I understand the truth, I am set free and happy.
Song Yang, do you need some help?
No need, carry on.
Alright.
I am filled with faith in God's word without any doubts. …
Zhihan, look how late it is.
Dad's gathering should have ended.
Why isn't he back?
Hmm. You're right.
Could something have happened?
The CCP's been on a rampage and mass arresting believers.
I need to go look for him.
I'll go with you.
Dad! Why are you back so late?
Yeah!
On my way home, I ran into Luo Tao.
We chatted a bit.
Oh.
Alright, well let's sit and eat.
Okay.
Wait a second,
listen to what just happened.
What is it?
Luo Tao was kicked out of the church.
What?
- Kicked out? - Kicked out?
But, he's been on the road sharing the gospel.
How could he be kicked out?
According to him, the leader said he rejects the truth and is arrogant.
He just does what he wants in his duty,
he constrains others, and he disrupts the church's work.
Really?
I'm not sure if his problems were really that serious.
That's right.
Well, I believe what the leader described.
Just a few years ago, when he was performing gospel work,
he was extremely arrogant and willful in his duty.
His co-workers mentioned his faults, but he rejected them and argued his case.
With such an arrogant disposition,
there's no way that he could change in a mere two years' time,
and I bet he was disrupting the church's work.
If we don't pursue the truth, we're in danger of elimination.
I just can't seem to wrap my head around it all.
Luo Tao is clearly a true believer.
It's true.
He's worked so hard his whole time as a believer,
and he didn't betray the Lord even when he was arrested.
He accepted Almighty God's work years back,
and he gave up his job and family to expend himself for God.
He was arrogant and didn't always accept the truth,
but does that really call for expulsion?
Exactly.
In the religious world, Luo Tao would be a real hero.
He's just a bit arrogant and rejects the truth, but he works hard for God.
- He's a good person. - Yes.
How could they kick him out like that?
Zhihan, this is something that you don't understand yet.
What?
Overbearing and arrogant people like he can be
are really prone to disrupting the church's work.
Song Yang, I admit we don't know whether he disrupts the church's work,
but there's no way he's an evil person!
Yeah, there's no way!
Yeah.
Think about this. Were all the Pharisees evil?
Yeah.
They appeared very devout,
they knew the Scriptures and went everywhere sharing the gospel,
so how come the Lord Jesus decided to condemn them as hypocrites?
Because they only cared about appearing to do good on the outside.
They only kept the law and wouldn't accept the truth.
The Lord Jesus expressed many truths, but they never investigated,
rather, they frantically resisted and condemned Him.
They even went as far as conspiring with the Roman government to crucify Him.
So tell me, can you really say the Pharisees weren't evildoers?
Someone who opposes God is evil.
You're right.
So did the Pharisees appear to do evil?
Not according to what people could perceive,
but condemning and opposing the Lord Jesus who expressed truth,
and having such hatred for Him in their hearts,
is that evil or not?
Answer me this. What evil could possibly be greater than that?
To a certain extent, your fellowship is correct,
but it's just not fair to equate Luo Tao with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees wouldn't accept the Lord Jesus and they resisted and condemned Him.
They were hypocritical and evil people.
But Luo Tao's different.
He had accepted Almighty God.
He shared the gospel and did his duty.
How could he be an evil person?
Exactly.
I'm sorry, it makes no sense.
It doesn't make sense.
- Dad, listen— - I'm home.
Zhiming!
- You're back. - Hello everyone.
How could you come back with things so busy at the church?
- I've something to do. - Oh.
What are you talking about?
How Luo Tao was expelled from the church.
So you already found out about that?
Well, that's great.
It's what I wanted to talk about.
Tell me, what really was the issue with him?
- Why was he expelled from church? - Explain it.
He was expelled for being too disruptive and for doing too much evil.
- Disruptive? - Right.
Then please tell me what exactly did he do?
It seemed as though he was spreading the gospel,
but in fact he was really arrogant.
He constrained and oppressed other people,
wanting the final say and others to obey him.
Leaders and co-workers gave him many warnings,
but he just couldn't accept the truth.
He would even judge the leaders,
stirring things up and creating cliques.
He pointedly misled people into defending him and disturbed others' duties.
He really did all that?
Yes.
He never repented though being pruned for times.
He would take revenge on anyone who fellowshiped truths to expose him.
All of these misdeeds constitute doing evil and disrupting the work of God's house.
That's why he was deemed evil and expelled.
Well, I agree in part he does have an arrogant disposition,
but who is free from corruption?
Furthermore, a corrupt disposition requires a good amount of time to change.
We should give him that time so he has a chance to repent.
We shouldn't kick him out
because he reveals a corrupt disposition and doesn't repent immediately.
- Don't you see? - Yes.
Dad—
God is love.
He wants the multitudes saved without anyone left behind.
That's right.
Luo Tao is a true believer,
therefore if he is expelled for showing a corrupt disposition,
then, who among us could be saved?
Dad's right.
Dad, I know a few things about Luo Tao,
and Zhiming shared some things about him too.
His corrupt disposition wasn't the only reason that he was expelled.
The main reason was that he wouldn't accept the truth at all.
That's right.
When he was pruned and dealt with, he'd just resist it and argue.
When he was in the wrong, no matter who told him,
he would not only deny it
but he would sow discord in others and get them on his side.
He'd oppose the church leaders.
Come on, isn't that disrupting the church's work?
If he wasn't expelled, then everyone's church life would suffer.
God's chosen's life entry would be impacted
and they wouldn't be able to achieve salvation.
Right.
And then, wouldn't all the brothers and sisters end up ruined by him?
Dad, the church removes people based on their general behavior and their true nature.
It's never for showing temporary corruption.
That's right.
Dad, God is love, but there are principles in His love of man.
He wants the multitudes to be saved but that doesn't refer to everyone.
What?
We know God doesn't save the devil Satan,
or evildoers, non-believers, evil spirits, or antichrists,
nor those who eat of the loaves to be filled.
God saves all those that He has predestined and selected,
those who both love the truth and can truly repent.
You see, although those who love the truth often reveal corrupt dispositions,
they accept the truth as well as practice the truth.
God will give that kind of person the greatest chances for repentance.
Oh.
But as for those individuals who do not accept the truth,
those unrepentant people who disrupt the church's work,
God damns and punishes them.
This is determined by His righteous disposition.
Here, let's read from Almighty God's words.
Great.
It's clear now, wouldn't you agree?
Now let's look at Luo Tao.
He didn't display momentary corruptions.
He was very arrogant and never accepted the truth.
He would form factions and disrupt the church's work,
and then he wouldn't repent at all.
Now be honest, what could you say about his nature and essence?
Huh?
You could say he's repelled by and hates the truth and so is evil in essence.
Evil in essence?
Look, he has been dealt with and pruned many times,
but wouldn't accept the truth.
He went from bad to worse, formed cliques and disrupted the church's work.
Is that not enough to qualify as evil?
That's just what he is.
So based on God's words, removing Luo Tao from church,
fully shows God's righteous disposition.
Yes. God requires that truth rule within His house.
There's no place for an evildoer in the church.
Right.
As it was prophesied in Revelation,
All these prophecies have been fulfilled now.
It doesn't matter how long someone's believed or suffered,
or how qualified they are.
In short, if they won't accept any truth and won't truly repent,
they must be eliminated.
True.
Dad, it seems Luo Tao really was evil.
We thought his sacrifices and hard work meant that he'd be saved.
It's like reading a clock while upside down, our perspective's wrong.
Oh dear.
I had thought that since Luo Tao was able to suffer and to give things up,
then he could accept the truth, and submit to God,
and even if he had corruption and transgressions, that would eventually pass,
and he would end up changing.
I never imagined he simply wouldn't accept the truth.
He must love unrighteousness and hate the truth,
and that's a cancer, a deadly disease!
It is.
Without grasping the truth, one can't discern people.
That's true.
- Dad gets it. - Thank God!
Wait a sec, one more question.
Go ahead.
There are many who sacrifice and expend themselves,
but why is it that only some of them can be saved by God,
while others are condemned and eliminated by God?
- Zhihan. - Yeah?
This question is excellent!
The key to whether believers can be saved
is determined by whether or not they both love and accept the truth.
Right.
God expresses truth to judge people in the last days,
to save all those who love the truth and accept the truth.
It's to purify them and bring them to God's kingdom.
Those evildoers, non-believers and antichrists,
all of whom hate the truth will be exposed and eliminated.
This is how God sorts people by their kind.
Right.
Let's read some more of God's words.
Great.
- I'll read. - Great.
Here.
- Dad, let's share. - Okay.
There's a bit more.
I'll read.
There.
God's words tell us all about who He decides to save and who He eliminates.
True.
So why is it that only those who love the truth can be saved?
Why is that?
It's because those who love the truth
can accept the truth and focus on practicing God's words.
Even though their own self-will still creeps into their duty,
and they reveal corruption,
they can accept being pruned and dealt with, reflect on themselves and truly repent.
Their corrupt dispositions change in time and they truly submit to God.
That's how they attain salvation.
That's right.
And even though some people make sacrifices for their faith,
they're not doing it in order to pursue the truth,
but to attain blessings and rewards.
They don't seek the truth in their duty,
they follow their own preferences and do whatever they want.
They think that as long as they give up things for God
they'll gain God's approval and enter God's kingdom.
All of this reveals that all their sacrifices and hard work
are purely for them to bargain with God, to trade for the blessings of His kingdom.
Could doing their duty with that kind of motive earn them God's approval?
No way.
God's disposition is righteous and holy.
Could He ever approve of such a hypocritical Pharisee?
Certainly not.
You guys are correct.
God really goes all out to save man.
He doesn't look at how much corruption people display,
but whether they can accept the truth and then truly repent.
Exactly.
Dad, just now, you hit the nail on the head!
Almighty God's come.
He expresses truth and does judgment work to cleanse and save mankind.
This is the kingdom of heaven coming to earth.
Yes.
If people reject Almighty God's judgment and chastisement,
then how could their corrupt dispositions be cleansed?
And how could they achieve true repentance?
True.
Anyone in the church who fails to truly repent will be exposed and eliminated.
There's still many people who don't understand what true repentance is.
All religious people still think when they pray and confess to the Lord,
their sins are forgiven,
and if they then do some good things, it's true repentance.
That is a terrible mistake!
Just hold on a sec!
I actually don't really know what true repentance is.
What exactly does it mean to truly repent?
So what it means is someone has been cleansed of their corrupt disposition,
so they no longer resist God and they can submit to God.
That's what true repentance means.
Oh …
- How about we think this through? - Okay.
Now why is it that in the Age of Grace,
believers' sins were forgiven but they constantly lied and sinned?
It's due to our satanic natures and they serve to bind and constrain us,
therefore, we can't help but sin and lie, and we oppose God
and even try to cheat Him.
Whenever God's work is at odds with our notions,
we tend to judge and condemn it.
Yes.
And this means that we have a satanic nature,
and even if the Lord forgives our sins and we work for God,
we still can't escape the bonds of sin.
Right.
What do you say, could that be true repentance?
It's not.
- Certainly not. - That's true.
Only by our accepting Almighty God's judgment of the last days,
can our corrupt dispositions be cleansed,
and then we're no longer constrained by our nature.
We're then able to submit to God and practice God's words.
Only like this can we truly repent,
truly turn toward God and gain His salvation.
Only then can we be worthy of His kingdom.
- Right. - Yes.
However, if someone can still be taken in,
and be used by Satan, and lie and sin all the time,
they haven't escaped Satan's influence, so they haven't truly repented.
Yes.
This fellowship's so practical!
I'm finally able to understand what true repentance is.
Having faith and being saved is really not that simple.
You can't say accepting God's work of the last days means you'll surely enter His kingdom.
What matters is accepting God's judgment,
cleansing your corrupt disposition,
and truly repenting.
Only then can you be saved!
Right.
I've been a believer for years now,
but still have a corrupt disposition.
I still lie and try to cheat God,
and sometimes I go through the motions in my duty.
My corrupt disposition hasn't been cleansed,
therefore, I am still so very far from true repentance.
Yeah.
True repentance isn't so easy to understand.
Accepting God's judgment of the last days
has to be the only way we can understand it.
- Right. - Absolutely.
In my faith in Lord, I had thought my sins were forgiven,
and if I then behaved well, that was true repentance,
and when the Lord returned, I'd be brought to His kingdom.
Thinking back on that now it seems utterly ridiculous.
It's as if just thinking happy thoughts—
will get people up to heaven!
Therefore, anyone expelled from the church
doesn't accept the truth and hasn't repented at all.
Yes.
It may appear as though they are making sacrifices,
but deep within their heart, they hate the truth.
No matter how long they believe, they'll never lose their corruption.
Yes.
They all resist and rebel against God to the extreme, and He'll never save them.
Those who keep their corrupt dispositions are doomed to hell.
- True. - That's right.
This fulfills these words of the Lord Jesus in the Bible:
Amen!
This fellowship made my heart much brighter!
Mine too.
When the church expels the evil,
it's God cleansing the church and sorting people according to their kind.
That's right.
It reveals God's righteousness and holiness.
It shows me that in God's house,
it's Christ that holds sway as well as the truth,
and the Holy Spirit yet more.
God's words really are the truth, and each one shall be fulfilled.
I'm such an old fogey.
I didn't grasp the truth and yet I made judgments,
standing on an evildoer's side and arguing his case.
Wasn't I resisting God by doing that?
I'm so blind and ignorant!
When someone has believed for as long as Luo Tao
and is then exposed and eliminated,
it's a lesson for every one of us!
- It is. - That's correct.
But now, I do understand
that God determines a person's outcome based on if they grasp truth and can truly repent.
This shows us all
that everything He does is practical, is righteous, and it's all the truth.
God's holiness and disposition are worthy of mankind's praise!
Amen!
- Thank God! - Thanks be to God.
- Praise God. - Wonderful.