﻿Grandpa, grandma, I'm home!
Nuo! You're home! (Yes.)
There's my favorite granddaughter!
Grandma,
why isn't my aunt home yet?
I haven't seen her in a long time.
Oh! You'll see her soon.
That's great! That's great!
Hey, darling?
Yes?
Did you stew the chicken I bought?
Don't worry.
Everything's ready!
Back to stewing!
Okay.
Grandpa, (Yes?)
you're reading the Bible again?
We believe in the Lord,
so we have to read it often.
And Nuo,
you need to study the Bible too,
so in the future
you can preach and work for the Lord like your aunt.
Grandpa, I memorized lots of Bible verses.
Really?
Then recite one for me!
I'll recite one you always say.
Sure, okay. Good!
Look at her! Look at my granddaughter!
You could take over his work!
Dad, mom, I'm home!
Aunt Si'en! (Nuo!)
Come give me a hug!
You're taller than ever!
Aunt Si'en! (Give her some space.)
Here, that's for you. (Thanks!)
Mom.
Hey! It's so good to finally have you home!
Dad, how have you been? (Si'en.)
Very good.
Good.
Si'en, you're thinner!
I am!
But there's good color in your face! (Thanks be to the Lord!)
Let her sit down and talk!
I'm too excited!
Nuo, go get some fruit.
OK.
Si'en, (Dad …)
you've been gone for six months now, yes?
Yes, I have.
I bet you've gained a lot, yes?
Tell us about it!
Alright. (Come on.)
Let her catch her breath first!
Mom, no need. (I know.)
Here, sit.
Mom, dad,
I've brought back some incredible news.
What is it? (Really?)
The Lord Jesus, whom we've awaited for so many years, has returned!
He's Almighty God!
Almighty God?
Yeah.
Almighty God speaks truth,
doing the work of judgment first with God's house in the last days.
Si'en, (Yes?)
have you accepted Eastern Lightning?
Yes, I have.
I can't believe you!
Why didn't you discuss such a big decision with me?
Did you investigate it closely?
Dad …
That was uncalled for.
Your temper constantly changes.
I …
Our daughter just walked in the door.
Be nice if you're going to say something.
I'm scared she'll take the wrong path. (You can't …)
Si'en, (Mom.)
I know you've always had your own opinions
and done things your own way,
but what made you so certain that Eastern Lightning is the return of the Lord?
I want you to tell us all about it. (Oh, okay.)
Just listen to what she has to say!
Come on!
Dad,
I accepted Eastern Lightning
after serious seeking and investigation.
I've read a lot of Almighty God's words
and discovered the truth.
Almighty God not only judges the corruption within mankind,
He also reveals the root cause of why people sin and resist God.
That's God's work of judgment in the last days.
Only by accepting God's judgment in the last days
and being purified of our sins can we enter the kingdom of heaven.
Alright, enough. OK?
I've never read Almighty God's words,
and I don't know whether it's the truth,
but Eastern Lightning testifies
only by accepting Almighty God's work of judgment and being cleansed
can we enter the kingdom of heaven,
and I can't accept that.
What does it say in Romans?
We are called righteous by our faith in the Lord, and saved by grace.
When the Lord comes,
He will rapture us up to the kingdom of heaven,
and He …
Hey, Dad …
What are you doing getting so angry?
How could I not be angry about such a big issue?
This temper is too much.
Dad, have some water.
You're so stubborn! (Grandpa.)
Don't be mad, don't be mad.
Sit down.
Don't you always say we should be humble and tolerant?
Please don't get sick from being angry.
Nuo's a smart girl.
Nuo, don't worry.
I won't get angry, yes?
Now, go do your homework in your room.
Okay.
Remember, be humble and tolerant.
OK.
What a good girl.
Dad, have some water.
Si'en, your father is right.
All we have to do is keep the Lord Jesus' name
and believe the Lord Jesus is our Savior,
and we can enter the kingdom of heaven.
No one can deny that, right?
Mom, dad,
it's true that believing in the Lord will gain us salvation,
but does this mean we can enter the kingdom of heaven?
Did the Lord Jesus ever say that?
Is it written anywhere in the Bible?
The Bible?
I don't think the Bible says that at all.
Hey! Mude,
you know the Bible, you tell us.
Well, looks like it doesn't say that in the Bible.
If it did,
your dad would have told us the biblical basis already.
Fine. Go ahead. You talk.
Since the Lord Jesus never said it,
does the idea of "entering the kingdom of heaven with salvation" stand up?
Isn't that just human notions and imagining?
Notions and imagining? (Right.)
Can we base our entry into the kingdom of heaven on that?
The Lord Jesus never said we can enter the kingdom of heaven
if we gain salvation,
but the religious world endorses that view.
They couldn't possibly be wrong.
Dad!
Does the religious world's acceptance mean it accords with the Lord's words?
Does it represent the Lord's will?
Who is the Lord of the kingdom of heaven?
Who has authority over the entry into the kingdom of heaven?
Without a basis in the Lord's words,
if people say we can enter the kingdom of heaven if we gain salvation,
isn't that just deceiving and misleading people?
Dad,
do you know what "salvation" refers to?
If you look at the background of the Lord Jesus' work of redemption,
you'll understand.
Background? (Yeah.)
Hey Mude, what's the background?
It looks like your father doesn't know, either.
Go ahead.
Of course I know!
I was just getting to it! (You …)
In the Book of Malachi,
the Israelites of the time were sinning more and more,
and could no longer keep the laws,
so they were in danger of being condemned to death by the law.
Dad, you're absolutely right.
It was against that backdrop
that the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross as a sin offering to redeem man.
As long as people believed, confessed, and repented,
their sins would be forgiven,
and they could all enjoy the peace, joy, and bountiful grace of the Lord.
That's the meaning of salvation in the Age of Grace.
So that's what it means to gain salvation!
Yes.
So, salvation only refers to
having your sins forgiven,
and not being condemned by the law.
Well, what she is saying makes sense,
and fits with the Bible.
She explains it a lot more clearly than you!
Why cough?
She does explain more clearly than you!
You're entirely right. Yes.
Let's sit down and continue. (OK.)
Dad, we gain our salvation through grace,
but we can still often lie and sin,
and we haven't escaped the bondage of sin.
God is holy.
And only those who are holy can see the Lord.
The kingdom of heaven is ruled by God.
It's a holy place.
How could God allow people who often sin and resist Him to enter the kingdom of heaven?
Dad, am I right about this?
Sounds right to me.
So then, even if we gain salvation by grace,
it doesn't mean we're qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Salvation and entering the kingdom of heaven are two different things.
That's right. Listen to her.
Her fellowship is completely correct.
You are correct in saying that we still often sin.
But the Lord Jesus' sin offering is eternally effective.
As long as we confess our sins to the Lord and repent,
He will forgive us.
In the book of Romans it says,
The Lord has already forgiven all of our sins
and doesn't see us as sinners,
so we are no longer in sin. (Right.)
Doesn't that mean we can enter the kingdom of heaven?
True!
That's what all the pastors and elders have been saying.
They say what?
God's love is limitless,
and His grace is infinite.
And it doesn't matter
if we've sinned in the past, present, or if we sin in the future.
As long as we come before the Lord, confess, and repent,
the Lord will forgive us,
and when the Lord comes,
He will lift us directly into the kingdom of heaven.
Wow! Mom,
that's a good impression!
Well, I've heard it a lot!
But, mom, if we go by this idea
that the Lord's sin offering is forever effective,
then it doesn't matter that we sin,
the Lord forgives us.
In the Bible it says,
Now how do we explain this?
Well …
Oh my.
You mean,
if we don't practice the Lord's words, and sin intentionally,
the Lord still condemns us?
That's right, mom.
Sit down.
Mom, dad, think about it,
if we can enter the kingdom of heaven simply because we've had our sins forgiven,
it means everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus can enter the kingdom of heaven!
Yeah …
So why did the Lord Jesus say,
"Not every one that said to Me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven"?
He also said,
So, how would those words be fulfilled?
Right.
Also,
when the Lord returns in the last days,
He will separate the sheep from the goats,
the wheat from the tares,
and the good servants from the evil.
How'll those prophecies be fulfilled?
Oh my.
The Lord Jesus says it all very clearly.
Just because our sins are forgiven
doesn't mean we'll enter the kingdom of heaven.
I don't understand how we missed something so important!
What's the matter now?
Si'en, please keep going.
He wants you to continue.
Dad, mom,
the sin offering is eternally effective,
but we have to look at for who.
It is not for everyone.
It's only effective eternally
for those who achieve actual genuine repentance.
People who love the truth
and truly want to practice the Lord's words,
because their nature is sinful,
they still involuntarily lie and sin,
sometimes they rebel against the Lord.
Those things are forgiven.
But if we've clearly learned the truth and deliberately sin,
the sin offering is no longer effective,
and we can't enter the kingdom of heaven.
Don't you think what I'm saying is true?
yes, it really is true.
Then tell me,
who exactly can enter the kingdom of heaven?
About the people in the kingdom of heaven,
the Lord Jesus said,
The Lord's words couldn't be any clearer.
Only those who achieve true repentance and do God's will
can enter the kingdom of heaven.
Oh, so that's how it is! (Yeah.)
You say only those who achieve true repentance and do God's will
can enter the kingdom of heaven.
That fits the Lord's words.
Now tell me:
For the years we've believed,
we've been humble, tolerant, suffered,
and borne the cross according to the Lord's requirements,
we've preached and worked for the Lord,
and even when we suffer persecution, or are imprisoned,
we don't deny the Lord's name.
Tell me,
aren't those all signs of repentance?
Right.
As believers in the Lord,
we can admit that we are sinners.
When we sin, we are able to go before the Lord,
weep, repent, pray, and confess all of our sins.
We beg for forgiveness.
Now, isn't that considered repentance?
Mom, dad,
it's true that after we believe in the Lord,
we do some good deeds,
but we still often rebel against and resist the Lord.
We are often arrogant, self-centered, and greedy,
and are concerned with vanity.
We often have envy and hate in our hearts,
and we can still lie and deceive.
Even when we pray,
we say flattering things to appease the Lord.
Is … is that genuine repentance?
The Lord Jesus demands that we be honest people,
but are we really?
The Lord Jesus requires that we love God with all our heart, mind, and soul,
and that we love others.
Do we do that?
We can't practice the Lord's words or keep the Lord's commandments.
Is that genuine repentance?
It really isn't.
Honey, our daughter is right.
When we sin,
we weep, go before the Lord, and pray, and confess,
right?
But what happens after that?
Well, let me tell you what happens!
We wipe our eyes clean, stand up, and keep lying and sinning. (Right.)
But that's only regret, there's no change!
We all say,
"Christ is the Lord of my house,"
but actually we all want to be the ones in charge.
I don't submit to you,
and you don't submit to me.
We hold ourselves way above others,
and try to make everyone else listen to us.
During meetings and sermons,
we often put our labors on display.
We show off to make others look up to us and admire us. (Enough.)
Come on,
aren't we clothing ourselves in sin,
and covered in guilt?
It's true!
This is how we are,
and we still want to enter the kingdom of heaven?
Right.
Give your father time to think, 'k?
Everything my daughter says is true.
In the last few years,
I have done some work for the Lord,
and done some good deeds.
But always in a way
that puts me on display and puts others down.
When I preach and work,
I often show off to make others look up to me.
I pray to the Lord and confess,
but afterward I do the same things again.
That isn't true repentance at all!
Come on.
Mude, really,
just standing here mumbling to yourself?
There's a saying,
"The deeper the well, the cleaner the water;
the more openly you share things, the more clear they become."
The more that we fellowship on the truth,
the brighter our hearts become.
Isn't that right?
We should listen to her, shouldn't we?
I've been listening!
Did it sink in?
Look what you're asking!
How … how unreasonable do you think I am?
He could've fooled me!
Si'en, (Dad.)
everything you've said so far
has made perfect sense to me,
and I've been listening. (Thanks be to God.)
I'd like you to tell me more about
what genuine repentance specifically refers to.
Dad,
do you remember how Matthew 22:37–39 goes?
Amen.
There's also this prophecy,
Based on the Lord's words, as I understand it,
genuine repentance refers to when people no longer sin or resist God.
When the sinful natures within us have been cleansed,
when we can practice God's words,
live by God's words,
and no longer rebel against God,
when we expend for God purely out of love,
without trying to make an exchange,
and when everything we do is to obey God and repay His love,
that's true repentance and will help us enter God's kingdom.
That's completely right!
Dad, think about it,
which of us believers in the Lord has achieved genuine repentance?
Well …
Think about those famous spiritual people and the pastors.
Even though they are familiar with the Bible,
can labor and work,
and outwardly do some good deeds,
who among them has escaped the bondage of sin
and achieved genuine repentance?
You're right.
It seems like there actually aren't any.
Right.
For years, we've wanted to escape sin.
But why can't we make it?
It's really a problem.
Why can't believers in the Lord escape the bondage of sin?
Reading passages from Almighty God will help us understand.
Okay!
Sure.
Okay, here.
I'll read the first one.
Sure.
But wait, I'm …
Out of the way.
Sometimes I can't believe you …
I'll read the next one.
This makes everything so clear! Doesn't it? (It does!)
Almighty God's words reveal all the mysteries of God's work.
In the Age of Grace,
the Lord Jesus only did the work of redemption,
only forgave people's sins.
He didn't resolve our sinful natures and satanic dispositions.
Our sinful natures are the root cause of why we sin and resist God.
They're something more serious and more stubborn than sin itself.
That's absolutely right.
If we don't resolve our satanic natures,
there's no way for us to achieve genuine repentance.
Hey, mom, dad,
I'll give you an example, and you'll understand.
Sure. Okay.
So … consider if a thief was caught
and was brought before a merciful judge,
and the judge wanted to give the thief another chance,
so he forgave the thief's crime.
That doesn't mean that the thief wouldn't steal again
after he was let go, right?
No.
And that doesn't mean the thief's nature has changed, right?
No.
Of course not!
There's this saying,
"Can a leopard change his spots?"
If his thieving nature doesn't change,
he'll go stealing all over again. (Exactly.)
Hey, Si'en,
that was actually a very good metaphor!
The Lord Jesus told us that He would return.
His return is to do the work of completely purifying and saving mankind.
Almighty God's come in the last days,
and on the basis of the Lord Jesus' work of redemption,
He has expressed the truth
and begun the work of judgment beginning with God's house
to resolve our sinful natures and satanic dispositions.
Thanks be to God.
We've been corrupted too deeply.
We are full of satanic dispositions,
and we often resist and rebel against God.
Right!
Merely having our sins forgiven is far from enough.
Indeed!
We need to experience God's judgment and chastisement
to see the truth of how deeply we have been corrupted by Satan,
truly come to loathe ourselves,
and genuinely repent to God.
We need that before we can practice
and live by God's word
and become people who can truly obey God and do God's will.
That's how we gain full salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven.
Thanks be to God!
That's right.
God's work of salvation is so practical!
It looks like,
if we want to escape the bondage of sin,
genuinely repent, and enter the kingdom of heaven,
we still need to undergo God's further work of judgment and purification!
That's right. Yes.
Many years I've believed in the Lord
and relied on ideas and notions.
I thought if the Lord forgives my sins,
I will enter God's kingdom,
and that being saved once means being saved forever.
That's why, when people testified the last-days work of Almighty God,
I didn't seek or investigate.
I nearly missed my chance to welcome the Lord!
Dad.
Yes, you did!
In matter of entering the kingdom of heaven,
I didn't listen to the Lord's words.
Instead, I listened to the pastors and elders.
Hey now!
I've … I've been so stupid!
Si'en, (Dad.)
you're a bit smarter than us!
You managed to welcome the Lord and be lifted up before the throne before us!
Yes. (Thanks be to God!)
It truly fulfills the Lord's prophecy,
Mude,
we're going to have to catch up to them!
But we just can't pursue by ourselves!
What …
We have to bring all the brothers and sisters in the church with us! (Yes!)
Dad, are you saying that …
After we eat dinner,
I'll call the brothers and sisters together
to study Almighty God's work of the last days! (That's wonderful! Great!)
Grandma! Grandma!
Why do I smell something burning?
Oh no! My chicken!
Your memory is really so …
Mom, I'll help you!
Take it easy!