In the current stream, every person that truly loves God has the opportunity to be perfected by Him. Regardless of whether they are young or old, so long as they keep in their hearts an obedience to God and reverence for Him, they will be able to be perfected by Him. God perfects people according to their different functions. So long as you have done all in your strength and submit yourself to the work of God you will be able to be perfected by Him. At present none of you are perfect. Sometimes you are able to perform one type of function and sometimes you are able to perform two; so long as you give all your strength to God and expend yourselves for Him, ultimately you will be perfected by God.
Young people have fewer philosophies of life, and they lack wisdom and insight. God is here to perfect man’s wisdom and insight, and the word of God makes up for these things that they lack. However, the dispositions of young people are unstable and this requires transformation by God. Young people have fewer religious notions and fewer philosophies of life. They think in simple terms, and their considerations are not complex. This is the aspect where their humanity has not taken shape. It is a desirable aspect, but young people are ignorant and lack wisdom. This is an aspect which needs to be perfected by God, so that you may develop discernment and be able to clearly understand many spiritual things, and gradually turn into someone who is fit for God to use. Older brothers and sisters are also able to perform some functions and they are not abandoned by God. With older brothers and sisters they too have some desirable aspects and some undesirable aspects. The older brothers and sisters have more philosophies of life, they have more religious notions, their actions are stuck in a rigid framework, they follow rules like automatons, and they apply them mechanically. They are not flexible, but rather very rigid. This is not a desirable aspect. However, older brothers and sisters are calm and collected toward whatever comes up; their dispositions are stable. They do not have tempestuous moods, but they are always persistent. They just accept things slowly, but this is not a major defect. So long as you are able to submit yourselves and accept the actual words of God, if you do not hesitate to submit yourselves and follow along, if by all means you do not pass judgment or have other bad thoughts, if you accept His words and put them into practice, and if you do not research God’s words and you submit yourselves—if you meet these conditions—you will be able to be perfected.
Regardless of whether you are a younger or an older brother or sister, you know the function you ought to perform. Those in their youth are not arrogant; those who are older are not passive and do not regress. And they are able to use each other’s strengths to make up for their weak points, and they are able to serve one another without any prejudice. A friendship bridge is built between younger and older brothers and sisters. Because of God’s love you are able to better understand one another. Younger brothers and sisters do not look down on older brothers and sisters, and the older brothers and sisters are also not self-righteous. Is this not a harmonious partnership? If you all have this resolve, then the will of God will certainly be accomplished in your generation.
In the future, whether you are blessed or cursed will be decided based on the actions you perform today. If you are to be perfected by God it will be right now in this era; there will not be another opportunity in the future. Right now, God truly wants to perfect you, and this is not a manner of speaking. In the future, regardless of what trials befall you, what events take place, or what disasters befall you, God wants to perfect you—this is a definite and undoubted fact. From where can this be seen? From the fact that the word of God through the ages and generations has never attained such a great height as it has today—it has entered the highest realm, and the work of the Holy Spirit among all men today is unprecedented. Hardly anyone from generations past has tasted this. Even in the age of Jesus there were not the revelations of today; great heights have been reached in the words spoken to you, the things you understand, and the things you experience. You do not depart in the midst of trials and chastisements, and this is sufficient to prove that the work of God has reached unprecedented splendor. This is not something that man is able to do and it is not something that man maintains, but rather it is the work of God Himself. So, from many of the facts of the work of God it can be seen that God wants to perfect man, and He is certainly able to make you complete. If you are able to catch sight of this, if you are able to have this new discovery, then you will not wait for the second coming of Jesus but instead, you will allow God to make you complete in the present age. Thus, you should each do your utmost and spare no effort so that you may be perfected by God.
Nowadays you must not pay attention to the negative things. You must first put aside and disregard each and every thing that can make you feel negative. When you are handling affairs you must maintain a heart of seeking and groping, and you must maintain a heart of obedience to God. Whenever you discover any weakness within yourselves, but you are not subject to its control and you perform the function that you ought to, this is a positive move forward. For example: Older brothers and sisters have religious notions, but you are able to pray, and you are able to submit yourselves, eat and drink the word of God, and sing hymns…. In a word, whatever you are able to do, whatever function you are able to perform, make full use of it with all the strength you can muster. Do not wait passively. Being able to perform your duty to the satisfaction of God is the first step. Then when you are able to understand the truth and enter into the reality of the word of God, you will have been perfected by God.
from The Word Appears in the Flesh
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