The relationship between each stage of God’s work and His name

    (1) The significance of God taking the name Jehovah in the Age of Law

    Bible Verses for Reference:

    “And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exo 3:15).

    Relevant Words of God:

    “Jehovah” is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. … That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. … The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. “Jehovah” represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel.

from “The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (9)

Question 9: We accept God’s work of the last days, but how do we experience God’s judgment and chastisement so that we can receive the truth and life, get rid of our sinful nature, and achieve salvation to enter the kingdom of heaven?

      Answer: How to experience God’s judgment and chastisement to gain the truth and life, and get rid of our sinful nature to achieve salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven, this question is very important, because this is the major issues that relate to our ending and destination. To seek this aspect of the truth, we should first read a few passages of Almighty God’s word:

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (7)

Question 7: Many brothers and sisters all think that our belief in the Lord Jesus means our sins have already been forgiven, and that we’ve enjoyed so much of the Lord’s grace and all experienced the Lord’s compassion and mercy. The Lord Jesus already does not see us as sinners, so we should be able to be brought directly into the kingdom of heaven. Then why did the Lord not bring us into the kingdom of heaven when He came, but still has to perform His work of judgment in the last days? Is God’s judgment of the last days to cleanse and save mankind or to condemn and destroy? Many people are unable to see through this. Please fellowship about this to us more specifically.

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (6)

Question 6: You say that the Lord has come to do the work of judgment and purification in the last days, but the Lord Jesus said: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Jhn 16:8). The Lord Jesus’ words and work have already achieved having people recriminate themselves for their sins, for righteousness, and for judgment. By confessing our sins to the Lord and repenting, we have already undergone His judgment, so what really is the difference between what you say is the work of judgment in the last days and the work of the Lord Jesus?

　　Answer: The Lord Jesus said, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Jhn 16:7-8). Many religious people believe that these words refer to the work of the Holy Spirit in the Age of Grace. They believe that in the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus did the work of redemption; the process of people accepting the Lord Jesus and confessing and repenting in front of the Lord was that the Holy Spirit came, told the people of the world to reproach themselves for their sins, for righteousness, for judgment, and had people confess and repent to the Lord. This was God’s judgment. As people see it, this perspective is very much in line with their notions, but we must be clear that what the Lord Jesus did was the work of redemption, and all He gave to mankind was a way for repentance. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat 4:17). He did not do the work of judging and purifying people; His words that carry the essence of judgment were able to have people acknowledge in front of the Lord the sins they committed and repent. However, the outcome that His work and words achieved was just to have people confess and repent; it did not achieve judgment and complete purification of mankind. So to put it accurately, when the Lord Jesus said “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of, and of judgment,” this referred to the Lord returning in the last days and doing the work of judgment. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “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” (Jhn 12:47-48). God’s work of judgment in the last days is not just having people confess and repent, but it is to resolve the source of mankind’s sins, which is people’s satanic natures and dispositions, so that they can entirely cast off the influence of Satan and achieve holiness. It is the work of saving, purifying, and perfecting mankind. It is also the work of rewarding good and punishing evil, and of ending the age. So we cannot say that the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption was the work of judgment, and we particularly cannot take the Holy Spirit’s work in the Age of Grace to be God’s work of judgment in the last days.

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (5)

Question 5: You testified that God becomes flesh again as the Son of man and does His work of judgment beginning at the house of God. This completely conforms with the Bible’s prophecy, and I can accept it. But I don’t understand whether this is the same as the great white throne judgment in the Book of Revelation. What we think is that the great white throne judgment is targeted at the non-believers that belong to the devil Satan. When the Lord comes, the believers will be taken up into heaven, and then He will send disaster to destroy the non-believers. That’s the judgment before the great white throne. You testify to the start of God’s judgment in the last days, but we haven’t seen God bring disaster to destroy the non-believers. Then how could it be the great white throne judgment? What is God’s judgment in the last days exactly? Please communicate this to us more clearly.

　　Answer: All those who truly understand the Bible know that the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation is a vision of God’s judgment work in the last days. The incarnate Almighty God came to express the truth and do His judgment work in the last days, starting to cleanse and save corrupt mankind. This means the great white throne judgment has already begun. Judgment must start from the house of God. God will first make a group of overcomers before the disaster. Then, God will bring down the great disasters and start to reward good and punish evil, until this evil era has been destroyed. God’s great white throne judgment in the last days will then be thoroughly complete. Then God will openly appear to begin a new era. We can all see it very clearly right now. The omen of the great disasters—four consecutive blood moons—has already appeared. The great disasters are near. When the great disaster comes, anyone who resists God, judges God, or opposes God, and the brood of the devil Satan will be destroyed in the disaster. Isn’t that precisely the great white throne judgment? We can see from the Bible’s prophecies that the Lord’s return is separated into the two stages of secret arrival and open arrival. At first, the Lord comes like a thief, which means God incarnate arrives secretly to express the truth and perform His judgment work in the last days. The main purpose is to perfect a group of overcomers. This fulfills the “judgment begins with the house of God” prophecy. God’s judgment work in the last days already began when God incarnate secretly arrived to express the truth and judge all of mankind. The first part of the work is to begin judgment at the house of God. With that, God cleanses and saves those who hear His voice and are brought before Him, making them into overcomers. Then God’s great work is accomplished, and the great disasters begin. God will use disaster to punish and destroy this old world. God’s judgment work in the last days thus reaches its climax. When God appears openly on the clouds, His judgment work will be thoroughly complete. The kingdom of God will subsequently appear. This thus fulfills the prophecy of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Just as Almighty God says: “In one regard, God’s work uses words to conquer all mankind and gain the chosen people; in another regard, His work uses all manner of disasters to conquer all children of disobedience. This is part of God’s large-scale work, and only in this way can the kingdom on earth desired by God be achieved without blemish. This is the pure gold of God’s work” (“Interpretation of the Seventeenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Almighty God’s words sum up His judgment work in the last days very accurately. We can understand it very easily. Almighty God’s judgment in the last days is the great white throne judgment prophesied in the Book of Revelation. According to Almighty God’s judgment work in the last days, we can also understand what the Revelation prophecy regarding the opening of books to judge the dead and the opening the book of life is all about. Actually, the opening of books to judge the dead is God’s judgment of all those who deny and resist Him. This judgment is their condemnation, their punishment, their destruction. And opening the book of life refers to the judgment that begins at the house of God, that is, Almighty God, Christ of the last days, expressing the truth to judge and cleanse all those brought before His throne. These chosen people of God who accept Almighty God’s judgment and are brought before Him are all objects of God’s judgment, cleansing, and salvation. The judgment that begins at the house of God is to perfect this group of people before the disaster. Only this group of people are the wise virgins, people whose names are recorded in the book of life, the 144,000 overcomers prophesied by the Book of Revelation, the people who will ultimately enter the kingdom of heaven to inherit eternal life. This fulfills what was prophesied in Revelation 14:1-5: “And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (4)

Question 4: Just then, you said that the most prophesied thing in the Bible is God’s judgment work in the last days. There are at least 200 places in the Bible mentioning that God will come to carry out His judgment. This is completely true. This was stated even more clearly in 1 Peter 4:17: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” It seems God’s judgment work in the last days is a certainty. But what you witnessed is God of the last days coming into the flesh to do His judgment work. This is different to what we accept. We believe the Lord in the last days will appear to mankind and work in the form of Jesus’ spiritual body following the resurrection. This is also the view of the majority in religious circles. This concept of the returned Lord appearing to man and working in the flesh is something we still cannot see through, so please communicate some more with us.

Buddhists and Taoists have religious practices wherein they separate themselves from worldly affairs and practice asceticism, can that achieve salvation?

　

　　Bible Reference:

　　“Why should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he has done whatever he has pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like to them; so is every one that trusts in them. O Israel, trust you in Jehovah: he is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah: he is their help and their shield. You that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah: he is their help and their shield. Jehovah has been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear Jehovah, both small and great. Jehovah shall increase you more and more, you and your children. You are blessed of Jehovah which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are Jehovah’s: but the earth has he given to the children of men. The dead praise not Jehovah, neither any that go down into silence. But we will bless Jehovah from this time forth and for ever more Praise Jehovah” (Psm 115:2-18).

Questions and Answers on God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days (3)

Question 3: I’ve believed in the Lord for many years and I’ve read the Bible quite a bit, so why haven’t I seen the Lord prophesying that in the last days He will become flesh again and become the Son of man to perform the work of judgment? You bear witness that the Lord Jesus has already been incarnated again, that He is Almighty God, and that He’s doing the work of judgment in the last days. Is there any biblical basis for this? Is this affirmed by the religious world?

      Answer: Whether or not there is a biblical basis for God incarnating in the last days and doing the work of judgment is actually quite clear to anyone with their eyes open. The Bible prophesies in at least 200 places that God will do the work of judgment in the last days, and there is clear scripture proof of God becoming flesh to do the work of judgment in the last days. The Lord Jesus said, “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son.…” (Jhn 5:22). “And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (Jhn 5:27). The Lord Jesus directly prophesied that God of the last days will become flesh as the Son of man to carry out His judgment. All references to “Son” or “Son of man” are certainly references to Christ in the flesh. If He were a Spirit, He cannot be called the “Son of man.” When God becomes flesh, He becomes a regular, normal person, and only then is He called the Son of man, that is, Christ. That is utterly certain. So, when the Lord Jesus returns in the last days, of course He is the Son of man in the flesh who walks among mankind to utter words and do the work of judgment in the last days. We bear witness that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus who is doing the work of judgment in the last days, and this completely fulfills the biblical prophecies. The Lord Jesus also said: “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” (Jhn 12:47-48). The Lord Jesus’ words were very clear: He came to do the work of redemption, not the work of judgment, and He would judge people in the last days using the words He speaks. Almighty God has accomplished what the Lord Jesus prophesied, and He has done the work of judgment that begins with the house of God. This book, “The Word Appears in the Flesh,” is made up of personal utterances from Almighty God, and it is a record of God’s work of judgment in the last days. Let’s read some of Almighty God’s words.

Question 8: How can we believe in the Lord and gain life if we move away from the Bible?

　　Answer: The question you raised is very key. This is something all of us believers want to know. The Lord Jesus once said these words: “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life” (Jhn 5:39-40). In the past, we searched the Bible repeatedly, thinking that eternal life can be gained from the Bible. In reality, the Bible is only a testimony of God. if we want to gain the truth and life from our belief in God, relying on the testimony of the Bible is not enough. Almighty God says, “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path through which man shall gain life, and the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history. … The steps of God’s work are vast and mighty, like surging waves and rolling thunders—yet you sit and passively await destruction, sticking to your folly and doing nothing. In this way, how can you be considered someone who follows the footsteps of the Lamb? How can you justify the God that you hold on to as a God who is always new and never old? And how can the words of your yellowed books carry you across into a new age? How can they lead you to seek the steps of God’s work? And how can they take you up to heaven? What you hold in your hands is the letters that can provide but temporary solace, not the truths that are capable of giving life. The scriptures you read are that which can only enrich your tongue, not words of wisdom that can help you know human life, much less the ways that can lead you to perfection. Does this discrepancy not give you cause for reflection? Does it not allow you to understand the mysteries contained within? Are you capable of delivering yourself to heaven to meet God on your own? Without the coming of God, can you take yourself into heaven to enjoy family happiness with God? Are you still dreaming now? I suggest, then, that you stop dreaming, and look at who is working now, at who is now carrying out the work of saving man during the last days. If you do not, you shall never gain the truth, and shall never gain life” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). We understand from the word of Almighty God that only Christ can express truths to redeem and save mankind. Man must come to Christ to gain the truth and gain life. The Bible cannot replace God’s authority and power, nor can it represent God in giving life to man, and moreover it cannot substitute the work of the Holy Spirit. Only by accepting and obeying Christ of the last days can we gain the work of the Holy Spirit, gain the truth, and gain life. We cannot gain life unless we accept the words expressed by Christ of the last days, because the Bible is not God; it is merely a testimony of God’s work. From this, we can see that life does not originate from the Bible, but from Christ. Christ is the Lord of the Bible and the source of life.

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (5)

Question 5: Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” This shows that everything in the Bible is the word of God. But there are actually people who say that not everything in the Bible is the word of God. Isn’t this denying the Bible and deceiving people?

　　Answer: About the viewpoint “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” we must understand the context in which Paul said these words. At the time Paul wrote letters to Timothy's church there was only the Old Testament. The New Testament had not been formed yet and there were just dozens of epistles scattered around and kept by various churches. This shows that these words of Paul were referring to the Old Testament. The Israelites only regard the Old Testament as the Bible. The New Testament was not formed until after AD 300. Church leaders at the time held a meeting as they thought the last days were near, and that the utterances of Jesus and the epistles of the apostles should be brought together into a book, and distributed to the various churches like the Old Testament. Therefore, they compiled together the epistles written by Jesus' apostles and disciples, and following research and confirmation, selected 27 books to become the New Testament, which was later combined with the Old Testament to become the complete Bible. This is how the New and Old Testaments were formed. Further, regarding the formation of the Bible, we must also understand just who wrote it and who recorded it. The Bible has several dozen authors, but none of them said the epistles they wrote were inspired by God. if God had said all scripture is given by inspiration of God, then God should have said it via prophets, but the books of prophets contain no such words. The Lord Jesus has also never said such words. The apostles have also never said the epistles they wrote and their testimonies were all inspired by God, and moreover they did not dare to say they were God's words. This is fact! But later on, all believers in God think that all that God uttered is in the Bible, and that even though the New and Old Testament were written by men, they were both inspired by God. But have we ever thought about whether this conforms with the facts?

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (4)

Question 4: You say the words in the book The Word Appears in the Flesh are God’s new word! But the Revelation clearly states: “For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev 22:18). Don’t you add to the Bible?

　　Answer: “shall not add to the word, nor take away from it” as stated in the scriptures. You think we are adding to the Bible. Then let’s explore this problem. Brothers and sisters, John said “if any man shall add to these things,” but did not say “if any man shall add to the Bible.” Additionally, when John said these words the New Testament did not exist. The New Testament was formed around 300 AD. The Book of Revelation was only formed later than AD 90; it was a record of John’s visions on the Island of Patmos. Clearly, this book as stated by John refers to the text of prophecies known as the Book of Revelation, not the entire Bible. Therefore, “shall not add to these things” does not mean that there won’t be new work and words of God in the future. Back then, what John saw was only a vision and was not the reality of God’s work of the last days. Almighty God’s work and word of the last days are not additions to the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, but the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Let’s take a look at two passages from the Bible. Revelation 2:17 states: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna…” This part of the scriptures mention: “what the Spirit says to the churches” and “the hidden manna.” These are actually referring to the words expressed by Almighty God of the last days! There's also Revelation 5:1-5. Let's read it: “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. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” we all thought the book was referring to the Bible, but this part of the scriptures mention that this book has not been looked upon by anyone. This shows that this book is not a reference to the Bible. The scriptures mention: “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” (Rev 5:1). This shows that the content of this book was not recorded in the Book of Revelation. This verse tells us that only Christ of the last days is worthy of opening up this book and loosing the seven seals.

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (2)

Question 2: The truths in the Bible are already complete. Having the Bible is enough for our belief in God. We don’t need any new words!

　　Answer: The content recorded by the Bible is limited. The Old Testament only recorded the work of Jehovah God, while the New Testament only recorded the work of the Lord Jesus. But regarding God’s work of the last days, the Bible only contains prophecies. The precise details are not recorded in the Bible. This is because the work of God in the last days is judgment work, it is new work outside of the Bible. God is the Expressor of truth, and moreover the Ruler of all things in the universe. His richness is inexhaustible and always in supply. He cannot be fathomed by any created being. Therefore, the content of the Bible cannot completely explain all of God’s deeds. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s word! Almighty God says, “The things that are recorded in the Bible are limited; they cannot represent the work of God in its entirety. The Four Gospels have fewer than one hundred chapters altogether, in which are written a finite number of happenings, such as Jesus cursing the fig tree, Peter’s three denials of the Lord, Jesus appearing to the disciples following His crucifixion and resurrection, teaching about fasting, teaching about prayer, teaching about divorce, the birth and genealogy of Jesus, Jesus’ appointment of the disciples, and so forth. However, man values them as treasures, even verifying the work of today against them. They even believe that all the work Jesus did in His life amounted only to so much, as if God were only capable of doing this much and nothing further. Is this not absurd?” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “No one knows the reality of the Bible: that it is nothing more than a historical record of God’s work, and a testament to the previous two stages of God’s work, and offers you no understanding of the aims of God’s work. Everyone who has read the Bible knows that it documents the two stages of God’s work during the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. The Old Testament chronicles the history of Israel and Jehovah’s work from the time of creation until the end of the Age of Law. The New Testament records Jesus’ work on earth, which is in the Four Gospels, as well as the work of Paul; are they not historical records? Bringing up the things of the past today makes them history, and no matter how true or real they might be, they are still history—and history cannot address the present. For God does not look back on history! And so, if you only understand the Bible, and understand nothing of the work God intends to do today, and if you believe in God but do not seek the work of the Holy Spirit, then you do not understand what it means to seek God. If you read the Bible in order to study the history of Israel, to research the history of God’s creation of all the heavens and earth, then you do not believe in God. But today, since you believe in God, and pursue life, since you pursue the knowledge of God, and do not pursue dead letters and doctrines, or an understanding of history, you must seek God’s will of today, and must look for the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. If you were an archeologist you could read the Bible—but you are not, you are one of those who believe in God, and you’d best seek God’s will of today” (“Concerning the Bible (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Questions and Answers on the Name of God (2)

Question 2: God’s name in each age cannot represent God’s all, so what is the significance of His name in each age?

　　Answer: This question is very critical. Today Almighty God has already told us the answer. He says, “‘Jehovah’ is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. ‘Jesus’ is Emmanuel, and it means the sin offering that is full of love, full of compassion, and redeems man. He did the work of the Age of Grace, and represents the Age of Grace, and can only represent one part of the management plan. That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. Only Jesus is the Redeemer of mankind. He is the sin offering that redeemed mankind from sin. Which is to say, the name of Jesus came from the Age of Grace, and existed because of the work of redemption in the Age of Grace. The name of Jesus existed to allow the people of the Age of Grace to be reborn and saved, and is a particular name for the redemption of the whole of mankind. And so the name Jesus represents the work of redemption, and denotes the Age of Grace. The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. ‘Jehovah’ represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel. ‘Jesus’ represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. That is because Jesus the Savior is only for the redemption and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of Grace, and it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of mankind to an end” (“The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (9)

Question 9: If we accept Almighty God, are we guaranteed to enter the kingdom of heaven?

　　Answer: Almighty God has spoken very clearly about this problem. Let’s first take a look at what he has said.

　　“The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit.”(“When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (8)

Question 8: As to those who have believed in the Lord Jesus for many years and sacrificed for Him their entire lives, if they do not accept Almighty God’s work in the last days, they really won’t be able to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven?

　　Answer: As for this problem, Almighty God has already given us a clear answer. Almighty God says, “If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history. Those who are controlled by regulations, by letters, and shackled by history will never be able to gain life, and will never be able to gain the perpetual way of life. That is because all they have is turbid water that has lain stagnant for thousands of years, instead of the water of life that flows from the throne. Those who are not supplied with the water of life will forever remain corpses, playthings of Satan, and sons of hell. How, then, can they behold God? If you only try to hold on to the past, only try to keep things as they are by standing still, and do not try to change the status quo and discard history, then will you not always be against God? The steps of God’s work are vast and mighty, like surging waves and rolling thunders—yet you sit and passively await destruction, sticking to your folly and doing nothing. In this way, how can you be considered someone who follows the footsteps of the Lamb? How can you justify the God that you hold on to as a God who is always new and never old? And how can the words of your yellowed books carry you across into a new age? How can they lead you to seek the steps of God’s work? And how can they take you up to heaven? What you hold in your hands is the letters that can provide but temporary solace, not the truths that are capable of giving life. The scriptures you read are that which can only enrich your tongue, not words of wisdom that can help you know human life, much less the ways that can lead you to perfection. Does this discrepancy not give you cause for reflection? Does it not allow you to understand the mysteries contained within? Are you capable of delivering yourself to heaven to meet God on your own? Without the coming of God, can you take yourself into heaven to enjoy family happiness with God? Are you still dreaming now? I suggest, then, that you stop dreaming, and look at who is working now, at who is now carrying out the work of saving man during the last days. If you do not, you shall never gain the truth, and shall never gain life.

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (7)

Question 7: If we do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment, then can we really do the heavenly Father’s will? Can we really enter the kingdom of heaven?

　　Answer: If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work in the Age of Grace, but do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment and chastisement in the last days, we will not be able to free ourselves from sin, do the heavenly Father’s will, and enter God’s kingdom. This is beyond doubt! That’s because during the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus did His work of redemption. Due to the stature of the people at that time, the Lord Jesus only gave them the way of repentance, and asked people to understand a few rudimentary truths and paths to practice them. For example: He asked people to confess their sins and repent and bear the cross. He taught them about humility, patience, love, fasting, baptism, etc. These are a few very limited truths that people of that time could understand and attain. The Lord Jesus never expressed other deeper truths that have to do with changing life disposition, being saved, becoming cleansed, being made perfect, etc., because at that time, the people lacked the necessary stature to bear those truths. Man must wait until the Lord Jesus returns to do His work in the last days. He will bestow upon corrupt mankind all the truths they need to be saved and perfected according to God’s management plan of saving mankind and the needs of the corrupt mankind. It is just as the Lord Jesus said, “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” (Jhn 16:12-13). The Lord Jesus’ words are very clear. During the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus never gave corrupt humans all the truths they required to be saved. There are still many deeper, higher truths, that is, there are many truths that the Lord Jesus did not tell mankind that will allow people to be freed from their corrupt satanic dispositions and achieve holiness, as well as truths that man requires to obey and know God. Therefore, in the last days, Almighty God expresses all truths necessary to save mankind. He uses these truths to judge, chastise, cleanse, and perfect all who accept Almighty God’s salvation in the last days. In the end, these people will be made complete and taken into God’s kingdom. This is how God’s management plan to save mankind shall be completed. If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work, but do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days, we will never be able to obtain the truths and change our disposition. We will never become one who does God’s will and will definitely never be qualified to enter God’s kingdom.

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (6)

Question 6: You say that if people want to be freed from sin and be cleansed, they must accept Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days. How does God judge and cleanse people in the last days? Throughout all these years that I’ve believed in the Lord, I thought that it’d be great if there came a time when people no longer sinned. At that time, my life would no longer be painful!



　　Answer: As for how Almighty god judges and cleanses people in the last days, let’s read some more of Almighty God’s words! Almighty God says, “When God becomes flesh this time, His work is to express His disposition, primarily through chastisement and judgment. Using this as the foundation, He brings more truth to man, shows more ways of practice, and so achieves His objective of conquering man and saving man from his corrupt disposition. This is what lies behind the work of God in the Age of Kingdom” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (5)

Question 5: You say that people who believe in God must accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, and only then can their corrupt disposition be changed. But we, in accordance with the Lord’s requirements, practice humility and patience, love our enemies, bear our crosses, subdue our bodies, abandon worldly things, and we work and preach for the Lord and so on. So aren’t all these our changes? Can’t they become the credentials for our entry into the kingdom of heaven? I believe that as long as we seek in this way, we can attain purification, and enter into the kingdom of heaven?

　　Answer: We can love our enemy, bear the cross, overcome our body, and spread the gospel of the Lord. These are positive behaviors coming from our belief in the Lord. Our exhibition of such good behaviors signifies that our faith in the Lord is true. These good behaviors may appear correct to people, as if these are in line with the word of God, but it does not mean that we are practicing God’s word and following the will of the heavenly Father, it doesn’t mean that we have quit our sinful nature and become sanctified. There is a reason why we cannot just look at people’s good behaviors by appearance. We also need to look at their intentions and ultimate purposes. If our intention is to obey God, love God, and satisfy God, this kind of good behavior is practicing the truth and obeying the will of the heavenly Father. On the other hand, if our good behavior is solely for the solicitation of blessing and reward, for the reward of a crown, but not from a loving heart for God, then this kind of good behavior is the hypocritical behavior of the Pharisees instead of doing the heavenly Father’s will. If the mere exhibition of good behavior signifies that we are following the will of the heavenly Father, signifies that we have become sanctified, then why do we often commit sins and resist God? Why do we still lead the lifestyle of sinning during the day and confessing at night? This adequately shows that the mere exhibition of good behaviors does not mean that we are practicing the truth and living out the reality of God’s word. Nor does it mean that we have an understanding or a fearful heart to God, much less the ability to love and obey God. As Almighty God says: “Changes in nothing more than behavior are unsustainable. If there is no alteration in people’s life disposition, then sooner or later their wicked side will show itself. Because the source of the changes in their behavior is fervor, coupled with some work by the Holy Spirit at the time, it is extremely easy for them to become fervent, or to show kindness for a time. As the unbelievers say, ‘Doing one good deed is easy, what’s hard is doing a lifetime of good deeds.’ People are incapable of doing good deeds their whole life. Their behavior is directed by the life; whatever their life is, so is their behavior, and only that which is revealed naturally represents the life, and one’s nature. Things that are fake cannot last. … Behaving well is not the same as obeying God, much less does it equal being compatible with Christ. Changes in behavior are based on doctrine, and born of fervor—they are not based on the true knowledge of God, or upon the truth, much less do they rest on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even though there are times when some of what people do is directed by the Holy Spirit, this is not the expression of the life, much less is it the same as knowing God; no matter how good a person’s behavior, it does not prove that they obey God, or that they put the truth into practice” (“The Difference Between External Changes and Changes in Disposition” in Records of Christ’s Talks). Almighty God’s word clearly explains to us about the essence and source of good behavior. The good behavior of man comes from enthusiasm, which is the practices based on his notions of rules and regulations, not from comprehension of the practicing principles after understanding many truths, or the desire to love and satisfy God from understanding the intention of God. Good behavior stems from man’s conceptions and imaginations. Man’s conceptions and imaginations come from man’s own opinions and his corrupt nature. Therefore no matter what we do, whatever pain we suffer or the price we pay, it is not practice of the truth. It does not mean obedience to God or the outcome of the Holy Spirit’s work. Even when we exhibit good behavior and the ability to follow the rules while we appear to be very pious and spiritual, we are still prone to committing sin and resisting God because of our inveterate corrupt disposition of Satan, our unresolved sinful nature, and lack of true understanding of God. As we can see, many well behaving people still frequently commit sins and confess their sins after believing in God. This is an undeniable fact. When they show good behaviors while sinning and resisting God at the same time, it adequately proves that they are not following the will of the heavenly Father. They do not really deserve the praise of God. The Jewish Pharisees were law-abiding people with impeccable behaviors cosmetically. But when the Lord Jesus came to work, why did they frantically resist, condemn, scheme, and crucify the Lord Jesus? This was enough to explain that the nature of resisting God was innate in them. Regardless of how well they were behaving overtly, it did not mean that they understood, obeyed and were compatible with God, much less followed God’s will and became sanctified. If we want to resolve our sinful nature and become sanctified, we must experience God’s work of judgment in the last days, understand the ample truths therein and gain real knowledge of God, thus begetting true obedience and fear of God. Otherwise the deep-rooted corrupt disposition of Satan in us will never be cleansed and altered, and we will never be after God’s heart and admitted to the kingdom of God.

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (4)

Question 4: People are sinful, but the sin offering of the Lord Jesus is forever effective. As long as we confess our sins to the Lord, He will forgive us. We are sinless in the Lord’s eyes, so we can enter the kingdom of heaven!

　　Answer: Lord Jesus absolves mankind’s sins, but that doesn’t mean we don’t sin. That doesn’t mean we have been freed from the control of our sins or have been cleansed. Lord Jesus absolves our sins. What does “sin” really refer to in this context? We all know adultery, theft, etc. Anything that violates laws, commandments or God’s words is a sin. Any action that resists, condemns or judges God is also a sin. Any blasphemy against God is a sin, a sin that cannot be absolved! In the Age of Grace, Lord Jesus martyred himself for our sins. Only those that pray to the Lord and repent will not be condemned or sentenced to death. That is to say, God will no longer see them as sinners. People who are absolved of their sins can pray directly to God and share in His grace. That is the true meaning of “absolution”. Although our sins were absolved by Lord Jesus, that doesn’t mean we have stopped sinning and resisting God. Because sinning is in our nature, we are still able to resist and betray God and take Him as our enemy. How can people like that be qualified to enter the heavenly kingdom? It’s just as Almighty God said, “A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God, can you be after God’s heart? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and that you are not counted as a sinner because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are not sinful, and are not impure. How can you be saintly if you have not been changed? Within, you are beset by impurity, selfish and mean, yet you still wish to descend with Jesus—you should be so lucky! You have missed a step in your belief in God: You have merely been redeemed, but have not been changed. For you to be after God’s heart, God must personally do the work of changing and cleansing you; if you are only redeemed, you will be incapable of attaining sanctity. In this way you will be unqualified to share in the good blessings of God, for you have missed out a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. And so you, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance” (“Concerning Appellations and Identity” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Lord Jesus’s work of absolution only absolved our sins; it didn’t resolve our corrupt nature. Our inner arrogance, selfishness, deceitfulness, and other aspects of our satanic nature still remain. This corruption is deeper than sin; it is much more tenacious than sin. It is the source of our resistance of God. If these satanic temperaments are not resolved, people will continue to sin, resist God and judge and condemn Him according to their own conceptions. When they suffer and are persecuted, they can deny God and betray Him as Judas did. When they hold positions of power, they establish independent kingdoms in resistance to God. Some people steal God’s offerings and offend His disposition; they will be condemned and extinguished by God. Now most pastors and leaders in the religious community do not implement the words of Lord Jesus. They interpret the Bible based on their own conceptions. They treat the words of biblical people as if they’re the words of God. They exalt people’s words instead of testifying about Lord Jesus’s words. This makes the faithful revere people and follow people. They have no place for Lord Jesus in their hearts. They become trapped and controlled by their religious leaders’ dominion. This is especially true when Lord Jesus returns to do His works. Those priests and leaders do not pursue or study God’s works. Instead, they condemn His works, judge Him and blaspheme against Him. They spread lies to trick their believers and lock them in the church. They publicly take God as their enemy and offend God’s disposition. This is the most serious resistance of God that there is. This is a sin that cannot be absolved! Their evil behavior in resistance to Lord Jesus is even more egregious than the Pharisees’ was! Therefore, if people’s nature, their resistance of God, is not resolved, if their satanic corruption is not cleansed, they’ll be capable of any evil behavior in resistance of God. How can these kinds of people enter the heavenly kingdom? Therefore, according to His management plan to save mankind and the actual requirements of corrupt humanity, God expresses many different aspects of the truth in the last days, and carries out His work which fulfills the prophecy in the Bible, “Judgment must begin at the house of God,” and is to resolve the key problem that corrupt mankind is controlled by their satanic nature. That is the way that man will gradually free themselves from their corrupt satanic disposition, stop rebelling against and resisting God, become able to truly obey and revere God. Only then will they be cleansed and enter the kingdom of heaven.

from the movie script of Stinging Memories

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved (2)

Question 2: It is said in the Bible, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns?” (Rom 8:33-34). This proves that the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross forgives us of all sin. The Lord doesn’t see us as sinners anymore. Who can accuse us now?

　　Answer: “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?” Here, we must be very clear. Who, exactly, are members of God’s elect? Those frequent sinners, they who sell out the Lord and their friends, they who eat God’s sacrificial offerings, they who blaspheme, those corrupted, hypocritical Pharisees, are they God’s elect? If anyone that believes in God is part of God’s elect, then how do we explain what the prophecies say, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie” (Rev 22:15). Therefore, not all people that believe in God are part of God’s elect. Only those who really serve the Lord and love God, those that bear witness to Him are part of God’s elect. People like Abraham, Job and Peter obey God and revere God. They were righteous people and witnesses. What they did obtained God’s grace. No one could control them. When did God say that all the faithful were righteous? The majority of people often sin, resist God and betray God. That is a fact. Lord Jesus never said the majority of believers were righteous. Therefore, the people God is talking about include the righteous people that can implement God’s will.

from the movie script of Stinging Memories

Know more: 

"The Eastern Lightning" has testified that the Lord Jesus has already returned, expressed the truth, and made complete a group of overcomers. Does this fulfill the prophecies from the Bible?