Why didn't the Lord take us to His kingdom at His return
and why does He still have to pass judgment in the last days?
Our sins have been forgiven because we believe.
We are saved by the Lord's grace, so we can't be judged when He returns.
Our sins may have been forgiven,
but we still can't deny
that we commit sins during the day and confess those sins at night.
We're still far from being cleansed,
and far from obeying God and following God's way.
The Lord is holy. How could He allow those who sin often
and resist Him to enter the kingdom of heaven?
So now, if someone has a question, feel free to ask.
Almighty God's word can resolve all of our most difficult problems.
God's word can make us enlightened at once and feast our eyes. (That's right!)
You know we haven't heard such fellowship for a very long time. Thank the Lord.
Thank the Lord. I'd like to ask a question.
Sure!
Many brothers and sisters believe
that our faith in Jesus means our sins are forgiven,
and that we've enjoyed much of the Lord's grace,
and we've experienced His compassion and mercy.
Jesus Christ doesn't see us as sinners,
so we should all be raptured directly into God's kingdom. (Yes, well said!)
Then why didn't the Lord take us to His kingdom at His return
and why does He still have to pass judgment in the last days?
Is God's judgment to cleanse and save the whole of mankind,
or kill, condemn us to death?
Many people just don't seem to understand this.
So sisters, could you please tell us more about this? (Sure!)
Hold on!
You were saying that the Lord has come to perform His judgment of the last days.
But then, Jesus once made this promise to us,
Amen!
The Lord will return and take us directly to the kingdom of heaven.
If He will, how could He judge us?
Praise the Lord!
Our sins have been forgiven because we believe.
We are saved by the Lord's grace, so we can't be judged when He returns.
Sister Diao, Sister Lai, our sins may have been forgiven,
but we still can't deny
that we commit sins during the day and confess those sins at night.
We're still far from being cleansed,
and far from obeying God and following God's way.
The Bible says,
God is holy and righteous.
We're so filthy and corrupt.
How can we go to the kingdom of heaven?
Now, we have this great opportunity to seek the truth.
Let's ask these sisters from the Church of Almighty God
to fellowship this aspect of the truth with us.
Sure.
Elder Peng, the question you asked was very realistic.
Even though the Lord has forgiven our sins and thus we're redeemed,
but from God's point of view,
man is still filthy and corrupt, and has too much sin and hasn't been cleansed.
Being forgiven means we won't be condemned by the law,
and that is what "saved by grace" really means. (Yeah!)
God may have forgiven us for our sins and bestowed much grace upon us,
letting us enjoy a certain peace and happiness,
and giving us the right to pray and communicate with God.
But what can't be denied
is that we still sin against God quite often and we haven't reached holiness.
We still need God to return to us all in the last days
to cleanse and save us thoroughly.
So you see, the work of Jesus' redemption
was just to pave the way for God's judgment in the last days.
God's plan to save mankind doesn't actually end there.
It would help if everybody knew this.
Yes.
Earlier you all asked us:
How come after man has been forgiven,
he still can't help himself when he commits sins so often,
and can't seem to stop living in such sin?
Yes, it's a question that's puzzled us for a long time.
It's all because we are corrupted by Satan just far too deep
to a point where we're all satanic by nature with satanic disposition.
That's why mankind can't help but keep committing so many sins. (Yes.)
If their satanic nature never gets resolved,
mankind is still capable of sin even if they've all been forgiven.
And then, mankind won't be able to achieve compatibility with God.
This is why Jesus Christ said He'd return.
It's so He can cleanse us with His judgment in the last days
and save all of mankind.
Just as Almighty God says,
I'll read more of God's word.
Almighty God's words couldn't be more clear!
In the Age of Grace, Jesus only did His redemptive work.
Mankind's sins were forgiven for their belief,
and yet still their sinful nature has not been resolved.
Mankind's sinful nature is Satan's nature.
It has already taken root deep inside men's hearts and has become their lives.
That is why man still can't help but give in to sin and try to resist God.
Man's satanic nature is the reason behind his resistance to God.
Mankind's sins can be forgiven, but can God forgive his satanic nature too?
We are not sure. I don't know.
Our satanic nature directly opposes God and is in direct enmity to the truth.
God would never forgive it.
Therefore, for God to completely save mankind
from the bondage of their satanic nature,
He must judge and chastise all of mankind.
God's judgment in the last days
is targeted at man's satanic nature and disposition.
They're still deep inside the hearts of mankind.
Now knowing that you might wonder:
Can that satanic nature only be removed from us
through judgment and chastisement?
Can't we through suffering subduing our bodies and restraining ourselves
resolve this satanic nature ourselves?
Definitely not.
Look at the many saints throughout all of history
who paid the price through suffering and restraint,
who all wanted to escape the bondage of their sin and transcend their own flesh.
How many of them could defeat Satan and become truly obedient to God?
Almost none.
Even if they did, they were people who were especially perfected by God.
But just how many people did this?
This was because there was no judgment from God,
so that sinful nature was never able to be cleansed.
So man's disposition was unable to be really changed.
This one fact sufficiently proves
that using human means will not help us resolve our satanic nature. (Yes.)
Man must ultimately go through God's judgment, chastisement, trials,
and some refinement before they gain the truth
and finally receive the way of eternal life.
This is the only way that we can resolve man's satanic nature.
That's why based on the groundwork of Jesus Christ's redemption of mankind,
Almighty God carries out His judgment in the last days
to free man from the grip and control of his satanic nature
so that mankind can be cleansed
and can receive God's salvation and be gained by God.
From this we can understand that
it's God's judgment in the last days
that can thoroughly cleanse mankind and save all of mankind.
We know this is the truth.
Yes. Amen. Such fellowship is so clear.
Thank the Lord. For all these years, we've confessed our sins and repented,
and tried to restrain ourselves from sinning and displeasing the Lord,
but then I don't know why we've always failed.
And now, after listening to what you've said, I finally understand.
The redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ was to forgive man for his sins,
but not to forgive man's sinful nature.
Man will sin because he has this nature.
If this satanic nature isn't resolved, then man will naturally resist God.
It seems that for man to get rid of this nature,
be saved by God and enter His kingdom,
he must accept God's work of judgment and chastisement in the last days.
Yes. Of course. That's right.
My sisters, what you've fellowshiped with us today
has been very constructive for us.
Today's fellowship is very enlightening!
Yes, they've really shown us the way!
Sisters, what you've shared with us today makes a lot of sense,
but still we think of the Lord as merciful and loving.
We think the Lord will forgive all our sins,
and His grace is enough for us to enjoy.
I don't think we need the Lord's return to execute His judgment.
Yes, I agree with that too.
If we still have to face judgment when the Lord returns,
doesn't that mean we'll be condemned?
Will His grace still actually be grace?
The Lord is loving and merciful. His return won't be to judge His followers.
Sisters,
yes, our sins have been forgiven by the Lord,
and we've also enjoyed much of His grace,
but does any of that mean we have no sin?
Does it prove that man is qualified to enter God's kingdom?
The Lord is holy.
How could He allow those who sin often and resist Him
to enter the kingdom of heaven?
Now come on, when the Lord returns and passes judgment to cleanse man,
are you not going to accept it?
Limiting God and trying to judge God's work
is offending God's disposition and resisting Him.
The Lord is already inspecting us.
You're right. We can't draw conclusions like this.
Brothers and sisters, we're all much more aware
that God's final judgment is mankind's greatest chance at salvation.
If man doesn't experience God's judgment,
then man's satanic nature will never really be resolved,
and mankind won't be able to turn to God and be gained by Him;
and then mankind won't be able to enjoy God's promise
or receive a good destination—
a fact that not one believer can deny. (Yeah. That's right. I agree. Of course.)
But now, many people don't understand
what is the meaning behind God's judgment and chastisement?
Is God's judgment actually condemning mankind or saving us all?
This requires us to know God's work of saving mankind.
That way we can understand God's intentions.
Let's read a few passages from God's word.
Allow me to read a passage.
These words are too authoritative!
After reading Almighty God's word, we can see a truth that we can understand:
Corrupt mankind won't be able to receive the truth and life
if they don't go through God's judgment.
And so, they won't lose their sinful nature and find salvation.
And even worse,
they'll never know God's righteousness or see what He has and is.
Man's been corrupted by Satan for thousands of years,
and they all have a satanic nature.
They've all been arrogant, deceitful, and so reckless.
So then even though we believe in God, we can't help it,
and we often find ourselves sinning against God.
What this shows us is that man doesn't have a true knowledge or fear of God.
We know that's a fact.
For such a person who's trapped in satanic disposition
to be fully obedient to God and be utterly convinced,
what method do you think that God should use to achieve this result?
Could it be judgment and chastisement?
You see, man must experience God's judgment,
so they see God's righteous, majestic, and wrathful disposition,
and they see the truth God has expressed,
which is what He uses to judge and cleanse mankind.
Only then will they be conquered,
fall down completely before God and then truly repent.
They'll start to understand the truth, practice the truth,
and gradually change their disposition to be compatible with God.
But why couldn't believers from the Age of Grace
get the chance to truly know themselves?
Why did they not fear God and lived in sin so often,
rebelling and fighting against God like it wasn't a big deal?
It's because God hadn't performed His judgment of the last days yet.
Without experiencing God's judgment,
mankind can't get to know his own satanic nature,
and his arrogant disposition will never be able to change.
He won't be able to achieve true obedience and fear to God.
Some of you might still be wondering
how can we take up the cross and then follow the Lord if we don't obey Him.
In the Age of Grace,
people gave up everything to pay the price and work for the Lord.
They thought they would all receive a crown, be rewarded,
and enter the kingdom of heaven.
But these people, did they truly love and obey the Lord?
Did the life dispositions of these people really change?
Did they really achieve compatibility with the Lord?
So then why when mankind is spending for the Lord,
do they try to make it a transaction to utilize and deceive Him?
God observes the depths of man's heart.
Man looks at the outside, God the inside.
Despite how good they look, they may not be after God's heart.
Therefore,
God's work of judgment beginning with the house of God in the last days
is the work that's targeted at man's satanic nature
for thoroughly cleansing and saving mankind.
It looks like we might need God's judgment after all.
Only after we experience God's judgment in the last days
can we see man's nature and the real situation
as to how mankind has been corrupted by Satan,
and how man's actions have been in Satan's image and so inhuman.
When that happens, we all feel ashamed and fall down before God.
We repent to God and feel remorseful.
We never again feel like we're stronger or better.
We start to despise and curse ourselves,
and we choose not to live in our corrupt disposition.
And subconsciously, we become honest, losing all of our insolence.
But also, we see for ourselves
that God's disposition is too righteous, too holy and truly unoffendable.
We can't help but develop a reverence for God.
We won't do as we please or say what we want for fear of angering Him.
We begin to forsake the flesh, practice the truth,
and through all of that, we change the way we see things.
Our disposition gradually starts to change,
and we're willing to obey God's arrangements.
We're no longer controlled by our desires for blessings.
We live out the likeness of a real man.
Thank the Lord.
After we've experienced God's judgment, we all really appreciate
that Almighty God uttering words to judge us and chastise us
is not meant to punish or destroy us,
but instead, it's meant to perfect us and cleanse us.
Because you see, this is how God grants salvation and mercy,
and how He shows His genuine love for mankind. (Amen!)
That's right. Thank the Lord.
Their fellowship has been very practical. (Yes, praise the Lord!)
And also, we have seen the work of judgment beginning with the house of God
is targeted at all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days.
God will make a group of overcomers before disaster.
These people will then receive God's promise and enter the kingdom of heaven.
Amen. Praise the Lord.
As for those wicked people who resist God,
God won't perform judgment on any of them
nor will He try to perfect any of them.
Instead, He will simply let the great disasters arrive and destroy them.
So now we're all capable of seeing
that Almighty God's judgment to His chosen is purifying, saving and perfecting.
And to those antichrists and truly wicked ones who hate truth and oppose God,
it is condemnation and destruction.
We all know that this is the absolute truth. (That's right!)
Today's fellowship has enlightened my heart.
My thoughts on God's judgment in the last days were full of made up ideas.
I thought of God's judgment as punishment and curse for man.
Praise the Lord! Because now I know
that God's judgment of corrupt mankind is so He can cleanse them and save them,
and take them into a beautiful destination.
(sigh) God's judgment of mankind has such significance for man's salvation.
This is God's most genuine, and truest love for mankind.
That's right. Praise God!
Yes. Praise God!
That's right. Mankind's corruption in the last days runs too deep.
They're all licentious, weary of the truth, hate the truth,
and they all ignore positive things.
They don't have an ounce of righteousness.
Even worse, they worship evil, invert justice, and take the evil path.
(sigh) Even those who have believed in the Lord for years
are following the sinful ways of the world,
sinning against Lord, and failing to keep the Lord's word. (Yes, that's true.)
If God doesn't rescue mankind,
then man will all have to perish for resisting God.
God's way of using judgment in the last days
to cleanse us and save us all is necessary!
They say that bitter medicine cures the disease, and that is like God's love.
Yes! Thank the Lord! Praise God!
It's true. Man's corruption is deep.
Wanting God's kingdom by grace is indulging in fantasy. We must let go!
Yes, praise the Lord!
Almighty God perfects those true believers in Him
through His judgment and also through His chastisement,
and exposes those who would resist Him,
then rewards good, punishes evil, and ends the age.
Only God has this kind of authority and power.
It seems Almighty God is truly the second coming of the Lord.
We finally see the One we've been waiting for. Praise the Lord!
Thank the Lord! Thanks be to God!