Session 2

🚨 Reminder: Please read the guide before using this document.

Session 2 Invitation

Topic Introduction

• Brothers and sisters, welcome back to the second day of our bible study! Our greatest hope after believing in the Lord for so many years is to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven and be with the Lord, right?
• But in the Bible the Lord Jesus said:

📖 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

• So why can’t every believer enter God’s kingdom? What are God’s requirements for entering His kingdom? These questions determine whether a person goes to heaven or ends up in hell. I hope all of you can stay until the end as we go through this topic.

Mic and Chat

Prayer

Review of Two Ways

• Let’s start by reviewing what we learned last night. Brothers and sisters, according to Bible prophecy, how will the Lord return in the last days?

❓Question: In which way will the Lord return?

A. Come upon the clouds publicly ☁️.
B. Secretly return in spirit🌃 .
C. First, He will return in the flesh as a person a second time 🧑. Then, He will come on the clouds ☁️ in public.
D. I’m not sure 😕

✅The correct answer is C.

• 🖼️ The Lord’s second coming is a process with two steps. First, He will return in the flesh as a person. Then He will appear publicly on a white cloud. Let’s read where it says this in the Bible.

The Lord Jesus told us：

📖 "For the Son of Man cometh at an hour when you think not." (Luke 12:40)

• When you call someone the Son of Man, what are you calling them? A person, or a spirit? 🖼️ It is referring to a person with flesh and blood.
  • “Son of Man” means someone born of man. It refers to a person with flesh and blood, someone who has a physical body. Spiritual beings, like angels, cannot be called the Son of Man. When the Lord appears on a cloud, that is in the spiritual body, so it would not be called the Son of Man.
  • Therefore, when the Lord Jesus said, “the Son of Man comes” and “the coming of Son of Man,” He was referring to His return in the flesh, coming again as a person.

• When Christ returns as a person, will it be obvious? Will everyone recognize Him? [No.] Just like when the Lord Jesus first came, there was nothing special about His appearance—no halo, no shining light, no instant recognition.

• That’s why the Lord's second coming in the flesh will also be quiet and secret.

• 🖼️ The Lord Jesus said:

📖 “Behold, I come as a thief” (Revelation 16:15)

• A thief doesn’t announce his arrival or make noise ahead of time. He comes unexpectedly, and most people don’t notice. In the same way, this verse shows that the Lord will return in the flesh, quietly and secretly.

• So how do we recognize the Lord Jesus when He returns again as a person? The Lord Jesus said:

📖 “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” (Revelation 3:20).

• 🖼️ This means we must recognize the Lord Jesus by His voice—by the truth He speaks and teaches. Christ becoming flesh is the Word become flesh. To recognize Him in the flesh is to recognize His words.
• To hear the Lord’s voice means we cannot rely on our eyes to recognize who He is. So this is not telling us to wait to see Jesus coming on a cloud. It is telling us to listen carefully to His words when He returns in the flesh. Only those who listen to His voice and accept the truth will be able to recognize and welcome Him.

• 🖼️ When we put all these prophecies together—“coming like a thief,” “hear His voice,” and “coming as the Son of Man”—we can see that the Lord Jesus will definitely return as a person for the second time before the great tribulation. Then, after the tribulation, He will appear openly on a cloud for everyone to see.

Judgment Prophecy

• Some may wonder, why does the Lord need to come back as a person again? The Bible tells us that when He returns, He will carry out a very important work—the work of judgment. This work will decide whether people enter heaven or are left behind to face punishment. Let’s read these scriptures.

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

📖 “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son…. And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22, 27)

📖 “For He comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity” (Psalm 98:9)

📖 “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” (John 16:12–13)

📖 “And if any man hears My words, and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and accepts not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48)

• Brothers and sisters, what word is repeated over and over in these scriptures? Judgment, right?
• This is why Christ must first return in the flesh. The Son of Man—Christ in the flesh—will come to carry out the work of judgment. The Father or the Spirit would not do this work.
• The Bible mentions the work of judgment more than 200 times. When God says something that many times, it will definitely happen.
• But, what does judgment have to do with us? Brothers and sisters, according to the scriptures, who will God judge—everyone, or only non-believers?🖼️ The Bible says:

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

• Who is in the house of God—believers or non-believers? It is believers. Judgment begins with believers, and we are the first to be judged.
• Notice the verse also says, “judgment MUST begin with the house of God.” The word “must” shows that there is no choice—this is not optional. ⚓ Every believer must accept God’s judgment in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Since this is God’s plan, let us open our hearts and learn, so we can be ready for His judgment work!

Conditions for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

• Some may wonder, “I’m a believer—why would God judge me?” To answer this, we first need to understand what kind of people can enter the kingdom of heaven.
• You may have heard people say, “Our sins are forgiven after we believe in the Lord. As long as we read the Bible, pray, and do good deeds, the Lord will definitely take us into the kingdom of heaven when He returns.”
• But people cannot decide this. Brothers and sisters, who sets the conditions for entering the kingdom of heaven? [Exactly—God does.] Only the Lord’s words are the truth, the way, and the life. Let’s see what the Lord Jesus has to say.

📖 “Not every one that said to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that follows 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” (Matthew 7:21–23)

📖 “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45)

📖 “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14)

• 🖼️ ⚓ According to the Lord Jesus’ words, only those who become holy can enter the kingdom of heaven.
• When people say, “I believe in the Lord Jesus and my sins are forgiven, so the Lord will take me straight into His kingdom,” this is human imagination. The Lord Jesus never said such a thing. In fact, He said that not everyone who calls Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven. This shows that simply believing and having our sins forgiven does not qualify us to enter the kingdom of heaven. We must be holy—this is God’s requirement.
• Some people say, “We can never be holy; nobody is perfect.” But these are God’s own words. Brothers and sisters, do we have to obey God’s words? God asks us to be holy. No matter how hard it seems, this must happen.
• Let’s first understand what holiness is. Holiness does not mean being perfect. Let’s look at a few examples.
  • If a person believes in the Lord but still complains when things do not go their way, cannot accept suffering, and argues with God in their heart, is that holiness? [No. A holy person learns to submit to God’s arrangements.]
  • If a person believes in the Lord but always insists on their own plans, their own preferences, and refuses to obey when God’s will is different, is that holiness? [No. Holiness means putting aside our own will and obeying God.]
  • If a person believes in the Lord but blames God when disaster, sickness, or difficulty comes, is that holiness? [No. A holy person trusts that everything God does is good.]

• We can see that holiness does not mean being perfect. It means a person no longer rebels against or resists God, but is able to truly follow and practice His words.

• 💬 When I reflect on my own life, I realize I still fall short. When something unpleasant happens, my first reaction is often complaint, not submission. I ask, Why is this happening to me? When my plans fail—work, family, or finances—I still want things my way. I pray, but in my heart I hope God will follow my wishes. When God’s words expose me, I sometimes resist or make excuses instead of accepting them. Seeing this, I have to admit that I still resist God. I am not yet holy.

• ⚓ So we can see that simply believing in the Lord and having our sins forgiven does not mean a person is holy. If someone still resists God, cannot submit to His arrangements, cannot truly practice His words, and continues to live according to their own will and sin, then they are not yet holy.

• 🖼️ Now, brothers and sisters, what about you? Do you agree that even as believers we still struggle with sin and are not yet holy? Do you think that’s true?

🚨 Brothers and sisters, if our sins are only forgiven, but we are not holy and can still rebel against God, can we directly enter the kingdom of heaven?❓

• Some may think, “What’s the big deal? Every believer does this.” These behaviors may not seem as serious as murder, theft, or adultery, but in God’s eyes, they are even worse. When a person argues with God, judges His work, or insists on their own way, they are opposing Him.
• For example, God says we must be holy, yet someone responds, I don’t think that’s possible. I don’t agree. I don’t accept it. God speaks, yet man decides whether it is right or wrong. So who is in charge then? Are you claiming you know better than God? This is not believing in God—this is believing in oneself.

• And this is exactly what Satan likes to do. Satan always wants to take God’s place and challenge His authority. Anyone who still rebels against and resists God is not holy. They may believe in Him, but God has not truly gained them—they are still His enemy.

• ⚓ Therefore, to enter God's kingdom, believers must cast off sin and attain holiness. One cannot enter God’s kingdom simply by believing in God or by having one’s sins forgiven. To be holy is God’s requirement, and it will not change for anyone, at any time, under any circumstance.

• Brothers and sisters, we are not here to judge who is holy and who is not. We all fall short of God’s requirements—none of us is holy. What we are doing is taking God’s requirement seriously and seeking to align ourselves with His will. We do not want to spend our whole lives believing, only to find in the end that we do not meet His requirement to enter His kingdom.

• Some may feel worried and ask, “God requires us to be holy, but we are not holy. Does that mean we can never enter God’s kingdom?” Don’t worry. Entering God’s kingdom is God’s promise, so it is absolutely possible—but we need to understand how God will accomplish this work.

Results of the Lord Jesus’ Work

• Some people may ask, “Why aren’t we holy yet? The Lord Jesus died for us on the cross. We are saved by faith—so why can we still sin and rebel?”
• To answer this, we need to clearly understand what it means to be saved by faith—what the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross, and also what He did not do.
• Let’s begin by reading a passage of spiritual words.

✨ “For, in the Age of Grace, the demons were cast out from man with the laying on of hands and prayer, but the corrupt dispositions within man still remained. Man was healed of his sickness and forgiven his sins, but as for just how man was to be purged of the corrupt satanic dispositions within him, this work had yet to be done. Man was only saved and forgiven his sins for his faith, but the sinful nature of man was not extirpated and still remained within him… The sins of man were forgiven, and this is because of the work of God’s crucifixion, but man continued to live within his corrupt satanic disposition of old. This being so, man must be completely saved from his corrupt satanic disposition, so that his sinful nature may be completely extirpated, never to develop again, thus enabling the disposition of man to be transformed”

• ⚓ From these words, we can see that the Lord Jesus completed the work of redemption, but He did not do the work of purifying people. When we believe in the Lord, our sins are forgiven, but our sinful nature still remains. That is why, even after believing, we still lie, lose our temper, judge and complain about God, and continue to live in sin.

• Before the time of Christ, people also sinned. But do you know how their sins were forgiven back then? They could not simply confess or pray for forgiveness—because the Lord Jesus had not come yet. 🖼️ They had to make animal sacrifices.
  • For example, if I sinned today, I would have to bring a lamb and offer it as a sacrifice. That lamb would be the price I had to pay for my sin. And this was not a one-time thing. Every time people sinned, they had to make another sacrifice. This forgiveness was not permanent.
  • If someone did not offer a sacrifice, then they had to pay for their sin themselves—with their own blood. 🖼️ For serious sins such as adultery, the punishment was death by stoning.
  • As the population grew and people became more corrupted, making animal sacrifices became impossible. There simply were not enough lambs. Think about today—if we were still required to make animal sacrifices, there would not be enough lambs for everyone. Under the law, every one of us would be condemned because of the sins we commit.

• 2,000 years ago, the Lord Jesus came and and was crucified. He became the sin offering for all mankind, taking the place of the animal sacrifices people were required to make. From that time on, if we confess our sins and truly repent, God forgives us. We are no longer condemned under the law.Instead, we can come before the Lord, pray to Him, and enjoy His peace, joy, and grace.

Brothers and sisters, does being forgiven of sin mean that people are holy❓

Absolutely not.

• 🖼️ ⚓ Being forgiven of sin and being saved by faith means we no longer need to make animal sacrifices, and we are no longer condemned or put to death under the law. But believers still struggle with sin. This shows that we are not yet holy.
  • Imagine a thief who is caught stealing. His father loves him very much and says to the judge, “Let my son go. I will take his place.” Just because the father goes to jail for the son, does that mean the son will never steal again? [Of course not.] It only means the son is no longer punished under the law. If his stealing nature has not changed, he will steal again. In the same way, the Lord Jesus paid the price for our sins. But we can still commit sin. This shows that our sinful nature has not been removed.

Sinful Nature

• So what is our sinful nature? Why can we still commit sin?

Paul says: 📖 "For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:18-19)

• Brothers and sisters, do you ever feel this way? You know what is right and what is wrong, yet so often, we still give in to sin. 🖼️ ⚓ We sin because we have sinful nature.
• So, what exactly is sinful nature? Let’s look at a few examples.

📖 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28)

📖 “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” (1 John 3:15)

• Sins are behaviors that go against God’s words. Sinful nature is the wicked thoughts, ideas, and beliefs in our heads that cause us to sin.
  • For example, adultery is a sin—it is when a husband betrays his wife. Why does it happen? Because of lustful thoughts. So lust is part of our sinful nature.
  • Murder is also a sin. But why do people kill? Because there is hate in the heart—anger, resentment, the desire for revenge. So hate is another part of our sinful nature.

• In short, sin is what we do. Sinful nature is what is inside our heads that makes us do it. It lives in our thoughts, in our ideas, in the way we see things. If what is inside our heads is wrong, what comes out will also be wrong. What we say, what we choose, how we act—it all comes from our sinful nature.

• Brothers and sisters, besides lust and hate, what other examples of sinful nature have you experienced in your own life? 🖼️

Greed is another example of sinful nature. It can lead people to steal, cheat, or exploit others in order to gain more for themselves.

Arrogance is another example. It can cause people to look down on others, refuse correction, or act selfishly to protect their reputation.

Selfishness is also part of sinful nature. It makes people ignore the needs of others, act only for personal benefit, or put themselves first at the expense of others.

Sinful nature also includes wrong thoughts and beliefs, such as thinking, “Money makes the world go around” or “God didn’t create man; humans evolved from apes.” These ideas pull people away from God and can even lead them to deny Him entirely.

• We can see that everyone has a sinful nature. Because of it, we often find ourselves in a cycle of sinning and confessing. Confession admits our sin, but it does not remove the sinful nature inside us. So the next day, the same sinful thoughts or desires come out again in a different way, and the cycle continues.
  • 💬 For example, I may confess that I lied to a friend yesterday. But today, I might lie again at work to avoid trouble. Why? Because the root of dishonesty is still there. So the sin keeps showing up wherever I go.
• 🖼️ Think of it like a tree. If you want to remove it, it is not enough to cut off the leaves and branches. You must remove the root. If the root stays in the ground, the tree will grow back, no matter how many times you cut it down. In the same way, our problem with sin cannot be solved by confession. If the sinful nature—the root of sin—is not removed, then no matter how many times we confess, we will keep sinning.

Q. Brothers and sisters, where did we get our sinful nature from❓

Satan

• When God created mankind, we did not have a sinful nature. But Satan corrupted us. He told Adam and Eve, “You can eat from the tree, and you will not die.” Satan was not simply telling them to eat from the tree—he was teaching them to disobey God. If man can disobey God in one matter, he can disobey Him in anything. From that moment, mankind became corrupted and sinful. Over thousands of years, Satan has continued to fill people with more wicked ideas—greed, selfishness, hypocrisy, vanity, and many others.

• Another way to understand sinful nature is to see it as Satan’s poison. These wicked ideas, thoughts, and beliefs are exactly how Satan corrupts people.

Q. If believers still have sinful nature, are they qualified to directly enter God’s kingdom❓

A. No, because we need to attain holiness.
B. Yes, as long as we believe in the Lord, we can directly enter the kingdom of heaven.

✅ A. No, because we need to attain holiness.

• Think about it: will God allow people to bring Satan’s poison into His holy kingdom? [ Absolutely not. ]
• Let’s read a passage to understand this more clearly.

✨ "A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God—can you be in line with God’s intentions? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and you are not of sin because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are without sin or impurity. How can you be sanctified if you have not been changed? Within, you are full of impurity, selfish and base, 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 you have not been changed. For you to be in line with God’s intentions, God must personally do the work to change and cleanse you; otherwise you could not possibly become sanctified as you’ve only been redeemed. In this way you will be unqualified to enjoy the good blessings together with God, for you have missed a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. You, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are therefore incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance."

• ⚓ Being forgiven does not mean we are purified. Forgiveness removes the punishment of sin, but the sinful nature is still inside us, causing us to sin and even resist God.
• Before entering God’s kingdom, believers must be cleansed of their sinful nature. Only then can we truly worship God and enjoy the blessings He has prepared.
• The Bible says:

📖 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3–4).

• The scriptures show that in God’s kingdom there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain. Brothers and sisters, do we want to enter such a beautiful place? [We all do!]
• But to enter this eternal and joyful kingdom, we must first be holy—that means our sinful nature must be cleansed.
  • Think about it. Why is the world full of pain and suffering today? Doesn’t it all come from sin? Why do people fight? Why do families break apart? Why do friendships end? Why are there wars? Isn’t it all because of selfishness, greed, pride, hatred? These corrupt desires push people to hurt one another and to go against God. Even if God moved us to Mars, these problems would follow us. If sinful nature remains, the cycle of sinning and suffering will never end.
  • Without removing sinful nature, we cannot receive eternal life. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” If sinful nature remains, death remains. Even if someone entered the kingdom, they would still die because of sin. What good is that?
• So we can see, if sinful nature is not removed, we remain trapped in sin and confession, living with sorrow and pain, unable to gain eternal life or enter God’s kingdom.

Question: If the Lord keeps forgiving our sins and giving grace and blessings, can people gradually remove their sinful nature❓

Absolutely not.

• God has been forgiving mankind and giving grace for 2,000 years. What is the result? Have people become holy? Have they cast off their corruption? [No.]
• Instead of getting better, people are becoming worse.
  • Look at non-believers. Many deny that God exists. They say everything came from nature. Some even say humans came from apes. Isn’t this turning against the Creator?
  • And what about believers? Many believe, but they do not truly know God. They want blessings, but not His words. They want God to serve them, but they do not want to obey Him.
  • Man has become God’s enemy—resisting Him, using Him, and betraying Him.
• So we can see that the work of redemption—giving peace and joy, forgiving sins, showing patience and tolerance—cannot make people holy. Even if it lasted another 2,000 years, our sinful nature would still not change.
• At best, we are forgiven. But forgiveness is not cleansing. Forgiveness means we are no longer punished under the law. It does not mean the sinful nature is gone.
• The cross saved us from the punishment of sin, but it did not remove the root of sin. Therefore, God must do another stage of work in the last days to cleanse and purify us before we can enter His kingdom.

Judgment Work

• So how can we truly break free from sin and be brought into the kingdom of heaven by God? The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus will return to carry out the work of judgment, to purify and cleanse our sinful nature and make us holy. Let’s read a few Bible verses.

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

📖 “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son…. And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22, 27)

📖 “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” (John 16:12–13)

📖 “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9)

📖 “Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5)

• Every single believer has a sinful nature. So the Scriptures tell us that in the last days, believers must go through judgment before we can enter God’s kingdom.
• This judgment work will be carried out by the Son of Man. Is that speaking of the Lord Jesus in the flesh or in the Spirit? [It is the Lord Jesus in the flesh]. He will come to earth as a person and guide believers into all truth.
• You may have heard people say that God will first rapture believers before the great tribulation. That is true. But we need to understand how this works. God cannot take believers directly into His kingdom because we are not holy yet. Before the great tribulation, the Lord will come in the flesh to judge believers.
• What happens after believers are judged? The Bible says people will learn righteousness. That means believers will be cleased of their sin and sinful nature. They will become righteous and holy and be truly gained by God. This is how the Lord saves believers in the last days before the great tribulation.
• First, let me clarify: we are not talking about judgment for the dead. This judgment is for the living on earth, not for those in the spiritual world.
• Some may wonder: Why would the Lord judge me? Doesn’t the Lord love us?
• Let me explain with a simple example. When you were a child, did your parents ever discipline you? Did they correct you or scold you? When parents judge or discipline their children, is it out of hate or out of love? It is out of love. It is meant to teach and protect.
• God truly loves us. But His love is not only answering prayers or giving blessings and protection. When God corrects us, teaches us, and disciplines us, isn't that also love? [ Of course ]. In the last days, Christ comes before the great tribulation to judge believers because He wants to help us see our corruption. He wants to teach us how to remove our sinful nature and break free from the cycle of sinning and repenting. The purpose of this judgment is salvation. It is purification.
• Some may say: I was taught that God will judge people based on their deeds. If we do good, we go to heaven. If we do evil, we go to hell. Is that really how God judges believers?
  • If God only looked at our past behavior, who could enter the kingdom of heaven? No one.
  • If God only judged us by our past behaviors, why would He forgive us? What would be the point of confession?
• The judgment of believers before the great tribulation is for purification and salvation. It is not about punishing us for past behavior. Our sins have been forgiven. But our sinful nature still needs to be cleansed.

Q. Why does the Bible say God needs to judge believers?

A. To forgive our sins.
B. To purify our sinful nature.
C. To punish us for the sins we have committed.
D. I am not sure.

Correct answer: B. To purify our sinful nature.

Q. Some people say, “I have believed in the Lord all my life. I read the Bible, go to church, and have done many good things. I don’t need to be judged. The Lord Jesus will take me directly into His kingdom.” Do you agree?

Absolutely not.

The Bible says:

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

• Everyone in the house of God must be judged before entering God’s kingdom. Does the Bible say anywhere that if your sins are forgiven, if you read the Bible, or if you do good deeds, you do not need to be judged? [ Absolutely not. ]
• Believers must be judged because we all have a sinful nature that needs to be purified before we are qualified to enter God’s kingdom.
• Two thousand years ago, did the Lord Jesus do the work of judgment? Did He remove our sinful nature? [ No. ]
• Let’s read a passage to understand more.

“And if any man hears My words, and believes not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and accepts not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48)

✨ “Though Jesus came among man and did much work, He only completed the work of redeeming all mankind and served as man’s sin offering; He did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to become the sin offering and bear the sins of man, but it also required God to do even greater work to rid man completely of his satanically corrupted disposition. And so, after man was forgiven of his sins, God returned to the flesh to lead man into the new age, and began the work of chastisement and judgment. This work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and they shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.”

• The Lord Jesus said, “For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world… the word that I have spoken shall judge him in the last day.” The Lord Jesus told us He only forgave our sins. But He did not do the judgment work to remove our sinful nature. That is why believers still sin.

• Let me give you an example. Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus cut off the branches and leaves of the tree, but He did not remove the root. In the last days, the Lord comes to remove the root. If we do not accept this judgment work, we can never become holy. If we are not holy, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

• Some may ask: Many people have corrected me in my life. My parents, pastors, even myself. Why must I be judged by the Lord to be purified? Let’s read another verse.

“For the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

✨ “The work of judgment is God’s own work, so it must naturally be carried out by God Himself; it cannot be done by man in His stead. Because judgment is the use of the truth to conquer humankind, there is no question that God would still appear in the incarnate image to perform this work among man. That is to say, Christ of the last days shall use the truth to teach people across the world and make all truths known to them. This is God’s work of judgment.

• The Bible says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” What people see is very limited. Only God can see the heart. For example, when the Lord Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He told her she had five husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband. That was something she had never told anyone. Only God could know that.
• Even if people recognize some of their sinful nature, they cannot change it by themselves. For two thousand years, all believers struggled with sin. If we could purify ourselves, we would already be holy. But we are not. Only God is holy. Only He can teach us how to become holy. Only God can supply truth. All mankind is corrupted. We cannot save or purify each other.

Q. If believers do not accept God’s judgment work to be purified, can they enter the kingdom of heaven?

Absolutely not.

• God’s work of judgment in the last days is most crucial and important in His work of saving mankind because it determines whether believer can finally enter the kingdom of heaven. If a believer misses this work, then they cannot be purified, it is giving up halfway in one's believe in God. The Lord Jesus did the work of redemption. By believing in Him, our sins are forgiven. But we still live in sin and cannot stop sinning. If we accept the work of judgment in the last days, we can be purified. We will no longer be controlled by sin. We can truly break free and enter God’s kingdom.This is a higher stage of salvation. This is why the work of judgment is so important. It is the only path into the kingdom of heaven. If we refuse God’s judgment work, even if we believe for a lifetime, we will not be able to enter His kingdom.

Judgment By Words

• How will the Lord judge and purify believers? Let us first read a few Scriptures.

📖 “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son…. And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:22, 27)

📖 “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” (John 16:12–13)

📖 “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:17)

📖 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

• In the last days, God becomes flesh as the Son of Man to express the truth and carry out the work of judgment.
• The Scripture says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
  • Free from what? [ From our sin and sinful nature. ]
  • The truth will make us free. What is the truth? [ Truth is God’s word. ]
  • The Bible says, “Sanctify them through Your truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
• The truth shall make us free, what is the truth?
• Truth is God's words. The Bible tells us “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth.”
• In the last days, the Lord becomes flesh and speaks many truths to purify our sinful nature. Let us read a passage to understand more.

✨ “Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should submit to God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man rejects God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the intentions of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”

• The work of judgment is carried out through words. Christ is the Word become flesh. So why does the Lord become flesh again? To speak more words. This time, no longer words of repentance, but words of judgment.
• In the last days, God uses His words to expose our satanic dispositions and the wicked thoughts inside us. He helps us see where we fall short. He shows us our corruption. For example:
  • Why do we complain about God when things do not go our way?
  • Why do we still pursue money and status?
  • Why do we still lie?
• Then God uses His words to teach us how to practice the truth, so we can live by His words and become holy.
• In short, the work of judgment is to replace all of Satan's words in our head with God's words, so mankind truly learns to live by God's words, no longer rebelling against God and commiting sin. To give brothers and sisters an example, have you ever hear people tell you that your body is the temple of Christ? That means we are suppose to worship God's words in our heart and mind. God's word should reign supreme our head, and become the principle of our action and behavior. But after man are corrupted by Satan, it is Satan's words that reign in our head. When people encounter difficulties or hardship in life, what do they first think about? Where is my money. Satan's logic has become man's logic. So judgment is God removing all these corruptions in our head and replace them with His words. It is purification.

Do you think the work of judgment happens overnight, or does it take time?

• The work of judgment in the last days is not a momentary event. It does not happen in one or two days. The Lord Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say to you… when the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.” It takes time to learn many truth. Our corrupt disposition is deeply rooted. It cannot be removed in one day. When Christ teaches us how to remove our sinful nature, we do not understand everything at once. We must read His words, practice them, and change little by little. Two thousand years ago, when the Lord Jesus taught the way of repentance, it took three and a half years. In the last days, the Lord speaks even more truth. So this process definitely takes time.

• God’s judgment in the last days is like a patient visiting a doctor. A few months ago, I had my yearly physical. My doctor told me I was fat. Was he trying to hurt me? [ No. He was trying to help me. ] He explained that my blood sugar and cholesterol were too high. I needed to hear those explanation about my health condition. Then he gave me a diet plan and exercise routine. After hearing him, did I instantly become thinner? [ No. ] I had to follow his instructions over time.
• In the same way, when the Lord judges our sinful nature, He tells us the truth about our corruption. Then we must practice His words. Slowly, satanic dispositions are removed. Our life disposition begins to change. That is purification. This is not a supernatural or instant process. God uses truth—His words—to judge and cleanse us.
• Just as a sick person must see a doctor, if we want to remove our sinful nature and become holy, we must accept God’s judgment work in the last days.

Q: How does the Lord Jesus carry out the work of judgment?

A. He comes on the cloud in a spiritual body.
B. He returns in the flesh to teach us His words so we can remove our sinful nature.

Correct answer: B. He returns in the flesh to teach us His words so we can remove our sinful nature.

Sealed Book

• Let’s think about another question.

Question: What kind of words will the Lord speak when He comes to judge and purify us❓

A. Words already in the Bible.
B. New words not recorded in the Bible.

• Before we give the answer, let’s read what the Lord Jesus said. Then see if anyone want to change their answer.

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” (John 16:12–13)

• The correct answer is ✅ B. New words not recorded in the Bible.
• “I have yet many things to say to you” means the Lord still had more words to speak—words He did not speak at that time. So they could not have been recorded in the Bible. These are words the Lord will express when He returns in the last days.
• The Bible also prophesies more than once that God will open a sealed book in the last days.

🟡 Revelation 5:1, 3, 5: “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 no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open 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.”

🟡 Daniel 12:4: “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

🟡 Daniel 12:9–10: “And He said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

• These verses tell us there is a sealed book in God’s hand. It is sealed, so no one can open it by themselves.

Do you think the sealed book is the Bible?

No.

• Let’s look at the differences:
  • The sealed book is called “sealed” because it is closed and cannot be read. But the Bible has been open for about 2,000 years. It is not sealed.
  • When will the sealed book be opened?
    • The scripture says: “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end." meaning the last days. When was the Bible opened? 2,000 years ago.
  • What happens when people read the sealed book?
    • The verses say "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;" Did the bible purify the believers, it did not.
• So we can see: the sealed book is not the Bible. It refers to another book God opens in the last days.
• Some people may ask, “Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses also have other books. Are those the sealed book?” [Absolutely not.] Revelation says only one can open the sealed book: “The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David.” Who is that? [The Lord Jesus]. This means no person and no prophet can open it. Only the Lord Himself can. I don't know who wrote the books for Mormons and Jehovah witness, but definitely not God.
• So the sealed book refers to the words the Lord Jesus will speak when He returns. These are not the words already recorded in the Bible. The Bible teaches repentance and confession, but it does not remove our sinful nature. The words of the sealed book are the truths that judge and purify us and guide us into all truth.

• Some may ask: Why didn’t the Lord Jesus speak these words 2,000 years ago?

📖 “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  (John 16:12)

• This shows that the Lord Jesus could teach us these words 2,000 years ago because would not be able to handle them, it wasn't the right time. We have to learn the truth step by step.
• It is like raising a child: First they crawl. Then they stand. Then they walk. Then they run. You cannot teach a baby to do laundry and wash dishes on day one. It is too much.
• It is the same with God’s work.
  • In the Old Testament, God gave laws and commandments, so people could know what sin is.
  • In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus brought the way of repentance, love, and forgiveness.
  • In the last days, the Lord returns in flesh and speaks more truth—truth that judges and purifies, and shows us how to cast off our sinful nature.

The Work of Judgment Includes Two Aspects

Do you think every believer will accept God's judgment work to be purified?

No

Bible says:


📖 Daniel 12:9–10: “And He said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

Before disasters → God comes in flesh to speaks, judges, and purifies His people.

After disasters → God appears openly to judge unbelievers and false believers.

Now some people will ask, "For those who accept the judgment of God’s words, God uses the truth to judge and purify them. But for those who do not accept the judgment of God’s words, how does God judge them?" That is to say, how does God judge nonbelievers, as well as those who only believe in the Lord Jesus but do not accept the Lord Jesus’ second incarnation, and those who only believe in the Bible but reject the new words expressed by God in the last days?

Let’s read 2 passages of words.

“One aspect of God’s work is to conquer all mankind and gain the chosen people through His words; another is to conquer all sons of rebellion by way of various disasters. This is one part of the large-scale work of God. Only in this way can the kingdom on earth that God wants be fully achieved, and this is the part of His work that is pure gold.”

“All manner of disasters will befall, one after another; all nations and places will experience calamities: Plague, famine, flood, drought, and earthquakes are everywhere. These disasters are not just happening in one or two places, nor will they be over within a day or two; rather, instead they will expand across a greater and greater area, and become more and more severe. During this time, all manner of insect plagues will arise one after another, and the phenomenon of cannibalism will occur everywhere. This is My judgment upon the myriad countries and peoples.”

Therefore, judgment is divided into two types: Those who believe in God (God’s chosen people)—Judgment by new words—Purification and salvation Nonbelievers and false believers (those who resist God)—Judgment by disasters—Punishment

So, God’s work is done in steps and stages; it is not accomplished all at once. Judgment is a double-edged sword. Who are those God wants to save? Who are those to be eliminated? The judgment by words and the judgment by disasters are carried out simultaneously. God’s judgment by words is primarily to purify those who can accept His work of judgment in the last days. Through the judgment by words, the result of purifying and saving a portion of people is achieved. At the same time, those who clearly know that there are so many prophecies in the Bible about God’s work of judgment in the last days, but stubbornly refuse to accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, are all objects of God’s condemnation and elimination. They will be left in the judgment of disasters to be destroyed. God’s work of judgment is work that purifies and saves man, and it is also work that sorts each according to their kind. It does not directly condemn or destroy man. As for the work of rewarding the good and punishing the evil that we speak of, it is carried out after the work of judgment. And the work of separating the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, is precisely revealed through the work of judgment. That is to say, during the period when the incarnate God expresses words to do the work of judgment, all who can accept the judgment of God’s words and attain purification can be saved, while those who reject God’s judgment, and resist and condemn God, are all objects of punishment. Therefore, the work of judgment is directly related to the future destiny and outcome of each of us; it involves the great matter of whether we who believe in the Lord can enter the kingdom of heaven. If we do not accept God’s work of judgment and purification by words in the last days, and approach it with notions and imaginings, then we will forever lose the opportunity to be purified by God and enter the kingdom of heaven. This will be an eternal regret, an eternal pain. This is how God ends this human race: saving a portion of people who love the truth and can accept the truth, while at the same time condemning, punishing, and destroying those who do not accept the truth and deny the truth. This is the work of judgment.

Consequences of Not Accepting the Judgment

Having spoken to this point, I would like to ask everyone a question:

Suppose that a pastor says, "We who believe in the Lord have already been saved by faith. The precious blood of the Lord Jesus has already cleansed us of our sins. As long as we often read the Bible, pray every day, and attend more gatherings, we can enter the kingdom of heaven. We who believe in the Lord do not need the Lord to do the judgment work in the last days to purify and save us. Reading the Bible is enough for us; we do not need God to express new words in the last days to purify us." Would you agree? ——No, I would not agree.

Now, there are many people in the religious world who say that it is impossible for God to do the work of judgment in the last days, and they are just waiting for the Lord Jesus to descend on a cloud to receive them into the kingdom of heaven. Isn't this idea of theirs unrealistic? Did the Lord Jesus say that we can enter the kingdom of heaven just by being saved by faith? The Bible clearly prophesies:

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

They clearly know that the Bible prophesies God’s work of judgment in the last days, yet they still deny and refuse to accept it. Do they truly believe the Bible? That God will do the work of judgment in the last days is based on biblical prophecy. If they understand the Bible, they should understand the importance of this prophecy. When we believe in God, we cannot blindly believe man’s words, but must base our faith on the words of the Lord Jesus. If anyone’s words do not conform to the words of the Lord Jesus, then we cannot listen to them. As for those who do not listen to God’s words, who blindly follow man and listen to man’s words without discernment, they also believe that they do not need to accept the judgment of God’s words to enter the kingdom of heaven. What awaits them is only endless disaster and eternal destruction. Therefore, the work of judgment is the most crucial and fundamental stage in God’s work of saving mankind. Only by accepting God’s work of judgment in the last days can one be made an overcomer before the catastrophes and be someone who has a share in the kingdom of heaven. Only by accepting and experiencing the judgment and chastisement of God’s words can people know their own nature essence and satanic disposition, know God’s righteous and holy disposition, gradually understand and gain the truth, and have their satanic disposition purified. This is the only path for man to attain salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven. If people refuse to accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, they will never gain the truth, will not be able to break free from the bondage of sin, and will not be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. Even if they have done much work, suffered a lot for the Lord, and paid a great price in the past, they will not receive the Lord’s approval.

What path man takes in believing in God is chosen by themselves; God does not force anyone. But we must understand that when God becomes flesh and comes to earth to express the truth to judge and purify man, if we do not accept it, then when we see the Lord descending on a cloud, it will be too late. That will be the time when the work of judgment has ended, and also the time when God rewards the good and punishes the evil. At that time, even if we are consumed with regret, God will not repeat the work of judgment for us. Once we miss the work of judgment by words done by God incarnate in the last days, we will have missed it forever. God’s disposition is merciless toward anyone who cannot keep pace with Him.

Finally, let’s read a passage of words together:

✨ “Many feel uncomfortable regarding the second incarnation of God, for people find it difficult to believe that God would become flesh to do the work of judgment. Nevertheless, I must tell you that the work of God often goes far beyond the expectations of man, and is difficult for human minds to accept. For people are but maggots upon the earth, while God is the supreme One who fills the universe; the mind of man is like a pit of foul water that breeds only maggots, whereas each stage of the work directed by the thoughts of God is the distillation of God’s wisdom. People are always trying to contend with God, to which I say it is self-evident who will lose out in the end. I exhort you all not to think yourselves more valuable than gold. If others can accept the judgment of God, why can’t you? How much higher do you stand above others? If others can bow their heads before the truth, why can’t you, too? God’s work has an unstoppable momentum. He will not repeat the work of judgment again just because of the “contribution” you have made, and you will be overcome with regret at letting such a good opportunity slip by. If you do not believe My words, then just wait for that great white throne in the sky to pass judgment upon you! You must know that all of the Israelites rejected and denied Jesus, and yet the fact of Jesus’ redemption of mankind still extended throughout the universe and to the ends of the earth. Isn’t this a fact that God accomplished long ago? If you are still waiting for Jesus to take you up to heaven, then I say that you are an obstinate piece of deadwood.[a] Jesus will not acknowledge a false believer such as you, who is disloyal to the truth and seeks only blessings. On the contrary, He will show no mercy in casting you into the lake of fire to burn for tens of thousands of years.”

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