Coming Out of the Bible, I Welcomed the Second Coming of Christ（Part 2）
My Confusion Is Dispelled, and I Come to a New Understanding of the Bible
At our next gathering, I told the brothers and sisters of my confusion: “Sister Lin, Brother Wang, you say that God is performing new work and is expressing new words. But ever since I was small, I’ve heard my pastor say that all of God’s works and words can be found within the Bible and that Christians cannot depart from the Bible in their belief in God, for to do so would be to stray from the true way. I’d like to know what your opinion is on this issue, so I was wondering if you could fellowship with me about this?” Sister Lin then gave fellowship, saying, “Sister, we go along with the pastors and elders of the religious world in the belief that all of God’s works and words are within the Bible and that to depart from the Bible is to stray from the true way. This is a belief held by the entire religious world, but does this view accord with the facts? Does it accord with God’s words? The Lord Jesus never said anything of the sort and the Holy Spirit has never said these words, so exactly what is this view based on? Does it not arise from our own notions and imaginings? As we all know, the Bible is just a record of the two previous stages of God’s work and it is a record of God’s words and work based on the memories of some followers of God once God had finished His work; can we dare say that these people recorded absolutely everything? Also, while the Bible was being edited, the editors disputed with each other and made omissions, and that is why a portion of the words of God transmitted by the prophets was not recorded in the Old Testament, but was rather collected into the Deuterocanonical books. Does that mean that these prophets’ prophecies that were omitted were not the words of God? It states clearly in the Gospel of John, 21:25 that, ‘And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.’ The Lord Jesus worked for three and a half years, and He led His disciples to preach and work wherever they went, so how many words must He have spoken during that time? How many works must He have done? It can therefore be said that there are many of the Lord Jesus’ works and words that were not recorded in the Bible—the words of the Lord Jesus that are recorded in the Bible are just the tip of the iceberg! So then how can the pastors and elders of the religious world say that all of God’s words and works are recorded in the Bible? Doesn’t saying that fly in the face of the facts? If we go by what the pastors and elders say, wouldn’t we then be denying the words of God transmitted by the prophets that are found outside the Bible, and denying the words and work of the Lord Jesus that were not recorded in the Bible? Furthermore, when the Lord Jesus came to perform His work back then, the New Testament did not yet exist, and the way expressed by Jesus of, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17), was not recorded in the Old Testament either. It can therefore be said that the Lord Jesus’ words and work went beyond the Bible at that time. So, by the religious world saying condemningly that anything that goes beyond the Bible is straying from the true way, are they not also condemning the words and work of the Lord Jesus?”
Having said this, Sister Lin sent over a passage of Almighty God’s words: “The things that are recorded in the Bible are limited; they cannot represent the work of God in its entirety. The Four Gospels have fewer than one hundred chapters altogether, in which are written a finite number of happenings, such as Jesus cursing the fig tree, Peter’s three denials of the Lord, Jesus appearing to the disciples following His crucifixion and resurrection, teaching about fasting, teaching about prayer, teaching about divorce, the birth and genealogy of Jesus, Jesus’ appointment of the disciples, and so forth. However, man values them as treasures, even verifying the work of today against them. They even believe that all the work Jesus did in His life amounted only to so much, as if God were only capable of doing this much and nothing further. Is this not absurd?” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Sister Lin then gave fellowship, saying, “The content that is recorded in the Bible is very limited. The Old Testament merely records a part of the work of Jehovah God, and the New Testament merely records a part of the work of the Lord Jesus. As for God’s work in the last days, the Bible just contains some prophecies about it and there is no detailed record to be found. In each age, God only does the work of that age and does not perform the next stage of work in advance, and that is why God doesn’t tell us prematurely about His next stage of work. In the Age of Law, for example, Jehovah God just taught man to keep the commandments and laws and He enjoined man to worship God. He did not tell the people of that time in advance about the work He would do during the Age of Grace. Similarly, the Lord Jesus has now returned in the last days and, on the foundation of the work of redemption of the Age of Grace, He expresses His words, performs the work of judgment beginning in God’s house, judges and purifies our corrupt dispositions, and enables us to thoroughly cast off the bonds of sin and be purified and saved by God. The details of this work could not possibly have been recorded prematurely within the pages of the Bible. Therefore, the statement made by the pastors and elders of the religious world, that ‘All of God’s words and works are within the Bible, and to depart from the Bible is to stray from the true way,’ completely flies in the face of the facts of God’s work; it hails from the notions and imaginings of man, and it is a lie, an absurd theory, that is intended to deceive people.”
The words of Almighty God and the sister’s fellowship convinced me utterly, and there was no way to refute it. I couldn’t help but think, “Yes indeed, God encompasses all things and His wisdom is rich and abundant, so how could all His words and works be restricted to the Bible? God has the right to go beyond the Bible to perform His work, so our previous understanding was certainly wrong!”
Brother Wang then sent a verse from the Bible: “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life” (John 5:39–40). He then said, “The Bible is just a historical record and a testimony to God’s two previous stages of work. The Bible does not possess eternal life, nor is it the source of life. By believing in the Bible, we can never gain truth or life, nor can we obtain the work of the Holy Spirit, much less attain true salvation. Only God is the truth, the way and the life and only He is the source of our lives; if we wish to gain truth and life in our belief in God, then we must come before God, accept and obey God’s present work and words and follow closely the footsteps of the Lamb, for only then will we be able to attain God’s salvation.”
After listening to Brother Wang’s fellowship, I suddenly saw the light, and I thought, “When I read this verse before, I merely understood that the Bible acted as a testimony for God and I believed that one had to keep to the Bible in one’s faith in God, but I overlooked the fact that God is the truth, the way and the life. Only now do I understand that the Bible is just a testimony to God’s past work and that it cannot represent God, nor does it contain life within it. If I want to gain truth and life, then I have to follow closely the footsteps of God, for only then will I be able to attain God’s salvation. Oh, when I think of my attitude toward God’s new work, with no shred of a seeking heart, clinging to my own notions and rejecting God’s work, I see now how blind and ignorant I’ve been. If I continue to cling stubbornly to the Bible, then won’t I be rejecting the salvation of God? I must investigate in earnest the work of Almighty God in the last days.”
I Understand God’s Work and Joyfully Welcome the Lord’s Return
Afterward, Sister Lin showed us a gospel movie called, Come Out of the Bible, the two passages of God’s words and the fellowship of a sister in the movie drew me in. God’s word says, “Since there are newer utterances, and newer work, why live amid old historical records? The new utterances can provide for you, which proves that this is the new work; the old records can’t sate you, or satisfy your current needs, which proves that they are history, and not the work of the here and now. The highest way is the newest work, and with the new work, no matter how high the way of the past, it is still the history of people’s reflections, and no matter its value as reference, it is still the old way. Even though it is recorded in the ‘holy book,’ the old way is history; even though there is no record of it in the ‘holy book,’ the new way is of the here and now. This way can save you, and this way can change you, for this is the work of the Holy Spirit” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Bringing up the things of the past today makes them history, and no matter how true or real they might be, they are still history—and history cannot address the present. For God does not look back on history! And so, if you only understand the Bible, and understand nothing of the work God intends to do today, and if you believe in God but do not seek the work of the Holy Spirit, then you do not understand what it means to seek God. If you read the Bible in order to study the history of Israel, to research the history of God’s creation of all the heavens and earth, then you do not believe in God. But today, since you believe in God, and pursue life, since you pursue the knowledge of God, and do not pursue dead letters and doctrines, or an understanding of history, you must seek God’s will of today, and must look for the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. If you were an archeologist you could read the Bible—but you are not, you are one of those who believe in God, and you’d best seek God’s will of today” (“Concerning the Bible (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Christian Reading the Word of God by the window
A sister in the movie fellowshiped, “Although God’s work in the last days was only prophesied in the Bible, and there were no actual records of it, it is based on mankind’s actual needs and it is work that is deepened and made loftier based on the foundation of the Bible. Just like when the Lord Jesus came, although He didn’t work according to the Old Testament, He did work according to mankind’s requirements and God’s own plan. He completed a stage of the work of redemption on the foundation of the work of the law, that is, He completed a new, loftier stage of work on the foundation of the Old Testament. In that stage of work, He didn’t revoke the old law, but perfected it. and likewise, in the last days today, God is doing another stage of newer, loftier work on the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption based on mankind’s needs, based on God’s management plan, uttering so many words that can purify and save mankind. He is also revealing all the mysteries of God’s management plan. These are things that God never said in the Age of Law or in the Age of Grace. They are also the scroll, the seven seals that God is opening up in the last days. This fulfills the prophecy in the Book of Revelation: ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 2:17) It is also written in Revelation 5:1–5: ‘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 I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read 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.’ These prophecies only existed after the Lord Jesus had completed His work. It goes without saying that these prophecies are certainly the things that God is going to achieve, as well as the work of salvation that God is going to do in the last days. Now, God has become flesh and has come to utter words. He has done a stage of the work of judgment and purification, and has uttered many words that can allow people to be saved. These words are not in the Bible, but are words that are outside of the Bible. These enriching words of life are the way of life God has bestowed upon mankind in the last days, and they are the only path for man’s salvation. If we refuse to accept them, we will never be able to be truly watered by the living water of God’s life, and we will never be able to gain the truth or life from God.”
Through the sister’s fellowship, I finally came to understand that God’s work proceeds ever onward. In the Age of Law, Jehovah God proclaimed the law and the commandments to guide the life of mankind, and to let people know how to worship God and what sin is. In the Age of Grace, by being crucified upon the cross, the Lord Jesus redeemed mankind, He redeemed mankind from the bonds of the law, and so long as people accepted the Lord’s salvation, they were then able to enjoy the Lord’s abundant grace and blessings. What is undeniable, however, is that we still live in a situation in which we sin and confess, over and over, and we can never cast off the bonds and fetters of sin. Now, the returned Lord Jesus—Almighty God, Christ of the last days—is performing the work of judgment and He expresses His words so that our sinful nature may be resolved, so that we can be utterly rid of our sinful nature and finally be qualified to earn God’s promise and enter into our beautiful destination. The work of Almighty God in the last days does not deny the Bible. Rather, on the foundation of the work of the Age of Law and the Age of Grace, God performs a newer, higher stage of work, which is precisely what we as corrupt mankind need. The Age of Kingdom Bible—The Word Appears in the Flesh is the way of life given us by God in the last days, and only by accepting God’s work of the last days can we obtain the supply of the living water of life. Only now do I understand the reason why we are incapable of obtaining the supply of life from God, and why we have fallen into darkness and lost the work of the Holy Spirit; it is because we cling to the Bible, believe that God’s works and words are all to be found within the Bible, and because we refuse to accept God’s work of the last days.
Although I have only been in contact with The Church of Almighty God for a couple of months, I see that the words of Almighty God are the truth, they can resolve my confusion and questions, and they provide for my spirit. I became certain that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned and I joyfully accepted God’s work of the last days. When I think back to how I rejected God’s work because I clung to the Bible, I feel so remorseful—I was so arrogant and foolish! Yet God took mercy on me and, through the brothers and sisters sending me messages, meeting with me and fellowshiping with me again and again, God enabled me to understand the inside story about the Bible, as well as its substance, and understand how God works step by step to save mankind until, finally, I let go of my notions and accepted God’s work of the last days, and I began to follow the footsteps of God. Thank God for loving me and saving me!
Source From: Find the Shepherd