By Bai Xinchun
I had believed in the Lord Jesus for many years. Before, I often heard the preacher say: “The Lord Jesus has redeemed us from the cross and forgiven all our sins. The Bible says: ‘He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life’ (John 3:36). Therefore, as long as we act according to the Lord’s words and no longer commit sins, we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. If we fail to keep the Lord’s teachings or don’t act according to His words, we will be judged and condemned by the Lord when He returns.” I thought: I led a hard life in the world before, but I believe in the Lord now, and I can enter into the kingdom of heaven and gain the eternal life as long as I act according to the Lord’s words. Really thank the Lord. So I began to pursue zealously, practicing the Lord’s teachings in everything I encountered in my life. However, as time went by, I found that I no longer could put the Lord’s words into practice, for I still committed sins involuntarily. Besides, I couldn’t forbear or forgive others, and often quarreled with them over trifles, living in sins every day. No matter how I tried to subdue my heart, I still couldn’t break free from the shackles of sin. When I saw these words in the Bible: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27), I learnt that all those who told lies or did evil things were not allowed to enter into the holy city, and that only those who achieved purification and no longer committed sins could enter into it. In order to break free from sins, I had consulted many preachers, hoping to get help from them. However, they all failed me. Seeing that nobody could help me solve this problem, I felt disappointed and distressed. When I thought about what the preacher had said that people who couldn’t practice the Lord’s words would be judged and sent down to the lake of fire and brimstone when the Lord came, I couldn’t help worrying: How can people like me enter into the kingdom of heaven? I often felt distressed and perplexed because of this.
Just when I was painful and helpless, the kingdom gospel of Almighty God came upon me. At that time, an acquaintance of mine came to testify about the three stages of God’s work to me. The sister fellowshiped: “In the Age of Law, Jehovah decreed laws, teaching men to live on earth, worship God as well as abide by the laws and commandments. However, at the end of the Age of Law, the temple became desolate and gradually turned into a place of trade. People all lived in sins and began to make improper sacrifices, and they were in the danger of being put to death by the law. God couldn’t bear to see the mankind He created walk toward destruction, so He ended the Age of Law and carried out a stage of work of redemption in the Age of Grace. Thereafter, men’s sins would be forgiven as long as they called on the name of the Lord Jesus. And in this way, men would not be condemned by the law. However, the root of sin in men has not been eradicated and they are still bound by sins, so though they have believed in the Lord, they still often commit sins and live in the state of committing sins in the day and confessing them at night. Men’s sins are just like the leeks: Even if you mow them today, they will grow again tomorrow, which is because the root of the leek still dugs into the earth. And now we can see that the sins of the church grow each day, and the believers become cold in their faith. Besides, they have no love toward each other but often raise jealousy and strife and form factions in the church. This just fulfills the words in the Scripture: ‘And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold’ (Matthew 24:12). Since men have all departed from the Lord’s teachings and lived in sins, how can they enter into the kingdom of heaven without removing the sins?”
After hearing this, I couldn’t help saying: “Yes. We are really all living in sins and bound by sins.” The sister continued: “So, do people like us, who live in sins without being able to be free from them, need a stage of work to remove sins and get purified?” I nodded in agreement. The sister said: “Then who can do the work of removing sins?” After a pause, she went on saying: “Only the Creator can do such work, because men are all creatures and are incapable of doing such work. I believe that every person who truly believes in the Lord is waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus. It is the last days now and the Lord has already returned. He has done a stage of work of judging and purifying men with the word among men. We all have read the prophecies in Revelation about the book and the Lamb. Revelation 5:1 says: ‘And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.’ Nobody knows what is written in the book. And Revelation 5:7-9 says: ‘And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.’ From this we can see that the Lamb refers to the Lord Christ. It also says that only the Lamb is worthy to open the book and loose the seals. In fact, Almighty God, Christ of the last days, is the return of the Lord Jesus. He has opened up all truths and mysteries to those who have faith in Him, telling us the truth that people of the past and of today didn’t understand. That is, Almighty God has opened the sealed book. In the last days, the work of judgment done by Almighty God is the work of ‘judgment beginning with the house of God’ prophesied in the Bible.” After hearing this, I remembered the scripture “LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8), feeling that what the sister said was in line with the Bible. So I said: “The preacher of our church also said that the Lord is to judge all people when He comes back, and he asked us to be watchful to wait for the coming of the Lord. However, the judgment we speak of is that the Lord will erect a big white table in the heavens to judge all nations and all people when He returns. You say that the Lord is to do the work of judgment on earth. Do you have any biblical basis?” The sister replied: “The Bible says: ‘Before the LORD; for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity’ (Psalms 98:9). And Revelation 14:6 says: ‘And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’ The words ‘the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth’ here show that it is on the earth but not in the heavens that God judges the people in the last days.”
With that word, she took out a book of The Word Appears in the Flesh and read: “The ‘judgment’ in the words previously spoken—judgment will begin at the house of God—refers to the judgment God passes today on those who come before His throne in the last days. Perhaps there are those who believe in such supernatural imaginings as that, when the last days have arrived, God will erect a big table in the heavens, upon which a white tablecloth will be spread, and then, sitting upon a great throne with all men kneeling on the ground, He will reveal the sins of each man and thereby determine whether they are to ascend to heaven or be sent down to the lake of fire and brimstone. No matter what the imaginings of man, the substance of God’s work cannot be altered. The imaginings of man are nothing but the constructs of man’s thoughts and come from the brain of man, summed up and pieced together from what man has seen and heard. Therefore I say, however brilliant the images conceived, they are still no more than a drawing and are not able to substitute for the plan of God’s work. After all, man has been corrupted by Satan, so how can he then fathom the thoughts of God? Man conceives the work of judgment by God to be particularly fantastic. He believes that since it is God Himself doing the work of judgment, then it must be of the most tremendous scale and incomprehensible to mortals, and it must resound through the heavens and shake the earth; otherwise how could it be the work of judgment by God? He believes that, as this is the work of judgment, then God must be particularly imposing and majestic as He works, and those being judged must be howling with tears and on their knees begging for mercy. Such a scene must be a grand spectacular and be deeply rousing…. Everyone imagines God’s work of judgment to be preternaturally wonderful. Do you know, however, that God began the work of judgment among men long ago and all this while you have been nestled in peaceful oblivion? That, the time that you think God’s work of judgment is officially beginning, it is already time for God to make heaven and earth anew? At that time, perhaps you will have only just understood the meaning of life, but the merciless work of punishment of God shall bring you, still deep in sleep, into hell. Only then will you suddenly realize that God’s work of judgment has already concluded.” “All those who have followed the footsteps of God to this day are those who have come before the throne of God, and this being so, every single person who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s purification. In other words, everyone who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s judgment” (“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
“Because the one who is judged is man, man who is of the flesh and has been corrupted, and it is not the spirit of Satan that is judged directly, the work of judgment is not carried out in the spiritual world, but among man.” “The work and word of the incarnate God witnessed by man are the work of judgment before the great white throne during the last days, which was conceived by man during times past. The work that is currently being done by the incarnate God is exactly the judgment before the great white throne. The incarnate God of today is the God who judges the whole of mankind during the last days” (“Corrupt Mankind is More in Need of the Salvation of God Become Flesh” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Then she fellowshiped: “Almighty God’s words have stated very clearly: The work of judgment in the last days is carried out among man, for the one who is judged is the corrupt man of the flesh. So it is not as what we have imagined that God will erect a table in the heavens to judge the people. This is completely man’s conception and imagination. Since the judgment before the great white throne in Revelation is a prophecy, then how can it be fulfilled as we imagined? Just like the Old Testament foretold the coming of a Messiah. However, when the Lord came, He was not called Messiah but Jesus; and as for the birth of the Lord, it was prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, but what people saw was Mary who had a husband giving birth to the Lord Jesus. Are these not the lessons we should draw today? God’s thoughts soar higher than the heavens, while we human beings are just little creatures, so how can the work of God be fathomed by man? Isn’t it too arrogant for man to measure God’s work by his own conceptions and imaginations? That is resisting God! Wouldn’t you agree, sister?”
After hearing the sister’s fellowship, I thought: As for the great matter of the Lord’s coming to do the work of judgment, I shouldn’t accept it blindly, for it is a major issue concerning my entering into the kingdom of heaven in the future. I must make it clear; otherwise, I could be someone who betrays the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus might have mentioned the work of judgment in the last days. So I said to the sister: “Sister, what you fellowshiped is right and in accordance with the Bible, but the matter of the Lord’s coming is of great importance. So I want to go back to search the Bible first. How about we have a fellowship tomorrow?”
I prayed to the Lord Jesus after going back home: “O Lord, today a sister testified that You have already returned and done the work of judgment beginning with the house of God. What the sister fellowshiped is in line with the Bible, but I dare not confirm it now. And I don’t want to miss Your coming. O Lord, if You really have returned and done a new work, may You guide me so that I can follow Your work. Amen.” After praying, I remembered the words in the Bible: “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48). “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). I pondered these words carefully and came to know that what the Lord Jesus did was just the work of redemption, that He didn’t do the work of judgment with words, and that there will be One to come in the future expressing words to judge the people. Thinking of what the sister fellowshiped with me, I felt that Almighty God whom the sister testified to was probably the return of the Lord Jesus. So I was eager to see the sister earlier, hoping to confirm whether the Lord had really returned.
The next day, after seeing the sister, I said: “Sister, I remembered some verses in the Bible after praying the Lord, from which I confirmed that the Lord will express words to judge people when He returns in the last days. But I am still not sure whether Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus, so I want to take this opportunity to make an investigation today. You know that I believe in the Lord but live in the misery of sinning and confessing. I want to break free from the shackles of sin, but no one around me can help to solve this problem. Yesterday you said that Almighty God’s work of judgment with words could cleanse man’s corruptions and remove the sins within man. I’d really like to know how Almighty God does the work of judgment. Could you fellowship some more?”
The sister answered with a smile: “Okay. I’ll give you an example first: Why do you lose your temper when something unpleasant happens to you? This is out of the corrupt nature within you, and is because you suffer losses to your personal interest or your face. Your intention in losing temper is to safeguard your own interest. Actually, we all have our own purposes for whatever we do, which are all directed by our corrupt nature. God’s work of judgment today is to make us recognize our nature and substance, so that we can be freed of the corrupt dispositions and truly return before Him.”
While talking, she took out the book of Almighty God’s word and asked me to read: “In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, expose the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes it over the long term. These methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only methods of this kind are deemed judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt substance and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the substance of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.” “The work of judgment is God’s own work, so it should naturally be done by God Himself; it cannot be done by man in His stead. Because judgment is the conquering of the human race through the truth, it is unquestionable that God still appears as the incarnate image to do this work among men. That is to say, in the last days, Christ shall use the truth to teach men around the earth and make all truths known to them. This is God’s work of judgment” (“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Then she fellowshiped: “Almighty God, Christ of the last days, is now expressing words to do the work of judging and cleansing man. Through the revelations of the words, He judges man’s satanic nature of sinning and resisting God, so that man can recognize his own ugly face, come to know God’s substance of righteousness and holiness, as well as understand the purpose and significance of God’s work of judgment today. The work of judgment is to transform man’s corrupt nature, so God needs to do the work of dealing, pruning, and refining over the long term, and man is required to accept more of the words of judgment and practice according to God’s words, so as to achieve dispositional change and be gained by God. However, many people do not understand the work of judgment that God does. While seeing the harsh words of judgment, they think that God hates, condemns and curses man, and that God has no love toward man. God’s words are severe, but He doesn’t have any ill intention toward man. He knows deeply the corruption of man, and also knows how to save us who are deeply corrupted by Satan. Today, God’s chastising and judging man is all for dealing with the corrupt disposition within man. Man’s suffering within is entirely because of man’s disobedience to God. It is according to the need of the corrupt man that God saves us by the way of judgment, and it is not that God intentionally makes things difficult for man. The purpose of God’s work of judgment is to make man free from corruptions and no longer be fooled or afflicted by Satan, so that man can worship God, obey God, and love God on earth, and become one who fears God and shuns evil. God understands the corrupt mankind like parents understand their own children. Can’t parents be strict with their children while loving them? Isn’t there love in being strict with them? Obviously, such viewpoints are groundless, and people who think this way have not the slightest understanding of God’s will of saving mankind! All the work God does today is, without exception, for saving mankind. Without experiencing God’s work, man will never appreciate God’s thoughtful kind intention.”
Hearing that, I nodded slightly. After a pause, the sister continued to fellowship: “Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has expressed millions of words of the truth. All brothers and sisters who have followed Almighty God’s work in the last days have experienced the judgment and chastisement of God’s words. In God’s words of judgment and revelation, I come to know my filthy and corrupt substance of nature, seeing that I am full of satanic dispositions like crookedness and craftiness, selfishness and baseness, arrogance and self-rightness, etc. Before accepting the work of Almighty God, I thought I was an honest man, for I didn’t tell lies to cheat others or profit at others’ expense, and I was trustworthy and would rather suffer losses than fuss over minor matters. I didn’t think I was selfish or crafty, but felt I was a good person. Every time when I read God’s words of revealing man’s nature of selfishness and craftiness, I never accepted it in my heart. Later, when I saw God’s words: ‘How many believe in Me only so I would heal them? How many believe in Me only so I would use My powers to drive unclean spirits out of their bodies? And how many believe in Me simply to receive peace and joy from Me? How many believe in Me only to demand from Me more material wealth, and how many believe in Me just to spend this life in safety and to be safe and sound in the world to come? How many believe in Me only to avoid the suffering of hell and to receive the blessings of heaven? … Therefore, I say that man has faith in Me because I give too much grace, and there is far too much to gain’ (‘What Do You Know of Faith?’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh), I felt that every word of God’s judgment struck my heart, making me feel ashamed and humiliated and see my ugly face of making a deal with God. It turned out that my suffering and sacrificing was just for gaining grace and blessings from God, not for loving God or satisfying God. However, I had actually boasted that I was someone who pursued the truth and loved God, and didn’t admit that I possessed the nature of selfishness and craftiness. I was really shameless and didn’t know myself. While reflecting on myself, I found that I had never truly cared for God’s heart. In order to save the deeply corrupted mankind, God has endured the hunting, persecution, and condemnation of the atheistic CCP government, and suffered the rejection, slander and blasphemy of the world, yet He doesn’t have the slightest complaint. However, in my belief in God, neither did I pursue the truth nor perform my duty properly to repay God’s love. Instead, I took advantage of God to achieve my purpose of gaining blessings. I really had no conscience and sense. I was really too crafty, too selfish, and too base! I have seen clearly the fact of my being corrupted by Satan, and that my soul should be so dirty and ugly. Based on God’s righteousness and holiness, a brood of Satan like me should have been struck down by God long ago, but God did not treat me according to my corrupt substance. He still sympathized with my disobedience and weakness, continuing to do the work of judgment and purification on me. I deeply felt that I was unworthy of that and was full of gratitude toward God in my heart. After truly experiencing God’s love, I was more willing to accept God’s salvation. Later, I saw God’s words: ‘It is the belief in God so that you may obey God, love God, and perform the duty that should be performed by a creature of God. This is the aim of believing in God. You must achieve a knowledge of the loveliness of God, of how worthy God is of reverence, of how, in His creatures, God does the work of salvation and making them perfect—this is the minimum that you should possess in your belief in God. Belief in God is principally the switch from a life in the flesh to a life of loving God, from a life within naturalness to a life within the being of God, it is coming out from under the domain of Satan and living under the care and protection of God, it is being able to achieve obedience to God and not obedience to the flesh, it is allowing God to gain your entire heart, allowing God to make you perfect, and freeing yourself from the corrupt satanic disposition. Belief in God is principally so that the power and glory of God may be manifested in you, so that you may carry out God’s will, and accomplish God’s plan, and be able to bear testimony to God before Satan’ (‘All Is Achieved by the Word of God’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Almighty God’s words gave me the accurate way to practice, making me understand what man should pursue in believing in God. Truly believing in God is pursuing to know God and love God, performing the duty that should be performed by a creature of God, seeking God’s will and acting according to God’s words in everything, and achieving obedience to all orchestrations and arrangements of God. Under the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, I not only have come to know the substance of my nature, but also gained some knowledge of God’s righteous disposition. It is God that cleanses my corruption little by little, so that I can live out the likeness of a man. Through experiencing the work and word of Almighty God, I have found the direction of life, come to know how to live a valuable life as a created being, and understood the truth that I didn’t understand before. What I have enjoyed and gained is really too much! This is the result achieved by Almighty God’s work of judgment on me!”
Hearing the sister’s fellowship, I couldn’t help saying: “Sister, I feel your fellowships are very practical. Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days really can transform man’s corrupt disposition, and now I have some knowledge of it. The work of judgment is the work of words, which is to cleanse man’s corrupt disposition within by the judgment of words, to lead man to break away from the shackles of sin, and meanwhile to enable man to have true knowledge of God. In the past when I believed in the Lord, I often lived in the state of sinning and confessing. I wanted to break free from the binds of sin but had no way to practice, and often felt dark and painful in my heart. Now I have found the way of breaking free from evils. Only by accepting and experiencing Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days can man root out the problem of sinning and confessing.”
After that, I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days. The sister gave me a book of The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. Through reading the words of Almighty God, I felt that these words were full of authority and power, and I was more certain that Almighty God was the return of the Lord Jesus. At the moment, I felt exhilarated in my heart. It was really a great blessing that a filthy and corrupt person like me could be chosen by God, behold the return of the Lord Jesus in my life, enjoy the words of life expressed by God, and have the chance to break away from sins and be saved by God!
Source: Grow in Christ - The Second Coming of Christ
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