Question 5: We follow the example of Paul and we work very hard for the Lord, just like Paul said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Is this not following the will of God? Practicing in this way should mean that we are qualified to be raptured and to enter into the kingdom of heaven, so why must we accept God’s work of judgment and purification in the last days before we can be brought into the kingdom of heaven?
Answer: There are many believers in the Lord who follow the example of Paul. Are they really doing the will of the heavenly Father? Are they really worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven? Let’s have a look at what the Lord Jesus said: “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Mat 7:21-23). We can see from the words of the Lord Jesus that when the Lord returns, there will be many people who preach and work in the name of the Lord who will not only not gain His praise, but will instead be identified as evildoers by the Lord. This shows that making sacrifices, expending yourself and working hard in His name does not mean that you are doing the will of the heavenly Father. So then what really is doing His will? It mainly refers to being able to love God in your heart, to honor Him as great, fearing God and shunning evil, being able to put the Lord’s words into practice, obeying His commandments, frequently exalting and bearing witness to God, genuinely expending yourself for Him, remaining free of any deals or requests, being able to stand witness for God during trials, and obeying God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Only this is doing God’s will. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mat 22:37-39). So, all those who do God’s will are those who have cast off evil and achieved purification. They are all people who can put the truth into practice and genuinely obey God. They are all able to frequently put the Lord’s words into practice and keep His commandments, and they all love God in their hearts, and are able to live relying on the Lord’s words. If someone doesn’t love God in their heart, they try to make deals with God while working and preaching, they also frequently resist God and rebel against Him and are unable to put His words into practice, how can this person be called someone who does the heavenly Father’s will? And how could anyone say that they have already cast off sinfulness and achieved purification? We can all see the following fact. After believing in the Lord, many people are able to preach and work in His name, carry the cross and suffer, and even go to prison and be martyred. All this represents is that they have some faith in the Lord, some enthusiasm for Him. But it cannot be denied that while people are working hard they still frequently rebel against God, resist Him, and do things according to their own will and their own preferences. They do not focus on carrying out the Lord’s words or holding His commandments. Some even lust for fame and status; they exalt and bear witness to themselves, or even form their own faction or establish their own little kingdom. There are also a number of people who don’t work and suffer in order to love and satisfy God, but for the sake of being rewarded, being crowned. That is why after they’ve done some work and endured some suffering, they try to capitalize on their past and flaunt their seniority. They audaciously demand the blessings of the kingdom of heaven from God. This is particularly true of the pastors and elders of the religious world; when Almighty God came to express the truth and do the work of judgment in the last days, they continued to rely on their notions and imaginations to resist and condemn Him, fabricate rumors, spread lies to deceive and control believers and hinder their investigation of the true way. Their sins of resisting God are even more serious than those of the Pharisees who resisted the Lord Jesus. They have committed the heinous sin of nailing God to the cross again, and they have offended God’s disposition. What is even more deplorable is that after resisting and condemning Christ of the last days—Almighty God—they still see themselves as outstanding contributors who are utterly devoted to the Lord, and they are still waiting for the Lord Jesus to descend and rapture them into the kingdom of heaven. This is inconceivable! These facts demonstrate that there are many who are able to make sacrifices, expend themselves, and work hard in the name of the Lord, but this does not prove that they do God’s will, and it particularly does not prove that they are praised by God, or that they are worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven and receiving rewards. Since their internal satanic natures have not been resolved and they have not been able to cast off the binds of sin, even while they are working they do evil and resist God, and are even in direct opposition to God. How can they be called someone who does God’s will? And how can they be worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven? Let’s read Almighty God’s words.
