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| The Mystery of the Incarnation (3) |
The Mystery of the Incarnation (3)
When God carries out His work, He comes not to engage in any building or movements; He comes to fulfill His ministry. Each time He becomes flesh, it is only to accomplish a stage of work and open up a new age. Now it is the Age of Kingdom, and man has entered into the exercise of the kingdom. This stage of work is not the work of man or for making man complete to a certain extent; it is to complete a part of God’s work. His work is not the work of man and not to make man complete to a certain degree before leaving earth; it is to fulfill His ministry in full and finish the work that He ought to do, which is to make proper arrangements for His work on earth, thereby becoming glorified. The work of the incarnate God is unlike that of those used by the Holy Spirit.
When God does His work on earth, He is only concerned with the fulfillment of His ministry. As for all other matters unrelated to His ministry, He practically takes no part, even to the extent of turning a blind eye. He simply carries out the work that He ought to do, and least of all is He concerned about the work that man ought to do. The work He does is only that which is related to the age He is in and the ministry that He ought to fulfill, as if all other matters are not His responsibility. He does not furnish Himself with more basic knowledge on living as a man, and He does not learn more social skills or anything else that man understands. He shows no concern at all for all that man ought to be furnished with and simply does the work that is His duty. And so, as man sees it, the incarnate God is deficient in too much, even to the extent that He turns a blind eye to much that a man should have, and He does not have an understanding of such matters. Matters such as general knowledge of life, as well as principles of conduct and associating with others appear to be of no consequence to Him. Regardless, you cannot sense from the incarnate God the slightest bit of abnormal behavior. That is to say, His humanity only maintains His life as an ordinary man with the normal reasoning of His brain, giving Him the ability to discern between right and wrong. However, He is not furnished with anything else, all of which is for man (created beings) alone. God becomes flesh only to fulfill His own ministry. His work is directed toward an entire age and not any specific person or place. His work is directed toward the entire universe. This is the direction of His work and the principle by which He works. This can be altered by none, and man can take no part. Each time God becomes flesh, He brings with Him the work of that age, and not the intent to live alongside man for twenty, thirty, forty, or even seventy, eighty years so that they may better understand and gain insight into Him. There is no need for that! To do so would not at all deepen the knowledge man has of God’s inherent disposition; instead, it would only add to their notions and make the notions and thoughts of man antiquated. And so you should all understand exactly what is the work of the incarnate God. Could it be that you do not understand My words: “I come not to experience the life of an ordinary man”? Have you forgotten the words: “God comes on earth not to live the life of an ordinary man”? You do not understand God’s purpose in becoming flesh, nor do you know the meaning of “How could God come to earth with the intent of experiencing the life of a created being”? God comes to earth only to complete His work, and so His work on earth is short-lived. He comes to earth not with the intent for the Spirit of God to cultivate His flesh into an extraordinary leader of the church. When God comes to earth, it is the Word becoming flesh; man, however, does not know of His work and forces such intent upon Him. But you should all realize that God is the Word become flesh, not a flesh cultivated by the Spirit of God to temporarily stand in for the role of God. God Himself is not cultivated, but is the Word become flesh, and today He officially carries out His work among you all. You all know and acknowledge that the incarnation of God is a fact, but you pretend an understanding that you do not in fact possess. You do not at all appreciate the work of the incarnate God or the significance and substance of His becoming flesh, and just glibly recite the words spoken by others. Do you believe that the incarnate God is as you conceive?
God becomes flesh only to lead the age and set in motion new work. You must understand this point. This is much different from the function of man, and the two cannot be mentioned in the same breath. Man needs a long period of cultivation and perfection before man can be used to carry out work, and an especially great humanity is needed. Not only must man be able to sustain his normal human sense, but man must further understand many of the principles and rules of conduct before others, and moreover must learn more of the wisdom and ethics of man. This is what man must be furnished with. However, this is not so for God become flesh, for His work neither represents man nor is that of man; it is, rather, a direct expression of His being and a direct implementation of the work that He ought to do. (Naturally, His work is carried out when it ought to be done, and not randomly at will. Rather, His work is begun when it is time to fulfill His ministry.) He does not take part in the life of man or the work of man, that is, His humanity is not furnished with any of these (but this does not affect His work). He only fulfills His ministry when it is time for Him to do so; whatever His status, He simply forges ahead with the work that He ought to do. Whatever man knows of Him or whatever their opinions of Him, His work is not affected. This is just as when Jesus carried out His work; none knew who He was, but He simply forged ahead in His work. None of this affected Him in carrying out the work that He ought to do. Therefore, He did not at first confess or proclaim His own identity, and merely had man follow Him. Naturally this was not only the humility of God; it was the way in which God worked in the flesh. He could only work in this way, for man could not recognize Him by the naked eye. And even if man did, man would not be able to help in His work. Furthermore, He did not become flesh to have man come to know His flesh; it was to carry out work and fulfill His ministry. For this reason, He placed no importance on making His identity known. When He had completed all the work that He ought to do, all His identity and status was naturally understood by man. God become flesh simply keeps silent and never makes any proclamations. He pays no mind to man or how man is getting along in their following of Him, and simply forges ahead in fulfilling His ministry and carrying out the work that He ought to do. None can stand in the way of His work. When the time comes for His work to conclude, it is imperative for it to be concluded and brought to an end. None can dictate otherwise. Only after He departs from man on completion of His work will man understand the work that He does, though still not entirely clearly. And it will take a long time for man to fully understand His intention when He first carried out His work. In other words, the work of the age when God becomes flesh is divided into two parts. One part is through the work and words of God become flesh Himself. Once the ministry of His flesh is completely fulfilled, the other part of work is to be carried out by those used by the Holy Spirit; then it is time for man to fulfill his function, for God has already opened up the way, and it must now be walked by man himself. That is to say, God becomes flesh to carry out one part of His work, and it is continued in succession by the Holy Spirit as well as those used by the Holy Spirit. So man should know the primary work to be carried out by God become flesh in this stage of work. Man must understand exactly the significance of God becoming flesh and the work that He ought to do, rather than asking of God what is asked of man. This is man’s mistake, as well as his notion, and moreover, his disobedience.
God becomes flesh not with the intention of letting man come to know His flesh, or to allow man to distinguish the differences between the flesh of God incarnate and that of man; God does not become flesh to train man’s ability of discernment, much less with the intention for man to worship the incarnate flesh of God, from which He will receive great glory. None of this is the original will of God to become flesh. And God does not become flesh to condemn man, to intentionally reveal man, or to make things difficult for man. None of this is the original will of God. Every time God becomes flesh, it is work that is unavoidable. It is for His greater work and His greater management that He does so, and not for the reasons that man imagines. God comes unto earth only as required by His work, and always as necessary. He does not come unto earth with the intention to wander, but to carry out the work that He ought to do. Why else would He assume such a heavy burden and take such great risks to carry out this work? God becomes flesh only when He has to, and always with unique significance. If it was only to allow man to have a look at Him and open their eyes, then He would, with absolute certainty, never come among men so frivolously. He comes unto earth for His management and His greater work, and for Him to be able to obtain more men. He comes to represent the age and to defeat Satan, and it is within a flesh that He comes to defeat Satan. Moreover, He comes to lead all mankind in their lives. All of this concerns His management, and is work that concerns all the universe. If God became flesh merely to allow man to come to know His flesh and to open the eyes of man, then why would He not travel to every nation? Is this not a matter of exceeding ease? But He did not do so, instead choosing a suitable place in which to settle and begin the work that He ought to do. Just this flesh alone is of great significance. He represents an entire age, and also carries out the work of an entire age; He both brings the former age to an end and ushers in the new. All of this is the important matter that concerns God’s management, and is the significance of a stage of work carried out by God come to earth. When Jesus came to earth, He only spoke some words and carried out some work; He did not concern Himself with the life of man, and left after He had completed His work. After I have finished speaking and passed on My words to you this day, and you have all understood, then this step of work will have concluded, no matter how your life will be. In the future, there must be those to carry on this step of work and to work in accordance with these words on earth; then will the work of man and the building of man begin. But now, it is simply the work of God to fulfill His ministry and complete a step of work. God works in a manner unlike that of man. Man likes congregations and forums, and places importance on ceremony. God most abhors the congregations and meetings of man. God converses and speaks with man informally; this is the work of God, which is exceptionally liberated and also sets you free. However, I abhor congregating with you the most, and I am unable to become accustomed to a life so regimented as yours. I find rules most abhorrent; they restrict man to the point of making man afraid to make a move, afraid to speak, and afraid to sing, and their eyes stare straight at you. I most abhor your manner of congregation and large congregations. I do not wish at all to congregate with you this way, for this manner of living makes one feel shackled. Because you observe too much ceremony and too many rules, allowing you to lead would lead all men to the rules. Man would have no way of casting aside the rules under your leadership, and instead the sense of religiousness would become ever more intense, and the practices of man increase in ever greater numbers. Some men keep on talking and speaking when they congregate and never feel weary, while some can go on speaking for a dozen days. These are all considered large congregations and the meetings of man; they have nothing to do with eating and drinking, with enjoyment, or with a life where the spirit is set free. These are all meetings! Your co-worker meetings, as well as congregations large and small, are all abhorrent to Me, and I have never felt any interest in them. This is the principle by which I work: I am not willing to preach during congregations, nor do I wish to proclaim anything publicly, much less convene you all for a few days of a special conference. I do not find it agreeable for you all to sit properly gathered together; I loathe seeing you live within the confines of any ceremony, and moreover, I am not willing to take part in any such ceremony of yours. The more you do so, the more abhorrent I find it. I have not the slightest interest in your ceremony and rules; no matter how good a job you make of it, I find them all abhorrent. It is not that your arrangements are unsuitable or that you are too low; it is that I detest your manner of living, and moreover, I am unable to become accustomed to it. You do not at all understand the work I wish to do. At that time, when Jesus carried out His work in a certain place and there finished preaching a sermon, He would lead His disciples and leave the city. He led His disciples in discussion with each other, and went away from among the public; He often worked in such a manner. He went away from among men, and led a few beloved disciples up into the mountains, speaking with them about the ways that they ought to understand. His work among the general public was few and far between. According to what you ask of Him, God become flesh ought not to have the life of an ordinary man; He must carry out His work, and He must speak, whether He is sitting, standing, or walking. He must work at all times and can never cease to “run,” otherwise He is negligent in His duties. Are these demands of man in accordance with man’s sense? Where is your integrity? Do you not ask too much? Does My work need to be examined by you? Do I need you to supervise as I fulfill My ministry? I know well what work I ought to do and when I ought to do it; I need no intervention from others. It may perhaps seem to you as if I have not done much, but by then My work has already come to an end. Take for instance the words of Jesus in the Four Gospels. Were they not limited as well? At that time, Jesus entered the synagogue and preached a sermon; He was finished with it within a span of at most several minutes. After He finished speaking, He led His disciples onto the boat and departed without any explanation. At most, those within the synagogue discussed amongst themselves, and the matter no longer had anything to do with Jesus. God carried out only the work that He ought to do, and nothing in addition. Nowadays, many ask Me to speak and talk more, for several hours a day. As you see it, only he who speaks is God, not otherwise. You are all blind! All brutes! All ignorant things that have no sense! You have too many notions! Your demands go too far! You are inhuman! You do not at all understand what is God! You believe that all speakers and orators are God, that any who is willing to supply you with words is your father. Tell Me, do all you of well-formed features and “extraordinary” appearance still have even the slightest bit of sense? Do you yet know the heavensun! Each of you are like corrupt and avaricious officials, so how can you see sense? How can you discern between right and wrong? I have bestowed much upon you, but how many among you have paid attention? Who can fully obtain it? You do not know who it is that opened the way along which you walk this day, so you continue to make demands of Me, making of Me these unreasonable demands. Are you not red-faced with embarrassment? Have I not spoken much? Have I not done much? Who among you can truly cherish My words as a treasure? You flatter Me in My presence, but lie and cheat behind My back! Your actions are too despicable and repugnant! I know that you ask Me to speak and work for no more than to feast your eyes and broaden your horizons, not to transform your lives. How much have I already spoken to you? Your lives should long ago have changed, so why then do you continue to relapse today? Could it be that My words have been robbed from you so you did not receive them? To tell the truth, I do not wish to say any more to such degenerates as you. It is futile! I do not wish to do such futile work! You only wish to broaden your horizons or to feast your eyes, not to obtain life! You are all deceiving yourselves! I ask you, how much of what I have spoken to you face-to-face have you put into practice? All you do is deceptive trickery! I abhor those among you who enjoy looking on, and I find your curiosity deeply abhorrent. If you are not here to seek the true way or thirst for the truth, then you are those that I abhor! I know that you listen to Me speak only to satisfy your curiosity or to fulfill one of your desires. You do not have the thought to seek the existence of truth or to explore the entry into the right track of life; these demands do not exist among you at all. You simply regard God as a plaything to study and admire. Your heart that seeks life is too small, yet your curious desire is not! Speaking to such people about the way of life is essentially talking to thin air; it would be better to not speak! Let Me tell you! If you are merely looking to fill the void within your heart, then you best not come to Me! You ought to focus on your lives! Do not fool yourselves! You best not take your curiosity as the foundation of your pursuit of life, or use it as an excuse for asking Me to speak to you. This is all trickery, at which you are adept! I ask you again: How much of what I ask you to enter into have you actually done? Do you know all that I have spoken to you? Have you put into practice all that I have spoken to you?
The work of every age is begun by God Himself, but you ought to know that whatever the work of God, He does not come to start a movement or to hold special conferences or to establish any sort of organization for you. He comes only to carry out the work that He ought to do. His work is not restricted by any man. He does His work however He wishes; no matter what man thinks or knows, He focuses only on carrying out His work. Since the creation of the world, there have already been three stages of work; from Jehovah to Jesus, and from the Age of Law to the Age of Grace, God has never convened a special conference for man, nor has He ever assembled all mankind together to convene a special global working conference in order to expand on His work. He simply carries out the initial work of an entire age when the time and place are right, and through this ushers in the age to lead mankind in their lives. Special conferences are the congregations of man; assembling people together to celebrate the holidays is the work of man. God does not observe the holidays and, moreover, abhors them; He does not convene special conferences and furthermore abhors them. Now you should understand exactly what is the work of God become flesh!
From : The Word Appears in the Flesh
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