Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Changing man’s disposition should start with knowledge of his essence and through changes in his thinking, nature, and mental outlook—through fundamental changes. Only in this way will true changes be achieved in the disposition of man. The root cause of corrupt dispositions arising in man is Satan’s misleading, corruption, and poisoning. Man has been bound and controlled by Satan, and he suffers greatly from the damage that Satan has inflicted upon his thinking, morality, insight, and reason. It is precisely because the fundamental things of man have been corrupted by Satan, and are utterly unlike how God originally created them, that man opposes God and cannot accept the truth. Thus, for there to be changes in man’s disposition, what should first be done is to change his knowledge of God and his knowledge of the truth in terms of his thinking, insight, and reason. Those who were born in the most deeply corrupted of all lands are even more ignorant of what God is, or what it means to believe in God. The more corrupted people are, the less they know the existence of God, and the poorer their reason and insight are. The root cause of man’s opposition and rebelliousness against God is his corruption by Satan. Because of Satan’s corruption, man’s conscience has grown numb, he is morally corrupt, his thoughts are degenerate, and he has a backward mental outlook. Before he was corrupted by Satan, man originally submitted to God and submitted to His words after hearing them. He was originally of sound reason and conscience, and of normal humanity. After man was corrupted by Satan, his original reason, conscience, and humanity all grew numb and were spoiled by Satan. Thus, he has lost his submission and love toward God. Man’s reason has become abnormal, his disposition has become the same as that of a beast, and his rebelliousness against God is ever increasing and growing more grievous. Yet man still neither knows nor understands this, and merely opposes and rebels persistently. The revelations of man’s disposition are the expressions of his reason, insight, and conscience. Because his reason and insight are unsound, and his conscience has grown supremely numb, his disposition is rebellious against God. If man’s reason and insight cannot change, then changes in his disposition are out of the question, as is aligning with God’s intentions. If man’s reason is unsound, then he cannot serve God and is unfit for use by God. “Normal reason” refers to submitting to and being loyal to God, to yearning for God, to being absolute toward God, and to having a conscience toward God. It refers to being of one heart and mind toward God, and not deliberately opposing God. Having an abnormal reason is not like this. Since man was corrupted by Satan, he has come up with notions about God, and he has had no loyalty to God or yearning for Him, to say nothing of a conscience toward God. Man deliberately opposes God and passes judgments on Him, and, furthermore, hurls invective at Him behind His back. Man passes judgment on God behind His back, knowing full well that He is God; man has absolutely no intention of submitting to God, but merely keeps making demands and requests of Him. Such people—people who have abnormal reason—are incapable of knowing their own despicable behavior or of regretting their acts of rebellion. If people are capable of knowing themselves, then they have regained a little of their reason; the more that people are rebellious against God and yet do not know themselves, the less sound of reason they are.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. To Remain Unchanged in Disposition Is to Be in Enmity to God

God uses various ways of working to have people know themselves. He arranges all manner of environments to reveal people’s corruption so that they can come to know themselves gradually through experience. Whether it be God exposing the corruption of man, or God revealing man through various trials, are you clear about what the ultimate purpose of God doing this work is? God’s ultimate purpose in doing His work this way is to allow every person who experiences His work to know what man is. And what content falls under “what man is”? Man’s identity and status, his duty and responsibility. God’s purpose is to let you know what man is really like, and let you understand who you are. This is God’s ultimate goal in getting people to know themselves.

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

To pursue dispositional change, one must first be able to recognize their own corrupt disposition. Truly knowing oneself involves seeing through and thoroughly dissecting the essence of their corruption, as well as recognizing the various states a corrupt disposition gives rise to. It is only when someone clearly understands their own corrupt states and corrupt disposition that they can hate their flesh and hate Satan, which only then brings about dispositional change. If they cannot recognize these states, and fail to make the connections and match them up to themselves, can their disposition change? It cannot. Dispositional change requires one to recognize the different states their corrupt disposition produces; they must reach a point of not being constrained by their corrupt disposition and putting the truth into practice—only then can their disposition begin to change. If they cannot recognize the origin of their corrupt states, and only restrain themselves according to the words and doctrines they understand, then even if they have some good behavior and change a bit on the outside, it cannot be considered as dispositional transformation. Since it cannot be considered as dispositional transformation, what, then, is the role that most people play during the course of performing their duty? It is the role of a laborer; they merely exert themselves and busy themselves with tasks. Although they are also performing their duty, most of the time they are only focused on getting things done, not seeking the truth but just exerting effort. Sometimes, when they’re in a good mood, they’ll put in extra effort, and sometimes when their mood is bad they’ll hold back a bit. But afterward they’ll examine themselves and feel remorse, so they’ll put in more effort again, believing this to be repentance. Actually, this is not true change, nor is it true repentance. True repentance begins with knowing oneself; it begins with a shift in behavior. Once someone’s behavior has shifted, and they can rebel against their flesh, put the truth into practice, and in terms of behavior, appear to be aligned with principles, this means there has been genuine repentance. Then, bit by bit, they reach the point of being able to speak and act according to principles, completely conforming to the truth. This is when a change in life disposition begins.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Self-Knowledge Is Essential for Pursuing the Truth

The key to achieving a change in disposition is to know one’s own nature, and this must be done according to God’s exposure. Only in God’s words can a person come to know their hideous nature, the various poisons of Satan that lie within their nature, their foolishness and ignorance, and the fragile and negative elements in their nature. After you thoroughly know these things, and you are truly able to hate yourself, rebel against the flesh, persist in practicing God’s words, persist in pursuing the truth while doing your duty to achieve dispositional change, and become someone who truly loves God, you will have embarked upon the path of Peter. Without the grace of God or the enlightenment and guidance from the Holy Spirit, it would be difficult to walk this path, for without the truth, people cannot rebel against themselves. Walking Peter’s path of being perfected primarily depends on having resolve, having faith, and relying on God. Furthermore, a person must submit to the work of the Holy Spirit and never stray from God’s words in all things. These are the crucial aspects which may never be violated. During the course of their experiences, it is very difficult to know oneself, and without the work of the Holy Spirit, no results will come.

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

To know yourself, you must know your revelations of corruption, your corrupt dispositions, your fatal weaknesses, and your nature essence; you must reflect on yourself based on your revelations in every matter you encounter in your daily life. While eating and drinking God’s words, you must examine your motives, perspectives, and attitude toward every single thing, and come to know yourself from your revelations in these matters. Of course, to know yourself on a deeper level, you must use God’s words; only by knowing yourself based on God’s words can you achieve results. When it comes to accepting the judgment of God’s words, do not be afraid of suffering pain in your heart, do not be afraid of losing your dignity and losing face when you are exposed by God’s words, and even more so, do not be afraid of your ugly states being exposed and others seeing through to them. Only by suffering these pains can you know your corrupt dispositions, see through to the truth of your deep corruption, hate yourself and Satan from your heart, and easily come to rebel against your flesh and Satan. When you are able to put the truth into practice, you will have cast off your corrupt dispositions. It is so beneficial for people to suffer in this way while accepting judgment. As a believer in God, you should read more of God’s words judging and chastising people, especially those that expose the essence of humankind’s corruption. You should link them to your actual state more, and you should apply them to yourself more and others less. The various states God exposes appear quite a lot in every person, and can all be found in them. If you don’t believe this, try experiencing it. The more you experience, the more you will know yourself, and the more you will feel that God’s words are very accurate. After reading God’s words, some people are incapable of connecting them to themselves; they think that parts of these words are not about them, but are instead about other people. For example, when God exposes people as jezebels and whores, some sisters feel that because they have been unerringly faithful to their husbands, such words must not be in reference to them; some sisters feel that since they are unmarried and have never had sex, such words must not be about them, either. Some brothers feel that these words are only aimed at women, and have nothing to do with them; some people believe that God’s words of exposing man are too severe, that they do not conform to reality, so they refuse to accept them. There are even people who say that in some instances, God’s words are inaccurate. Is this the right attitude to have toward God’s words? It is obviously wrong. People all view themselves based on their external behaviors. They are incapable of reflecting upon themselves, and coming to know their corrupt essence, amid the words of God. Here, “jezebels” and “whores” refer to the essence of the corruption, filthiness, and promiscuity of mankind. Whether man or woman, married or not married, everyone has corrupt thoughts of promiscuity—so how can it have nothing to do with you? God’s words expose people’s corrupt dispositions; whether male or female, one’s level of corruption is the same. Is this not a fact? We have to first realize that everything God says is the truth, and in line with the facts, and that no matter how severe His words that judge and expose people are, or how gentle His words of fellowshipping the truth or exhorting people are, whether His words are judgment or blessings, whether they are condemnations or curses, whether they give people a bitter feeling or a sweet one, people must accept them all. Such is the attitude people should have toward God’s words. What sort of attitude is this? Is it a devout attitude, a pious attitude, a patient attitude, or an attitude of embracing suffering? You are somewhat confused. I tell you that it is not any of these. In their faith, people must firmly maintain that God’s words are the truth. Since they are indeed the truth, people should accept them with reason. Whether or not they are able to recognize or admit it, their first attitude toward God’s words should be one of absolute acceptance. If God’s word doesn’t expose one or all of you, who does it expose? And if it is not in order to expose you, why are you asked to accept it? Isn’t this a contradiction? God speaks to the whole of mankind, every sentence uttered by God exposes corrupt mankind, and no one is exempt—which naturally includes you, too. Not a single one of the lines of God’s utterances is about external appearances, or a kind of state, much less about an external regulation or a simple form of behavior in people. They are not like that. If you think every line uttered by God is just exposing a simple kind of human behavior or external appearance, then you have no spiritual understanding and you do not understand what the truth is. God’s words are the truth. People can sense the profundity of God’s words. How are they profound? God’s every word exposes people’s corrupt dispositions, and essential and deep-rooted things within their lives. They are essential things, not external appearances, and particularly not external behaviors. Viewing people from their external appearances, they might all seem to be good people. But why, then, does God say that some people are evil spirits and some are unclean spirits? This is a matter that is not visible to you. So, one must not treat God’s words in light of human notions or imaginings, or in light of human hearsay, and certainly not in light of the ruling party’s statements. God’s words alone are the truth; man’s words are all fallacy. After being fellowshipped to thusly, have you experienced a change in your attitude toward God’s words? No matter how great or small the change, the next time you read God’s words judging and exposing people, you at least should not try to argue with God. You should stop complaining about God, saying, “God’s words of exposing and judging people are really severe; I’m not going to read this page. I’ll just skip over it. Let me search for something to read about blessings and promises, so as to find some comfort.” You should no longer read the word of God by picking and choosing according to your own inclinations. You must accept the truth and the judgment and chastisement of God’s words; only then can your corrupt disposition be cleansed, and only then can you attain salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Importance and Path of Pursuing the Truth

If you are one who pursues the truth, then you must reflect upon and understand your corrupt disposition according to God’s words, measure yourself against every sentence of God’s words of exposure and judgment, and bit by bit excavate all of your corrupt dispositions and states. Start by digging into the intentions and purpose of your words and actions, dissect and discern every word you speak, and do not overlook anything that exists within your thoughts and mind. This way, through incremental dissection and discernment, you will discover that your corrupt disposition is not just a little but rather abundant, and that Satan’s poisons are not limited but rather numerous. This way, you will gradually see clearly your corrupt dispositions and nature essence, and realize how deeply Satan has corrupted you. At this time you will feel how extremely precious the truth expressed by God is. It can resolve the problems of corrupt humankind’s disposition and nature. This medicine which God prepared for corrupt humans in order to save humankind is incredibly effective, even more valuable than any elixir. Thus, in order to receive God’s salvation, you willingly pursue the truth, cherishing every aspect of the truth more and more, pursuing it with ever increasing vigor. When one has this feeling in their heart, it means they’ve already gained an understanding of some truth, and have already rooted themselves in the true way. If they can experience it more deeply and truly love God from their heart, their life disposition will start to transform.

It is easy to make some changes to behavior, but it is not easy to change one’s life disposition. Resolving the issue of a corrupt disposition must begin with knowing oneself. It requires attentiveness, focusing on examining one’s intentions and states bit by bit, constantly examining intentions and habitual ways of speech. And then one day, there will be a sudden realization: “I’m always saying nice things to disguise myself, hoping to gain status in the hearts of others. This is a wicked disposition. It is not the revelation of a normal humanity and does not conform to the truth. This wicked way of speaking and intention are wrong, and must be changed and cast off.” After having this realization, you will feel the grave severity of your wicked disposition with increasing clarity. You had thought wickedness just meant the existence of a little wicked lust between a man and a woman, and felt that although you displayed wickedness in this regard, you were not a person with a wicked disposition. This indicates that you lacked understanding of a wicked disposition; you seemed to know the superficial meaning of the word “wicked” but could not truly recognize or discern a wicked disposition; and in fact, you still do not understand what the word “wicked” means. When you realize that you have revealed this type of disposition, you start to self-reflect and recognize it, and dig deep into its origins, and you will see that you really do have such a disposition. What should you do next then? You must continually examine your intentions within your own similar ways of speaking. Through this constant digging, you will identify with increasing authenticity and accuracy that you do indeed have this kind of disposition and essence. Only on the day that you truly admit you really do have a wicked disposition will you start to develop hatred and detestation toward it. One goes from thinking they are a good person, upright in conduct, equipped with a sense of justice, a person of moral integrity, a guileless person, to recognizing that they possess such nature essences as arrogance, intransigence, deceitfulness, wickedness, and aversion to the truth. At that point, they will have accurately assessed themselves and know what they truly are. Merely verbally acknowledging or cursorily recognizing that you have these manifestations and states will not produce genuine hatred. Only by recognizing that the essence of these corrupt dispositions is the repulsive manner of Satan can one truly hate oneself. What sort of humanity is required to truly know oneself to the point of self-hatred? One must love positive things, love the truth, love fairness and righteousness, have conscience and awareness, be kind-hearted, and be able to accept and practice the truth—all people like this can truly know and hate themselves. Those who do not love the truth and who find it difficult to accept the truth will never know themselves. Even if they may speak some words about knowing themselves, they cannot put the truth into practice, and will not undergo any genuine change. Knowing oneself is the most difficult task.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Self-Knowledge Is Essential for Pursuing the Truth

When reading God’s words, Peter was not focused on understanding doctrines, much less was he focused on obtaining theological knowledge. Instead, he concentrated on understanding the truth and grasping God’s intentions, as well as achieving knowledge of God’s disposition and loveliness. Peter also attempted to know the various corrupt states of man, man’s nature essence, and man’s actual shortcomings from God’s words. Only in this way could he easily meet God’s requirements in order to satisfy Him. Peter had so many accurate practices when it came to God’s words. This was most in line with God’s intentions, and it was the best way a person could cooperate while experiencing God’s work. When experiencing the hundreds of trials sent by God, Peter strictly matched himself up against every word of God’s judgment and exposure of man—and every word of His requirements of man—examined himself, and strived to accurately fathom the meaning of God’s words. He earnestly pondered everything that Jesus said to him, keeping each word firmly in mind—this approach yielded very good results. By practicing in this way, he was able to know himself through God’s words, and he not only came to know the various corrupt states and shortcomings of man, but he also came to know man’s essence and nature. This shows that Peter truly knew himself.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Walk the Path of Peter

If people are to understand themselves, they must understand their corrupt disposition and have a grasp of their true states. To understand one’s own state, the most crucial thing is to have a grasp of one’s own thoughts and ideas. In every period, a person’s thoughts and ideas are governed by one major thing. If you can grasp your thoughts and ideas, you can grasp the things behind them. No one can control their thoughts and ideas. However, you need to know where these thoughts and ideas come from, what the motives behind them are, how they are produced, what governs them, and what their nature is. After a person’s disposition changes, the thoughts, ideas, views, and goals they pursue which arise from this changed part of them will be very different. They will basically approach the truth and be in accordance with the truth. The things within people that have not changed, that is to say, their old thoughts, ideas, and views, as well as the things that they like and pursue, are all dirty, filthy, and hideous. After a person comes to understand the truth, they are able to discern these things and see them clearly. Therefore, they are able to rebel against and give up these things. People like this have indeed undergone some changes. They are able to accept and practice the truth, and enter into some truth realities. Those who do not understand the truth cannot see these corrupt or negative things clearly, and they cannot discern them. Therefore, they are unable to give them up, to say nothing of rebelling against them. What exactly causes this difference? Why is it that they are all believers, but some of them can discern negative and filthy things and reject them, while others cannot see these things clearly or break free from them? It is directly connected to whether a person loves and pursues the truth.

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

The key to self-reflection and knowing yourself is this: The more you feel that in certain areas you have done well or done the right thing, and the more you think you can satisfy God’s intentions or are able to boast in certain areas, then the more it is worth knowing yourself in those areas and the deeper it is worth digging into them to see what impurities exist in you, as well as what things in you cannot satisfy God’s intentions. Let us take Paul as an example. Paul was especially knowledgeable, he suffered a lot when he preached and worked, and many people particularly adored him. As a result, after completing much work, he assumed there would be a crown set aside for him. This caused him to go farther and farther down the wrong path, until finally he was punished by God. If he had reflected upon and dissected himself at the time, then he would not have thought in the way that he did. In other words, Paul had not focused on seeking the truth in the words of the Lord Jesus; he had only believed in his own notions and imaginings. He had thought that merely by doing some good things and exhibiting some good behaviors, he would be approved of and rewarded by God. In the end, his own notions and imaginings blinded his heart and covered the truth of his corruption. But people were not able to discern this, and had no knowledge of these matters, and so before God had exposed this, they had always set Paul as a standard to aim for, an example to live by, and regarded him as an idol they sought and longed to be. Paul’s case is a warning to every one of God’s chosen people. Especially when we who follow God can suffer and pay the price in our duties and as we serve God, we feel that we are devoted and love God, and at times like this, we should reflect on and understand ourselves even more concerning the path we are taking, which is very necessary. This is because what you think is good is what you will determine to be correct, and you will not doubt it, reflect on it, or dissect whether there is anything in it that resists God. For example, there are people who believe themselves to be extremely kind-hearted. They never hate or harm others, and they always lend a hand to a brother or sister whose family is in need, lest their problem go unsolved; they have great goodwill, and do everything in their power to help everyone they can. Yet they never focus on practicing the truth, and they have no life entry. What is the result of such helpfulness? They put their own lives on hold, yet are quite pleased with themselves, and extremely satisfied with all they have done. What is more, they take great pride in it, believing that in all they have done, there is nothing that goes against the truth, that it will definitely satisfy God’s intentions, and that they are true believers in God. They see their natural kindness as capital and, as soon as they do so, they take it for granted as the truth. In reality, all they do is human good. They do not practice the truth at all, for what they do is before man, and not before God, and less still do they practice according to God’s requirements and the truth. Therefore, all their deeds are in vain. Nothing they do is practicing the truth or God’s words, let alone following His will; rather, they use human kindness and good behavior to help others. In summary, they do not seek God’s intentions in everything they do, nor do they act in accordance with His requirements. God does not approve of this kind of good behavior of man; to God, it is to be condemned, and does not merit His remembrance.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Knowing One’s Own Wrong Views Can One Truly Transform

In the course of experiencing the work of God, no matter how many times you have failed, stumbled, or been pruned or revealed, these are not bad things. Regardless of how you have been pruned—whether it is by leaders, workers, or your brothers or sisters—it is always a good thing. You must remember this: No matter how much you suffer, you are actually benefiting. Anyone with experience can attest to this. No matter what, being pruned or revealed is always a good thing. It is not a condemnation. It is God’s salvation and the best opportunity for you to get to know yourself. It can bring about a turning point in your life experience. Without it, you will have neither the opportunity, the conditions, nor the context to reach an understanding of the truth of your corruption. If you truly understand the truth, and are able to unearth the corrupt things hidden in the depths of your heart, if you can clearly distinguish them, then this is good, this has solved a major problem of life entry, and is of great benefit to changes in disposition. Becoming able to truly know yourself is the best opportunity for you to mend your ways and become a new person; it is the best opportunity for you to obtain new life. Once you truly know yourself, you will be able to see that when the truth becomes one’s life, it is a precious thing indeed, and you will thirst for the truth, practice the truth, and enter into reality. This is such a great thing! If you can grab this opportunity and earnestly reflect upon yourself and gain a genuine knowledge of yourself whenever you fail or fall down, then in the midst of negativity and weakness, you will be able to stand back up. Once you have crossed this threshold, you will then be able to take a big step forward and enter the truth reality.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. To Gain the Truth, One Must Learn Lessons From the People, Events, and Things Nearby

All those who truly know themselves have failed and stumbled a few times in the past, after which, they read God’s words, prayed to Him, and reflected on themselves, and thereby came to see the truth of their own corruption clearly, and to feel that they were indeed profoundly corrupted, and absolutely bereft of the truth reality. If you experience God’s work like this, and you pray to Him and seek the truth when things befall you, you will gradually come to know yourself. Then one day, your heart will finally be clear: “I may have slightly better caliber than others, but this was given to me by God. I’m always boastful, attempting to outdo others when I speak, and trying to get people to do things my way. I truly lack reason—this is arrogance and self-righteousness! Through reflection, I’ve learned of my own arrogant disposition. This is God’s enlightenment and grace, and I thank Him for it!” Is it a good thing or a bad thing to learn of your own corrupt disposition? (A good thing.) From there, you should seek how to speak and act with reason and obedience, how to stand on equal footing with others, how to treat others fairly without constraining them, how to correctly treat your caliber, gifts, strengths, and so on. In this way, like a mountain being hammered into dust, one strike at a time, your arrogant disposition will be resolved. After that, when you interact with others or work with them to perform a duty, you will be able to treat their views correctly and pay careful, close attention while you listen to them. When you hear others voice views that are correct and accord with the truth, you will realize that other people all have some strengths of their own and are not in the least bit inferior to you. You will think, “Why did I always believe that I was better than others? That was self-admiration and narrow-minded ignorance. I was like a frog at the bottom of a well. Thinking like that was so lacking in reason—it was shameless! My arrogant disposition blinded my eyes and blocked my ears. I didn’t listen to what anyone else said and just thought that I was fine and right. It turns out I’m no better than anyone else!” From then on, you will have true insight into and knowledge of your own deficiencies and your small stature. Then, when you fellowship with others, and cooperate with them in the performance of your duty, you will discover that there are so many people who are better than you, and that your caliber and comprehension ability are average at best. Won’t this indicate that you have a bit of self-awareness? By experiencing in this way—frequently reflecting on yourself according to God’s words—you will be able to gain true self-knowledge, and this knowledge will grow ever deeper. You will be able to see through to the truth of your corruption, to see your poverty and wretchedness, and to see your unbearable ugliness. At that time, you will feel averse toward yourself and hate your corrupt dispositions. Then it will be easy for you to rebel against yourself. That is how you experience God’s work. You must reflect on your revelations of corruption according to God’s words. In particular, after revealing a corrupt disposition in any kind of situation, you must frequently reflect on and know yourself. It will then be easy for you to see your corrupt dispositions clearly, and you will be able to hate your flesh and Satan from the heart, and to love and strive for the truth in your heart. In this way, your arrogant disposition will keep diminishing, and you will gradually cast it off. You will gain more and more reason, and it will be easier for you to submit to God. In the eyes of others, you will be steadier, more grounded, and speak more objectively. You will listen to others, and when they say something that’s right, it will be easy for you to accept their words. You will be able to interact with people normally, and to cooperate with them harmoniously. By doing your duty in this way, will you not then have reason and humanity?

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (1)

To completely resolve the problem of your corrupt disposition, you must seek the truth to resolve it when it first arises. You must solve the corrupt disposition in its budding state, thereby ensuring that you will not do anything wrong and preventing future troubles. If a corrupt disposition takes root and becomes a person’s thoughts or viewpoint, it will be able to direct a person to do evil. Therefore, self-reflection and self-knowledge is mainly about discovering one’s corrupt dispositions, and quickly seeking the truth to resolve them. You must know what things are in your nature, what you like, what you pursue, and what you want to obtain. You must dissect these things according to God’s words to see if they are in line with God’s intentions, and in what way they are fallacious. Once you understand these things, you must resolve the problem of your abnormal reason, which is to say, the problem of your unreasonable and relentless vexatiousness. This is not only the problem of your corrupt disposition, it also touches on your lack of reason. Especially in matters where their interests are concerned, people who get carried away by self-interest do not possess normal reason. This is a psychological problem, and this is also people’s Achilles’ heel. …

The things in man’s nature are not like some outward behaviors, practices, or thoughts and ideas that can just be pruned and that’s it; they must be unearthed bit by bit. Moreover, they are not easy for people to identify, and even if identified, they are not easy to change—doing so requires an adequately profound understanding. Why do we always dissect man’s nature? Don’t you understand what that means? Where do the revelations of people’s corrupt dispositions come from? They all come from within their nature, and they are all governed by their nature. Every one of man’s corrupt dispositions, every thought and idea, every intention, are all related to man’s nature. Therefore, by directly unearthing man’s nature, his corrupt dispositions can be easily resolved. Though it is not easy to change people’s nature, if they can discern and see through to the corrupt dispositions they reveal, and if they can seek the truth to resolve them, then they can gradually change their dispositions. Once a person has achieved a change in their life disposition, then there will be fewer and fewer things in them that resist God. The purpose of dissecting man’s nature is to change his dispositions. You haven’t grasped this aim, and think that just by dissecting and understanding your nature you can submit to God and restore your reason. All you do is just blindly apply regulations! Why is it that I do not simply expose people’s arrogance and self-righteousness? Why must I also dissect their corrupt nature? It won’t solve the problem if I only expose their self-righteousness and arrogance. But if I dissect their nature, the aspects that this covers are very broad, and it includes all corrupt dispositions. It is more than just the narrow range of self-righteousness, self-importance, and arrogance. Nature includes much more than this. So, it would be good if people could recognize just how many corrupt dispositions they are revealing in all their various demands of God, that is, in their extravagant desires. Once people understand their own nature essence, they can then hate and deny themselves; it will be easy for them to resolve their corrupt dispositions, and they will have a path. Otherwise, you will never dig out the root cause, and will only say that this is self-righteousness, arrogance, or pride, or having no devotion at all. Can only talking about such superficial things solve your problem? Is there any need to discuss man’s nature?

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. People Make Too Many Demands of God

Most people have a very superficial understanding of themselves. They do not clearly know the things within their nature at all. They only have knowledge of a few of the corrupt states they reveal, the things they are likely to do, or what shortcomings they have, and this makes them think they know themselves. If they then abide by a few regulations, ensure that they do not make mistakes in certain areas, and manage to avoid committing certain transgressions, they come to think they possess reality in their belief in God and assume that they will be saved. This is nothing but human imaginings. If you abide by those things, will you really become able to refrain from transgressing? Will you have truly attained a change in your disposition? Will you have really lived out the likeness of a human being? Will you truly be able to satisfy God? Absolutely not. This is certain. People should have a high standard in their belief in God: to gain the truth and undergo some changes in their life disposition. This first requires people to put effort into knowing themselves. If a person’s knowledge of themselves is too shallow, this won’t resolve any problems at all, and their life dispositions absolutely will not change. You must know yourself to a profound degree. This means knowing your nature, and knowing what elements it contains, from where these things originate, and where they come from. Moreover, are you actually able to hate these things? Have you seen your own ugly soul and your wicked nature? If you truly see the truth about yourself, you will hate yourself. When you hate yourself and then try to put God’s words into practice, you will be able to rebel against the flesh and gain the strength to practice the truth, and it will no longer feel like a struggle. Why do many people act according to their fleshly preferences? Because they consider themselves to be pretty good, and feel that their actions are quite fitting and justified, without any faults, and even completely correct, and so they act with self-assurance. When they truly know just what their nature is—how ugly, despicable, and pitiful it is—they will stop thinking so highly of themselves and being so arrogant, and they will no longer feel so pleased with themselves. They’ll think, “I must practice some of God’s words with my feet planted firmly on the ground. If not, I won’t measure up to the standard of being human, and will be ashamed to live in God’s presence.” They will truly see themselves as small and truly insignificant. At this point, it will become easy for them to practice the truth, and they will appear somewhat like a human should. Only when a person truly hates themselves are they able to rebel against the flesh. If they do not hate themselves, they will be unable to rebel against the flesh. Truly hating oneself is no simple matter. To do so, there are several things a person must possess. First, a person must possess knowledge of their nature. Secondly, they must see that they’re poor and pitiful, that they’re extremely small and insignificant, and they must see their pitiful, dirty soul. When they come to fully see what they truly are—when this result is achieved—they truly gain knowledge of themselves, and it can be said that their knowledge of themselves is spot on. Only at this point can they hate themselves, even curse themselves, truly feeling that people have been corrupted profoundly by Satan such that they’re devoid of any human likeness. One day, if they truly face the threat of dying, they will think, “This is God’s righteous punishment. God is indeed righteous. I deserve to die!” At this point, they will not voice their grievances, much less complain about God—they will simply feel that they are utterly poor, pitiful, filthy, and corrupt, and that they should be eliminated and destroyed by God, and they will feel that a soul such as theirs is unfit to live on earth. Therefore, they will not complain about or resist God, much less betray Him. But if they do not know themselves, and still consider themselves to be pretty good, then when the threat of dying draws near, they will think, “I have done very well in my faith. I have pursued the truth so hard, sacrificed so much, and suffered so much, but in the end, god is letting me die. I don’t know where god’s righteousness is. Why is he letting me die? If even someone like me has to die, who can be saved? Isn’t the entire human race done for?” First of all, they will have notions about God. Secondly, they will complain about Him and not have any submission whatsoever. They are just like Paul, who did not know himself, even when he was about to die. When God’s punishment comes upon them, it will already be too late.

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

To know oneself is crucial for each and every person, because it directly impacts the important matter of whether or not one can cast off their corrupt disposition and achieve salvation. Do not think this is a simple matter. To know yourself is not to understand your actions or practices, but to know the essence of your problem; to know the root of your rebelliousness and its essence, to know why you cannot practice the truth, and understand the things which arise and disturb you when you practice the truth. These are some of the most important aspects of knowing yourself. For example, due to the conditioning of Chinese traditional culture, in Chinese people’s traditional notions they believe that one must observe filial piety toward their parents. Whoever does not observe filial piety is an unfilial child. These ideas have been instilled in people since childhood, and they are taught in practically every household, as well as in every school and in society at large. When a person’s head has been filled with such stuff, they think, “Filial piety is more important than anything. If I weren’t to observe it, I wouldn’t be a good person—I’d be an unfilial child and I’d be denounced by society. I’d be a person who lacks conscience.” Is this view correct? People have seen so many truths expressed by God—has God demanded that one show filial piety toward their parents? Is this one of the truths that believers in God must understand? No, it is not. God has only fellowshipped on some principles. By what principle do God’s words ask that people treat others? Love what God loves, and hate what God hates: This is the principle that people should adhere to. God loves those who pursue the truth and are able to follow His will; these are the people that we should love too. Those who are not able to follow God’s will, who hate and rebel against God—these people are detested by God, and we should detest them, too. This is what God asks of man. If your parents do not believe in God, if they know full well that faith in God is the right path, and that it can lead to salvation, and they not only are unreceptive, but also judge and condemn believers in God, then they are undoubtedly people who are averse to and hate the truth, and they are undoubtedly people who resist and hate God—and God, of course, detests and hates them. Could you detest such parents? They oppose and revile God—in which case they are surely demons and Satans. Could you hate and curse them? These are all practical issues. If your parents prevent you from believing in God, how should you treat them? You should follow God’s requirement: Love what God loves, and hate what God hates. During the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” “Whoever shall follow the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” These words already existed back in the Age of Grace, and now God’s words are even more clear: “Love what God loves, and hate what God hates.” These words cut straight to the point, yet people are often unable to grasp their true meaning. If a person is someone who denies and opposes God, who is cursed by God, but they are a parent or relative of yours, they don’t appear to be an evil person as far as you can tell, and they treat you well, then you might find yourself unable to hate that person, and might even remain in close contact with them, your relationship unchanged. Hearing that God hates such people will trouble you, and you are unable to stand on the side of God and ruthlessly reject them. You’re always constrained by feelings, and you cannot fully let go of them. What is the reason for this? This happens because your feelings are too strong, and they hinder you from practicing the truth. That person is good to you, so you can’t bring yourself to hate them. You could only hate them if they did hurt you. Would that hatred be in line with the truth principles? Also, you’re bound by traditional notions, thinking that they are a parent or relative, so if you hate them, you would be scorned by society and reviled by public opinion, condemned as unfilial, without a conscience, and not even human. You think you would suffer divine condemnation and punishment. Even if you want to hate them, your conscience won’t let you. Why does your conscience function this way? It’s because a way of thinking has been sown within you since you were a child, through the inheritance of your family, the education given to you by your parents, and the indoctrination of traditional culture. This way of thinking is rooted very deeply in your heart, and it makes you mistakenly believe that filial piety is perfectly natural and justified, and that anything inherited from your ancestors is always good. You learned it first and it remains dominant, creating a great stumbling block and disturbance in your faith and acceptance of the truth, leaving you unable to put God’s words into practice, and to love what God loves, hate what God hates. In fact, you know in your heart that your life came from God, not from your parents, and you also know that your parents not only don’t believe in God, but resist God, that God hates them and you should submit to God, stand on His side, but you just can’t bring yourself to hate them, even if you want to. You can’t turn that corner, you can’t steel your heart, and you cannot practice the truth. What’s the root of this? Satan uses this kind of traditional culture and notions of morality to bind your thoughts, your mind, and your heart, leaving you unable to accept God’s words; you have been possessed by these things of Satan, and rendered incapable of accepting God’s words. When you want to practice God’s words, these things cause disturbance within you, cause you to oppose the truth and God’s requirements, and make you powerless to rid yourself of the yoke of traditional culture. After struggling for a while, you compromise: You prefer to believe traditional notions of morality are correct and in line with the truth, and so you reject or forsake God’s words. You do not accept God’s words as the truth and you think nothing of being saved, feeling that you still live in this world, and can only survive by relying on these things. Unable to endure society’s condemnation, you would rather choose to give up the truth and God’s words, abandoning yourself to traditional notions of morality and the influence of Satan, preferring to offend God and not practice the truth. Tell Me, is man not pitiful? Does he not have need of God’s salvation? Some people have believed in God for many years, but still have no insight into the matter of filial piety. They really do not understand the truth. They can never break through this barrier of worldly relationships; they do not have the courage, nor the faith, let alone the resolve, so they cannot love and submit to God. Some people are able to see beyond this, and it is no easy thing indeed for them to say, “My parents don’t believe in God, and they stop me from believing. They are devils.” Not a single nonbeliever has faith that there is a God, or that He created the heavens and earth and all things, or that man is created by God. There are even some who say, “Life is given to man by his parents, and he should honor them.” Where does such a thought or view come from? Does it come from Satan? It is millennia of traditional culture that have educated and misled man in this way, causing him to deny God’s creation and sovereignty. Without Satan misleading and controlling people, mankind would investigate God’s work and read His words, and they would know that they are created by God, that their life is given by God; they would know that everything they have is given by God, and that it is God whom they should thank. Should anyone do us a good turn, we should accept it from God—in particular our parents, who gave birth to and raised us; this is all arranged by God. God holds sovereignty over all; man is just a tool for service. If someone can set their parents aside, or their husband (or wife) and children, in order to expend themselves for God, then that person will be stronger and have a greater sense of justice before Him. However, it is not easy for people to break through the bondage of national education and traditional cultural ideas, notions, and moral statements, because these satanic poisons and philosophies have long taken root in people’s hearts, producing all sorts of corrupt dispositions that prevent them from hearing God’s word and submitting to Him. In the depths of corrupt man’s heart, there lacks a fundamental willingness to put the truth into practice and to follow God’s will. So, people rebel against and resist God; they may betray Him and forsake Him at any time. Can one accept the truth if the corrupt dispositions and satanic poisons and philosophies exist within them? Can one achieve submission to God? It is very hard indeed. If it were not for the work of judgment by God Himself, then deeply corrupt mankind could not achieve salvation, and could not be cleansed from all its satanic disposition. Even if people believe in God and are willing to follow Him, they cannot listen to God and submit to Him, as it takes too much effort for people to accept the truth. Therefore, the pursuit of truth must first be preceded by the pursuit of knowing oneself and resolving one’s own corrupt disposition. Only then will it be easier to accept the truth. Knowing oneself is by no means a simple matter; only those who accept the truth can know themselves. That is why knowing yourself is so vital, and a matter you must not overlook.

People have corrupt dispositions, so it is very difficult for them to accept the truth, and it is even harder for them to know themselves. If they want to achieve salvation, they must come to know their own corrupt dispositions and their nature essence. Only then can they truly accept the truth and put it into practice. Most people who believe in God are satisfied with only being able to speak the words and doctrines, thinking that they understand the truth. This is a big mistake, as those who do not know themselves do not understand the truth. Therefore, in order to understand and obtain the truth in their belief in God, people must focus on knowing themselves. Regardless of when or where we are, and no matter what environment we are in, if we can come to know ourselves, unearth and dissect our own corrupt dispositions, and treat knowing ourselves as our top priority, then we will surely gain something, and gradually deepen our knowledge of ourselves. At the same time, we will practice the truth, practice loving and submitting to God, and understand more and more of the truth. The truth will then naturally become our lives. However, if you do not enter into knowing yourself at all, it is false for you to say that you practice the truth, because you are blinded by all sorts of superficial phenomena. You feel as if your behavior has improved, that you have more conscience and reason than before, that you are gentler, more considerate and tolerant of others, and more patient and forgiving with people, and consequently, you think that you are already living out normal humanity, and that you are a great and perfect person. But in God’s eyes, you still fall far short of His required standards, and you are very far from truly submitting to and worshiping Him. This shows that you have not gained the truth, that you lack the slightest bit of reality, and are still far from meeting the standards of salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Knowing One’s Own Wrong Views Can One Truly Transform

Related Hymns

This Is the Likeness of a True Person

Failure Is the Best Opportunity to Know Yourself

Understand Yourself According to God’s Words