Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

All God’s chosen people are now practicing performing their duties, and God makes use of people’s performance of their duties to perfect one group of people and cast another out. So, it is the performance of duty that reveals each sort of person, and each sort of deceitful person, nonbeliever, and evil person is revealed and cast out in the performance of their duty. Those who perform their duties faithfully are honest people; those who are consistently careless and perfunctory are deceitful, shrewd people, and they are nonbelievers; and those who cause disruptions and disturbances in performing their duties are evil people and antichrists. Right now, a wide range of problems still exist in many of those who perform duties. Some people are always very passive in their duties, always sitting and waiting and relying on others. What sort of attitude is that? It is irresponsibility. God’s house has arranged for you to do a duty, yet you ponder on it for days without getting any concrete work done. You are nowhere to be seen at the workplace, and people cannot find you when they have problems that need resolving. You do not bear a burden for this work. If a leader inquires about the work, what will you tell them? You are not doing any kind of work right now. You are well aware that this work is your responsibility, but you do not do it. What on earth are you thinking? Do you not do any work because you are incapable of it? Or are you just greedy for comfort? What attitude do you have toward your duty? You only talk about words and doctrines, and you only say pleasant-sounding things, but you do not do any practical work. If you do not wish to perform your duty, you should resign. Do not hold your position and not do anything there. Is doing so not inflicting harm on God’s chosen people and compromising the work of the church? In the way you talk, you seem to understand all manner of doctrine, but when asked to perform a duty, you are careless and perfunctory, and not conscientious in the least. Is that expending yourself sincerely for God? You are not sincere when it comes to God, yet you feign sincerity. Are you capable of deceiving Him? In the way you usually talk, there seems to be such great faith; you would like to be the pillar of the church and its rock. But when you perform a duty, you are less useful than a matchstick. Is this not deceiving God with your eyes wide open? Do you know what will come of you trying to deceive God? He will detest and reject you and cast you out! All people are revealed in performing their duties—just set a person to a duty, and it will not take long before it is revealed whether they are an honest person or a deceitful person, and whether or not they are a lover of the truth. Those who love the truth can perform their duties sincerely and uphold the work of God’s house; those who do not love the truth do not uphold the work of God’s house in the least, and they are irresponsible in performing their duties. This is immediately clear to those who are clear-sighted. No one who performs their duty poorly is a lover of the truth or an honest person; such people will all be revealed and cast out. To perform their duties well, people must have a sense of responsibility and a sense of burden. This way, the work will definitely be done properly. It is only worrying when someone does not have a sense of burden or responsibility, when they have to be prompted to do everything, when they’re always careless and perfunctory, and they try to shift the blame when problems arise, leading to delays in their resolution. Can the work still be done well then? Can their performance of their duty yield any results? They do not wish to do any of the tasks that are arranged for them, and when they see others who need help with their work, they ignore them. They only do a bit of work when ordered, only when push comes to shove and they have no choice. This is not performing a duty—this is hired labor! A hired laborer works for an employer, doing a day’s work for a day’s pay, an hour’s work for an hour’s pay; they’re waiting to get paid. They’re afraid of doing any work their boss doesn’t see, they’re afraid of not being rewarded for anything they do, they only ever work for appearances’ sake—which means they have no loyalty. Much of the time, you are unable to reply when asked about work issues. Some of you have gotten involved in the work, but you have never asked how the work is going or carefully thought about this. Given your caliber and knowledge, you ought to know something at least, because all of you have taken part in this work. So why do most people say nothing? It is possible that you really don’t know what to say—that you don’t know whether or not things are going well. There are two reasons for this: One is that you are totally indifferent, and have never cared about these things, and have only ever treated them as a task to be completed. The other is that you are irresponsible and are unwilling to care about these things. If you truly cared, and were really engaged, you would have a view and perspective on everything. Having no perspective or view often comes from being indifferent and apathetic, and not taking any responsibility. You are not diligent toward the duty you perform, you do not take any responsibility, you are not willing to pay a price or get involved. You do not take any pains, nor are you willing to expend any greater energy; you merely wish to be an underling, which is no different from how an unbeliever works for their boss. This kind of performance of a duty is disliked by God and it does not please Him. It cannot meet with His approval.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only an Honest Person Can Live Out True Human Likeness

Whether a person truly has faith in God is evident through their performance of duty. To determine if someone pursues the truth, observe whether they perform their duty with principle. Some people lack any principles when performing their duty. They consistently follow their own inclinations and act arbitrarily. Is this not a display of carelessness and perfunctoriness? Are they not deceiving God? Have you ever considered the consequences of such behavior? You show no consideration for God’s intentions through your performance of duty. You are thoughtless and inefficient in everything you do, lacking wholehearted dedication and effort. Can you gain God’s approval this way? Many people perform their duty reluctantly, and they cannot persevere. They cannot endure even the slightest suffering and they always feel that they have been done a great disservice, nor do they seek the truth to resolve difficulties. Can they follow God to the end by performing their duty in this way? Is it alright to be careless and perfunctory in whatever they do? Can this be acceptable to the conscience? Even measured by human standards, such behavior is unacceptable—so may it be accounted as the satisfactory performance of duty? If you perform your duty in this way, you will never gain the truth. The service you render will be unsatisfactory. How, then, could you gain God’s approval? Many people fear hardship when performing their duty, they are too lazy and crave physical comfort. They never invest any effort into learning specialized skills or contemplating the truths in God’s words. They believe that being perfunctory in this way saves them trouble. They don’t need to do any research or seek advice from others. They don’t need to use their minds or think deeply. This seems to save them a lot of effort and physical discomfort, and they still manage to complete the task. And if you deal with them, they become defiant and argue, saying: “I wasn’t lazy or idle, the task was done—why are you nitpicking? Aren’t you just trying to find fault with me? I’m already doing well enough by performing my duty like this. How are you not satisfied?” Do you think people like this can make any further progress? They consistently perform their duties in a perfunctory manner, and always come up with excuses. When problems arise they refuse to let anyone point them out. What kind of disposition is this? Is it not the disposition of Satan? Can people perform their duty acceptably with such a disposition? Can they satisfy God? Is this how you perform your duty? From the outside you appear busy, working well with others without any disputes. However, none of you are putting effort into your duty, racking your brains over it, concerning yourselves about it. None of you are losing your appetites or losing sleep because you haven’t performed your duty well. None of you are seeking the truth or adhering to principles to resolve problems. You are all just getting by, going through the motions in a perfunctory manner. Too few of you take true responsibility in your duty. Regardless of the difficulties that arise, you do not come together to pray earnestly or face problems and solve them collectively. There is no consideration for the outcome. You simply complete a task, only to find that it needs to be redone. Doing your duty this way is simply acting perfunctorily and is no different from how unbelievers do their jobs. This is the attitude of someone who is a service-doer. By fulfilling your duties in this way, you are not experiencing God’s work, nor are you sincerely expending yourselves for God. If you do not change this mindset, you will only end up exposed and cast out.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only One Who Performs Their Duty With All Their Heart, Mind, and Soul Is One Who Loves God

Some people render service for years without changing at all. They still often become negative, complain, and reveal their corrupt dispositions when they encounter difficulties. When they are pruned and dealt with they resort to arguments and quibbling, unable to accept even a bit of the truth and not submitting to God whatsoever. Ultimately, they are forbidden from performing their duties. Some people make a mess of the work when performing their duties and do not accept criticism, instead shamelessly saying they did nothing wrong and not repenting at all. And finally, when the house of God revokes their duties and sends them on their way, they leave their place of duty crying and complaining. This is how they are cast out. This is the way in which duties thoroughly expose people. People usually talk a good game and shout slogans loudly, but why is it that when they take on a duty they do not act as humans but become devils? This is because people who lack humanity are devils wherever they go; and without accepting the truth, they cannot stand firm anywhere. Some people often perform their duties carelessly and perfunctorily, and they try to argue and reason when they are pruned and dealt with. After being dealt with repeatedly, they feel some desire to repent, so they start employing methods of self-restraint. In the end, however, they cannot restrain themselves, and even though they might swear oaths and curse themselves, it doesn’t help, and they still don’t resolve the problem of their carelessness and perfunctoriness, nor the problem of them arguing and quibbling. Only after everyone eventually comes to detest this person and criticizes them do they finally feel forced to admit, “I do have corrupt dispositions. I want to repent but I am unable to. When I do my duty I always consider my own interests, my own pride and reputation, which causes me to rebel against God often. I want to practice the truth, but I cannot let go of my intentions and desires; I cannot forsake them. I always want to do things according to my own will, I contrive schemes to avoid work, and I covet leisure and enjoyment. I cannot accept being dealt with and pruned and I always try to argue my way out of it. I think that it’s good enough that I’ve labored and endured hardships, so I resort to arguing and quibbling when anybody tries to deal with me, feeling unconvinced at heart. I really am so difficult to handle! How should I seek the truth to resolve these problems?” They start to ponder these things. This means that they have some understanding of how people should act, as well as some reason. If a service-doer starts at some point to attend to their proper work and focus on changing their disposition, and realizes that they too have corrupt dispositions, that they too are arrogant and incapable of obeying God, and that continuing in this way will not do—when they start to think about and try to fathom these things, when they can seek the truth to face problems that they discover—will they not then begin to reverse their course? If they start to reverse their course, there is hope for them to change. But if they never intend to pursue the truth, if they lack the desire to strive for the truth and only know to labor and work, believing that finishing the work they have at hand is accomplishing their task and completing God’s commission—if they believe that performing some labor means they’ve done their duty, without ever considering what God’s requirements are or what the truth is, or whether they are a person who obeys God, and never trying to figure out any of these things—if this is the way they approach their duty, will they be able to attain salvation? They will not. They have not embarked on the path of salvation, they have not gotten on the right track of believing in God, and they have not built a relationship with God. They are still just laboring and rendering service in the house of God.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Seeking the Truth Principles Can One Perform One’s Duty Well

If you expended sincerely for God and had a God-loving heart, how would you treat tasks that are dirty, demanding, or hard? Your mentality would be different: You would choose to do whatever is difficult and seek out heavy burdens to shoulder. You would take up what other people are unwilling to do, and you would do it solely for the love of God and to satisfy Him. You would be filled with joy to do so, without any hint of complaints. The dirty, the demanding, and the difficult show people for who they are. How are you different from people who take on only light and high-profile tasks? You aren’t much better than they. Is that not how it is? This is how you must see these things. So then, what most exposes people for who they are is their performance of their duty. Some people say great things most of the time, claiming that they are willing to love and obey God, but when they come across a difficulty in fulfilling their duty, they let loose all kinds of complaints and negative words. It is obvious that they are hypocrites. If someone is a lover of the truth, then when faced with a difficulty in performing their duty, they will pray to God and seek the truth while treating their duty in earnest even if it isn’t suitably arranged. They will not complain, even if faced with heavy, dirty, or difficult tasks, and they can do their tasks well and perform their duty well with a God-obeying heart. They find great enjoyment in doing so, and God is comforted to see it. This is the kind of person that meets with God’s approval. If someone becomes prickly and irritable as soon as they encounter dirty, hard, or demanding tasks, and won’t let anyone criticize them, such a person is not someone who sincerely expends of themselves for God. They can only be exposed and cast out.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three

The thing that most perceptibly reflects the bond that links you to God is how you treat the matters God entrusts to you and the duty He assigns you, and the attitude you have. What is most observable and most practical is this issue. God is waiting; He wants to see your attitude. At this crucial juncture, you should hurry and make your position known to God, accept His commission, and perform your duty well. When you have grasped this crucial point and fulfilled the commission God has given to you, your relationship with God will be normal. If, when God entrusts a task to you, or tells you to perform a certain duty, your attitude is cursory and apathetic, and you do not take it seriously, is this not precisely the opposite of giving all your heart and strength? Can you perform your duty well in this way? Certainly not. You will not perform your duty adequately. So, your attitude when performing your duty is of crucial importance, as are the method and path you choose. No matter how many years they have believed in God, those who fail to perform their duties well will be cast out.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three

The most pressing issue to resolve now is how to treat one’s duty. Because the performance of duty is what best reveals whether a person’s belief is true or false, whether or not they love the truth, whether they choose the right or wrong path, and whether they possess or lack conscience and reason. All of these issues can be exposed in the performance of duty. In order to address the question of how to treat one’s duty, you must first of all understand what duty is, as well as how to properly perform it and what to do when you encounter difficulty while performing it—what principles to follow and to practice in accordance with which truths. You must understand what to do when you misunderstand God and when you cannot let go of your designs. Additionally, in the course of performing your duties, you must frequently reflect upon the incorrect thoughts in your heart that are thoughts and views belonging to Satan, which influence and obstruct the fulfillment of your duty; which can cause you to disobey and rebel against God while doing duty; and which cause you to fail at that which God entrusts to you—you must know all of this. Is duty important to a person? It is extremely important. This vision must be clear to you now: fulfilling your duty is of the utmost importance for believing in God. The most crucial aspect of believing in God now is performing duty. Without performing your duty well, there can be no reality. By performing duty, people are able to understand God’s will, and can gradually build a normal relationship with Him. By performing duty, people gradually identify their problems, and come to recognize their corrupt disposition and essence. At the same time, by reflecting on themselves, people can gradually discover just what God demands of them. Do you understand now just what it is you believe when you believe in God? In fact, it is a belief in the truth, an attainment of the truth. Performing duty allows for the attainment of the truth and life. The truth and life cannot be attained without performing duty. Can there be reality if one believes in God without performing duty? (No.) There can be no reality. Thus, if you do not perform your duty well, you cannot attain the truth. Once you are cast out, this shows you failed to believe in God. Even though you say you believe in Him, your belief is already bereft of meaning. This is something that must be grasped through and through.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Seeking the Truth Principles Can One Perform One’s Duty Well

It is now the time for everyone to be grouped with their kind. It is the time when God reveals people and casts them out. If you are true believers in God, you must pursue the truth well and perform your duty well. If you can share some experiential testimony, it proves that you are a person who loves the truth, and that you possess some truth realities. But if you cannot share any experiential testimony, then you are a service-doer and are in danger of being cast out. If you perform your duty well and are responsible and loyal, then you are a loyal service-doer and you can remain. Anyone who is not a loyal service-doer must be cast out. Therefore, only by performing your duty well can you stand firm in the house of God, and be spared from calamity. Performing your duty well is crucial. At the very least, the people of God’s house are honest people. They are people who are trustworthy in their duty, who can accept God’s commission, and perform their duty loyally. If people do not have true faith, consciences, and reason, and if they do not have a heart of fear of and obedience to God, then they are not suitable to perform duties. Even though they perform their duty, they are sloppy while doing so. They are service-doers—people who have not truly repented. Service-doers such as this will be cast out sooner or later. Only loyal service-doers will be spared. Although loyal service-doers do not have the truth realities, they possess consciences and reason, they are able to perform their duties with sincerity, and God permits them to be spared. Those who possess the truth realities, and who can make resounding testimony of God are His people, and will also be spared and brought into His kingdom.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. To Perform One’s Duty Well, One Must at Least Be Possessed of a Conscience and Reason