for conducting Himself and dealing with things in terms of humanity. Although He does not strictly abide by the rules of courtesy and reciprocity and the ways of the world, in terms of exchanging favors, He strives to not take advantage of others or seek privilege for Himself. When some brothers and sisters spend some of their energy and time handling personal matters for Me, I will find an opportunity to give them a small gift, pay them a visit, treat them to a meal, or do something else. This is not bribery; this is courtesy and reciprocity, and not taking advantage of others. As for the brothers and sisters with whom I haven’t had any private exchanges, I’ve never given any of them gifts because they have status or have made contributions in God’s house, nor have I given any of them things or special treatment because I value them or have a decent relationship with them. Such things have never happened. In short, when associating and interacting with people, I strive to not take advantage of them or seek privilege for Myself. My special identity will not lead Me to think, “However I use you is appropriate, and you should accept it; that is an exaltation of you.” I would not think like this. If you handle some personal matters for Me, matters outside of church work, then I will remember this favor and repay you. On this basis, I will engage in the exchange of favors with you. Even less needs to be said when it comes to nonbelievers—if a nonbeliever has handled something for Me and spent a certain amount of money, for one thing, I’ll make sure to not owe them financially. I won’t let them pay out of their own pocket; I’ll give them however much money is needed. Additionally, in handling this matter for Me they took great pains, exerted plenty of effort, and did a lot of running about, so I must give them a gift out of courtesy, offer some compensation for the favor, and not take advantage of them. They do this work and make a living from it; I cannot let them suffer a loss or pay money from their own pocket because they handled something for Me. That would be inappropriate. So, I don’t seek privilege for Myself in such matters. Of course, this isn’t following the rules of the game; it’s just that one must stick to the most basic ways of the world and courtesy and reciprocity; no exceptions can be made in this regard. If you ask someone to handle a matter and do not pay them, and always try to take advantage of them, this is a manifestation of having no integrity. What are My principles in these matters? If you want to get something done, and the plan they provide is suitable and you can afford their price, then go through with it. If you cannot afford it, then don’t; find someone cheaper to do it. Only do what you can afford. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and don’t think about how you can take advantage of others. If you don’t have the financial means to get it taken care of, then either borrow money, take out a loan, or wait until you’ve earned enough money to get it done. In short, figure something out yourself; you can’t take advantage of others. If this is their profession, then when they handle something for you, you should keep your promise and pay them. This is perfectly natural and justified. Not taking advantage of others, not deceiving others, not owing others, not acting shamelessly, and not owing debts—this is called conducting oneself in a rule-abiding manner. When you’re in difficulty, don’t pour out your troubles to others; when you’re poor, don’t take advantage of others; when you’re rich, don’t flaunt your wealth; and do not put on airs because of your identity and status. This is My credo for interacting with people and handling matters. For example, sometimes I’ll find someone to handle something for Me. Let’s say that normally this would only cost a thousand dollars, but they want five thousand. Although I can afford this, I won’t accept being cheated like this. I spend however much is usually needed to get this done, and I don’t bargain with people. If I cannot afford it, I’ll find someone cheaper. I will absolutely not act shamelessly, nor will I cry poor to get them to lower the price; I never say such things. I give however much money is needed to get this taken care of, paying the market rate and acting according to the rules. This is just how rigorous I am. Some wealthy people are particularly high-profile and haughty. They wear designer brands, diamond rings, and necklaces, decking themselves out from head to toe in dazzling jewels. Moreover, they wear high heels wherever they go, and generally avoid walking on carpets, thinking it’s too low-profile without the sound—they specifically walk on marble or wooden floors so that people notice their arrival. They don’t even take off their designer sunglasses when entering a room, and they scan the room from the doorway to see who’s there, as if to say, “Did you see that the queen has arrived?” Wherever they go, they must first put on airs. If I wear sunglasses when I go out in the summer, I quickly put them in My bag when I arrive at My destination, lest people see Me wearing sunglasses and think I’m putting on airs, which could cause misunderstandings. Most of the shoes I wear have rubber or foam soles, and I try to not make any noise when walking. When I go somewhere to handle matters, if I need to ring the doorbell, I do so. If I don’t need to ring the doorbell, then once I’m inside, I first tell the receptionist that I have an appointment with so-and-so at a certain time, and then sit there and wait. I see some people sitting and looking at their phones when they have nothing to do. Their legs are crossed, they are tossing their permed hair, and they have a designer bag next to them—they’re so pompous. Wherever I go, I am particularly low-profile. I find a corner to sit in, hugging My bag to My chest to prevent it from being snatched by bad people. I am cautious and keep a low profile. When it’s My turn, I quickly go handle the matter without dawdling, trying to attract as little attention as possible. I follow the rules when handling things and do not owe people. Wherever I go, I keep My movements controlled; I don’t want to attract anyone’s attention. That is, wherever I go to handle something, I move quietly, never being so loud that I announce My presence. When interacting with nonbelievers, if they usually have certain rules for handling things, then I follow those rules. For example, the rule in such-and-such industry is that after someone handles a matter for you, you have to treat them to a meal. Going on the price of our transaction, the meal should generally cost about fifteen dollars, so I treat them to a meal that costs about that much. Some people say, “Since You’re treating them to a meal, spend a bit more money to show off.” There’s no need for that. Whatever their rules are, we abide by them. Do not overreach, and don’t waste money just to show off. In the West, when asking someone to take care of something for you, or hiring hourly workers or laborers and the like, it’s customary to give a tip. Some industries have rules concerning the size of the tip, while others do not. For those that don’t have such rules, most of the time out of politeness and respect for the worker, I give a reasonable tip based on their rate, the quality of their work, and their attitude. If they did a good job, I’ll give them an extra five dollars; if they did an average job and I don’t want to use them again in the future, I won’t give them extra money, but I won’t give them less than what they earned. As for giving tips, I do not treat Myself like I’m a tycoon and deliberately flaunt My wealth, pulling out a handful of cash and giving it to someone without counting it. I never do such things. Instead, before they start work, I prepare the money in advance based on their rate and give it to them when they leave. Most people are quite satisfied with this. This can also be considered a rule for handling matters in the West. Since it’s a rule, we must abide by it and not break it. If you’re new somewhere and don’t understand the rules, it would be best for you to learn them. Once you understand them, don’t play dumb; try your best to handle matters according to the rules. Of course, it’s not that I’m afraid of people judging Me behind My back or saying that I do not conduct Myself in a rule-abiding manner—it is not out of fear of these things. Rather, I feel that this is how it should be done; it’s what I am supposed to do. Some people say, “If You shortchanged them ten dollars, wouldn’t You have enough for an extra meal?” You can’t look at it that way. That is what they earned. If you give them ten dollars less, it’s equivalent to taking ten dollars from them. Using the money you took from others for your own expenses is unconscionable. Doing things against your conscience is not in line with humanity; it is devoid of humanity. If you try to shortchange them like that, then you are not conducting yourself in a rule-abiding manner. Conducting oneself in a rule-abiding manner means, at the very least, acting impartially and calling a spade a spade. Suppose you’re in the service industry and need to rely on tips to make a living. If someone doesn’t give you a tip, taking advantage of you, how would you feel? It’s the same logic. Not giving a tip might not be against the law in a certain industry, and no one will go after you for it, but can you square it with your conscience? If you cannot square it with your conscience, then you owe a debt to your conscience. If you owe too many such debts in this life, when will you be able to pay them off? You cannot conduct yourself like this. Perhaps you take advantage of someone a bit by not giving them a tip, but don’t you feel a sense of accusation from your conscience? If you really don’t, then there truly is a problem with you. If you try to take advantage of someone over such a small thing, might you be capable of even worse things? With such a mentality, can you still practice the truth?

Everyone might encounter these examples we fellowshipped on regarding conducting oneself in a rule-abiding manner during the course of their life and survival. For the incarnate God, living among this humankind, these things are also impossible to avoid and are things He must face. When doing these things, on the whole God incarnate strictly abides by the credos and principles of conducting oneself in a rule-abiding manner and doing things dutifully. I Myself do exactly this. Of course, when My interactions with you involve church work or your personal life, if you ask Me to fellowship with you or consult Me on how to handle a certain issue, I will fellowship with you strictly according to My credos of self-conduct. Whether you accept them or not, My viewpoints and the ways and principles by which I conduct Myself remain unchanged. I will absolutely not teach you to exploit legal loopholes to take extra advantage; doing so is absolutely inappropriate. No matter what happens, I will first have you clearly figure out whether the matter involves laws, policies, or the regulations of a certain industry. If it involves these things, I will tell you to consult government officials, consult a lawyer, or look up the relevant rules online. If it involves financial issues, then you should consult an accountant. You must practice this way no matter which country you are in. This is how I do things, and I will absolutely not encourage you to violate these credos. Instead, I require you to strictly abide by the laws and regulations of each country, including the rules and provisions of any public place or any industry. If you’re not aware of them, you must take the initiative to learn about them and consult with people about them. If you are aware of them, you must do your best to abide by them. Whatever the rules say, that’s how we should do things. Even if sometimes the rules or laws of the country affect the time you spend doing your duty, or affect some matters related to your duty, you still must abide by them. You can figure out ways to adjust the time you do your duty or the environment in which you do it to avoid conflicting with the country’s laws and regulations, and also to avoid engaging in behaviors or causing incidents that violate the country’s laws and regulations. Is it appropriate to do things this way? (Yes.) This is in one regard. In another, regardless of which country’s laws and regulations they are, and no matter whether they are reasonable or unreasonable, as long as they are explicitly stipulated by the government, and as long as they appear within the scope of My life and existence, I abide by and comply with them as much as I can. I will absolutely not make remarks about or criticize any aspects of the government’s laws and regulations that are unreasonable or are not in people’s interests; instead, I abide by whatever rules the government sets. Of course, when I speak of abiding by the government’s laws and regulations, this does not include those laws that oppose religious belief or laws that deny and resist God. Rather, it refers to those laws and regulations that protect citizens’ rights, maintain social order, and promote fairness; these are what people should abide by. No matter what thoughts people have in their minds, abiding by laws and regulations comes first. One should respect the country’s laws, and respect the rules and provisions of any industry. If you cannot adapt to them or you do not like them, you can avoid this industry, or you can leave the country. But rationally speaking, if you live in a certain country, or you have dealings with people in a certain industry, you should abide by the country’s laws, by the provisions and directives of the industry or of certain special occasions and environments, and even by some moral norms. I strive to strictly abide by humankind’s laws, regulations, and provisions, by some special rules and directives in public places, and by the basic moral and behavioral norms of humanity. I never make a point of My special identity and status, nor do I go against any law, regulation, directive, provision, and the like. I do not challenge them or intentionally break them and go My own way; instead, I strictly abide by them. Behind this strict compliance of Mine is a respect for their laws, regulations, provisions, and rules. This is also the principle one actually practices and abides by when conducting themselves in a rule-abiding manner and doing things dutifully. Perhaps some people do not understand what My attitude toward these things is; they might have some thoughts that are not in line with reality in their minds, or have some hollow notions and imaginings about My principles and credos for doing such things. Through fellowshipping like this, do you find there to be anything hollow here? (No.) Saying that there’s nothing hollow means that My attitude toward these things is to treat them rationally from the perspective of humanity. I don’t assume a position of superiority, I don’t stand from the perspective of the third heaven, and I don’t treat these things from the special status of having God’s identity. Instead, I treat them in a very human way from a rational perspective. I never make a point of My identity as the incarnate God in the way I treat these things, nor do I ever avail of this identity to view them in a condescending manner. I never challenge these things, and I do not disrupt the country’s laws and regulations or the rules of any industry. Instead, I strictly abide by these laws, regulations, provisions, and other such things obediently and dutifully. Even more practically, when it comes to interacting with people, I also abide by a very human principle.

We have fellowshipped on some manifestations of the incarnate God conducting Himself in a rule-abiding manner. These might be things you have never thought of, or things you have never taken seriously; you might have a very hollow idea of these things; or, when you see, come into contact with, or hear about these things, you may be outright dismissive of them. However, these things are a reflection of the normality and practicality, and the humbleness and hiddenness, manifested by God’s incarnate flesh. In addition, they are also the most normal and practical manifestations of His self-conduct when God’s Spirit clothes Himself in flesh and comes among people. Through these manifestations, people can better understand how the God in heaven views, treats, and handles the issue of conducting oneself and becoming a member of humankind. These credos and principles of self-conduct allow people to see and know that God doesn’t do anything in a hollow way, that He does everything practically, and He practices according to principles in a practical way, abiding by the laws and regulations of humankind, and by the rules of the different spheres of human society. While abiding by these laws and regulations, God incarnate also has to perform His ministry and do the work He intends to do. Whether it’s His living out of normal humanity, or His doing the work of divinity, neither of these conflicts with or contradicts the other. The credos and principles of self-conduct exhibited by God in His normal human life display the normality and practicality of God incarnate—this is one aspect. Another aspect is that He lives out the normal humanity—which possesses conscience and reason—that God’s Spirit ought to have in becoming a person or clothing Himself in flesh among people. Although this living out seems unrelated to the ministry performed by God incarnate in His divinity much of the time, the credos and principles that God’s living out in humanity abides by are the same as the essence of the truth, God’s disposition, and His requirements for humankind expressed in His divine work. The principles of self-conduct that God incarnate abides by in His human life are to conduct Himself in a rule-abiding manner and to do things dutifully. Then, the principles of work He abides by when doing His work in divinity are basically the same—He conducts Himself in a rule-abiding manner and does things dutifully; the principles do not change. Therefore, as far as God incarnate is concerned, His humanity and divinity are never separated; they are completely united. His divinity can be expressed through His humanity, and His humanity is a manifestation of a part of His divinity. Therefore, when God incarnate lives among humankind, His humanity and divinity that people can see during this period are not disconnected or separate; they are united. The living out of His humanity and the credos and principles of His self-conduct are, to a certain extent, overseen, influenced, and directed by God’s Spirit. In another respect, it can also be said that He lives out His normal humanity that is possessed of conscience and reason. Only with such humanity can God’s incarnate flesh shoulder the entirety of His divine work, the work that He ought to do in His divinity; only with such humanity can God’s incarnate flesh fulfill the ministry He is to perform, and perform it well. This is one understanding. Another understanding is that the ministry performed by God incarnate is achieved through such a humanity that possesses normality and practicality. In any case, the humanity essence and the divinity of God incarnate both constitute the incarnate God, who has the special identity of Christ. Therefore, the self-conduct credos and principles of the humanity of God incarnate that you see, down to His specific manifestations, attitudes, and viewpoints in everything He does, are a part of His humanity and, of course, can also be said to be a part of His divinity. These two cannot be separated. That is, when you see such humanity in God incarnate, you should be certain that He is the flesh God has clothed Himself in. Of course, when you come into contact with the truth expressed by God, while acknowledging that God incarnate has divinity, you should also acknowledge that His humanity is a part of God incarnate, who has a special identity. In any case, ultimately people are allowed to see this normal and practical side of God incarnate and the credos and principles of self-conduct He lives out, because these involve many issues God’s flesh faces in His existence and life. Although these practical manifestations in God incarnate’s human life do not rise to the level of the ministry He performs or His provision of the truth, the way, and the life to people, these principles and credos of self-conduct are not disconnected from the divinity within God incarnate. Precisely because this flesh is God’s incarnate flesh and the flesh God’s Spirit has clothed Himself in, the normal humanity of this incarnate God can have such credos and principles of self-conduct. What this implies is that it’s very difficult for any member of corrupt humankind, or anyone among corrupt humankind who has an advantaged background, identity, social worth, and noble status, to conduct themselves in a rule-abiding manner and do things dutifully; no one is an exception. Therefore, this aspect of normality and practicality is what the humanity of God incarnate has and is, and of course, it is also a part of what the divinity of God incarnate has and is; it’s just that He expresses and reveals it through His humanity. If God incarnate boasted everywhere He went, always asserted His status, spoke grandiosely, felt He was noble, looked down on everyone and acted high and mighty, and always wanted to trample everyone underfoot; if He cursed anyone who did not bow down in worship, turning them to ashes, killing them instantly, or striking them down with His sharp gaze, then it would be difficult to say whether He actually had a divinity essence within Him. In one respect, God incarnate has the conscience and reason of normal humanity to maintain all the life, words, and deeds of His flesh. In another respect, His divinity is also at work within Him, because divinity is, after all, His true life. If His humanity were as arrogant and self-righteous as that of corrupt humankind, would you say this person is God incarnate? (No.) Suppose a person always had supernatural manifestations, always thought they were a celestial being descended to earth, always had this feeling, and always spoke to people from on high, making people look up to their words and deeds. Suppose they always had supernatural and transcendent thoughts in their heart, being able to tell at a glance what happened in someone’s past life, what evils they had committed, what things they had done, or how many times they had been reincarnated as a human or an animal. Furthermore, suppose this person always felt they were particularly noble, always had supernatural manifestations when speaking, and was attended by signs and wonders, making people feel they were special. Such a person would be abnormal. In one respect, the life disposition within them would be abnormal; in another respect, the life within them would not be the life of divinity. This is the only way to put it.

Whether it be His credos of self-conduct or His principles for handling matters, everything the incarnate God reveals and lives out is particularly normal and practical. Look at the things I have said and the things I do in My life—are any of them abnormal? Are any of them supernatural or unconventional? (No.) No matter what I am handling, you won’t find anything unusual about Me. I am not an unusual person; I am just a normal person. Moreover, My thoughts, views, thinking, and logic in handling every matter are not distorted, extreme, or supernatural. I am calm and even-tempered when interacting and associating with people. If people are willing to interact with Me, I interact with them; if they are not, I do not try to cozy up to them. Do you find My thinking to be normal when it comes to interacting with people, handling matters, doing all kinds of things, and conducting Myself? (Yes.) It’s all normal. I have never called on you or incited you to oppose the government of any country, nor have I ever told you something like: “Believers in God all come from God; you all come from the third heaven. Do not fear this world; trample this world under your feet! You are all victorious male children; take up the iron rod to rule this world and rule this humankind. All things are under your feet!” Have I ever said this? (No.) What have I said? That you must be rule-abiding in everything you do. No matter which country you believe in God and do your duty in, you must abide by the law and do things according to the government’s regulations. You absolutely must not act recklessly and willfully; you must be cautious and not be dissolute. If you violate the government’s laws and regulations, once a complaint is filed against you, it will affect your performance of your duty. I’m constantly nagging about this. Although it sounds rather mundane, it is very practical, because you have too little life experience and lack insight, and are very prone to making mistakes. You are believers in God. Your purpose in going to different countries to do your duty is to follow God’s will and bear witness for God, not to set yourself against any country or any ruling party. You are just created beings who do your duties; you should submit entirely to the Creator’s dominion, and you should submit to however God orchestrates and arranges things. No matter which country you go to, what kind of environment you live in, or which brothers’ and sisters’ homes you stay in, you must be rule-abiding, helping out as much as you can. In addition, you must abide by whatever laws and regulations the country has. I repeatedly exhort you to not break the rules and not get complaints filed against you. If a complaint is filed against you, you should figure out what mistake you made, what regulation you violated, and why the complaint was filed. Learn your lesson so it doesn’t happen again. If you do not learn your lesson, complaints will continue to be filed against you. My words in this regard are all solutions to problems based on actual circumstances—I’m telling you how to live, how to survive, and how to abide by the rules, so as to not bring unnecessary trouble to your own life and survival. No matter which country you go to, you are there to do your duty. First, you must integrate into the country and abide by its laws and regulations. You must not disrupt their existing order or bring them any trouble. Only then will they accept you and treat you as a member of the country, and only in this way can you settle down to do your duty. If you do not even abide by the local rules, and do things that violate the rules, causing people to constantly complain and make trouble for you, to the point where they even loathe you and do not want you to live there anymore, then how can you even dream of doing your duty? No matter where you live, you must abide by local laws and regulations. Tell Me, is practicing this way right? Is it beneficial to you in doing your duty? (Yes.) Practicing this way is very practical. Abiding by laws and regulations is basic common sense in real life. It’s not making a big deal out of nothing, much less is it being overly sensitive; it’s a principle you must abide by in real life. If something happens or a problem arises, we discuss the best way to resolve it and how to learn a lesson from it so you can strive to make fewer mistakes or avoid making them altogether in the future, and be someone who conducts themselves in a rule-abiding and dutiful manner. Some people do not abide by the rules wherever they go. They litter everywhere, and from time to time they make a racket and disturb their neighbors’ rest. Like wild animals entering a village, they affect and disturb the community environment, drawing disdain and antipathy from people wherever they go. I tell these people that they should strictly abide by local laws and regulations, and that they must follow the rules, and that only by conducting oneself in this way does one have normal humanity. Tell Me, is My way of thinking and My jumping-off point in handling these matters correct? (Yes.) I do not do things that are lofty and grand, or abstract, or transcendent, or unconventional. I just correct and direct people regarding these minor matters in their lives, and the mistakes and flaws that appear in their lives, pointing out and rectifying their issues and giving them tips. For God incarnate, is conducting Himself this way practical? (Yes.) It is so practical! Handling these matters is not hollow at all, and it is not divorced from real life at all. So, whether looking at the credos and principles of self-conduct and doing things that are reflected in God incarnate’s daily life, or at the truths He fellowships in the ministry He performs, both aspects are so normal and practical. Both aspects are things that people with normal thinking, who love positive things, and who have conscience and reason, can understand, apprehend, accept, and achieve. Neither aspect is divorced from real life at all; this is being normal and practical.