Selected Preachings of the Leaders from Different Levels in the Church

Now, we have all known that knowing ourselves is very important and is a prerequisite to the transformation of our nature, and we have started to put effort into it. However, most of the time our knowledge of ourselves is only shallow and superficial, and no desired results have been achieved at all. So, up until now, we have not gained much transformation in our nature. In fact, the crux of the problem is that we do not have the true knowledge of our corrupt innate nature and are unclear about how to know the substance of our innate nature. In the following paragraphs, let us look at the effective ways to know our innate nature according to God’s words and the man’s fellowship attached to the Summary of Christ’s Preachings and Conversations.

First, we must spend more effort on the words by which God exposes the substance of man’s innate nature, and strictly relate them to ourselves and examine ourselves according to them. Only by doing so can we achieve the result of truly knowing ourselves. God says: “The key to the transformation of your nature is to know your innate nature, and you have to do it according to God’s exposing. Only in God’s word can you know your ugly innate nature, know the various satanic poisons in your innate nature, know your foolishness and ignorance, and know the frailty and negativity in your innate nature.” The man’s fellowship says: “…to know their innate nature, people have to do it according to the word of God. God has spoken many words directed at the substance of mankind’s corruption. If people do not spend more effort on pondering them, it will be very difficult for them to understand God’s words thoroughly.” From these words we see that to truly know our corrupt innate nature, we have to do it according to the exposing of God’s word. Because God has a thorough knowledge of us, he has long seen clearly the substance of our innate nature. To deal with it, God has expressed many words, in which the various disobedience, resistance, and filthy, evil, and ugly satanic doings in us have been exposed thoroughly. So only through knowing ourselves in God’s word and strictly examining ourselves according to God’s word can we know the substance of our innate nature and gain some knowledge of our true selves who disobey and resist God. And only in the words by which God exposes man’s innate nature can we see our ugly self and see our contemptible, ugly and sordid soul. As we all know, Peter gained the true knowledge of himself mainly according to the exposing of God’s word. He measured and examined himself strictly according to every word by which God judged and exposed man. Eventually, he came to know not only his various corrupt states but also the substance of his innate nature. If we do not know ourselves according to the exposing of God’s word but solely ponder and examine ourselves in our thinking, we can only guess and measure ourselves blindly. Even if we can gain a little knowledge of ourselves, it will be very superficial. We will only pay attention to outward practices and expressions and are unable to truly know ourselves. It can be said that such practices as examining, dissecting, and knowing ourselves in our daily life or during the exposure by sufferings and refining are all based on the understanding of God’s word. If we do not spend effort on the words by which God exposes man’s innate nature, have no knowledge of the words by which God exposes man’s corrupt substance, and do not relate to ourselves the words by which God exposes the substance of man’s innate nature and examine ourselves according to them, we will not know ourselves from the root or the substance even though we practice examining and dissecting ourselves, and we will never achieve the result of truly knowing ourselves. Sometimes, when eating and drinking God’s words of exposing man, we feel it difficult to relate them to ourselves. We consider that we are not so deeply corrupted as God has exposed and that we are not that kind of people as we have not done that kind of things. In fact, what God’s words expose are the things in the substance of man’s innate nature. We have not done that kind of things, because there is no suitable environment for us, or because we are afraid of suffering punishment, not because we have no such innate nature in us. So when eating and drinking God’s words, we should not measure or know ourselves only according to our outward practices and expressions, but should pay attention to pondering over what innate nature leads to the state exposed by God’s words. Then we examine and know ourselves: Though I have not done that kind of things or spoken that kind of words, don’t I also have those things and that kind of innate nature in me? Only by practicing in this way can we know the substance of our innate nature more deeply and thoroughly. Therefore, only if we spend more effort on the words by which God exposes the substance of man’s innate nature and strictly relate them to ourselves and examine ourselves according to them, can we come to truly know ourselves. This is the most basic and crucial way for us to practice knowing ourselves.

Second, we can know our innate nature through the exposure by all kinds of trials, tribulations, and refining. The man’s fellowship says: “It is not easy for man to truly know himself, let alone gain a complete transformation. He cannot achieve it only by eating and drinking God’s word. He at least has to obtain the working of the Holy Spirit, be exposed and refined through all kinds of trials and tribulations, and experience many failures and setbacks before he can truly know himself.” From these words, we can see that it is not easy for us to truly know ourselves. We cannot achieve it only by reading God’s word. We have to be exposed through trials and tribulations, because we will not become convinced unless the facts speak for themselves. Without the facts serving as evidence, we will not become obedient, and it is even less easy for us to know our corrupt innate nature. For example, after reading God’s words of exposing that everyone pursues for the sake of fame, gain, and position while believing in him, we did not think we valued those things that much. Later when we were dismissed from our position, we could not help showing our weak side, being unable to stand firm. We were refined half dead for losing our position and no longer had the faith to pursue. Only then did we see that we indeed had a very strong desire to seek after position. For another example, after reading the words by which God exposes man’s evil innate nature, we thought our innate nature was far less evil than that exposed by God’s words. However, when we were entrapped into evil ideas and thoughts and suffered great refining in a circumstance, we saw that we were indeed so evil by nature. As a hymn on life experience goes: “It is really not easy for me to know myself. Only in sufferings and trials can I be exposed.” In painful refining, our corrupt innate nature will be exposed most completely and thoroughly, which is more conducive to our knowing ourselves. If we, during the exposure by facts, can relate our reactions or expressions to the relevant words of God to know the substance of our innate nature, we will gain a more profound and thorough knowledge of ourselves. Therefore, we need to experience all kinds of trials and refining and examine and dissect ourselves during the exposure by tribulations and trials. This is a necessary way to truly know ourselves.

Third, we can know our innate nature through our ideas and thoughts and reactions. God says: “To know yourself, you must know your true state. To know your state, you should, above all, know your ideas and thoughts. In each period, there is one thing mainly directing your ideas and thoughts. If you can grasp your ideas and thoughts, you can grasp the things behind them. No one can control his ideas and thoughts. Where does this idea or thought come from? What is its starting point? How does it come into being? What directs it? What is its nature?” We all know that our innate nature is the substance of our life, is something in our marrow and blood, and is the foundation of our existence. All the time we are living by it. Our ideas and thoughts, words and actions, are all directed by it. Even our most subtle reactions and behavior are the expressions of our innate nature. There is no doubt about it. Therefore we can dissect our innate nature out simply through our ideas and thoughts, words and actions. For example, at a meeting, when we found that our leader had not cast a look at us during his fellowship, we thought, “Why does he look at others but not me? Is it because I have done something improper that displeased him or because he has no regard for me at all?” We felt very bad about it and read his face every now and then. If we can grasp these ideas and thoughts, examine ourselves by asking these questions: “Why do I read the leader’s face to see whether he values me or not? Why do I suspect that he has no regard for me or has a prejudice against me? Why do I always expect to be valued and highly regarded by others?”, and then dissect ourselves according to God’s word, we will find that we are arrogant and conceited by nature and are devoid of sense, as we always want to have a place in others’ hearts, and always hope that they will regard us as the apple of their eye. At the same time, we can also see that we are so crafty by nature, as we always like to read others’ faces and have a suspicion of others. In our experiences, we should carefully dissect our ideas and thoughts and dig out the things behind them like this. If we persist in this way, we will gain some true knowledge of our corrupt innate nature.