Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God” (II)

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We have already met to fellowship about this passage of God’s words. However, last time we did not look at them in great detail, so this time we must continue our fellowship of them. Why must we fellowship about them again? Because this passage is very important. It deals with man entering into life. It is even more important with regard to man understanding the truth of believing in God.

“In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God.” This is the most important truth with regard to believing in God. After reading these words, what issues should we address? First, when we believe in God, why should we obey God? Why do we have to obey God? Second, if, in our faith in God we should obey God, how should we go about realizing such obedience? And what are the principles of such obedience? Third, what kind of people are those who believe in God but cannot obey Him? How will they speak and act? This is very important. And finally, what outcome will there be for those who believe in God but do not obey Him? What punishment will they receive? Today, we will eat and drink these words. And I will communicate these aspects of the truth to you with the main aim of resolving these key issues. Understand? Tell me, are these issues important? You have all said they are. When eating and drinking these words, if we simply read them to the end and don’t try to understand them, don’t listen to the preaching about them, will we receive gains from them? Some people eat and drink God’s words themselves at home. Some of these people are even quite devout. They eat and drink a passage of God’s words each day. Such people can be considered ones who truly love the truth; however, if they cannot really experience and practice God’s words and cannot get to grips with the principles, and if they don’t listen to sermons and preaching, can they obtain the truth? Their gains will be meager. They will only gain a little. One who reads a passage of God’s words each day is one who pursues the truth and will receive some gains. But, is it OK to go on without a shepherd to guide the flock, to provide for them and water them? Some people say no, why not? Don’t those who supply and water others, communicate the truth after reading God’s words? You also try to obtain the truth through God’s words, and you, like them, read God’s words, then why do you need nurturing, provision and shepherding from others? Why is this? Some arrogant people don’t accept this. They say, “You have received the light from God’s words. I can do the same. I am more educated than you. My mind is better than yours. If you can read God’s words and communicate some things from within them, then I can do the same.” What is the problem here? This kind of person is extremely arrogant, conceited and self-righteous. So, what is the difference? Don’t forget, those who are worked on by the Holy Spirit, those who have real experience, these people can communicate things which you, as one who has not yet had real experience, could never hope to achieve. They are things which, even if you were to continue your spiritual devotion, you could not hope to realize. This is how it is, is it not? Reading God’s words is not the same as reading a novel or article. God’s words embody the truth and mystery. If you read a normal book, then after finishing it you can explain and understand it. But after you read God’s words, then try to show us what they mean, let everyone listen, and you will find you cannot explain so easily. There are so many pastors within the religious community who are graduates from seminary schools. They preach for a life time, but can they preach anything of value? Compared to that which God achieves this day, and compared to the enlightenment and insight of a person who has experienced God’s work of the last days and who has been worked upon by the Holy Spirit, the difference is very great. Those who believe for five or six years and who are part of God’s house, those on whom the Holy Spirit works, they achieve more than any religious pastor. Do you believe this? The preachers of God’s house and all its leaders at any level can communicate real things, which those of the religious community can never communicate. It is beyond them. Some ask, “Is it really like this? Then, how can I be convinced?” Aren’t the workings of the Holy Spirit above that which man can see and comprehend? The enlightenment which the Holy Spirit confers on people and the fruits which man gains from experiencing God’s work through guidance from the Holy Spirit are not things which just anyone can understand or which just anyone can achieve. Things come from the Holy Spirit, especially those things a person perfected by Him communicates through chatting or talking, it may take days or even years of experience before you can truly understand them. That’s to say, belief in God is a subtle thing. Although you may have believed in God in the religion for a while and become a pastor, you are nothing in the eyes of God, and you are nothing before the truth. So, when believing in God, you must pursue the truth. To pursue the truth, you must eat and drink the words of God. When eating and drinking the words of God, do not be arrogant. You should receive enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, and accept guidance and the shepherding from God’s house. Only then will your life progress. Blind arrogance is meaningless. Once you get over it, who will you have dug a hole for? Yourself. You’ll be in hell. If your faith in God is not up to standard, if you do not know the reality of the truth and are not qualified to survive the end, then when the disasters rain down you will die just like non-believers. Now, there are those who do not pursue the truth. No matter what you say to them, they will not pursue the truth. Some say, “Now, the disasters will rain down, for the four blood moons have appeared.” “I’m not so sure, the sun continues to rise in the East, it hasn’t changed.” What kind of person is this? Does this person even have a brain? This is brainless! The end of the world is accepted even by non-believers. The end of the world is coming. Humanity really will soon be destroyed, wiped out. Now, people are worried about the extinction of animals, but man will also become extinct! If it wasn’t for God’s kindness, His pity, if it wasn’t for the fact He saved us, then man would have been wiped out long ago. Isn’t this the way it is? In the last days, God has become flesh and delivered us His great salvation, His complete salvation. So, those who accept the Almighty’s work for the last days are the luckiest of all mankind. Some cannot see it. They ask, “How are we lucky? We must accept judgment and chastisement, trials and refinement, and we must tolerate much suffering. Is this lucky?” You who say such a thing do not know the true meaning and value of such suffering. You cannot see it. You are too short-sighted. Do you think that enjoying a little of God’s kindness and blessing is what luck is? Does this make your life a lucky one? Those in the religious community think so. But what will happen to them in the end? When disaster rains down on the earth they will be left in the middle of it, weeping and gnashing their teeth.

God said, “In your faith in God you should obey God.” This is truth. Every word which God speaks is truth, and these words are no different. They are truth. “In your faith in God you should obey God.” Are these words worthy enough for us to ponder? They are very much worth it, for within them, they contain God’s will. Some people ask, “Why, in believing in God, should I obey God?” They like asking “why.” “Why should I obey?” To what does this question refer? Why exactly do you believe in God? If you merely believe in Him to “eat of the loaves,” then you need not obey Him, you can believe in Him as you wish. If you believe in Him merely to make the most of His kindness, you need not obey, you can believe in Him as you wish, pray to Him as you please. If you believe in God merely for happiness in this life, then you need not obey. Do as you will, you can believe in Him as you wish. But, if you believe in God so as to be saved, to be cleansed, to be perfected and to obtain the truth and live forever, then you must obey Him. Why? Unless you obey Him, you will not obtain these things. Unless you experience His work, you will not obtain the truth. If you do not obtain the truth, then you have no life. And without life, you are not qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, if you wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must obey God. If you do not obey Him, you are blind, you are ignorant and foolish; your belief in Him is futile! Within the religious community, do most people understand God’s truth? They do not. They do not understand how God’s work will save man. And when God carries out a stage of His work, they do not understand the fruits which it will bring to mankind. They cannot comprehend these things, so they are not ones who pursue the truth, and they are not ones who search for how to obey Him. So, as they believe in God but do not pursue the truth and do not look for how to obey Him, how exactly do they go about believing in Him? They pursue only His grace and pray to Him. In the end, in the hope of entering the kingdom of heaven they work for Him; they work hard; they spread the gospel; they do not deny His name. They do this for the sake of entering the kingdom of heaven. Isn’t this how those who believe in God but do not obey believe? They simply do some things for the Lord. They suffer a little, behave well, do some good things, show concern for matters involving the church and work hard, all for the sake of earning God’s praise and entering the kingdom of heaven. Is this in conformity with God’s will? Isn’t this a far too simplified version of what faith in God is? This is an expression of man’s ignorance! Religious pastors assume that, “I have spoken on behalf of God my entire life, preached the Bible for my entire life. When I get old, I will have earned a place in the kingdom of heaven.” Are these words in conformity with God’s will? Does one who speaks such words understand the truth of believing in God? Is one who speaks these words one who obeys God? Does the one who speaks these words know God? Does the one who speaks these words understand the Bible? Now you can all understand the answers to these questions.

So, with regard to God’s words “In your faith in God you should obey God,” through your careful contemplation you can understand their true meaning. With your careful contemplation, you can understand why we must obey God. If you reflect further, then you will truly be able to understand God’s will. If you understand that which God allows those who believe in Him to obtain and that which He wishes to achieve in believers, then you also understand the words “In your faith in God you should obey God.” You, therefore, understand what these words really mean. Aren’t the words very subtle in their meaning? They are subtle indeed! Some say, “Today, you say this is the meaning, so I understand that this is truly what these words mean.” If you are able to say such things, then that shows you have made progress. But I dare not say such a thing. I fear that after believing for a few years I will once again find myself shamed because my understanding is too superficial. What little you have come to understand makes you assume you have obtained the truth. After believing for a few more years you will look back on this moment and think, “Oh, when I said those words, I thought I had obtained the truth. Now when I look at it, I was ignorant and foolish, and childish too.” Isn’t belief in God like this? Some say, “You have achieved holiness.” I reply, “I have not.” I do not dare speak of my own holiness, I cannot say this of myself. Were I to say I have achieved holiness, a few days later God would reveal more of my corruption to me and I would feel ashamed. Some ask, “Has your disposition changed? If you are made perfect, then hasn’t it changed?” I respond, “It has changed somewhat, but I feel that I am still a long way from satisfying God’s requirements.” Isn’t this a good way of explaining this? Explaining in such a way will avoid embarrassment later. Although God’s requirements for man are not that tough, no matter how man changes, can he achieve the level of holiness? Only God is worthy of the term true holiness. No matter how corrupt man strives for the truth, no matter if he believes in God for a hundred years and obtains purity, you still would not dare use the word holiness to describe him. You could only say that his disposition has changed. This is an objective truth. You could not use the word “holiness,” because mankind is not worthy of such even without sin. Just after their creation, Adam and Eve were without sin. They had not committed a single one, but would you say that they were holy? Some would say you could not. Why? They could be corrupted by Satan, and if you can be corrupted by Satan, then you are not of holiness. So, what is holiness? In precise terms, it means to have the truth. God is the truth and God is righteousness. Therefore, it is God who is holy. If we understand a bit of the truth, then what portion of God’s life does this constitute? One tenth? One hundredth? One in ten thousandth? Or one in a trillionth? We can only say that it is one in one trillionth. God is the truth and so only He has the essence of holiness. God is the truth and so only He is righteous. God has expressed this truth and although when you see it you can say that, “Oh, this is all the truth which will save mankind and which will purify mankind,” can you say that these truths are all that God can reveal and that He has finished expressing His truth? Would you dare say such a thing? To say such a thing would be to make another mistake like those made by members of the religious community. Those in the religious community say, “The Bible in full, that is all God’s words. That which does not come from the Bible is not the words of God. God has finished speaking, it is all within the Bible.” What kind of theory is this? Isn’t this a fallacy? It is ridiculous! They think that God is like this: He can only speak these words, express these truths and that’s all. Do you think that God is so simple? Is one who speaks like this deliberately resisting and judging God? Are they defining God? And isn’t defining God blasphemy? But if you say this to someone in the religious community, they cannot grasp its meaning. What is the nature of defining God? You define Him. You believe that there are only some things which God can or should do, and that after He comes He should simply be nailed to the cross for the sake of humanity. He should be nailed to it forever. If He isn’t being crucified, then He is not God. Isn’t this blaspheming against God? God has only saved humanity once, has only atoned for our sins once. How can He be forever nailed to the cross? When God comes again, will He be nailed to a cross? When He comes again, He will express the truth to purify people and perfect them. Then, He will crucify upside down all those in the universe to punish evil mankind! Did you think that crucifying God was the end of it? God will express His wrath, He will rain down disasters for seven years, He will destroy the world and mankind! Man thinks that it is easy to bully God and that He will still treat them with love and mercy. If you do not understand God’s disposition, your faith is wasted however long you believe in God. Isn’t this how it is?

Source From: The Church of Almighty God