How to Pursue the Truth (18)

The content of our fellowship recently has been quite special. It has involved people’s origins, their essences, and their classifications. We have discussed the manifestations of three types of people, each with a different classification—being reincarnated from animals, being reincarnated from devils, and being reincarnated from humans. For most people, this has had some impact on their mood. How do most of you feel after having heard the fellowship in this aspect? Are there any among you who are unwilling to hear this content and say, “These matters don’t seem to be related to the truth. Is there any use in knowing about these things?” When new believers hear these words, are they likely to develop notions? Are they likely to become negative and weak? Regardless of how people feel after hearing these words—whether they develop notions or become negative and weak—in any case, fellowshipping these words is beneficial to people. It at least enables people to gain some insight and discernment, to understand the correct thoughts and views for conducting themselves, and to understand the basic principles of how to conduct themselves. It benefits people so much in terms of how to conduct themselves and how to live. In particular, it helps people know how to treat others according to principles. In this way, they will be able to cut down on doing many foolish things and take fewer detours. The content of our fellowship recently has involved people’s origins and their inner essence, and we concluded by talking about the manifestations possessed by those who are reincarnated from true humans. Those reincarnated from true humans mainly possess two characteristics. What are they? (Discerning right from wrong, and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect.) These are the two primary manifestations and characteristics that one’s humanity should possess. Broadly speaking, they are what we often refer to as conscience and reason. However, people often don’t know how to discern whether someone has conscience and reason, or whether a person truly has one or the other, whether their conscience and reason are normal, or whether they are the conscience and reason possessed by normal humanity. When people don’t understand these facts about normal humanity, their views on or understanding of conscience and reason are all very general, so we used two aspects of specific manifestations to explain what human conscience and reason are and to confirm whether a person has humanity. The first one is discerning right from wrong, and the second is knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect. We already fellowshipped on these two aspects twice. Discerning right from wrong and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect are qualities of humanity, lived-out aspects of humanity, and specific revelations and manifestations of humanity that humans possess. For these two aspects—discerning right from wrong and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect—I accordingly listed some real examples and discussed some specific manifestations of people within these two aspects, and had you discern whether or not they are manifestations of having humanity, and whether those who possess them are people who can discern right from wrong and know what’s correct and what’s incorrect. Regarding discerning right from wrong, we fellowshipped on some cases to dissect how people treat positive and negative things, and we also fellowshipped on how to discern negative things and non-human manifestations. Although I did not give more specific examples to tell you what positive things are and what negative things are, by dissecting and exposing some of people’s manifestations toward positive things in their daily lives, I showed how one should treat positive things and what attitudes one should have toward them. I also gave some examples to expose people’s attitudes and manifestations toward negative things, so that you can learn to discern what the nature of the attitudes and manifestations of these negative characters is, whether their humanity is true humanity or not, and what the essence of their humanity is. In our last two fellowships, we didn’t specifically explain what positive and negative things are, but judging from the facts that were exposed, shouldn’t you now be able to define positive and negative things? After having listened to the fellowship, have you summarized what exactly positive and negative things are? If, after listening to this specific content of the fellowship, you have a definition in your heart, knowing what positive things and what negative things are, and understand the truth in this regard, then you will know how to discern and treat positive and negative things, right? (Yes.)

What are positive things? Is this not an issue that should be understood? Perhaps you can give some examples of positive things, such as God’s righteous disposition, God’s loveliness, God’s work, God’s intentions for man, God’s requirements for man, as well as all the truths God has expressed to humankind, every detailed and specific truth principle contained within the truth—these are all positive things. You can give some specific examples of positive things, so can you give some specific examples of negative things? Is traditional culture a negative thing? (Yes.) Are evil trends negative things? (Yes.) Is pursuing an official career a negative thing? (Yes.) Is pursuing great wealth a negative thing? (Yes.) These are all negative things. What else? (That’s all I can think of.) You never ponder these things in your hearts; you are always zoning out. And yet, you usually feel that after believing in God and doing your duty for many years, having eaten and drunk many of God’s words, you have come to understand a great deal of the truth. Why, then, when it comes to specific matters, do you have no viewpoint? Where has all that you understood gone? If you are asked to use the truths you understand to dissect the essence of an issue and explain its essence clearly, and thus help people understand the truths involved and God’s intentions, so that they not only discern the negative things but also know what the positive things and the truth principles involved are, you come up with nothing, not knowing what to say. Isn’t this a manifestation of not understanding the truth? (Yes.) Then what are all those understandings you usually talk about? (Words and doctrines.) They are all words and doctrines. Some people, when writing spiritual devotion notes, find their thoughts flow like a spring, and they write as if divinely guided; they write in a highly structured manner, and move themselves to the point that their eyes well up and tears stream down their faces. However, when they’re asked to apply what they have written to real life to discern various people, see through various things, and resolve various problems, they are incapable of it. They understand many doctrines, but they just don’t understand the truth. As a result, they can’t see through any matter they encounter, and they can’t resolve any problem they discover. What is the use of them understanding so many doctrines? People who don’t understand the truth are so pitiable! Those arrogant and self-righteous people understand many doctrines yet cannot resolve any real problem. This is so pitiful. Getting back on track, let us continue our fellowship on what positive things are. This aspect of the truth must be made clear. If we make a general statement and say, “Everything that comes from God is a positive thing,” are these words correct? (Yes.) “Everything that comes from God is a positive thing” is a truth, but if you don’t understand what this statement specifically refers to or what the truth within it refers to, then what you understand is doctrine. If you have an appreciation and a true understanding of this statement in many matters, and can also communicate some details to substantiate your viewpoint, then your viewpoint has God’s words as its basis, and this proves you understand some of the truth. Many people say, “Everything that comes from God is a positive thing.” Theoretically, this statement is correct, and it is also one aspect of the truth. So, specifically, what are positive things? There should be a specific explanation for “Everything that comes from God is a positive thing.” What things, then, are positive things? Everything that comes from God is a positive thing: All things created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things. Is this explanation correct? Does this make it specific? (Yes.) This way, the statement “Everything that comes from God is a positive thing” doesn’t just stay on a theoretical level, but becomes a truth principle. Is putting it this way clear? (Yes.) Then read this sentence defining positive things. (All things created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things.) How do you feel after reading this sentence? Has the definition or scope of positive things started to become clear in your hearts? (Yes.) Then read it again. (All things created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things.) When you read words of truth, you must learn to read them slowly and to savor them carefully. You must learn to read them with measured cadence, reading them out seriously and solemnly at a comprehensible pace, so that after everyone has heard them, every word and sentence is engraved in their hearts and leaves a deep impression, and from then on, this statement becomes a basis and criterion of God’s words by which they measure a certain type of thing inwardly. How great that would be. Read it again. (All things created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things.) That was still a bit fast. Tell Me, when reading God’s words, should you not be serious, and also pious? (Yes.) If you read God’s words as frivolously and quickly as you would an article by a nonbeliever, how would listeners feel? (They wouldn’t feel any piety.) Then, to read God’s words with piety, how should you read them? What should the pace be like? (We should read them seriously and earnestly, word by word, in a sonorous and powerful manner.) Correct. Then read it again, and strive to make it sonorous and powerful. (All things created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things.) Now that this sentence has been read several times, you must have memorized it, right? (Yes.) This sentence emphasizes three things. What is the first? (What is created by God.) What is the second? (What is ordained by God.) And what is the third? (What is under God’s sovereignty.) And what are all of these things? (They are all positive things.) You’ve memorized it, right? (Yes.) Memorizing the truth and engraving it in one’s heart is incredibly beneficial for understanding all the truth principles, for discerning all kinds of people, events, and things, and for having the correct stance and viewpoint on them, and for being able to choose the right path and practice according to the truth principles to satisfy God.

We just talked about what positive things are. All things and events within the scope of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are positive things. In that case, there are a vast number of positive things. First, all kinds of living and non-living things that God has created are positive things. Living things are life forms that are capable of action, that can breathe, and that possess vitality. No matter what their life structure is, or what the laws and rules of their life are, as long as they are created by God, as long as they come from God, they are positive things. Even if you don’t like them, even if they don’t accord with your notions, and even if they are of no benefit to people or can even cause them harm, as long as they are made by God and ordained by Him, they are positive things. But some people have notions about this. They believe that bad animals and animals that can harm people—like foxes, wolves, or man-eating beasts—are not positive things but negative things. This viewpoint goes against God’s desires and is completely and utterly wrong. In fact, whatever is created by God, so long as He does not condemn it, is a positive thing. People should not discriminate against it, nor should they condemn it and resort to killing or any other cruel means to deal with it because they find it repulsive. People should let it take its natural course. Even if you do not protect it, you should still leave it space to survive, and you should not do it harm, because it comes from God. This is the attitude that people should have toward all the various creatures made by God. As long as something is created by God, regardless of whether you like it or not, whether it is beautiful or ugly, whether it is friendly toward you or poses a threat, whether it is invisible to the naked eye or you can see it, whether it has an impact on your life, or what relationship it has with human survival, you should hold it and all such things in equal regard, treat them according to principles, and respect them; give them space to survive, respect their ways of survival and their laws of survival, and also respect all their activities. You should not harm them. At a minimum, you should be able to coexist with these creatures, and you should not interfere with one another. This is something that people should understand and apprehend, and it is, of course, even more so a principle that should be adhered to in how one treats various creatures; one should absolutely not approach them with notions that come from human will or even with impetuousness. This concludes our fellowship on matters related to all things created by God.

Another aspect regarding the definition of positive things relates to what is ordained by God, and the scope of what is ordained by God is quite large. In broad terms, for example, the lifespan, appearance, innate nature, and genes of various living things, as well as their ways of survival, their patterns of activity, their methods of securing food and reproduction, and their living patterns for adapting to the four seasons, which involve their migration directions and activity ranges; in addition, the four seasons, locations of mountains, rivers, and lakes, and forms of existence of various living or non-living things on earth ordained by God, and so on—people should also respect these things that fall within this scope, give them space to survive, and not use human will or artificial means to eradicate, interfere with, or damage them. For example, tigers are born to eat herbivores; zebras, antelopes, elk, and some small animals are all prey for tigers. This is a creature’s way of securing food, and the scope in which it does so; this is a rule of its survival. So, what does this rule of survival involve? It involves God’s ordination. Since it is ordained by God, no matter how people view it from a notional perspective—whether they see it as wonderful, or as bloody and cruel—it is certainly a positive thing. This is absolutely certain, and you cannot deny it. Even if you feel in your heart that a tiger hunting animals is very bloody and cruel, and you can’t even bear to see such a tragic scene unfold, you should respect the way of survival in the animal world. You should not hinder or restrict it, much less artificially interfere with or damage this ecological environment. Instead, you should let things take their natural course, and protect the survival environment of the animal world. You should not strip various animals of their right to survive. Carnivores hunting and devouring herbivores or other animals is a rule of their survival, and this rule of survival was created by God and ordained by God. Mankind should not interfere with or damage it but should let things take their natural course. What does it mean, then, to let things take their natural course? It means that when you see a tiger or any other carnivore hunting an antelope or other prey, if you have enough courage, you can watch from a distance and not interfere. If you are timid and cannot watch this scene of bloody, deadly combat, then don’t watch, but you should not condemn the hunting behavior of these carnivores because you can’t bear to see the bloody scene, much less should you complain that it was a mistake for God to create these carnivores; this is an act lacking in reason. It is normal that you do not understand this, but you should not strip carnivores of their right to survive. Some people ask, “Then should we artificially protect them?” By not doing anything to interfere or cause damage, you have already fulfilled the responsibility of a human. There’s no need to artificially protect them, because animals are also creatures made by God; and given that they were created by God, God has already endowed them with the ability to survive—they do not need you to interfere or help. Besides, can you help them? Can you replicate the ferocity with which they hunt their prey? People don’t have what it takes. At most, people can only use weapons to kill a few prey, which is far from meeting the needs of animals. Moreover, some animals do not eat dead prey; they only eat live, fresh meat. You should not interfere with or damage the survival rights of carnivores, nor should you protect herbivores from harm; it is enough that you do not harm or hunt them. The survival of all kinds of animals has its laws, and they will reproduce and live on according to the rules ordained by God and the laws established by God. They have their own laws of survival, and their own abilities to survive, and in many ways, their survival abilities are even superior to those of humans. Although they cannot make or use weapons and tools, their ability to survive independently is still superior to that of humans in some regards. If humans were to live in the wild, it would be difficult for them to survive; some would even die of thirst, starvation, or cold, or be eaten by wild beasts. It is clear that the ability of humans to survive independently in the wild is inferior to that of animals. And why is this? This is also related to God’s ordination.

Regarding what is ordained by God, the principle people should abide by is not to artificially interfere with or damage it. Take the treatment of animals, for example: People do not need to protect them out of kindness. As long as you don’t disturb them, damage their living environment, or undermine their rules and laws of survival, you have fulfilled the responsibility of a human. If an animal is injured or encounters some difficulty and seeks help from humans, should people help them? (Yes.) This help is not considered artificial interference, but rather is a responsibility people should fulfill. Why is this a responsibility people should fulfill? Because this is something humans are capable of doing. In this situation, people should show love and do their best to help, because both humans and animals are creatures. It’s just that in God’s eyes, mankind is the object of His salvation, a higher-level creature, distinct from others. Since all live together in this material world, in this space, helping each other in times of need does not violate any principles. This is a character that humans should possess at the very least, and it is something they should be able to achieve. If there really is some injured animal that comes to you for help, it only does so because it holds you in high regard and trusts you. The fact that it can seek your help proves it is not foolish; it is capable of thinking, and it knows that although humans are different from them, humans have ways to help it survive. Since other living things hold humans in such high regard, should humans not play the role of the master of all things well and fulfill the obligations they ought to? (Yes.) This is the principle of practice. To play the role of the master of all things well, it’s not enough to just have this wish—it requires practical action. When other living things face difficulties or have needs, you must extend a helping hand to assist them. If they are destined to die or to face some great calamity, and you cannot help, then there is nothing to be done, and you should just let things take their natural course—you just need to do your best. If you see them encounter difficulties or danger, that is when you should fulfill your responsibility and obligation. If you don’t see it, there’s no need to take pains to search it out—that is not your responsibility. They have their own destiny, and you need not proactively make an effort in this regard. Conversely, if they are faced with difficulty and seek your help, it is your bounden duty to extend a helping hand; you’d better not refuse. For example, should you encounter a wild goose on the road blocking your path and trying to stop you from leaving, if you have a loving heart, you should realize that the goose is in trouble and has come to you for help. What should you do at this time? (Follow the goose to see what’s wrong, and help if we can.) That’s right. Follow the goose, see where it leads you, and what difficulty or danger it has encountered that requires human assistance. You should do all you can to help it—you can’t just leave it in the lurch. This is the sense of responsibility that humans should have. To cherish the various living things created by God, to cherish all things that God has created—this is the character of loving positive things that people should possess. Some people ask, “Is this accumulating merit and doing good?” No. The saying “accumulating merit and doing good” is not valid. There’s no need to spout such high-sounding words. To put it bluntly, the whole idea of accumulating merit and doing good is nonsense! This is fulfilling the obligations of a human; it is the most basic sense of responsibility people should possess. Once you have helped the goose, your responsibility is fulfilled. You don’t need it to thank you, nor do you need it to repay your kindness—what you did was something humans are obliged to do. To fulfill this obligation and have this sense of responsibility is to follow God’s words—all things created and ordained by God are positive things, and we should cherish them. God’s charge is to cherish all things He has created. This is part of the common sense of humanity that humans, as the masters of all things, should possess at the very least. Specifically, it is the sense of responsibility that they should possess at the very least. Do not interfere with other living things, do not undermine their rules of survival, and do not strip them of their right to survive; additionally, there’s no need to artificially help them live a certain way or guide and regulate them to survive a certain way. Instead, respect their laws of survival and their rules of survival. When they need help, if you see it, you should not evade them or turn a blind eye, just watching on as they are harmed and die, but should extend a helping hand to fulfill the responsibility and obligation humans ought to fulfill. By helping them out, you save them. This won’t tire you out, nor will it require you to pay a great price or expend a lot of energy, much less to lay down your life to protect them. It’s no skin off your back; it’s something that you are supposed to do as a human. If you were asked to protect them with all your might, that would not be easy to achieve, but you should be able to let things take their natural course—not interfering with them, not damaging their living environment or undermining their rules of survival, and not stripping them of their right to survive. If you cannot even do this, then you are non-human, you are not the reincarnation of a human, and you have no humanity. What does having no humanity mean? It means you lack even the conscience and reason to protect animals, care for them, and respect the living things God has made. If you are always thinking of harming them, eating them, and stripping them of their right to survive, then you are not a human but a wild beast. Is this clear now? (Yes.)

Regarding what God ordains, there are some other situations. For example, the rules of survival of some animals are somewhat different from or even opposite to those of other living things, such as owls, bats, and some other animals whose rule of survival is to sleep during the day and become active at night. This was ordained by God, and even if special circumstances occasionally cause these animals to temporarily change this routine, under normal conditions their laws and rules of survival basically don’t change. People are always thinking about changing the rules of these animals, making them diurnal like humans. They conduct research into the genes and blood serum of these animals, their activity patterns, and so on, thinking of every which way to change and undermine their rules of survival and activity patterns. Is this good? (No.) Is this kind of behavior, this kind of thinking, a positive thing? (No.) This is a negative thing, and something non-humans do. Through scientific research, these living things do get changed somewhat, but they end up living extremely painfully and abnormally. Normal people can’t bear to see this. There are also some people who say, “There are so many rats now; it would be great if dogs could catch rats. Dogs could guard the house, and we could save on dog food because they’d eat rats, and we wouldn’t need to keep cats. It’d be three birds with one stone. Wouldn’t that be great?” Then they research how to merge the genes of cats and dogs, so that dogs have both dog and cat genes and become a dog-cat hybrid that can both guard the house and catch rats. Is this idea good? (No.) Why not? (Because they always want to undermine what God has ordained and violate the laws ordained by God. This is exactly what Satan does and what corrupt humankind does.) Such ideas are wicked. Where do wicked ideas come from? They come entirely from Satan and evil spirits. Thus, such corrupt people are non-humans. They always want to change the positive things that God has ordained, and to change the original functions, activity patterns, and laws of survival of various living things ordained by God. They always want to undermine the forms of survival of living things ordained by God, they always develop some wicked and outrageously rebellious ideas, thoughts, and viewpoints, and they always want to undermine the various things ordained by God. Such people are non-humans; they have no humanity. Their thinking or actions are never within the scope of conscience and reason, but rather, they always want to exceed the scope of normal humanity—this is a manifestation of being non-human. They do not, within the conscience and reason of normal humanity, respect or uphold the rules of survival and forms of existence of all things ordained by God. Instead, they always want to undermine, disturb, and change the rules of survival ordained by God, to change the ways of life of other living things. They want to make cats no longer cats and dogs no longer dogs, turning them all into aberrations, wicked things, making them develop in a wicked direction. They always want to undermine the existence of positive things, and always want to undermine the forms of survival of positive things. Are they not non-humans? (They are.) The thoughts and viewpoints produced and possessed by non-humans are negative things, and they are antagonistic to positive things. Since their viewpoints are negative things and are antagonistic to positive things, are the items they produce and the results they bring about in their professions not negative things? (They are.) These things are negative things. Although some things do not directly have any adverse impact on or cause any harm to mankind, as long as they are antagonistic to what God has ordained, as long as they violate the laws and rules ordained by God, and as long as they have a different way of survival or a different law and rule that has come about as a result of man’s artificial interference, processing, and undermining on the basis of the laws and rules ordained by God, then these things are negative things. Regardless of how many people accept and acknowledge the existence of such a thing, or how many people’s lives or survival it brings physical pleasure to, if it’s not in the original form ordained by God, and if it’s not in the original state ordained by God, but rather the ordained structure, form, or the laws and rules of its survival have been changed and undermined, then it is a negative thing. This is because it has been processed, damaged, and changed by Satan, and has been infused with concepts, thoughts, and viewpoints from Satan, and even some of Satan’s poisons or Satan’s schemes. Even if people cannot see through this, it is still a negative thing. In short, so long as it’s something that goes against the original thing ordained by God, something whose original form, structure, or the laws and rules of survival as ordained by God—whether a living or non-living thing—have been undermined and changed, and which has at the same time had various additional things from Satan infused into or added into it, then it is a negative thing, and it has already been denatured. No matter what kind of quantitative impact it has on the physical life or survival of mankind, as long as it’s undergone a qualitative change, and its quality has been altered, then it is a negative thing. This is absolute, and not at all false. As long as something is a negative thing, no matter how long it has existed in this world or how long it has been accepted by mankind and society, if it is not the original thing ordained by God, it is not acknowledged by Him, and if it is not acknowledged by God, then it is a negative thing.

Some people ask, “Apples and pears are both original fruits ordained by God. If the two are grafted together to make an apple-pear, is that a negative thing? Should we eat it or not?” This is something that could be encountered in daily life, no? Tell Me, should you eat it or not? If you eat it, will you be poisoned? Will it cause you physical harm? Will it impact your lifespan? Will it affect how God views you? Will it affect your outcome? How should this matter be viewed? This tests whether you understand the truth principles, and whether you understand what we fellowshipped about earlier. If you understand this aspect of the truth, and you have grasped the truth principles in this regard, then when you encounter things in real life, you will know how to practice, you will know what actions violate the truth and what actions uphold the truth and are within the scope of the truth principles. Should you eat apple-pears? (No.) Is it that you wouldn’t dare to eat them, or that they shouldn’t be eaten? (We wouldn’t dare to eat them.) You say you wouldn’t dare to eat them, but haven’t you eaten quite a few of them in your daily lives? And what happened after you ate them? Were you physically harmed? First, let’s determine whether an apple-pear is a positive or a negative thing. You said that it should not be eaten. The subtext of this statement is that an apple-pear is a negative thing, and so it should not be eaten. Is that what you meant? (Yes.) Then is this understanding correct? Should the matter of apple-pears be perceived in this way? If I hadn’t given you the example to fellowship, you would have thought that apple-pears should not be eaten, that eating them would poison you—just like how Eve, when she violated God’s commandment and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was tempted by Satan into sin and fell inextricably into Satan’s hands. You would have thought that, especially given that now is the critical moment of God’s salvation of mankind, and time is running short, you must be careful and not eat things indiscriminately, that if you do, you might violate the principles and transgress the administrative decrees, leaving you without an opportunity to be saved, and by then regret would be useless. You cannot see through this matter; you have been stumped by such a small thing. You think that apple-pears should not be eaten and wouldn’t dare to eat them, that doing so would be violating the principles and transgressing the administrative decrees, which would be terrible! Isn’t this what you all think? So, should you eat apple-pears or not? (God, we just discussed this and think that we can eat apple-pears, because man is only improving apples and pears and has not changed the laws ordained by God for them. So eating apple-pears does not involve a transgression of the administrative decrees.) After your fellowship, you’ve gained some clarity, and now understand that the laws ordained by God have basically remained unchanged in relation to the apple-pear, so you can eat it. What you just said is accurate; it’s just that you didn’t explain it clearly. Let’s not discuss the question of whether apple-pears can be eaten or not for now; let’s first talk about why they don’t violate the laws ordained by God. Apple trees and pear trees are both plants created by God, and people can eat the fruit they bear. When these two plants are grafted together or cross-pollinated, another kind of fruit is produced. Whether this is done artificially or naturally, basically the origin of this fruit, the form of its survival, and the laws and rules of its survival remain unchanged from what was originally ordained by God. Even if man artificially grafts the branches of an apple tree and a pear tree together, it is on the basis of their original laws and rules of survival, on the basis of their original forms of life, that a fruit with the shared life characteristics of both is produced. This fruit is called an apple-pear. Man just uses his ability to survive and his way of thinking, his intelligence and cleverness, to graft two plants together to produce another kind of fruit, but this fruit, the apple-pear, does not go beyond the scope of what is ordained by God. This is one aspect. On the other hand, even without human intervention, if apple and pear trees grow together in the same forest, can they avoid cross-pollination? In very natural circumstances, when the flowering season arrives, they will be cross-pollinated, and their root systems underground will also intertwine. Whether the pollen is spread by bees or through the wind and air circulation, apples and pears will receive each other’s nutrients, and the apple-pear fruit will be produced very naturally. Then can you still say that this apple-pear is man-made? (No.) It’s a living thing that grows naturally in the natural environment ordained by God; it is something within the scope permitted by God, so this apple-pear does not violate any laws. Regardless of whether it has the characteristics of an apple or a pear, in short, it is not a negative thing; it is still a kind of fruit that God has prepared for mankind. You can set your worries aside and dig in—it will definitely not cause you any physical harm. However, when I just mentioned man artificially grafting apple and pear branches together, you couldn’t ascertain whether an apple-pear is a positive or a negative thing, and you wouldn’t dare to eat it, thinking, “An apple is an apple, without the genes of a pear, and a pear is a pear, without the components of an apple; only these can definitely be eaten!” Isn’t this way of comprehending things distorted? (Yes.) It is distorted. Various living things exist together in a common space; it is inevitable that they will influence and provide for each other, drawing from each other’s strengths to make up for their own weaknesses. Within this, there are many details, and there are mysteries. In short, the emergence, existence, and effect of all this is for the survival of the human race that God has created. This is the value and significance of the existence of positive things; ultimately, it is to maintain the normal survival of mankind and the reproduction and continuation of mankind. Is this matter clear now? (Yes.)

Next, let’s discuss another matter, something people often encounter in their daily lives. Take a look and consider how it should be discerned and approached. To meet mankind’s demand for food, people invented nonorganic grains, increasing yield by modifying the genes of various seeds and fruits. Initially, the goal was actually to reduce pests and diseases, avoid using more pesticides, and thus grow various plants needed by mankind while reducing labor and avoiding interference from pests and diseases, and at the same time increase yield to supply mankind’s need for food, which resulted in such a product being made. What is this product called? Nonorganic food. The emergence of nonorganic food has greatly satisfied mankind’s demand for food. People believe that the yield of organic food is relatively low and cannot meet mankind’s needs. Since the emergence of nonorganic grains, the yield of grains has greatly increased, people’s income has also increased, and the problem of hunger for many people has been resolved. Thus, mankind has “fortunately” been able to eat nonorganic food. So, is nonorganic food a positive thing or a negative thing? Does it violate the principle of “what is ordained by God” or not? Should nonorganic food be eaten? What are your viewpoints and opinions on nonorganic food? How do you define the positivity and negativity of organic and nonorganic food? (Organic food is natural, and is ordained by God. It’s a positive thing. Nonorganic food is produced through scientific processing and genetic modification. It goes against the original laws created by God. So nonorganic food is a negative thing.) (The original genes in nonorganic food are damaged, and it goes against the laws created by God. Moreover, the original nutritional value of food has been undermined in nonorganic food; eating it provides no benefit to people’s health. Nowadays, the appearance of health problems is widespread in lots of people who have been eating nonorganic food for many years, so I think if conditions permit, we should try our best not to eat it. But in today’s society, most food is nonorganic, so in order to survive, we definitely have to eat nonorganic food.) What you have said is all in line with the principles, and the key points are correct, but it’s too simplistic, and there are some details that have not been explained clearly. Some people say, “Nonorganic food and organic food look similar on the outside, and taste more or less the same. Nonorganic food is basically not any different from the original forms of food ordained by God. Some nonorganic food even looks better and has a higher yield than organic food, and the taste is not necessarily much worse than organic food. So why is organic food a positive thing and nonorganic food a negative thing?” Although you just said you are certain that organic food is a positive thing and nonorganic food is a negative thing, you don’t understand why they are distinguished in this way; you still don’t understand the details here. There is a key point you must know: Why is it that, with two things that look the same on the outside, one is a positive thing and the other is a negative thing? Some people say, “That’s because nonorganic food is scientifically processed and has been damaged by science.” Is this statement correct? In terms of doctrine, it is correct. It sounds like this is the case. But people still don’t understand after hearing it. So, in terms of their essence, just what is the difference between organic and nonorganic food that allows them to be defined as positive and negative things, respectively? What is this definition based on? How does God view it? What is the truth in this? This gets to the essence of the issue.

Organic things come from God. They are what God created, and man has named them “organic.” Let’s not concern ourselves for now with the origin or source of the word “organic” or why people named it so. We still need to look at this from the perspective of God’s creation and ordination. Within God’s creation and ordination, there is a subtle yet crucial point, which is that when God created a seed, He put into it all the nutrients and components it should have, as well as its functions. What is the basis for the principles of determining what things were put into the seed? They were based on the needs of the human body, on the receptivity of the functions of the human body’s internal organs and the nutritional components required by these organs. Since the food grown from such a seed is for human consumption, then the effects this food will have on the human body after it is eaten, and the nutrients humans can absorb from it to maintain their normal physical growth and survival, and to prolong the life of their body, are all things that God must consider when creating a seed or a type of food. It’s not casually creating a seed that can grow in the soil and leaving it at that, no, God has put thought into it. As for what effects the skin, pulp, and germ of this kind of seed will have on the human body, what results these things can achieve, what the human body needs, and what nutrients humans should absorb from this type of food after eating it, these are all things God must consider. Since God has such considerations, when He creates this type of seed, He must create it according to the nutritional proportions humans need, and this seed thus comes into being in God’s thoughts. This is looking at the impact of a seed on humans from the perspective of its nutritional components and structure; this is one aspect God considers when creating this seed. Additionally, God considers the size and shape of this type of seed or fruit, the length of its germination time, its form of survival, the type of soil it is suitable for growing in, how many nutrients it absorbs in which type of soil, how many nutrients humans can absorb from it when they eat it, and so on. All these details are things God has to consider. The various factors that God considers when creating a seed ultimately boil down to one point, which is to provide for mankind’s need for food, to achieve the normal physical growth and survival of mankind. This is the most important point. There is another point that is also crucial. If a seed has no life force, and it’s a dead thing, like a grain of sand or a stone, unable to sprout when planted in the soil, then this means that after people eat this food this one time, it won’t be available again. Such a seed is far from being able to satisfy mankind’s need for food. Therefore, in addition to the components it should have, such as its skin and kernel, this seed must have a germ. Of course, this germ may not be a characteristic of life present in all seeds. In short, in addition to its skin and kernel, this seed must have life force. In human language, it is called life force, but in God’s terms, it means that this seed must have life. What does “having life” mean? It means it can continue to reproduce; through sprouting and growing, it must be able to bear fruit. A seed, through sprouting, growing, and flowering, must be able to produce more fruits, and like the seed itself, its fruits must also have life force, and be able to reproduce and bear more fruits, as only in this way can it supply mankind’s need for food without end. These are the two most basic and most important things in God’s creation and ordination of a seed: One is the various nutrients it contains and its functions, and the other is that this seed must have life force, that is, this seed must be living. In human terms, if something is “living,” it is called “organic.” This organic food, from the time God created it, actually has life. If you bury it in soil, and water and fertilize it, it will sprout, grow, flower, and then bear fruit, and each of its fruits has the same function it has. This same functionality ceaselessly provides for mankind’s need for food, for the physical survival of mankind, and for the reproduction and continuation of mankind. In addition, this seed integrates with the soil and bears fruits, and these fruits—like the seed itself—bear more fruits to supply mankind, and go through the same process of reproduction and flourishing, generation after generation. In this way, mankind has an endless supply of food. With a supply of food, with a source of food, the physical life and survival of mankind continues without end, and they will never be without food. From this fact, it can be seen that for mankind to have survived to this day, the contribution of the various seeds created by God cannot be overlooked. The root of their being able to make such a contribution to mankind is God’s creation and God’s ordination. But if the two most important things ordained by God for a seed are destroyed—one being the nutrients and functions of the seed, and the other being its original life force—if these two things are gone, when the seed falls into the soil, it will no longer sprout, no longer grow, no longer flower or bear fruit. It can only disappear into the soil, and the source of mankind’s food will be lost from then on. What will mankind face then? (Death.) They will face hunger, famine, and then death, and they will not be able to reproduce and continue. This is one aspect, and it is very serious. Another aspect is that, when a seed is artificially processed, its nutrients are greatly reduced, from originally containing many kinds of nutrients to only a small amount. In addition, its functions also change. For example, a certain kind of food used to be able to nourish the brain, replenish physical strength, and give people vitality, but now, after undergoing artificial processing, these functions are greatly reduced, or even lost. Even if someone eats a lot of this type of food, they feel physically exhausted, their thinking becomes sluggish, and their memory declines. Although they’re not old, they become like an elderly person. Their legs feel heavy, their body becomes stiff, and their skin ages. They appear to have grown physically larger, but inwardly, they feel different from those who eat organic food. If the original functions of a food are weakened or even lost, not only does it not positively aid or benefit the bodies of people after they eat it, but it also has many negative effects on them. The various nutrients needed by the body cannot be replenished in time, and at the same time, many functions of the body gradually degenerate and disappear. As a natural consequence, on the basis of this vicious cycle, people’s thinking becomes sluggish, and they may even develop some extreme behaviors or ideas. Such manifestations are some of the negative effects and consequences brought upon people by nonorganic foods. Nonorganic foods have lost the components they should have as created by God, and they have also lost their original functions. They are different from the original things created and ordained by God. They have all been artificially processed and changed.

Although people create nonorganic food to satisfy mankind’s demand for food, such food introduces all kinds of adverse factors to human health and reproduction, which affects the procreation and survival of mankind. Therefore, you must have discernment regarding nonorganic food. For thousands of years, mankind has been enjoying organic food. Why do we say that organic food is a positive thing, while nonorganic food is a negative thing? What is the greatest point of distinction? What is the crux of the matter? The crux is that organic food is prepared for mankind by God; it is ordained by God. It possesses the original components and functions created by God, and most importantly, it has the life force that God has endowed it with, whereas nonorganic food has lost those original components and functions, and also lacks the life bestowed by God. Because it lacks these two most important things ordained by God, it violates the principles of the positive things created and ordained by God. Nonorganic food is a type of thing that has been processed, damaged, and altered by human science, and no longer possesses the characteristics of a positive thing. This is because it lacks the components and essence of the positive things created and ordained by God, and instead goes against the functions and essence of the positive things created and ordained by God. What does it mean to go against the functions and essence of positive things? It means that when God created a certain seed, its function was for mankind, it was to serve and benefit mankind, and to sustain the normal physical needs and survival of mankind, whereas nonorganic food damages and disturbs the normal survival of mankind, and at the same time brings a series of irreversible negative effects and consequences to people’s normal lives and survival. So, it’s not at all unjust to call nonorganic food a negative thing. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) Is this issue clear now? (Yes.) Why is organic food a positive thing, while nonorganic food is a negative thing? Broadly speaking, organic food comes from God, benefits and serves humanity, and contributes to human life and survival; it serves an irreplaceable function in man’s life and survival—nothing can substitute the role it plays. But is nonorganic food beneficial to human health? (No.) Quite the opposite: It is not beneficial to human health; rather, it harms human health, and brings much pain and trouble to the physical lives and survival of human beings. For example, it causes various discomforts in the body, such as slowing of blood circulation, limb stiffness, heaviness in the legs, and wooziness, and leads to the premature onset and flare-up of many diseases; people’s allergic reactions are also becoming more and more severe. Adverse reactions of varying degrees affect a range of things from the skin to the internal organs. These are the various troubles and pains brought to the physical life and survival of mankind by nonorganic food. Since the human body was created by God, only God best understands its structure and needs. Thus, God created all kinds of food for mankind based on the structure and needs of the human body. From south to north, from east to west, God created various foods that are conducive to the life and survival of the local people. The original forms of all the foods created by God are meant to provide the necessary food sources for human life and survival; they are all essential for the physical lives and survival of human beings. That is to say, for a person’s body to live and be sustained, it cannot be without these plants created by God. As long as these plants and seeds come from God, they are in their original forms, possessing the necessary functions and components created by God, as well as the life force endowed by God. No matter where a seed is—even if it falls into the cracks of rocks where there is no soil—as long as it has life force, it can sprout, grow and mature normally, and produce more seeds. Only in this kind of broader environment where all things reproduce and survive can people obtain a source of food for their bodies, continuously engage in various activities, and continue to reproduce and live on. If various plants and seeds lose the original functions created by God, it is equivalent to mankind being deprived of food, and the source of mankind’s food being taken away. Even if people create and produce some foods which are not in their original forms that can temporarily satisfy their hunger, because the original forms of the foods are changed after undergoing processing and they lose their original functions, after people eat them, their physical functions and sensations will change accordingly. Over time, people’s bodies will also experience some adverse reactions; they will develop some illnesses and pains, and there could even be some serious consequences. This goes against God’s original intention in creating food for humanity, and it also goes against the laws and rules of survival that God ordained for mankind. So, no matter how you look at it, as long as something goes against God’s original intention in creating a living thing and the laws and rules ordained by God, it has lost the function God created it with and the role it should play, as well as the life force bestowed upon it by God, and so its essence has changed. The emergence of nonorganic food goes against God’s original intention in creating food; when scientists scientifically process and alter the seeds of food, it causes the essence of the food to change. Thus, nonorganic food is a negative thing. Regardless of whether its appearance becomes more vibrant and beautiful, or it becomes larger, or its quantity increases—no matter how it changes, so long as it goes against God’s original intention in creating it and loses its God-given functions and life force, then it is a negative thing. This is certain beyond all doubt. No matter what it is, and no matter in which period or by whose doing it emerged, so long as it was not created or ordained by God, but rather goes against God’s creation and ordination, then it is a negative thing. Is this matter clear now? (Yes.)

Now that the matter of nonorganic food being a negative thing has been fellowshipped clearly, there is another issue that needs to be fellowshipped. Some people ask, “Since nonorganic food is a negative thing that goes against God’s creation and ordination, how should we treat it? Should we eat it? Is it that we shouldn’t eat it, or only eat a small amount? What is the appropriate way to practice?” Some of you just pointed out, “Most of the food in society today is nonorganic, and it’s not easy to find organic food if you want to buy some—in some countries and regions you can’t even buy it at a high price. Even if we know the benefits of organic food and the harm of nonorganic food, what can we do?” This is just how the broader environment is. This is Satan’s world, and it prevents people from eating the food endowed with life force that God created. Some people say, “We know that eating nonorganic food is harmful to our bodies, but we don’t have the means to eat organic food. What should we do? Are we supposed to just starve to death?” You cannot starve to death. For the sake of living, you still have to eat nonorganic food. Even if eating it is harmful to the body, it still beats starving to death. Even if you continue to live with such difficulty, as long as you don’t die and can fulfill your duty, hanging in until the last moment and attaining salvation even if you are sickly, then you have triumphed over this world and prevailed over Satan. Others say, “Since nonorganic food is so harmful to people and the effects are irreversible, I simply won’t eat it. I’ll find a way to grow some organic food in my own yard.” If you have the means, that’s of course fine. But what if your home has no yard and you can’t grow vegetables and grains, and you are an ordinary person who can’t afford organic food? Then all you can do is eat nonorganic food. Some people say, “If I eat nonorganic food, it can at least keep me going for some years, and I won’t die in a short timeframe. Even if I get some weird diseases from it, there’s nothing to be done about it.” Are you afraid of getting all kinds of weird diseases and having your lifespans shortened? (Yes.) What should be done about this? Some people say, “Then we can only resort to the last option—settle for what we can. In order to survive, we have no alternative but to eat nonorganic food.” Is this principle correct? (Yes.) Is it? You can’t discern whether it’s correct or incorrect. Is doing this settling for what you can, and having no alternative? It’s not settling for what you can, nor is it having no alternative. Rather, this is living by faith. Isn’t there a line from God’s words? “So long as you still have one breath, God will not let you die.” People’s lives are in God’s hands. How long a person lives and their physical condition depend on God’s ordination, not on what they eat. It is enough for people to have the correct thoughts and viewpoints about nonorganic food and to have discernment of it. However, people should treat the objective environment that exists correctly. If you lack the financial means or the environmental conditions for growing your own food, then eat whatever is available. So, will you worry about getting sick or dying? There is no need to worry. Why? We have the truth of God’s words in our hearts as our support and basis: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” and “So long as you still have one breath, God will not let you die.” A person’s life, physical condition, and lifespan are all held in God’s hands. Whether a person gets sick, when they get sick, and when they die—all of this is in God’s hands. There is no need to worry or be afraid. If you can’t get organic food and can only eat nonorganic food, then eat it with peace of mind. Eat whatever is available. Some people say, “If You said that nonorganic food is a negative thing, then why are You telling us to eat it with peace of mind?” How can you live if you don’t eat? If you eat too little, can your body really get what it needs? Nonbelievers now also say that nonorganic food is far less nutritious than organic food; although you eat a lot, it doesn’t provide much nutrition. This is also a fact. There is another point they don’t know: The proportion of nutritional components in organic food is appropriate. After you eat it, it will help your body produce many nutrients, promote blood circulation, and perform its original functions inside you to ensure good health. However, nonorganic food lacks nutritional components, so your body can’t use it to synthesize nutrients to meet its needs. Most importantly, nonorganic food does not possess life force and lacks many nutritional components; it cannot make you healthy. After eating it for ten or twenty years, people will develop all sorts of illnesses and weird diseases, and some will even lose the ability to reproduce. Such consequences are too severe. That is why some people feel, “I’ve eaten plenty of food and vegetables, so I shouldn’t be lacking in nutrition. But why do I feel weak all over?” This is the difference between organic and nonorganic food; in fact, you have already felt it. Why do you have this feeling? It is because nonorganic food has no life force. You eat a lot of it, but it doesn’t bring much nutrition, so you feel physically weak and lacking in vitality. But anyway, you still have to eat; if you don’t, you’ll go hungry and be unable to work or survive. People mustn’t do foolish things, nor should they go to extremes. They should approach everything according to God’s words and practice according to the truth principles in all things. This is what people should be clear on and understand. In short, it all comes down to how people should treat nonorganic food. After understanding the negative effects and subsequent impacts that nonorganic food brings, people should not be constrained by it, nor should they worry or be fearful, because everything is in God’s hands. People’s lives and everything about them are all held in God’s hands, subject to God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Right? (Yes.) If you comprehend it this way, your thoughts and viewpoints are correct. Having heard all this, do your hearts feel brightened and liberated? (Yes.) This is a real-life issue that people should see. If you can’t see through this matter, you are too foolish. Regarding whether or not to eat nonorganic food, we just discussed several principles of practice. You should treat it accordingly based on your objective environment and actual conditions. In short, you should view all things according to God’s words, and you should also act according to God’s words. As long as your motive is to ensure your normal physical survival and function, so that you can do your duty normally, not deviate on the path of following God, and fulfill your duty and embark on the path of pursuing the truth, then what you’re doing is correct. This is the content of our fellowship on the aspect of what God ordains.

We have used two examples to fellowship on the aspect of what God ordains. Has it been basically explained clearly? (Yes.) Then, can you distinguish between positive and negative things? Can you apply this aspect of the truth to assess the various people, events, and things you encounter? If we hadn’t fellowshipped on these two examples, would you have been able to apply this aspect of the truth concerning the positive things we defined today to measure them? (I might be able to discern simpler ones, but I couldn’t discern the two relatively complex examples that God spoke of.) It’s a good thing we fellowshipped on this, otherwise you might have missed out on eating such delicious food as the apple-pear, right? (Yes.) Some people who are more inclined to abide by regulations might look at an apple-pear and want to eat it but dare not, thinking that eating it would violate the principles ordained by God and go against God’s words, so they restrain themselves and do not eat it, and as a result, they miss out on so many opportunities to eat this delicious food. However, for some obviously negative things, because people lack discernment, they greatly praise and deeply approve of and accept them in their hearts. Regarding nonorganic food, they even think, “Nonorganic food greatly satisfies mankind’s demand for food, and at the same time, it can help reduce deaths from hunger. This is truly a great contribution of science to mankind in the history of human development! This is truly done by God; it is God who has promoted this matter.” Such a simple statement exposes a fact. What fact? That you do not understand the truth. This is secondary; there is an even more serious problem here, which is that you have spoken words that are outrageously rebellious and blasphemous to God, and this makes God feel loathing and disgust. If such a problem becomes so severe that you go against God’s intentions and deliberately resist and blaspheme God, then you might lose your hope of salvation, and it will affect your destination. Therefore, understanding the truth is very important. If we hadn’t used examples in our fellowship, some of you might have thought, “Nonorganic food is the result of scientific research, and the development of science contributes to humanity, so such a contribution is most likely ordained by God, it’s most likely orchestrated by God.” Through fellowshipping in this way, is it clear now? Is this statement correct? (No.) Should one understand things this way? (No.) If a person says this, they are in for trouble; this is outrageously rebellious! Before you have a clear understanding of what things really are and of their essence, do not rashly define them, and do not easily accept or like things that have been scientifically processed. Especially for things that are revered and popular in evil trends and liked by most people, you must be strictly on guard—discern them according to God’s words and the truth, and absolutely do not accept them. Some people say, “Our caliber is poor. When we see various kinds of information spreading online, we think it’s a social trend and can’t be wrong. After looking at it, it has an effect on our hearts. If we lived in a vacuum, we wouldn’t be misled.” Is this statement correct? (No.) You live in the real world, in the current society, and you will inevitably hear many strange voices and strange sayings and theories. These arguments will inevitably enter your heart, where they will have an effect, changing your thoughts. People think that as long as they live in this society, as long as they live among people, they will be involuntarily influenced, unless they live deep in the mountains and forests or shut themselves up in a little room, neither listening, looking, nor thinking about these things, in which case their hearts will be clean. Is this view correct? (No.) Obviously not. Then how can this problem be resolved? You must pursue the truth and understand the truth. If you have a clear understanding of all aspects of the truth, when you encounter these things, you will know what their underlying essence is. You will be able to quickly discern and define them as either positive or negative things, and—on the basis of having conscience and reason—you will quickly accept the positive things, and resist or reject, criticize, and condemn the negative things. In this way, you will be protected, and you will not feel helpless, nor will you need to be so worried or fearful. Why? Because with God’s words as your basis, you will have the basic ability to discern positive and negative things, your views and opinions on various positive and negative things will be based on God’s words, and you will be able to determine whether they are positive or negative things; therefore, the matter of what you should do will be a very easy one. Is that not the case? (Yes.)

Do you understand what we just fellowshipped? If we hadn’t fellowshipped on it in this way, would you be able to understand it? (No.) Then if you experience for a few more years, would you be able to discern positive and negative things? (Without the truth, we cannot discern these things; sometimes we even admire and advocate negative things. So, it’s not like we become able to discern just from having more years of experience.) Do these matters involve mysteries? (No, they don’t.) If they don’t involve mysteries, why do people not understand them? Are these external matters? (Yes.) If they were just external matters, they should be easy to understand, but in fact, these matters also involve some truths and people’s viewpoints on various things. Once something involves viewpoints on things, and the essence and nature of issues, it involves the truth, and when it involves the truth, you cannot see through it, and you become confused. So, do you think it’s necessary to fellowship in this way? (Yes, it is.) Hopefully, after you listen to this fellowship, you won’t focus your attention on the matters themselves or learn to abide by regulations, but rather, through the fellowship, you will come to understand the truth and God’s intentions, be able to discern what positive and negative things are, and make progress in terms of the truth, and your ability to discern things will improve. This will mean that you have gained something. Regarding positive things—everything that falls within the scope of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty—are you now able to discern them all after we listed the two special examples before? Or is it that you can only discern things of the same kind, and you’re still unable to discern things that are different from these two examples? (I can probably discern things of the same kind to some extent, and different things that are relatively simple as well, but I still can’t clearly discern things that are too complex.) This is a fact, isn’t it? If you still can’t discern, then you should grasp a principle. First, look at whether a certain thing goes against the function it should have as created by God or the significance of its existence as ordained by God; see if it goes against this aspect. If it does, then it is a negative thing. If it does not go against God’s creation and ordination, but its form of existence and the value of its existence cannot be said to have a positive or negative impact on people—it only serves some purpose and provides some convenience in people’s lives, with few benefits but no harm, meaning it does not undermine or disturb the form of survival and normal life of the mankind created by God, nor does it bring any adverse consequences, and its existence cannot be considered meaningful to mankind, and people could still live just fine without it—then it cannot be considered a positive or a negative thing. It does not fall into that category; it is just a type of thing or an object, so we will not define it as positive or negative. For example, a horse-drawn carriage is a means of transportation. It is pulled by a horse, which is a living thing created and ordained by God. The carriage pulled by the horse is man-made, not created by God; it is a tool made by man with the survival ability endowed by God. It can transport goods and carry people to different places, making people’s lives and travel more convenient. So, do you think a man-made horse-drawn carriage is a positive or negative thing? Does a horse-drawn carriage consume energy? Does it emit exhaust fumes and pollute the air? (No.) A horse-drawn carriage does not cause any adverse effects on people’s lives and survival, and it also makes people’s lives a little more convenient. However, if it didn’t exist, people could also travel on foot, which would just be a bit slower; it’s not that people couldn’t survive without it. It is something that is not essential. So, is this thing a positive or negative thing? (My understanding is that it is not a negative thing, but it is not a positive thing either; it just cannot be said to be positive or negative.) It comes from the hands of man, and it can’t be said to be positive or negative. If you were to discuss whether a horse-drawn carriage is a positive or negative thing, it would pretty much be making a mountain out of a molehill, splitting hairs.

Some people say, “Trees are created and ordained by God, and their rules of survival and forms of existence come from God, so they are positive things. Then, if a tree is cut down and processed into lumber, is this a positive or negative thing?” Lumber provides some convenience for mankind’s daily needs, such as being used to make various kinds of furniture like tables and chairs, and it can also be burned for cooking. It gets transformed from a plant into an object. Is it a positive or negative thing? (It can’t be said to be either positive or negative.) That’s right, now you understand, you’ve got it. Only things within the scope of this principle—what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty—are positive things. Anything that violates this principle is a negative thing. For things outside these two categories, if you discuss whether they are positive or negative, it’s basically like you’re splitting hairs, making a mountain out of a molehill, and not attending to your proper work. For example, some people ask, “Are man-made curtains a positive or negative thing?” Some people say, “That depends on the source of the fabric. If the curtains are made from processed raw cotton, without dyeing or bleaching, and with no chemicals added, then they are a positive thing. If they have been dyed, bleached, and printed, or have had some chemicals added, then they are a negative thing. Negative things are what we should eliminate and discard, so we cannot use them. Only in this way are we abiding by the principles of God’s words, and being people who love positive things and the truth. Therefore, we denounce everything that is not a cotton product, and we denounce everything that does not come from a natural source.” What are the things that come from a natural source? Cotton, silk, and also linen. According to the opinion of these individuals, apart from these few things, there is nothing else that people can wear—if you want to avoid violating the principles, and want to achieve being able to love positive things and reject negative things, then you must wear these things, because only these things are in their original forms created by God. Is this view correct? (No.) Some people will say, “According to this view, then, anyone who wears scientifically processed textiles is not a person who loves positive things, is not a person who practices the truth, but is a person without discernment and without principles, a person who is greatly rebellious and detested by God, and such a person is finished!” Is this statement appropriate? (No, it’s making a mountain out of a molehill.) Such people have ulterior motives in their words, and they can even condemn others, blowing things out of proportion. What kind of people are they? (People who abide by regulations and have no spiritual understanding.) They are absurd people, absurd types. In expressing these heresies and fallacies, they are making mountains out of molehills and using the topics at hand to voice their own opinions. Their minds are full of these heresies and fallacies, and they can spout them endlessly, but when you ask them to fellowship on something related to the truth, they have nothing to say. When you ask them to fellowship on what positive things are, they say these heresies and fallacies. Don’t you think it’s disgusting? Many things are not related to the positive things that are created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty. Strictly speaking, they do not violate the principle of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty, and their forms of existence do not cause any adverse effects or harm to the livelihood and survival of mankind. So, when you speak, it’s best to have conscience and reason, and not make mountains out of molehills or issue condemnations at will. The things within the scope of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty are worthy of our fellowship, and worthy of our acceptance, understanding, adherence, cherishing, and protection. Apart from these, for things that do not fall into this scope, it’s best not to make mountains out of molehills and treat them as major issues to fellowship on, fellowshipping on them with great enthusiasm, and even fellowshipping on them very seriously over several gatherings. This should not be done. Often, absurd people, people who have no spiritual understanding, evil people, antichrists, and devils like to do these things to show off, to let people see how clever they are. People without discernment think that this is fellowshipping on the truth, and even though they don’t get any edification, they feel compelled to endure and listen. In fact, those people’s words are all heresies and fallacies, and have nothing to do with the topic of positive things that I am talking about. Therefore, if you hear people of this kind raise these topics and arguments that are not related to positive things, you can refuse to listen. If you understand the truth and have discernment, you can refute them and stop them. How do you stop them? You say, “Alright, be quiet! The things you are talking about are not related to the truth, nor are they related to positive things. What you are saying is devilish words, and no one wants to hear them. Don’t disturb everyone here, and don’t interfere with everyone doing their duty!” If they have ulterior motives in their words, and they issue condemnations at will and do not have a positive effect, you should stand up and stop them from causing a disturbance, while also exposing them to let everyone gain discernment. After listening, everyone will understand that their words are heresies and fallacies, which bear no relation to the truth, that they are nitpicking, splitting hairs, misleading people, speaking words and doctrines, and spouting high-sounding ideas, and that they have ulterior motives and want to cause trouble, and as such should be restricted and silenced. Suppose that most of the people present at that time are muddled people who have no discernment of evil people and devils, and can’t tell that they are spreading fallacies and misleading people. When these muddled individuals and those evil people and devils gather together, they all get along like they are cut from the same foul cloth. After hearing God’s words, not only do they not accept the truth, but they also spread some fallacies with grandiose words and high-sounding but empty talk. In that case, you can stand up and leave silently, without needing to express any views. Let the devils show off and put on a show. Don’t debate with them, so as not to disturb your mind and affect your performance of your duty. Why? Because a devil is always a devil; an animal is always an animal. They have no rationality, cannot discern right from wrong, and don’t know what’s correct and what’s incorrect; no matter how you fellowship, it’s impossible for them to understand the truth. Devils will always speak words and doctrines, shout slogans, and spout high-sounding but empty talk, while those who are reincarnated from animals—people without spirits—do not have any discernment at all. Wherever there is a disturbance by Satans and devils, they will follow and get involved in the mess. If you teach them to discern, they cannot learn it. Only those who understand the truth possess cleverness and wisdom, and will hide when they see trouble. They will be able to discern when they see a devil causing a disturbance, and will not get involved in the mess, knowing to stay away from evil. Wherever devils put on a show, wherever animals gather, that place will reek of foulness and disorder. They are cut from the same foul cloth and enjoy getting together. No matter who says some absurd and vile words, they like to listen, and they even echo them with great delight. Isn’t this a gathering of devils? If you are a clever person, then upon seeing such a situation, you should quickly steer clear and not get mixed up with them. Why should you not get mixed up with them? Why should you not debate with them? It’s because no matter how you fellowship on the truth, they won’t accept it; no matter how many words you say, it’ll all be in vain. Those who are of Satan and devils do not accept the truth at all, and those who are reincarnated from animals can’t make sense of the truth, so no matter how much you say it’s useless. Do they read God’s words? Can they make sense of God’s words? Have they ever sought the truth? They don’t even accept the words I say, so can the few words you come up with refute them? Can they make them change their minds? Can they accept your words? So, don’t do foolish things. Leaving silently is a wise choice. If you question a devil, “Why don’t you practice the truth? Why do you always lie and engage in deceit?” the devil will brazenly refute you; they will argue and use twisted reasoning to defend themselves, and not admit at all that they are lying and engaging in deceit. If you ask those who are reincarnated from animals why they always abide by regulations, they will also use twisted reasoning to defend themselves, saying that they are practicing the truth. When you face this kind of situation, you should be able to see clearly that devils and those reincarnated from animals do not accept the truth at all, so you should stop fellowshipping with them and stop doing foolish things. No matter how many words you say or how many things you do, you can’t change their nature essence, so no amount of talk will help. You should fellowship on the truth to those who can accept the truth. Only such people easily accept the truth—only with them can you have a normal conversation. For devils and people reincarnated from animals, no matter how much truth you fellowship or how much work you do, it’s all in vain. At that moment, you may be able to refute them to the point where they are speechless, and they may feel that what you said is right, but afterward, they will have a change of heart, and even prepare some words to refute you and make you feel ashamed. You see, can those who are devils accept the truth? (No.) Absolutely not. Those who are devils and those reincarnated from animals do not accept the truth at all. Even if they accept it at a certain moment, it’s only lip service, and they will go back on what they said afterward. So, can you achieve any results by fellowshipping on the truth to them? You want to change them so they have conscience and reason, and so they know that they don’t understand the truth and should accept and practice the truth—this idea and this motive itself is wrong; you should never have it. Do you understand now? (Yes.)

Let’s return to the topic of positive things. The scope of positive things is defined as being within the category of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty. No matter what we are dealing with, we should consider, “Was this created by God? How is it related to God’s ordination?” If it was not created by God and has nothing to do with God’s ordination, then we should treat it with caution. If we still follow the world’s trends and heap praise upon it, isn’t that foolish? If something is not within the scope of what is created by God, ordained by God, or under God’s sovereignty, then it cannot be called either a positive or a negative thing, and so there’s no point discussing it. If you do discuss it, is that because you want to accept it as a positive thing? Or because you want to characterize it as a negative thing and reject it? What benefit does accepting or rejecting it have for your life and for your self-conduct? Is it beneficial for your acceptance of the truth? If there’s no benefit, then there’s no point treating it as a topic for fellowship and discussion; that would be being foolish and doing foolish things, right? (Yes.) For example, the horse-drawn carriages, textiles, beds, and chairs we just talked about—if you always make a mountain out of a molehill and want to discuss them: “Is this a positive or negative thing? Should we accept it or reject it? Should we cherish it or despise it? What is the appropriate way to treat it?” this is a manifestation of being distorted. People who are prone to distortions can’t grasp key points; they always put effort into forms, doctrines, and regulations, and never understand how to put effort into the truth. Since many things do not involve the issue of positive and negative things, there is no need to fellowship on them. This is because, being neither positive nor negative things, they have little impact on your life entry and the path of life you walk, and so you don’t need to delve into them. Make use of them if you can, and it’s fine if you don’t. If there are some chemical-based products that affect people’s health, and their smell or chemical components will cause some harm to people’s bodies, then you should find a way to stay away from them, and use such everyday items as little as possible or not at all. In this way, you can eliminate or lessen the harm they cause. It would be impossible to completely avoid these harms, but as long as they do not harm your lives for the time being, do not cause you to get sick in the short term, and do not affect your belief in and following of God, or your performance of your duties and pursuit of the truth, that is enough, for that’s just how the real environment is. Is this principle clear now? (Yes.)

We have fellowshipped a bit on the aspect of “what is ordained by God.” So, shouldn’t we also fellowship on the truth concerning “what is under God’s sovereignty”? (Yes.) Is there a subtle difference between “what is under God’s sovereignty” and “what is created by God and what is ordained by God”? (Yes.) What does God’s sovereignty involve? It is often said that God is sovereign over people’s fates. Regardless of what kind of fate people have, is the matter of fate itself a positive thing? (Yes.) No matter what a person’s fate is like, whether it appears good or bad on the outside, as long as it comes from God, is ordained by God, or is under God’s sovereignty, then it is a positive thing. Then how can it be determined that people’s fates are positive things? People have all kinds of fates. Outwardly, some seem to live blessed lives, while others suffer; some people are prosperous all their lives, while for others things never go smoothly; some people live in affluence, others in extreme poverty; some people have happy, blissful families, while others have unhappy marriages and unfilial children; some people are alone their whole lives, while others enjoy being surrounded by their children and grandchildren; some people are plagued by illness and pain all their lives, living in great anguish, while others are strong and healthy, living a comfortable, free life, and eventually die peacefully at a ripe old age. Are these not the fates of different kinds of people? (Yes.) Then is fate under God’s sovereignty? (It is under God’s sovereignty.) In people’s notions, they think, “Since fate is under God’s sovereignty, then people’s fates should all be good. Why are there so many bad ones?” There is an even more baffling fact, which is that most people’s fates are not as they would wish. Look—how many people don’t suffer any hardship their whole lives, are born into wealth and status, and are showered with affection from all sides? How many such people are there? Only those born into elite families have such a fate. Most other people suffer all their lives and endure innumerable hardships, running into hurdles at each step—things are extremely difficult for them and don’t go smoothly at all. Although in theory you acknowledge that people’s fates are all under God’s sovereignty, and that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things, you still don’t understand in your heart: “If it’s said that it’s a positive thing for those who are born into incredible privilege to have good fates, in terms of doctrine, this is acceptable. But for 80 to 90 percent of people, things don’t go smoothly and they suffer their whole lives—so why are such fates also positive things and also under God’s sovereignty? This feels somewhat unacceptable. Whether out of a sense of moral justice or out of sympathy, fates like this cannot be classified as positive things. It doesn’t add up. Could it be that this definition is wrong? If it truly is wrong, then the part about people’s fates should be removed from what God is sovereign over. But if it’s removed, that would be denying the fact that God is sovereign over people’s fates. Wouldn’t that be outrageously rebellious? But how should we understand the fact that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things, and that bad fates are also positive things?” People become a bit perplexed. This presents a difficult question for you, does it not? (Yes, it does.) Then you tell Me. Let’s see who can explain this matter clearly. (I think it’s wrong for people to regard encountering hardships as a bad thing. In fact, the fate God ordains for someone, regardless of whether it is one of hardship or ease, is most beneficial for them. Suffering, in particular, is even more capable of shaping people. In addition, these things are related to the reincarnation of people’s souls. Perhaps because of evildoing in their previous life or some debt owed from their previous life, one must suffer in this life to repay it. This is all subject to God’s ordination and arrangement.) Then what is the positive thing in this? Can you explain it clearly? (No.) You see, if someone really were to ask you about this, you wouldn’t be able to explain it clearly; you’d get stuck right here. If you did not take it seriously, you would just let it pass, but this would affect your acceptance of the truth that “all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things,” it would affect your use of this truth to characterize which things are positive, it would affect your acceptance and recognition of any positive thing, and it would also affect your attitude toward all things within the scope of “what is under God’s sovereignty,” which, of course, involves whether you accept or condemn them—this issue is very serious. If you can’t see through the matter of fate, you are likely to regard it as a negative thing and characterize it as such. But people’s fates are under God’s sovereignty and are ordained by God. If you characterize the fates of people, which God is sovereign over and has ordained, as negative things, what is the nature of this issue? (Blasphemy against God.) This is condemning God and blaspheming God. In human terms, it means “You’ve committed a great sin, so go and confess your sins immediately!” We won’t say much more about this.

We just fellowshipped on “all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things” and we mentioned people’s fates. Although the scope of this content is vast, it is also very specific; it relates to the life of every person and all of mankind. People’s fates come in every different kind, but the fates of most people, as people see it or as experienced by themselves, can be described with one word: ill-fated. “Ill-fated” means one’s fate is full of rough patches and frustrations; such a person lives a particularly difficult life, and most of the time things don’t go as they wish. Regardless of whether one is subjected to smooth or rough experiences, regardless of what they see or come to realize, one undeniable point is that although the vast majority of people find their fates to be not as they wish, everyone’s fate is under God’s sovereignty. This should never be denied. Since God’s sovereignty over people’s fates has produced such a reality that is difficult for people to accept, it is necessary to fellowship on what the principles and root of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates are, and what God’s motive is in holding sovereignty over people’s fates—that is, why God holds sovereignty over people’s fates in this way, and why He arranges such fates for people. First, let’s look at what God’s motive in holding sovereignty over people’s fates is. Do people come into this world to muddle through or to fritter away their time? (Neither.) In terms of God’s motive in arranging people’s fates, it is not for them to come into the world to just stroll around a bit like walking corpses and be done with it. Rather, it is for people to live in the flesh and experience life, and to go through all sorts of living environments, as well as different circumstances in various periods. Speaking of experiencing life, man’s flesh has an attribute: If a person lives in a comfortable environment without going through any rough patches, difficulties, setbacks, or failures, it is not easy for them to grow and mature. It is like a plant growing in a greenhouse without being exposed to wind and sun; its life is very fragile, because it is not easy for it to absorb various nutrients from nature. Once it is exposed to the scorching sun and strong winds, it is very easy for it to snap and die prematurely, and then its life cannot continue. Therefore, in terms of the nature and instinct of man’s flesh, mankind should not be like flowers in a greenhouse that do not experience wind and rain, but should endure various setbacks, rough patches, and disappointments from the human world. In such a living environment, mankind will make use of their God-given free will and thoughts, and they will—by every means possible, independently, tenaciously, and without fear of any difficulties—keep going and keep living. This will stimulate people’s various instincts for life and survival, and people will be able to use their God-given instinct for survival to live independently and to face every environment, as well as all the people, events, and things around them. For one thing, from the perspective of the objective instinct of man’s flesh, people need the stimulation and impetus of this environment to generate the desire to survive, so that they can live with fortitude. On the surface, living like this seems difficult, but amid the stimulation and blows of this environment, people develop a stronger desire to survive, and so they will keep going, and they will gradually grow into maturity, gradually adapt to living with others, and become less fragile, having instead perseverance, endurance, and tenacity, being able to remain unafraid of any difficulties. This is God’s initial motive in arranging people’s fates; this is the basic concept of people’s fates which are designed based on the original form of the instinct of their flesh. This is one aspect. The other is that—building on from this basic concept—when people make their journey through this world, going from childhood to old age, in the process of gradually growing older, they experience life events, gain life experience, and gain some principles and paths for facing various difficulties in life. In this way, people gradually grow into maturity, and become increasingly capable of living independently between heaven and earth, and among others. They will not be so fragile, and they will not feel discouraged or disappointed—or even feel that there is no hope in living—when they encounter a little setback or failure. Rather, after experiencing various rough circumstances, they will be increasingly capable of viewing life and death correctly, and increasingly capable of realizing which duties are those that they should perform in life and are what they need most, and in this way, they will feel increasingly at ease in life. In this process, people gradually grow into maturity; that is, they gradually get to the point of not fearing hardships and danger, not fearing death, and not fearing any difficulties. At first, when people are young, they cry and are unable to sleep when they hear some unpleasant and heart-piercing words or encounter a little difficulty or setback, and feel there’s no hope in living. Gradually, they reach the point where they have a certain amount of immunity and resistance in their hearts when they hear heart-piercing words and encounter difficulties, and they no longer feel there’s no point in living, nor do they think of death. Later on, when they hear even more heart-piercing words and encounter setbacks and failures, they can endure them in their hearts without being greatly affected, and feel that it is very normal for people to experience these things in life, and they no longer need the comfort, encouragement, or assistance of others in order to carry on with their lives. In this way, don’t people gain more and more fortitude? People have the ability to survive independently, and also the motivation to survive independently. Everyone must go through the stage of being young and naive. It’s not until after the age of forty or fifty that they gradually reach a state of maturity and become adults. Even if someone hasn’t started a family, built a career, or become a parent, judging from what they’ve gone through in life, from the words they speak, and from the realizations, understanding, and attitude they have toward their life, toward living, toward the difficulties they face, and toward things that go or don’t go as they wish, you will find that this person has grown up and matured. What is all this thanks to? It is thanks to the various difficulties, disappointments, and even setbacks and failures that appear in people’s fates as ordained by God. Therefore, from this perspective, it is beyond doubt that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and people should accept this truth to the fullest extent. Can it be said here that God truly has painstaking intentions in His sovereignty over people’s fates? (Yes.) Regardless of whether one believes in God or not, as people grow into maturity starting from their births, those with good caliber can even reach a point of understanding that they are subject to fate and of seeking God. Judging from this fact, isn’t the original intention of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates a positive thing? (Yes.) You see, when I say this, you all nod and acknowledge that it is a positive thing. Why is that? Because what I am saying is a fact, and I have explained the essence of this matter clearly, and you have also experienced it, right? (Yes.) Mankind has indeed benefited from the fate that is under God’s sovereignty. No matter what your background is, or where you come from, and no matter what role you play in this society, in short, as long as you live under God’s sovereignty, you have received benefits from God. Some people say, “That’s not right. God has to be sovereign over the fates of God’s chosen people, over the fates of humans. God is not sovereign over the fates of those who are reincarnated from devils or animals.” Is this statement correct? (No.) Anything that is a created being is under God’s sovereignty. As long as it is a created being, it has a fate. You are a created being, so you have your fate. God has arranged a fate for you, so your fate is not something you have chosen, nor is it something you have created; it comes from God’s sovereignty. Therefore, no matter what role you play, whether you are reincarnated from a human, an animal, or a devil, since you now appear to be a member of the human race, you certainly have a fate, and your fate is definitely under God’s sovereignty. Based on this point, isn’t God’s sovereignty over people’s fates a positive thing? (Yes.) Why do we say that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing? Because God has painstaking intentions behind the fate He arranges for any created being; it’s all for mankind to be able to live normally and in an orderly way in this world, with the various innate conditions endowed by God. God does not treat any person unfairly. As it is said, the sun shines on the good and on the evil. This is God’s sovereignty. Otherwise, why would we say that only God is the Creator of mankind, and only God is sovereign over mankind? Because this is what God does, God has this ability, and He has this essence and this authority. This point makes it clear—God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and this can neither be denied nor doubted. That is to say, given the laws of the fleshly life of mankind, the fates of hardships and rough patches that God arranges for people can help them gradually grow into maturity and be able to complete their journey through this life smoothly. From this perspective, God’s sovereignty is a positive thing.

Looking at another aspect of people’s fates, many people live difficult, disappointing lives. They don’t appear to have done anything bad, but it seems they’re being punished. For example, some people lose their fathers in their youth, their husbands in middle age, and their sons in old age, their families torn apart by death. Some have accidents, such as car crashes or plane crashes. Some have disabilities: Some are blind, some are deaf, and some have lost arms or legs. Some are reduced to abject poverty from being cheated, and others spend their whole lives repaying debts. When these various unfortunate things befall people, many say, “Heaven is unfair. This doesn’t seem like something Heaven should do. If God is sovereign over people’s fates, how could He make them so miserable? How could He let innocent people suffer such blows and encounter such misfortune?” If people look at it from the perspective of the Creator’s original intention in ordaining people’s fates, the Creator’s intentions for mankind are painstaking, and God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing. But when some special things happen in people’s fates that seem tragic from the perspective of the conscience of humanity, people can’t wrap their heads around why God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and they can’t figure out what’s going on. Many people believe that there are unfair aspects to the Creator’s arrangement of people’s fates, and feel it doesn’t quite make sense to say that all things under God’s sovereignty are positive things. Therefore, some people have come up with a common saying: “Those who build bridges and repair roads end up blind, while those who do many evil deeds are blessed with big families.” Some people say, “This is unfair. Building bridges and repairing roads is accumulating merit and doing good. People who do that should have big families and be very wealthy. How could they end up blind? Could it be that such a fate is also under God’s sovereignty and is also a positive thing? This doesn’t make sense!” If people don’t understand the truth and don’t have knowledge of God, they really can’t figure out or make sense of these things. Nonbelievers always say, “Heaven cherishes living things.” What does this mean? It means that if there is a God, if there is a Heaven, then God should care for His populace. If He is the Creator, He should care for His created beings and treat them kindly; He should not let them suffer these pains. As people see it, if mankind lived under the power of Satan and devils, it would be understandable that they may suffer these pains, but since mankind lives under God’s dominion and under God’s sovereignty, they should not suffer them. Especially when it comes to this kind of fate being under God’s sovereignty, people are even more unable to understand what’s going on. If people don’t understand the truth, it is very difficult for them to recognize that there is meaning behind each thing that God exercises sovereignty over and arranges; they can’t wrap their heads around some things, and get stuck on these special situations. If someone has a bit of a God-fearing heart, they will say, “If we can’t explain this matter, then let’s not talk about it, we shouldn’t judge it at will.” They can be considered to have a bit of reason. Some people have no conscience or reason, much less God-fearing hearts. They are audacious and have the gall to judge wantonly when they encounter things that don’t go as they wish, “Humph! People say Heaven cherishes living things, so why do some people who seem to be quite good die at a young age? And they die violent deaths, leaving behind a bunch of children. It’s so pitiable, so tragic! And people still claim God’s sovereignty is a positive thing. If people having such tragic fates is under god’s sovereignty, then god is not righteous!” These people judge God so wantonly. People’s fates are undoubtedly under God’s sovereignty. This can never be questioned or denied at any time. The statement “People’s fates are in God’s hands” is sound at all times and is a fact at all times, because God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, and this will never change at any time. So why do people encounter such tragic situations? There is one thing that people don’t know about, or they may understand it in terms of doctrine but can’t explain it clearly, which is that every person’s fate has a cause and effect. What kind of fate you have and what things you suffer in this life may be the effects of your previous life, and may also become causes in your next life. It’s just like nonbelievers say, “What goes around comes around.” In your previous life, you may have sown certain causes and effects—if God arranges for you to be reincarnated as a human and become a member of the human race in this life, then you must pay the price for the causes and effects you sowed; you must make up for them. Whether you are going to make up for them and whether you should is not for you to decide. No one who has done evil is willing to accept punishment. Only the Creator can arrange this matter, has the authority to do this, and, of course, has the power to do this. So what is the Creator’s principle in doing this? It is to reward the good and punish the evil. Although mankind does not understand God’s sovereignty, does not know God, and does not comprehend the fundamentals and principles of God’s sovereignty, for God, because He has a righteous disposition and because of His identity as the Creator, He has established heavenly rules and laws for mankind and for all things. What are these heavenly rules and laws based on? They are based on God’s righteous disposition and on God’s authority and power. The establishment of these heavenly rules and laws is reflected in a phenomenon in the human world, which is the reincarnation of humans. The process of human reincarnation is often directly related to cause and effect, and this causality is reflected and manifested in some special things in people’s fates. In addition, in the process of human reincarnation, people receive God’s rewards as well as God’s punishments. God punishes those who do evil; that is, He has them encounter all kinds of misfortunes and mishaps, and all kinds of punishments that people view as undeserved and unreasonable. Some of these punishments are even particularly tragic in the eyes of man, but there is a background to why this tragic situation befalls them. It is not something that God has inflicted on them for no reason, but a punishment they must suffer because they have done a myriad of evil deeds. When people can’t see through the ins and outs of this matter, they talk nonsense and complain about Heaven and God, which is very stupid. So what’s the situation with those who enjoy God’s grace? Because they accumulated merit and did many good in their previous life—many things that benefited mankind, and many things that did not earn them condemnation but rewards according to God’s heavenly rules and laws, they enjoy many blessings in this life. Let Me give you an example. Say there’s a woman born into a happy family—although the family is not very rich, it has many male children and no female children, and God arranges for her to be in this family. As soon as this baby girl is born, she becomes the apple of the family’s eye—so precious that they seem afraid to even breathe near her for fear of harming her. This girl is beautiful, smart, and lovely, and her parents and elders all like her. Her whole life is smooth sailing. No matter what she does or what difficulties she encounters, there are always nice people to help her, and all her difficulties are resolved easy as pie. She has no worries and lives a relaxed, happy life. She is truly blessed! What’s going on here? Is the Creator partial to certain people? (No.) Then why can some people enjoy such great blessings? It is stipulated in the heavenly rules and laws that a certain type of person who has done things that are beneficial to mankind should be rewarded, and she may be one such person. Having received the reward from the Creator, she enjoys such great blessings in the human world. She never has to worry about food and clothing; wherever she goes, there are nice people to help her, and wherever she goes, people like her. Even when she is in her forties or fifties and her children are grown up, her parents still treat her as the apple of their eye; any time they have something good, they save it for her. Others are envious when they see her enjoying such blessings, and some feel it’s unfair because they cannot enjoy such blessings. If you also want to enjoy such a fate arranged by the Creator, and enjoy such luck and blessings as she does, then you should also accumulate more merit and do more good, and you should also do more of the things that are stipulated by Heaven as accumulating merit and doing good—then you’ll also be able to enjoy such blessings. What does this phenomenon, this fact, tell people? No matter what kind of fate a person has in the human world—whether they enjoy blessings or encounter mishaps, whether their whole life is smooth or they encounter many misfortunes and calamities—it has a certain relationship with their past and present lives. Ultimately, then, what their fate is is related to the heavenly rules and laws set by God. If everything they did in their previous life was in line with the provisions of the heavenly rules and laws that result in being rewarded, then their fate in this life may be, in people’s view, glamorous, smooth sailing, and very good. If what they did in their previous life violated many heavenly laws, and just happened to match up with the provisions of the heavenly rules and laws set by God that result in punishment, then the fate that God arranges for them will, in people’s view, be that they lead a particularly miserable, pitiful life, as if this life is just for them to come and repay their past debts. They never enjoy any good food or clothing, and no one likes them or cares about them. They feel it’s because of their rotten fate that they suffer so much in this life. It’s not until they believe in God that they understand that a person’s whole life is ordained by God. When they recognize that God ordains things, it becomes easier for them to submit to God, and they become much more well-behaved and no longer fight against their fate. Before, they felt defiant inside: “What bad things have I done? I have a clear conscience in this life. I’ve never harmed anyone. Why have I encountered such a fate? Heaven is not fair!” After accepting God’s work, they understand: “This is God’s righteousness. God has impelled me to come before Him through these things!” It is also right to think this way, and this is a fact. But it is also a fact that the punishment people receive comes from God’s sovereignty. What does all this—the cycle of causes and effects, punishing the evil and rewarding the good, and the heavenly rules and laws—come down to? Behind it all is God’s righteous disposition; God’s righteous disposition is sovereign over it all. Therefore, even when all sorts of things that are not in line with people’s notions, tastes, or wishes appear in their fates, the matter of God’s sovereignty over people’s fates remains a positive thing. Doesn’t this make sense? (Yes.) Out of your human kindness, when you see people suffering, you think, “That person is so pitiable! I can’t bear to see anyone suffer, and I can’t bear to see evil people bullying others.” Some people are always bullied in this life. What’s the reason for that? It’s because in their previous life they always bullied people and harmed quite a few people, so in this life they have to be bullied themselves. If you always bully people, the fruit you bear in the end is to be bullied yourself. This is the righteousness of the Creator. By conducting yourself in that way, you violated the heavenly laws, so you should pay the price and endure pain and torment for the evil you did in your previous life. This is God’s righteousness, and you cannot escape it. Therefore, the fact that there are all kinds of fates for people makes it increasingly clear that the heavenly rules and laws set by God cannot be changed by any person, and no one is an exception. The Creator has never had fleshly feelings for mankind, and of course, the essence of the Creator is to have no fleshly feelings. He only has a righteous disposition. All that God does, in human language, is reasonable and righteous. So how should it be viewed from the perspective of the truth? It’s God’s righteous disposition—it’s all positive things. People should accept it from God, and should not have any judgments or evaluations of God which aren’t in line with reality or don’t accord with the truth. Even if you sympathize with and pity some people from a human perspective, as a follower of God who understands some truths, you should praise God’s righteous disposition, and you should also praise God’s sovereignty. It is so good that God is sovereign in this way! It is precisely because God is sovereign over people’s fates in this way that mankind has been able to survive in an orderly manner to this day. If Satan were sovereign over people’s fates, mankind would have long been in chaos, and it would have been impossible for them to live to this day. Look at what the devil’s realm is like; without God’s sovereignty, the human world would be the same as the devil’s realm. What is the devil’s realm? The most realistic example is the internal struggles—carried out both in the open and in secret—within the CCP’s autocratic rule, which are filled with bloodshed and murderous intent. That is the devil’s realm. Isn’t the interior situation of the CCP’s autocratic rule chaotic? People often disappear, and even when they are clearly assassinated, nobody dares to announce it. This is the chaos of the devil’s realm, and it is also the chaos of today’s evil world.

It is certain beyond all doubt that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing. Whether from the perspective of God’s original intention in designing people’s fates or from the perspective of the results of people’s fates produced by the heavenly rules and laws established by God, it should be said with absolute certainty that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is a positive thing, not a negative one. If you have notions about this truth, you can seek the truth in God’s words to resolve your notions, but you cannot say based on your notions and imaginings, “People’s fates under God’s sovereignty should all be good and beneficial to them. Why do things end up so poorly for some people due to God’s sovereignty? This shouldn’t be God’s sovereignty, right?” You must never say such a thing. Such an outrageously rebellious and blasphemous statement must never come from your mouth. From today onward, you must accept and affirm the truth that “People’s fates are under God’s sovereignty, and God’s sovereignty is a positive thing.” Do not doubt this. No matter how the fates of people that you see with your own eyes or that you experience conflicts with your notions, or even if you think they are inhumane, you should believe and affirm that God’s sovereignty over people’s fates is real, and is a positive thing. This point cannot be doubted. Has this truth been fellowshipped clearly? (Yes.) This is a very crucial issue in knowing God, and it’s been resolved, right? (Yes.) Then let’s end our fellowship here for today. Goodbye!

April 6, 2024