Believe in God — 5. What are the consequences of someone believing in God in religion and being subject to the deception and control of the Pharisees and antichrists? Can one be saved by God if they believe in God this way?
Bible Verses for Reference:
“They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat 15:14).
“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed” (Isa 9:16).
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…. As they were increased, so they sinned against Me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings” (Hos 4:6–9).
Relevant Words of God:
Work in the mind of man is too easily achieved by man. Pastors and leaders in the religious world, for example, rely on their gifts and positions to do their work. People who follow them for a long time will be infected by their gifts and be influenced by some of what they are. They focus on people’s gifts, abilities and knowledge, and they pay attention to some supernatural things and many profound unrealistic doctrines (of course, these profound doctrines are unattainable). They do not focus on changes to people’s disposition, but rather they focus on training people’s preaching and working abilities, improving people’s knowledge and rich religious doctrines. They do not focus on how much people’s disposition is changed or how much people understand the truth. They do not concern themselves with the substance of people, much less try to know people’s normal and abnormal states. They do not counter people’s notions or reveal their notions, much less mend their deficiencies or corruptions. Most of the people who follow them serve by their natural gifts, and what they express is knowledge and vague religious truth, which are out of touch with reality and are completely unable to confer people with life.
from “God’s Work and Man’s Work” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Those who have not undergone judgment express nothing but human flesh and thoughts, mingled with a lot of human intelligence and innate talents. It is not man’s accurate expression of God’s work. The people who follow them are brought before them by their innate caliber. Because they express too many seeings and experiences of man, which are almost disconnected from God’s original meaning, and deviate too far from it, the work of this type of person is unable to bring people before God, but before him. … what he demands of people does not vary from individual to individual; he does not work according to the actual needs of the people. In this type of work, there are too many rules and too many doctrines, and it cannot bring people into reality or into normal practice of growth in life. It can only enable people to stand by a few worthless rules. This kind of guidance can only lead people astray. He leads you to become what he is like; he can bring you into what he has and is.
from “God’s Work and Man’s Work” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
There exist in the church a lot of people who have no discernment. When something deceptive occurs, they just stand by Satan’s side, and they even feel wronged when called Satan’s lackeys. And someone might say they have no discernment, but they always stand on the side without truth; there has not been a single critical time when they have stood on the side of truth, not a single time when they have stood up and argued for the truth — so are they really without discernment? Why do they always stand by Satan’s side? Why do they never say one word that is fair or reasonable in support of the truth? Has this situation genuinely arisen as a result of their momentary confusion? The less discernment people have, the less able they are to stand on the side of truth. What does this show? Does it not show that people without discernment love evil? Does it not show that they are the loyal offspring of Satan? Why is it that they are always able to stand on the side of Satan and speak its language? Their every word and deed, and their facial expressions, are enough to prove that they are not any kind of lovers of the truth; rather, they are people who detest the truth. That they can stand on the side of Satan is enough to prove that Satan really loves these petty devils who spend their lives fighting for Satan’s sake. Are all these facts not abundantly clear? If you truly are a person who loves the truth, then why can you not have any regard for those who practice the truth, and why do you immediately follow those who do not practice the truth the second their expressions change? What kind of problem is this? I do not care whether you have discernment or not. I do not care how great a price you have paid. I do not care how great your forces are, and I do not care whether you are a local bully or a flag-bearing leader. If your forces are great, then that is only with the help of Satan’s strength. If your prestige is high, then that is merely because there are too many around you who do not practice the truth. If you have not been expelled, then that is because now is not the time for the work of expelling; rather, it is time for the work of elimination. There is no rush to expel you now. I am just waiting for that day to come, after you have been eliminated, to punish you. Whoever does not practice the truth will be eliminated!
from “A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Some people do not rejoice in the truth, much less judgment. Rather, they rejoice in power and riches; such people are deemed to be snobs. They exclusively seek out those denominations in the world with influence and those pastors and teachers coming from seminaries. Despite having accepted the way of truth, they remain skeptical and are unable to devote themselves fully. They speak of sacrificing for God, but their eyes are focused on the great pastors and teachers, and Christ is brushed aside. Their hearts are filled with fame, fortune, and glory. They do not believe at all that such a meager man is capable of conquering so many, that one so unremarkable is capable of perfecting people. They do not believe at all that these nobodies among the dust and dunghills are the people chosen by God. They believe that if such people were the objects of God’s salvation, then heaven and earth would be turned upside down and all men would laugh their heads off. They believe that if God chose such nobodies to be perfected, then those great men would become God Himself. Their perspectives are tainted with unbelief; indeed, far from unbelief, they are preposterous beasts. For they only value position, prestige, and power; what they hold in high regard are large groups and denominations. They have no regard at all for those led by Christ; they are simply traitors who have turned their backs on Christ, on truth, and on life.
What you admire is not the humility of Christ, but those false shepherds of prominent standing. You do not love the loveliness or wisdom of Christ, but those wantons who associate with the vile world. You laugh at the pain of Christ who has no place to lay His head, but admire those corpses that seize offerings and live in debauchery. You are not willing to suffer alongside Christ, but gladly go into the arms of those reckless antichrists though they supply to you only flesh, only letters, and only control. Even now your heart still turns toward them, toward their reputation, toward their status, and toward their influence. And yet you continue to hold an attitude of resisting and refusing to accept the work of Christ. This is why I say that you do not have the faith of acknowledging Christ. The reason you have followed Him to this day is entirely because you were forced. In your heart forever tower many lofty images; you cannot forget their every word and deed, nor their influential words and hands. They are, in your heart, forever supreme and forever heroes. But this is not so for the Christ of today. He is forever insignificant in your heart and forever undeserving of reverence. For He is far too ordinary, has far too little influence, and is far from lofty.
In any case, I say that all those who do not esteem the truth are all unbelievers and traitors of the truth. Such men shall never receive the approval of Christ.
from “Are You a True Believer of God?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Just look at the leaders of every denomination — they are all arrogant and self-righteous, and they interpret the Bible out of context and according to their own imagination. They all rely on gifts and erudition to do their work. If they were incapable of preaching anything, would those people follow them? They do, after all, possess some knowledge, and can preach on some doctrine, or know how to win over others and how to use some artifices. They use these to bring people before themselves and deceive them. Nominally, those people believe in God, but in reality they follow their leaders. If they encounter someone preaching the true way, some of them say, “We have to consult our leader about our faith.” Their faith has to go through a human being; is that not a problem? What have those leaders become, then? Have they not become Pharisees, false shepherds, antichrists, and stumbling blocks to people’s acceptance of the true way? …
No matter whether you followed someone else or you didn’t satisfy the will of God when you previously believed in God, you must come before God during this stage of work of the last days. If you continue to follow someone on the basis of experiencing this stage of work, then you will be considered unforgivable, and will end up just like Paul.
from “Only the Pursuit of the Truth Is the True Belief in God” in Records of Christ’s Talks
It would be best for those people who claim to follow God to open their eyes and take a good look to see exactly who they believe in: Is it really God that you believe in, or Satan? If you know that what you believe in is not God, but your own idols, then it would be best if you did not claim to be a believer. If you really do not know who you believe in, then, again, it would be best if you did not claim to be a believer. To say you were would be blasphemy! No one is forcing you to believe in God. Do not say you believe in Me; I heard enough of such talk long ago, and do not wish to hear it again, because what you believe in are the idols in your hearts and the local bullies among you. Those who shake their heads when they hear the truth, who smile widely when they hear talk of death, are all Satan’s offspring; they are all objects to be eliminated.
from “A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
If a church contains several local bullies, as well as some small “flies” that entirely lack discernment and follow them around, and if the congregants, even after having seen the truth, still cannot cast off the binds and manipulation of these bullies, then all those fools will be eliminated in the end. Even though these small flies may not have done anything terrible, they are even more deceitful, even more slick and evasive, and everyone like this will be eliminated. Not a single one will be left! Those who belong to Satan will be returned to Satan, while those who belong to God will surely go in search of the truth; this is decided by their natures. Let all those who follow Satan perish! No pity will be shown to these people. Let those who search for the truth be provided for, and may they take pleasure in God’s word to their hearts’ content. God is righteous; He would not show favoritism to anyone. If you are a devil, then you are incapable of practicing the truth; if you are someone who searches for the truth, then it is certain that you will not be taken captive by Satan. This is beyond all doubt.
from “A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Due to their petty cleverness, those without discernment will come to ruin at the hands of evil people, and will be led astray by evil people and will be unable to return. These people should be handled in this way, because they do not love the truth, because they are incapable of standing on the side of the truth, because they follow evil people and stand on the side of evil people, and because they collude with evil people and defy God. They know perfectly well that those evil people radiate evil, yet they harden their hearts and go contrary to the truth to follow them. Are these people who do not practice the truth but who do destructive and abominable things not all doing evil? Although there are those among them who style themselves as kings and others who follow them, are their God-defying natures not all the same? What excuse can they have to claim that God does not save them? What excuse can they have to claim that God is not righteous? Is it not their own evil that is destroying them? Is it not their own rebelliousness that is dragging them down into hell? People who practice the truth will, in the end, be saved and perfected because of the truth. Those who do not practice the truth will, in the end, court destruction because of the truth. These are the ends that await those who practice the truth and those who do not.
from “A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Recall what followed after the Jews nailed Jesus to the cross 2,000 years ago. The Jews were expelled from Israel and fled to countries around the world. Many were killed, and the entire Jewish nation was subjected to unprecedented destruction. They had nailed God to the cross — committed a heinous crime — and provoked the disposition of God. They were made to pay for what they did, were made to bear the consequences of their actions. They condemned God, rejected God, and so they had but one fate: to be punished by God. This is the bitter consequence and disaster that their rulers brought upon their country and nation.
from “God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Source From: The Church of Almighty God
