The Principles of Living out Normal Humanity

1. To live out normal humanity, you must possess conscience, reason, integrity and dignity. Living by God’s words is the foundation of being human;

2. You must be an honest person, speak honestly and do real things, be pure, open and wise, fear God and shun evil, and live by God’s words;

3. Get along with others with a loving heart, be tolerant and patient, forgiving and caring, understanding and respectful, and be able to treat others fairly and impartially;

4. You must pursue the truth and practice the truth, faithfully fulfill the duties of a created being, and live out a true human likeness to glorify God.

1 How to Pursue to Be an Honest Person

1 How to Pursue to Be an Honest Person

Miaoxiao Anyang City, Henan Province

In the past, when reading in God’s word that we were required to be an honest person, many brothers and sisters thought that it was not hard to be an honest person and that as long as one told the truth without cheating others in everything, he was an honest person. Most people did not meditate or seek whether they had lived up to the standards of an honest person, and even less did they pay attention to entering into being an honest person. Thus, the matter of practicing being an honest person was shelved. Recently, through the man’s fellowship “The Four Indices People Have to Grasp in Pursuing the Truth to Gain the Transformation of Their Disposition,” we have clearly realized the importance and crucialness of being an honest person, knowing that being an honest person is the prerequisite and the foundation for the transformation of our disposition and is the start of pursuing the transformation of our disposition. Because God likes honest people and loathes crafty people, only if we begin by practicing and entering into being an honest person will we be able to establish a normal relationship with God, and will we easily communicate with God and receive the working of the Holy Spirit. If we have no entering in in being an honest person, we cannot have transformation of our disposition, even less can we be saved and perfected by God.

Principles of Being Wise in Your Belief in God

1. You must know the essential differences between wisdom and deceit. Being wise is in order to properly perform your duty and carry out God’s will; it is something positive.

2. You must adopt wise means toward the great red dragon and all other satanic forces, taking upholding God’s work and not causing any harm to the work of the house of God as the principle.

3. You must be honest, and you must be loving and wise toward others, taking being of benefit to others and the work of God as the principle.

4. In spreading the gospel and saving others, you must search for those who are able to accept the truth. Making sure your methods are judicious means taking the effectiveness of salvation as the principle.

The Principles of Examining Whether or Not One’s Disposition Has Changed

1. Examine yourself as to whether or not you have achieved the standards of being an honest person, whether or not you possess conscience and reason, whether or not you are devoted in your duties and how many good deeds you have accrued;

2. Examine your views on things, your views on life and values as to whether or not there has been a fundamental change, and whether or not you possess genuine views on life and values;

3. Examine yourself as to whether or not you truly possess the faith of Job—being able to fear God and shun evil—and whether or not you have a true knowledge of God and true love for God;

4. Examine yourself as to whether or not you are someone who truly obeys God and whether or not, during trials, you are able to achieve the 11 standards of obeying God.

The Principles of Self-examination and Self-knowledge

1. You must always examine yourself on the basis of the words of God which judge and reveal man’s corrupt essence, and know the essence of your own nature and the truth of your corruption;

2. You must take hold of your transgressions and expressions of corruption and examine yourself, so as to see clearly the extent of your pitifulness, forsake the flesh and satisfy God;

3. When you encounter pruning and dealing, chastening and disciplining, failure and setbacks, you should examine yourself, and know your own shortcomings, areas of weakness and Achilles’ heels;

4. Examine yourself by means of others’ experiences of falling down and failures, and learn the lessons and gain the benefits so as not to defy God or offend God’s disposition again.

The Principles of Practicing Spiritual Devotions at Regular Times

1. Without self-examination during spiritual devotions, you will easily deviate and go your own way. Through spiritual devotions you can equip yourself with the truth to make up for your shortcomings, and guard against repeating past transgressions;

2. You must accept God’s scrutiny in your self-examination during spiritual devotions. Only by being pure and open and giving your heart to God can you obtain the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit;

3. You must be quiet before God and eat and drink God’s words, and earnestly examine whether or not you are performing your duties up to standard and how much your duties have been contaminated by personal intentions and aims;

4. Through self-examination during spiritual devotions and recognize whether or not the path you walk is correct, whether or not you pursue the truth and whether or not you can be saved and perfected.