Sins and Being Cleansed of Sins, What Does the Bible Say?

By  Xiaorui

Regarding salvation, many brothers and sisters say with confidence: “The Bible says: ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Romans 10:9–10). We have received salvation at the cross of the Lord Jesus and if we only believe in our hearts and confess our sin with our mouths, we will be forgiven—we are already saved, so we have full salvation and when the Lord comes, we will definitely enter the kingdom of heaven.” Is this viewpoint of ours actually correct? Does having our sins forgiven and being saved really mean we have full salvation? We really need to communicate this issue clearly, because it is directly connected to our entering the kingdom of heaven, a great matter.

Testimony of a Christian: How She Overcame the Temptation to Have an Affair ( Part 2)

       Over the next few days, although Jingru had not fallen into Satan’s temptation and she knew that she could never be with Wang Wei, her meeting with Wang Wei that evening and his sincere confession replayed in her mind over and over like a scene in a movie …

Does the judgment of the last days mentioned in the Bible refer to Almighty God’s work in the last days?

The Answer from God’s Word:

Some believe that God may sometime come to earth and appear to man, whereupon He shall personally judge the whole of mankind, testing them one by one without anyone being omitted. Those who think in this way do not know this stage of work of incarnation. God does not judge man one by one, and does not test man one by one; to do thus would not be the work of judgment. Is not the corruption of all mankind the same? Is not the substance of man all the same? What is judged is mankind’s corrupt substance, man’s substance corrupted by Satan, and all the sins of man. God does not judge the trifling and insignificant faults of man. The work of judgment is representative, and is not carried out especially for a certain person. Rather, it is work in which a group of people are judged in order to represent the judgment of all of mankind. By personally carrying out His work on a group of people, God in the flesh uses His work to represent the work of the whole of mankind, after which it is gradually spread. The work of judgment is also thus. God does not judge a certain kind of person or a certain group of people, but judges the unrighteousness of the whole of mankind—man’s opposition to God, for example, or man’s irreverence against Him, or disturbance of the work of God, and so on. What is judged is mankind’s substance of opposition to God, and this work is the work of conquest of the last days. 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. This flesh and His work, word, and entire disposition are the entirety of Him. Although the scope of His work is limited, and does not directly involve the entire universe, the substance of the work of judgment is the direct judgment of all mankind; it is not work that is undertaken only for China, or for a small number of people. During the work of God in the flesh, although the scope of this work does not involve the entire universe, it represents the work of the entire universe, and after He concludes the work within the work scope of His flesh, He will immediately expand this work to the entire universe, in the same way that the gospel of Jesus spread throughout the universe following His resurrection and ascension. Regardless of whether it is the work of the Spirit or the work of the flesh, it is work that is carried out within a limited scope, but which represents the work of the entire universe. During the last days, God appears to do His work using His incarnate identity, and God in the flesh is the God who judges man before the great white throne. Regardless of whether He is the Spirit or the flesh, He who does the work of judgment is the God who judges mankind during the last days.

Why does God judge and chastise corrupt mankind in His work of the last days?

Bible Reference:

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17).

“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, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Rev 14:6-7).

The Answer from God’s Word:

The work of the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the management plan of God, for the time is near and the day of God has come. God brings all who have entered His kingdom, that is, all those who have been loyal to Him to the end, into the age of God Himself. However, until the coming of the age of God Himself, the work that God shall do is not to observe the deeds of man or to inquire into the life of man, but to judge his rebellion, for God shall purify all those who come before His throne. 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.

from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Why Do Christians Still Sin After Being Saved?

                                              

 By Xiaomo, China

The mention of “Jesus’ Redemption” always fills us with gratitude to the Lord. Two thousand years ago, to redeem us from the hands of Satan, the Lord Jesus was crucified and sacrificed for the sins of humanity, thereby forgiving all our sins. When we sin, as long as we repent and confess our sins to the Lord, our sins are forgiven, and we enjoy peace and joy. But recently, some brothers and sisters have been confused: Although our sins are forgiven by the Lord, we have never been able to escape the bondage of sin, we often lie and deceive, we are stuck in the cycle of sinning and confessing, and we cannot keep the Lord’s teachings. The Bible clearly tells us, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26). We know clearly that we can sin involuntarily despite knowing our actions go against God’s will, and that if we merely repent without changing, the sacrifice for our sins is useless. Like this, can we truly be directly raptured into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes? But there are also some brothers and sisters who believe that although we often sin, the Lord has forgiven our sins and does not see us as sinners, and when the Lord returns, we will be raptured into the kingdom of heaven! So, will we be raptured into the kingdom of heaven? Let’s explore the issue together.

125-B-2 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “‘The Sixth Utterance’ of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe”

“The Sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh–this passage is very important to us in having faith in God, experiencing God’s work, attaining knowledge of God, so today we just want to lay importance on communicating this passage. The beginning of this passage is thus: “In matters within the spirit, you should be delicately sensitive; to My words, you should be carefully attentive. You should aim for the state in which you see My Spirit and My fleshly self, My words and My fleshly self, as one indivisible whole, and make it so that all of humanity will be able to satisfy Me in My presence.” What matter is being addressed here? In the course of experiencing God’s work in order to attain knowledge of God, what must we place importance on first of all? “In matters within the spirit, you should be delicately sensitive; to My words, you should be carefully attentive.” These two matters are crucial. There are many people who do not seek the truth, with the result that even after having believed in God for many years they still possess nothing of the truth, and they have no real knowledge of God, and this causes them to be without principles in performing their duties. This kind of person is even unworthy to do service, is this not a fact? They are unworthy to do service! Because in doing your duty you still cannot be up to the standard, you are not qualified to do service.

What Is the Meaning of Christmas, and Are You Truly Worshiping the Lord Jesus?

By Siyuan

The Origins of Christmas

Every year, as Christmas approaches, shops on the street arrange a dazzling display of Christmas presents, with Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and so on. Festooned in trees and on buildings there are many-colored lights, and whole cities are decorated with lanterns and colored hangings, and everywhere there is joy and excitement. To Christianity, Christmas is a very special holiday, and several months before Christmas, many churches will begin to busy themselves preparing everything necessary for the Christmas holiday. On Christmas Day, the churches are filled, and brothers and sisters get involved in the celebrations, eating Christmas dinner, putting on performances and worshiping the Lord Jesus, and so on. Everyone’s face is flushed with happiness. However, when we get together in joyous gatherings to celebrate the Lord Jesus’ birth, do we understand the meaning of Christmas? Perhaps brothers and sisters will say, “The Lord Jesus was nailed upon the cross to redeem all mankind, and so as to remember and celebrate the Lord Jesus’ birth, Christians established Christmas. Though the specific day on which the Lord Jesus was born is not recorded in the Bible, Christmas gradually became a universal holiday in the wake of the expansion of Jesus Christ’s gospel.” We may have known this, but do we know God’s love and His will for us that was actually hidden behind the birth of the Lord Jesus? And how should we approach Christmas in a way that is after the Lord’s heart?

Church Life Movie “Salvation”: What Is True Salvation?

What is salvation? Those who believe in the Lord Jesus think that if they sincerely pray to the Lord, confess their sins, and repent, their sins will be forgiven, and they will be granted salvation, and when the Lord comes, they will be directly raised into the kingdom of heaven. But is salvation really that simple?

139-B-8 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

What results can be achieved from reading God’s words? Regardless of what God’s words relate to, remember, you must at the very least achieve results in four aspects: First, knowing the truth of your own corrupt essence; second, understanding God’s will and how to deal with God’s requirements, that is, understanding what God’s will is and what God requires of mankind; third, understand the reality of truth in God’s words; fourth, from within God’s words, understand the principles of practicing them, as well as the paths to practicing the truth. If you have achieved results in these four aspects, then you have truly understood the truth. You can get results in these four aspects from understanding any truth. Therefore, during the process of eating and drinking God’s words, if someone is able to understand the truth, then that is truly the process of experiencing God’s work. Precisely speaking, the process of man’s experience of God’s judgment and chastisement is the process of them learning the truth of their corrupt essence. It is also the process of understanding the truth and entering into reality. Moreover, it is the process of man ridding himself of his corrupt disposition and attaining true repentance. Lastly, for one who has attained true understanding of the truth, it is the process of their being cleansed and perfected from the truth of God’s words.

139-B-7 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

What do we gain by submitting to God’s judgment and chastisement? We gain the truth expressed by God, we see the complete revelation of God’s disposition; we see all that God has and is being displayed, revealed in Christ. So, if we experience the work of Christ of the last days, and by the end we come to know the practical God incarnate, then we will have seen the disposition of the God in heaven, all that the God in heaven has and is, in other words, His essence. All these things are revealed in the incarnate God and the words that He has expressed, and these are the fruits and effects that we gain from our faith in the practical God. Aren’t these rewards tremendous? They are tremendous. If you believe in the practical God and experience His work, if you believe in Him for two, three decades, and you gain the truth, the way, and the life, if you live out a meaningful life and become a witness for Christ of the last days, then this is the greatest honor in life. It is even more honorable and meaningful than being a president or a scientist. Is that not the case? As I fellowship and chat with you here today, many of you have become somewhat edified in your lives, and is this not something meaningful? What do I feel in my heart? That I have not lived in vain, that I am somewhat useful, that I have contributed my insignificant part in the work of God and therefore I have not lived in vain. This is what I feel in this regard. Also, we see that so many people are able to gather together to eat and drink God’s words in this way, and if this is not the work of the Holy Spirit, who else has this ability to have all of you listen, with such concentration and seriousness, to someone like me chatting? Could a president’s speech get so many people to listen to it with such seriousness? No, it could not, for people would only listen to such a speech on a superficial level. Today, God’s chosen people have gathered together like this, listening to the fellowship about God’s words with such earnestness to gain some practical edification. Is this not the work performed by the Holy Spirit? This is the enlightenment and illumination from the Holy Spirit, this is the result achieved by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has led me, this man, and trained this man so many years to achieve this. Of course I am not satisfied with that which I have gained. I want to gain even more, to strive to edify God’s chosen people even more. Isn’t that even better? We cannot compare ourselves with Christ, for Christ is God while we are human beings. But we must strive for better results. There are now many who have put a lot of effort into seeking the truth.

It was prophesied in the Bible: “You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven” (Act 1:11). After the Lord Jesus resurrected, it was His spiritual body that rose up into the sky. When the Lord returns, it should be His spiritual body that descends on a cloud. However, you testify that God has become flesh—the Son of man—again to do judgment work in the last days. This is obviously inconsistent with the Bible. The pastors and elders often say that any testimony about the Lord’s coming as incarnate is false. So I think that it is impossible for the Lord to return as incarnate. I cannot accept your testimony. I will just wait for the Lord to descend on a cloud and bring us to the kingdom of heaven. This cannot be wrong for sure!

Answer: You say it is impossible that the Lord will return as incarnate, is that correct? It is explicitly written in the Bible that the Lord will return as incarnate. Do you mean that you couldn’t find it? There are many prophecies written in the Bible about the Lord’s return, of which the prophecies on the Lord’s return as incarnate are particularly explicit.

139-B-3 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

What does man ultimately gain from experiencing God’s judgment and chastisement? What does God want to fulfill? Someone says it is for man to gain the truth and life. What kind of life does he gain? This new life is essentially a life that obeys God, a life that loves God, and a life that fears God. It is a new life. With this new life, you are willing to obey God as you understand the truth. With this new life, you will fear God no matter what happens to you or whatever choices you encounter. You wouldn’t dare to offend or defy God. With this new life, you will never go against the truth or defy God’s will. If you committed a transgression, you would be tormented by your conscience. You would feel uneasy and indebted to God. You would slap yourself in the face, hate yourself and curse at yourself. All of these are true behaviors of your new life. With this new life, if man were to sin again, his reaction would be drastically different from that before receiving the new life. How did this new life come about? It came from knowing God, from understanding many truths. Some people say, “Understanding the truth doesn’t do me any good. I feel so exploited and humiliated when I practice the truth. There is nothing in it for me.” Is there really nothing in it for you? You don’t see it because you are blind. This is a new life. This is how a new life comes about. When you have this new life, try hanging out in a ballroom, gambling in a casino, beating someone up or cursing at someone, see how it acts up inside. Having life is a far cry from not having life. It is so different!

I. The Lord has appeared in the last days and uttered words to do the work of judgment that begins with the house of God. This completely fulfills the biblical prophecies: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). Only wise virgins can hear the voice of the Lord and welcome Him.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jhn 10:27).

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17).

The Mystery of Godliness (4) - Only God Incarnate Can Do the Work of Judgment in the Last Days

The Eastern Lightning testifies that God has incarnated in the last days to do the work of judgment Himself. And yet God's work in the Age of Law was done by using Moses. So can't God's work of judgment in the last days be done in the same way, by using people? Why does God need to incarnate and do it Himself?

Gospel Movie clip "Who Is He That Has Returned" (5) - No One Else Can Do God’s Work of Judgment

Do you know why the work of judgment in the last days is done by God incarnate personally rather than using man to do it? This film clip will give you Ariadne’s thread.