﻿So, it's first thing in the morning
you're checking the Bible and looking things up.
What's bothering you?
Well, at the meeting yesterday,
I said that by working for the Lord,
we can enter the kingdom of heaven,
but Brother Zhang started questioning me
and said my knowledge was partial.
Is that so?
There's a biblical basis for all I said,
so why did he question me?
Yeah!
That's how Paul pursued.
It's right there in the Bible.
All believers in the Lord try to follow Paul's example.
Right!
There shouldn't be a problem with that!
So, I'm getting materials together to refute him.
I need to have a talk with him today.
Hey, but …
Brother Zhang is intelligent and insightful,
and he has preached for many years.
If he has such a different opinion,
he must have a basis for it.
Do you think we should discuss it with Brother Zhang?
Discuss it?
We shouldn't.
We have the Bible backing up our view.
Don't worry.
Just look at your attitude!
Not at all like someone who seeks the truth!
I'd say, for all the years of working and preaching,
you haven't grown in life,
but you've sure grown a temper!
Hey, what's this?
Be careful!
Hey!
Where did you get this transaction record?
It's not a … Look at it!
Oh my!
1992, 1995 … (Yeah!)
Oh! This is your list of merits, isn't it?
Hey! That's it!
Every single line and item in here
is testimony to my labor and work for the Lord.
Not this again.
Back then,
when I preached and built churches, (Alright!)
I walked so many roads and climbed mountains—(Stop!)
Steep?
Yeah, there were very steep mountains!
I've crossed peaks and scaled cliffs to preach the gospel and shepherd churches,
and been arrested by the CCP … (Hey! Hey! Hey!)
Enough!
I've heard your glorious story so many times my ears are still ringing!
So what?
This is proof I'll get into the kingdom of heaven and be rewarded!
That's not something most people have!
Yeah! Coming!
Oh, it's Brother Zhang! (Sister Song.)
You're home … (Come in, come in. Yes.)
Brother Zhang.
Brother Li.
Your timing is perfect.
I was just planning to go see you today.
Really?
Brother Li, your color looks a bit off.
Oh? (You didn't sleep well?)
Not at all.
First thing in the morning he's organizing his notes.
Organizing his notes?
Let's sit. (Brother Zhang, sit.)
Organizing what notes?
Well, at yesterday's meeting,
you seemed to have different opinions than me
about whether labor and work for the Lord can get us into the kingdom of heaven.
I came home,
checked through the Bible, and thought about it,
and I still don't agree with your views.
It's good that you're here.
We should discuss this.
OK then,
we should always seek the truth and fellowship when there's a problem.
That's right!
Thanks be to the Lord!
Here, have some water. (Thanks.)
Brother Zhang, the apostle Paul said,
That proves that through labor and work,
people can enter the kingdom of heaven.
But you say people who work and suffer won't necessarily get into the kingdom of heaven.
If you say that,
it doesn't fit with what's in the Bible!
Right? (Yes!)
People who believe in the Lord all approve of Paul and try to follow his example.
The pastors and elders also say
we can enter the kingdom of heaven through labor and work.
Brother Zhang,
why do you have doubts about that viewpoint?
Exactly!
Well, first let me ask you a question.
Is Paul the Lord, or is the Lord Jesus the Lord?
Of course the Lord Jesus! (Right!)
Then since you admit the Lord Jesus is the Lord,
why do you base your belief in the Lord on Paul's words instead of the Lord Jesus' words?
Do Paul's words speak for the Lord Jesus?
I'm afraid they don't.
Right.
Then who can enter the kingdom of heaven?
The Lord said those who do God's will can enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Lord Jesus didn't say labor and work could get us into the kingdom of heaven.
So, Paul's words obviously conflict with the Lord Jesus' words.
What?
You're saying Paul's words conflict with the Lord Jesus' words?
Yes.
I don't understand that.
If people forsake, expend, suffer, and work for the Lord,
are they not doing God's will? (Right!)
Brother Li,
you say laboring and working for the Lord is doing God's will,
but did the Lord Jesus say that?
Did the Holy Spirit say those words?
Apparently not.
Right. (They didn't?)
Now, Paul thought labor and work for the Lord
allows people to enter the kingdom of heaven to gain rewards,
but is that what the Lord Jesus meant?
Does he represent the Lord Jesus?
So, based on what you're saying,
we're wrong to use Paul's words to pursue entry into the kingdom?
Pursuing based on that shouldn't be wrong. (Exactly!)
Well, let's look at what the Lord Jesus said about the issue.
If working for the Lord is doing God's will,
and can get you into the kingdom of heaven,
aren't those who prophesy, cast out devils, and do wonderful works
all laboring and working?
Why did the Lord call them those that work iniquity?
Yeah! Oh, yeah.
You see, they were just like the Jewish Pharisees of the time.
The Pharisees preached and worked all over the land,
but they didn't practice God's word or obey His commandments.
They had no fear of God.
When the Lord Jesus appeared and worked,
they didn't recognize that He was God appearing and working.
To protect their own status,
they resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus.
What does this prove?
It proves that laboring and working for the Lord in no way represent doing God's will!
So that means,
the work of prophesying in the Lord's name and doing God's will
are two very different things! (Right!)
Oh my!
We really need to take the time to seek the truth
and find out what God's will is in this matter!
Definitely.
Brother Zhang, I'm not denying your fellowship,
but you never told me what doing God's will actually is.
Do you mean to say that none of our labor and work counts as doing God's will?
What exactly is doing God's will?
Based on what the Lord said, here's what I understand:
Doing God's will means sincerely repenting to God.
It means being able to practice the Lord's word and absolute obedience.
It's doing everything out of love for God, to repay God's love,
and living out a meaningful life.
If someone preaches and works only to gain blessing
and enter the kingdom of heaven,
do they love the Lord?
Is that really doing God's will?
That kind of labor and work is impure.
It's attempting to trade with God.
That's right.
Someone like that is only trying to gain blessings from the Lord.
It's nothing more than an exchange. (Right.)
They're not obedient to the Lord.
Hey, Mingdao,
what Brother Zhang is saying makes sense.
Okay, Brother Zhang, keep going. (Mm, 'kay.)
There are many people who work and preach in the Lord's name for years,
but they never practice God's word or testify God.
They focus on themselves.
They want to show everyone how much work they've done and how they've suffered.
All they want is followers.
They even form cliques and start new churches to set up their own kingdom.
This isn't practicing God's word or being obedient to God.
It's certainly not doing God's will.
It really isn't. (That's right.)
We've believed in God for many years.
Have we forsaken, expended, suffered just to gain blessings for ourselves?
Or have we done it to practice the Lord's word and obey God?
Looking at it this way
will tell us for certain if we're doing God's will or not.
We've been working for the Lord to gain blessings and enter the kingdom of heaven.
I guess we really can't say that we're doing God's will!
So, what do you think about this?
I want to hear what you have to say. (Yeah.)
I'm talking to you.
Why do you keep drinking your water?
What's the matter with you?
Why are you pushing me!
These things take careful contemplation.
Right, you need to think this through.
But, Brother Zhang,
your fellowship on the Lord's words has the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
There's new light.
Yes. Thanks be to God!
If people suffer and work for the Lord
only to get themselves into the kingdom of heaven,
and not out of obedience and true love for God,
it isn't doing God's will at all!
Right.
I can't believe we let Paul's words lead us astray!
Brother Zhang, without your fellowship on this,
we would still pursue based on Paul's words.
In the end, our faith would be in vain, all for nothing!
Exactly right.
We've been very confused in our belief all these years because of Paul's words.
Pursuing according to Paul's words is not doing God's will! (You're right.)
Hang on …
If Paul's words aren't in accord with the Lord's will,
then what on earth are they doing in the Bible?
Everything in the Bible is an inspiration from God.
Those are God's words.
So, how do you go about explaining that?
Yeah. Brother Zhang, we are very confused about this.
How do you see it?
You might think everything we read in the Bible
comes straight from God,
that it's all God's words,
but that's not the case.
Not the case?
You see,
the Bible contains records of God's work,
and not only God's words,
but also those of men and angels,
and His conversations with Satan.
Isn't that a fact?
Hmm, that's true.
Then do you think
that it's correct to think of words spoken by men and angels and Satan
as the words of God?
That's not correct at all.
That means
the idea that all of the Bible is God's word,
and all of God's word is in the Bible
doesn't hold up at all.
Yeah.
That makes sense.
Why didn't I ever notice that problem before?
The Bible really does contain words of men, and of angels.
We can't say all of the Bible is God's words.
That's right.
You see,
the Lord Jesus was God incarnate, so His words are God's words.
Paul wasn't God incarnate,
so Paul's words couldn't possibly be God's words.
Even if they accorded with truth,
that's only because of enlightenment from the Holy Spirit.
But they're still not God's words.
Yeah, you're right.
The words of man originate in man, and even if they're in the Bible,
that doesn't mean they're God's words!
Right!
Ah. But we've been treating a man's words as God's words.
We've been completely twisting the facts.
Paul said all scripture was inspired by God,
but there's no way to be sure if Paul was correct, (Yeah.)
because God never said,
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God."
Yeah.
From that point of view,
it's really not appropriate to think of Paul's words as God's words.
It's just inaccurate. (Yes.)
That's absolutely right.
So, that means Paul's idea
that we can enter the kingdom of heaven and gain rewards through labor and work
was only his own view.
It was only his own notion.
It goes entirely against the Lord Jesus' words.
That Paul held such a view
shows that he suffered and worked purely to trade with God,
not because he was doing God's will.
Right. (Hey, wait now …)
I have another question.
What is it?
Brother Zhang,
you say Paul's words don't represent the Lord,
I admit that,
but don't forget,
Paul worked and expended for the Lord because the Lord Jesus sent him to do so.
Are you saying he wasn't doing God's will?
It's true Paul was an apostle sent by the Lord Jesus,
but in what circumstances was Paul called to serve?
The Lord Jesus gave so many sermons and expressed so much truth,
shaking all of Judaism.
Paul didn't seek or investigate,
he resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus,
and became His chief persecutor.
These were circumstances where the Lord called Paul.
Why did He do it?
What effect did He want to achieve?
Calling Paul demonstrated His ultimate power.
The Lord made His enemy turn to Him immediately and humiliated Satan,
but Paul's nature was still one that hated the truth and resisted God.
That much is undeniable.
Hey! Brother Zhang,
how can you say that about Paul? (Hey now, calm down.)
Let Brother Zhang finish. (But …)
Go ahead, continue.
In Paul's letters we can see that he never said
that he loved the Lord Jesus,
never preached or testified the Lord Jesus' words,
never shared his own experience or testimony of practicing the Lord's words.
Paul spoke of the redeeming grace of crucifixion,
but never testified how the Lord Jesus loved and saved people.
Now tell me, how could such a person be someone who does God's will?
Now that I think about it,
Paul's letters don't quote the Lord Jesus even once,
do they?
Brother Zhang, take a seat. (OK.)
Oh! Really!
Brother Li, I can understand how you feel right now.
In the past, we all admired Paul, and imitated him,
but if we study his letters carefully, we discover
that throughout he only talked about his labors and work,
how he suffered,
and that he showed off to prove he was better than other apostles.
He exalted and testified himself to make others worship him.
And when his work was finished,
he bragged that "there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
That tells us what Paul was really thinking.
Paul's labor and work wasn't done out of love and obedience for the Lord,
it was to gain that crown of righteousness.
Doesn't it seem like he was trying to deceive God?
His personal motives and goals were hidden in all his labor and work.
How can we call him someone who did God's will?
Brother Zhang, everything you're saying is a fact.
Paul didn't testify the Lord, he only testified himself.
That's resisting the Lord!
Yes.
His labor and work were done to exchange them for a crown of righteousness.
Doesn't that mean he was trading with the Lord?
Yes.
I finally understand.
Paul wasn't someone who actually did God's will.
But … but if he wasn't someone who did God's will,
what is his history doing in the Bible?
If it's written in the Bible, isn't it there for us believers to imitate?
Am I wrong to see it this way?
Paul's history is written in the Bible,
but that doesn't mean God's will is for us to imitate him.
Who edited and compiled the Bible?
It was the church leaders of the time.
The Lord Jesus didn't take part.
It wasn't a revelation from the Holy Spirit.
Compiling the Bible was definitely in accord with God's will,
but the Bible was compiled by people,
which can make it tainted by people's intentions.
Brother Li, isn't what I'm saying the truth?
What you're saying is the truth.
It might be a mistake for believers in the Lord to imitate Paul.
Yeah.
It seems like Paul really wasn't someone who did God's will.
Absolutely correct!
After many years of work,
Paul said,
What does that mean?
Isn't that saying,
"Lord, I've completed Your commission,
now You must give me a crown!
If You don't give me a crown,
You are not a righteous Lord!"?
The words Paul spoke completely reveal the essence of everything he did.
They completely expose Paul's nature of resisting God.
Would Paul have opposed the Lord Jesus if he'd known there was no crown?
Going by Paul's nature, he absolutely would have.
Paul would have been furious, would have argued with God,
and even made a case against God.
Those not obedient to the Lord are very capable of resisting Him.
I never realized. I really didn't.
Paul's lifetime of labor and work was only to gain rewards and a crown,
and the facts prove it. (Yes.)
Paul thought his hard work would certainly earn him a crown of righteousness,
but that was only wishful thinking!
Exactly right.
Thanks be to God.
Now, I see things clearly.
Believers in God need to pursue according to God's word and seek God's will.
If they blindly pursue according to Paul's words,
thinking that work can get them into the kingdom of heaven, (Yes.)
they're going directly against the Lord's words,
and are walking the wrong path!
Believing in God like that will only take us further from God's requirements.
We definitely won't become the type of people who do God's will,
much less be brought into the kingdom of heaven!
That's exactly how it is.
Hey, let's read passages of God's word.
It will all become clear. (OK. Oh, 'kay.)
Sister Song, could you hand me my bag?
Here you are.
Thanks.
Hey.
Mingdao, let's listen carefully to this. (Yeah.)
Yeah. These words have true authority.
It's like being reproached by the Lord face-to-face.
Yes. Amen!
In the past we've often said that God is holy,
and without holiness no one shall see the Lord.
Today, I feel like those words are completely correct! (Yes.)
Yes, they are.
When it comes to entering the kingdom of heaven,
rather than pursue according to the Lord's words,
I've imitated Paul,
I've only worked to get myself into the kingdom and gain a crown of righteousness.
Right.
I've only ever tried to make exchanges with God to extract grace and earn His blessings.
It seems, if man's desire for blessings is strong,
he'll be easily led astray!
That's true.
Paul recorded all of his labors in his letters,
and I recorded all mine in my little book.
It was my list of merits,
my collateral for entering the kingdom of heaven.
If the Lord Jesus saw it, I thought He'd let me in.
But now I realize this is an expression of my self-importance.
It's proof of my selfish, despicable intent to trade with God.
Now, it's a mark of shame.
I've been so corrupt and resistant to God.
I'm not worthy of the kingdom of heaven!
Thanks be to God. This is wonderful!
Wonderful?
By the Lord's requirements,
we have no hope of entering the kingdom of heaven,
and you say it's wonderful?
That's not what I meant.
I meant that Brother Li finally realizes that following Paul's example is wrong,
he's changed his view,
and that change is a wonderful thing.
It comes from God's guidance,
and now, we have the chance to truly repent.
God doesn't condemn people's labor and work,
but God loathes when the intent behind them is to make an exchange,
He hates satanic dispositions.
God works to save mankind by purifying us,
allowing us to gain the truth and escape sin,
so we can truly love and obey God.
Only then can we become people who do God's will and complete God's commission.
The kingdom of heaven is made for people like this!
Thanks be to God!
Hey, Brother Zhang,
I have another question for you. (Yes, go ahead.)
You still have questions?
Just let me ask!
Right now nearly everyone in the religious world says we should imitate and follow Paul,
and they see Paul's words as God's words.
As to the fact that Paul walked the wrong path and what it means to do God's will,
no one can see this matter clearly.
I'm just confused about how you came to see it clearly.
Who revealed the truth of these mysteries to you?
What I'm really asking is where exactly did the things you're reading come from.
Oh, that was your question!
You know?
I want to know too!
Brother Zhang, can you please tell us?
Tell us! (OK!)
Oh good.
I thought you were keeping it from me.
Oh no. How would I know?
Here, look at this.
The words I read to you today come from this book,
I gained my understanding about this subject from the words within this book.
Really?
You're ready to hear this.
The Lord Jesus, whom we've awaited, has now returned.
He has come incarnated as Almighty God.
Almighty God?
He came here to express the truth, and is doing the work of judgment.
Th … the Lord has really returned? (Yes!)
And is expressing the truth and doing the work of judgment?
That's right.
This book, The Word Appears in the Flesh,
is the voice of God Himself.
It's words of Christ of the last days, Almighty God,
and is "what the Spirit says to the churches" prophesied in Revelation.
These are words spoken by the Holy Spirit to the churches?
Yes.
I have to read this!
Alright. Yes!
Come.
Amen!
I can see that everything Almighty God says is the truth.
It's so practical! (Yes.)
I relied on my notions and imaginings,
and thought believing in the Lord would forgive my sins,
and that if I preached and worked for the Lord,
I only had to wait for the Lord's return to enter the kingdom of heaven.
How ridiculous! I was unrealistic and foolish!
Yes.
Right. If God hadn't expressed these truths,
we wouldn't understand it at all.
In the last days, based on the Lord Jesus' work,
Almighty God has expressed the whole truth to purify mankind,
allowing us to change our satanic dispositions,
and escape sin, be purified, and attain salvation.
If we accept Almighty God's work in the last days
and experience the judgment of God's words,
we can do God's will and be lifted up to the kingdom of heaven!
Well! That's wonderful! (Truly, thanks be to God!)
Mingdao,
Almighty God has expressed so many truths to show us
the way to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Finally! Now there's hope for us to get into the kingdom! (Yes!)
I'm excited for us to investigate and accept Almighty God's work in the last days!
Yes.
It truly is the Lord's appearance and work,
of course we'll accept it!
That's right.
Brother Zhang, we should listen to Almighty God's words together.
Let's gather the brothers and sisters.
Alright! Yes!
That way all of us can hear God's voice.
God's sheep know God's voice,
and once we've all heard the voice of God,
we'll accept Almighty God right away, (Right!)
and we'll all meet with the Lord
at the wedding feast!
Amen!