What are God’s people? What are the service-doers?

What are God’s people? What are the service-doers?

Relevant Words of God:

The five wise virgins represent My sons and My people among the humans that I created. Addressing them[a]“virgins” is because although they are born on earth, they are still gained by Me; one can say they have become holy, so they are called “virgins.” The aforementioned “five” represents the number of My sons and My people that I have predestined.

“Five foolish virgins” refers to the service-doers. They do service for Me without placing the slightest degree of importance on life, only pursuing external things (because they do not have My quality, no matter what they do it is an external thing), and they are unable to be My capable helpers, so they are called “foolish virgins.” The aforementioned “five” represents Satan, and their being called[b] “virgins” means that they have been conquered by Me and are able to do service for Me, but this kind of person is not holy, so they are called service-doers.

from “The One Hundred and Sixteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

That being so, there will be a new approach: Those who read My word and accept it as their very life are the people of My kingdom. Since they are in My kingdom, they are My people in the kingdom. Because they are guided by My words, although they are referred to as My people, this title is not at all inferior to being called My “sons.” As My people, all must be faithful in My kingdom and fulfill their duties, and those who offend My administrative decrees must receive My punishment. This is My warning to all.

from “The First Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh

It is only people who are quiet before God who pay attention to life, pay attention to fellowship in spirit, who thirst for God’s words, and who pursue the truth. All those who pay no attention to being quiet before God, who do not practice being quiet before God are vain people who are completely attached to the world, who are without life; even if they say they believe in God they are just paying lip service. Those God ultimately perfects and completes are people who can be quiet before God. Therefore, people who are quiet before God are people graced with great blessings. People who during the day take little time to eat and drink God’s words, who are completely preoccupied with external affairs, and do not pay attention to life entry are all hypocrites with no prospect of developing in the future. It is those who can be quiet before God and genuinely commune with God who are God’s people.

from “On Quieting Your Heart Before God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Right now most people (meaning all the people except for the firstborn sons) are in this condition. I say these things so clearly and these people have little reaction and still care for their fleshly enjoyments—they eat and then they sleep; they sleep and then they eat, and they do not ponder My words. Even if they are energized, it will only be for a while, and afterward they remain the same as they were, completely unchanged, as though they did not listen to Me at all. These are the typical feckless humans who have no burdens—the most obvious freeloaders. Later, I will forsake them one by one. Don’t worry! One by one I will send them back to the bottomless pit. The Holy Spirit never works on this kind of person, and everything he does is a gift. When I speak of this gift, I mean that this is a person with no life, who is My service-doer. I do not want any of them and I will eliminate them (but right now they are still a little bit useful).

from “The One Hundred and Second Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

What does “God’s chosen people” refer to? After God created all things and there was mankind, God selected a group of people who followed Him, and simply called them “God’s chosen people.” … Their selection by God means that they hold great significance. Which is to say, God wishes to make these people complete, and make them perfect, and after His work of management has finished, He will gain these people. Is this significance not great? Thus, these chosen people are of great importance to God, for they are those whom God intends to gain. Whereas the service-doers—well, let’s depart from God’s predestination, and first talk of their origins. The literal meaning of “service-doer” is one who serves. Those who serve are transient; they do not do so long-term, or forever, but are hired or recruited temporarily. …

…………

… And what is the role of these service-doers? To serve God’s chosen people. In the main, their role is to serve God’s work, to cooperate with God’s work, and to cooperate with God’s completion of His chosen people. … The identity of a service-doer is service-doer, but to God, they are one among all the things that He created—it’s simply that their role is that of service-doer. So what say you, as one of God’s creatures, is there a difference between a service-doer and God’s chosen people? In effect, there is not. Nominally speaking, there is a difference, in substance there is a difference, in terms of the role they play there is a difference, but God does not discriminate against these people. So why are these people defined as service-doers? You should understand this. The service-doers come from among the unbelievers. The mention of the unbelievers tells us that their past is bad: They are all atheists, in their past they were atheists, they did not believe in God, and they were hostile to God, the truth, and positive things. They did not believe in God and did not believe there is a God, so are they capable of understanding God’s words? It is fair to say that, to a large extent, they are not. Just as animals are incapable of understanding human words, the service-doers don’t understand what God is saying, what He requires, why He makes such requirements—these things are incomprehensible to them, they remain unenlightened. And for this reason, these people are not possessed of the life that we talked of. Without life, can people understand the truth? Are they equipped with the truth? Are they equipped with the experience and knowledge of God’s words? Certainly not. Such are the origins of the service-doers. But since God makes these people service-doers, there are still standards to His requirements of them; He does not look down upon them, and He is not perfunctory toward them. Even though they don’t understand His words, and are without life, God is still kind to them, and there are still standards to His requirements of them. You just spoke of these standards: Being loyal to God, and doing what He says. In your service you must serve where needed, and must serve to the very end. If you can serve to the very end, if you can be a loyal service-doer, are able to serve right up to the very end, and are able to perfectly complete the commission given to you by God, then you will live a life of value, and so you will be able to remain. If you put in a bit more effort, if you try harder, are able to double your endeavors to know God, can speak a little of the knowledge of God, can bear testimony to God, and moreover, if you can understand something of God’s will, can cooperate in God’s work, and be somewhat mindful of God’s will, then you, this service-doer, will have a change in fortune. And what will this change in fortune be? You will no longer simply be able to remain. Based on your conduct and your personal aspirations and pursuit, God will make you one of the chosen ones. This will be your change in fortune. For service-doers, what is the best thing about this? It is that they can become one of God’s chosen people. … Is that good? It is, and it’s good news. Which is to say, service-doers can be molded. It is not that case that for a service-doer, when God destines you to serve, you will do so forever; that is not necessarily so. Based on your individual conduct, God will handle you differently, and reply to you differently.

from “God Himself, the Unique X” in Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Man’s Fellowship:

Below I fellowship exactly who are God’s people; all those belonging to God’s people can remain and survive in the Age of Kingdom. These people are those who have experienced God’s work and obtained the truth, people with new life. They have true knowledge of God, they can practice the truth, and finally after having undergone many trials, refinements, tribulations, and disasters, they have been made perfect. In another word, God’s people are those who are perfected after experiencing the work of God. All those belonging to God’s people have three characteristics: One, they have a heart that reveres God, this is the main thing; two, their humanity is quite good, they have a good reputation, most people approve of them; three, they do their duty with loyalty. If people possess these three characteristics, they are God’s people. As one of God’s people, it doesn’t matter how high his caliber is; in fact, his caliber is at least average, he can understand average truth, but the main thing is that he has a heart that reveres God, he has good humanity. No matter where you put him, and what duty you ask him to do, he is pretty reliable. He is not one way in front of your face and another way behind your back, he is not duplicitous, he does not overtly agree but covertly oppose. He is rather honest, rather trustworthy, he can be depended on. Such people are all those who have fairly good humanity and who are quite honest; these kinds of people are God’s people in the Age of Kingdom.

from “One Must See Clearly the Essences and Ends of All Kinds of People” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (IX)

What is a service-doer? Before, we have mentioned that service-doers are all those that believe in God but have not obtained the truth and have not obtained the life. Regardless of what kind of duties they fulfill, they still belong to the category of service-doers. They do not have the life. What is this life referring to? It refers to obtaining the truth. Once people obtain the truth, they will have obtained the life. If they do not obtain the truth, they will not obtain the life. If someone does not take God’s word as life, then regardless of the duties this person fulfills, they are still just a service-doer.

from “Only by Satisfying God’s Final Requirements Can One Be Saved” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (II)

“Among all these followers, there are those who serve as priests, those who lead, those who form the sons, those who constitute the people, and those who do service.” Among those people who follow God there are these five main types. It could also be said that there are five levels: First, those who serve as priests; second, those who lead; third, those who form the sons; fourth, those who constitute the people; and fifth, those who do service. Among these five kinds of people, how does God divide them into categories? One aspect is according to God’s predestination, another aspect is according to people’s pursuit and the results of their belief in God. The first four kinds of people are the priests, the leaders, the sons, and the people; it can be said that these four kinds of people are pursuers of truth. These people have been predestined by God; they can never be destroyed, and they will always have a place in God’s house. So, are these people who have obtained eternal life? (Yes.) People who have obtained eternal life are people who have obtained truth, because only the truth can become man’s life, only people who have obtained truth can truly obtain eternal life. Why is it said that the first four kinds are pursuers of truth, and the last kind who do service are not pursuers of truth? This kind of person who does service does not have truth as their life, they only do service for God, they have a sincere heart, they have faith, but they do not like truth, they zealously expend for God, act for God, and suffer any hardship, following to the very end and never leaving God. Thus such people belong to the devoted service-doers and will be left in existence, they are also people with quite good humanity. … Why is it said that they belong to the service-doers? Because they don’t pursue truth! The man that pursues truth also has moments where his corruption is revealed, times where he falls in defeat, but once he is pruned, once he is dealt with, or is expelled from God’s house, and experiences a few failures and setbacks, he understands, “He who is without truth is so pitiable, he who relies on zealousness cannot stand on his own feet! If one cannot practice the truth, if one doesn’t understand truth, then one cannot strive to complete one’s duty up to standard, is this not a service-doer? I cannot but pursue truth! I cannot be a service-doer, I must strive to complete my duty up to standard to comfort God’s heart, and to reciprocate God’s love.” He awakens, and begins to pursue truth, and in the end truly gains some truths, truly begins to have a heart that reveres God. Are there many people like this? One cannot say there are many, but there are some. And are these people service-doers? They belong to the people, because they have some truths, they have a heart that reveres God, a heart that loves God. The moment they become disobedient and resistant they know it, and they become repentant to God, then they change; this kind of person is one who lives their life in truth.

Do you think the difference between the people and the service-doers is a great one? (It is.) Although it is not too great, not obvious, but in essence they are not the same. Service-doers only have a little fear toward God, they just say, “Do not offend God! If you offend God you will be punished!” With this, can it be considered true reverence for God? (No, it cannot.) Those with a heart that truly reveres God do not only consider whether or not they will offend God, they consider whether or not they are running counter to the truth, whether or not they are running counter to God’s words, whether doing something is disobedient to God, whether it can hurt God, how they can satisfy God. They consider all of these aspects, this is having a heart that reveres God. He who has a heart that reveres God and practices the truth can at least keep away from evil, and not do things that resist God. He is able to surpass this base line; this is called having a heart that reveres God. Is there a difference between having a heart that reveres God, and having a heart that fears God a little? (There is a difference.) If someone with a heart that reveres God really understands some truths, and can put some of God’s words into practice, then this person definitely has the life; he who has the truth as his life belongs to the people. Service-doers do not have the truth as their life, they do not like the truth, and they possess only faith in God. In addition, they have zeal, their humanity is at least average; they are willing to expend for God. No matter how many troubles at home, no matter what situation they face, no matter what trials they face, they persist in doing service for God, devoted to the very end without retreating. These are people remaining, the loyal service-doers. Some service-doers do not serve until the end; as soon as they hear they will not gain the blessings, they stop doing service. Some service-doers, no matter how they do service, cannot be dealt with; as soon as one deals with them, they say, “I won’t do service anymore, I’m going home.” Some service-doers, facing serious circumstances, for instance, being arrested, become cowardly and retreat. Some service-doers, as they do service, still worry about their family’s lives, “How will my family live? I must go back and earn money, I must take good care of my husband (or wife) and children.” They look backward as they follow their hand on the plough, without loyalty to God. These kinds of service-doers are not up to standard, and thus eliminated.

Why will so many service-doers not remain? What is the difference between loyal service-doers and those who get eliminated? Loyal service-doers do no evil, and do not betray; those who are eliminated always do evil while performing their duties. They do not just commit transgressions occasionally, but time and time again interrupt the work of God, disturb the work of God. If God’s family feels as though in using you, the disadvantages are greater than the advantages, and the gains do not make up for the losses, God’s family will simply send you away, not need you to serve anymore, for you are not up to standard even in doing service. Is there this kind of person? (There is.)

from “Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word ‘Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen’” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (XIII)

In the past, there were many people that did not understand what the people of God were. What, after all, are the people of God? Is it that we, who have accepted Almighty God, are the people of God? It is not when you accept the name of Almighty God that you are one of the people of God. In this there is a process of being made perfect. Herein there is a criterion. What is the criterion? It is having performed your duty up to the standard, and only then are you one of the people of God, and those who have not reached the criterion in doing their duty are not the people of God. They are not people of God, so what specifically are they? They are the service-doers. In the stage prior to reaching the criterion, they are called service-doers. Who is it that is called a service-doer? Those who are in a state of not yet having obtained the truth are called service-doers. When one has obtained the truth and is able to handle affairs in accordance with principle, it means that they have attained life. People who have attained life are also people who have the truth as their life, and only then are they truly people of God.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 125) 

Footnotes:

a. The original text omits “Addressing them.”

b. The original text omits “their being called.”