Relevant Words of God:
Whether or not your disposition can be transformed depends upon whether or not you keep up with the Holy Spirit’s current word and whether or not you have genuine understanding. This is different from what you understood before. The transformation in your disposition that you understood before was that you, who are quick to judge, have ceased to speak thoughtlessly by God’s discipline; but this is just one aspect of the change. Right now the most critical point is following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Follow whatever God says, and obey whatever He says. People cannot change their own disposition; they must undergo the judgment and chastisement, the suffering and refinement of God’s word, or being dealt with, disciplined, and pruned by His word. Only after that can they attain obedience and devotion to God, and no longer try to deal with Him perfunctorily. It is under the refinement of God’s word that people are transformed in their disposition. Only those who undergo the exposure and judgment of His word, and are disciplined and dealt with by His word, will no longer dare to do things recklessly, instead becoming steady and composed. The most important point is that they are able to submit to God’s current word and to His work, and even if it is not in line with human notions, they are able to put these notions aside and willingly submit. When a change in disposition has been spoken of in the past, it has mainly referred to being able to forsake oneself, allowing the flesh to suffer, disciplining one’s body, and ridding oneself of fleshly preferences—this is one form of change in disposition. People nowadays know that the real expression of a change in disposition is obeying the current word of God as well as being able to have a genuine understanding of His new work. This way they will be able to get rid of their previous understanding of God, which was colored by their own notions, and attain true understanding of and obedience to Him. Only this would be a genuine expression of a change in disposition.
from “Those Whose Disposition Has Changed Are Those Who Have Entered Into the Reality of God’s Word” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
People can behave well, but that does not necessarily mean they are possessed of the truth. People’s fervor can only make them abide by doctrine and follow regulation; people who are without the truth have no way of resolving substantive problems, and doctrine cannot stand in for the truth. Those who have experienced a change in their dispositions are different. They have truth within, they are discerning on all issues, they know how to act in accordance with God’s will, how to act in accordance with the principles of the truth, how to act to satisfy God, and they understand the nature of the corruption they reveal. When their own ideas and conceptions are revealed, they are able to be discerning and forsake the flesh. This is how a change in disposition is expressed. The main thing about a change in disposition is that they have the truth within them and completely understand it, and when carrying things out, they put the truth into practice with relative accuracy and their corruption is not revealed as often. Generally, someone whose disposition has changed appears to be quite reasonable and discerning, and as a result of their understanding of truth, self-righteousness and arrogance are not revealed as much. They are able to see everything clearly, so they do not become arrogant after gaining this clarity. They are able to have a measured grasp on what man’s place is, how to behave reasonably, how to be dutiful, what to say and what not to say, and what to say and what to do to which people. This is why it is said that these kinds of people are relatively reasonable. Those who have a change in disposition truly live out the likeness of a human, and they have truth; they are not subject to the influence of others. Those who have had a change in disposition are steadier, they do not blow hot and cold, and no matter what situation they are in, they know how to do their duty properly and how to do things to satisfy God. Those whose dispositions have changed are not focused on what to do to make themselves look good on a superficial level—they have internal clarity on what to do to satisfy God. Therefore, from the outside they may not seem so enthusiastic or like they have done anything very great, but everything they do is meaningful, is valuable, and has practical results. Those whose dispositions have changed are certain to possess a lot of truth—this can be confirmed by their perspectives on things and their principles in their actions. Those who do not possess truth absolutely have not had a change in disposition. That is not to say that someone who is mature in their humanity will necessarily have a change in disposition; it primarily refers to when some of the satanic poisons within a person’s nature change due to their knowledge of God and their understanding of the truth. That is to say, those poisons are cleansed and the truth expressed by God takes root within the person, becomes his life, and becomes the foundation of his existence. Only then does he become a new person, and his disposition therefore changes. A change in disposition does not mean that people’s outer disposition is meeker than before, that they used to be arrogant but now their words are reasonable, that they used to listen to no one but now they can listen to others—these external changes cannot be said to be changes in disposition. Of course changes in disposition do include these situations, but the most key thing is that their inner life has changed. The truth expressed by God becomes their very life, the satanic poisons within have been eliminated, their perspective has completely changed, and none of it is in line with that of the world. They see the schemes and poisons of the great red dragon clearly; they have grasped the true essence of life. So their life values have changed—this is the most fundamental change and the essence of a change in disposition.
from “The Difference Between External Changes and Changes in Disposition” in Records of Christ’s Talks
There’s a hallmark of a change in disposition: It’s being able to accept the truth and obey things that are correct and in line with the truth. No matter who gives you suggestions—whether they are young or old, whether you get along well, whether there are grudges between you, as long as they say something that is correct, in line with the truth, and beneficial to the work of God’s house, you are able to take it in and accept it. You are not impacted by any other factors. This is one aspect of that manifestation. Another aspect is that when you encounter an issue you are able to seek the truth. For example, you encounter something unfamiliar that no one understands thoroughly. You are able to seek the truth, to see what kind of practice is in line with the principles of the truth, and meets God’s requirements. Yet another aspect is the ability to be considerate of God’s will. How you can be considerate of His will depends on what duty you’re performing and what requirements God has of you in this duty. Being able to carry it out according to what God requires, acting in an effort to satisfy God, and acting with responsibility and faithfulness—all this is being considerate of God’s will. If you don’t know how to be considerate of God’s will on that matter, you must do some seeking in order to accomplish that, and to satisfy Him.
from “Only by Putting the Truth Into Practice Can You Cast off the Binds of a Corrupt Disposition” in Records of Christ’s Talks
Sermon and Fellowship Excerpts for Reference:
The first aspect of the manifestation of having undergone a change in disposition is, at the very least, a fear of God. … Those that fear God have a place for God in their hearts. They will surely be attentive to the will of God in everything, and in major issues in particular they won’t dare to make rash decisions. They always pray to God and try to find His intention. For example, they do not dare neglect nor casually let go of matters related to their path in life or matters related to the principles of the truth. When facing a choice regarding major issues of right or wrong, they can let go of their own will and forsake their own flesh to obey and satisfy God. This is a sign of being God-fearing. Those who are God-fearing are certainly much more frank and honest than the average person. They handle their affairs in a low-key manner, not as brashly as they did before. They do things more calmly and prudently, not recklessly and carelessly. It could be said that people having the fear of God in them is the first step, that it’s the start of changes in their life disposition….
The second aspect of the manifestation of having undergone a change in disposition is being able to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements. No matter what God does, how God treats them or how God’s actions may not be as they wish, they harbor no notions and do not complain, but are able to obey; they can achieve this. Although they have many experiences and lessons in failure, they truly realize that God’s arrangements and orchestrations are the best and the most meaningful, and that no matter what God does, it is always beneficial for people. Particularly in matters where most people are prone to develop notions about God, they are able to see that what God does is most meaningful and most worth commemorating and sharing. They no longer have their personal choices in what God does because they realize that He does things in the best way, and the more unachievable it is for people, the deeper the significance. It is only when people’s experience has reached this point that they have true obedience to God. … Those who have undergone a dispositional change possess more obedience and fewer personal requirements. From the outside, they don’t appear to have much awareness or a reaction to God’s deeds; in actual fact, they know very well in their hearts and inside they are obedient and thankful. This is the second manifestation of those who have changed in disposition.
The third aspect of the manifestation of a change in disposition is being able to loyally and properly do the duty of a created being. Because those whose dispositions have changed gain a clear understanding of the meaning of doing one’s duty as a created being, there is no perfunctoriness or deceit in their duty. They do not complain if they encounter difficulties or setbacks, and will feel heartbreak and great regret if the work of God’s house suffers a loss because something hasn’t been done well. They will spare no effort in seeking a remedy. People whose disposition has changed view doing their duty as their mission in life, as their right and proper duty. If they have not done their duty well they feel this is their greatest shame as well as their greatest failure as a human being. They believe that those who do their duty poorly do not deserve to be called human or live before God, and that only by doing one’s duty well can one truly repay God’s love, deserve to be called human, and live on the earth. Those whose dispositions have changed see doing their duty well to satisfy God as their own pleasure and enjoyment. This is why it is also one of the primary manifestations of a change in disposition. …
The fourth aspect of the manifestation of a change in disposition is being able to truly love God. In experiencing the work of God, a dispositional change will only occur for those who really gain the truth. After someone’s life disposition has changed, they no longer have the satanic corrupt disposition of being arrogant, conceited, self-important, and self-righteous. Because they possess some truths inside of them as well as true knowledge of God, those religious doctrines, notions and imaginings are replaced; Christ is their treasure, thus they become hungrier for God’s words. The more they understand the truth, the more they can feel the loveliness of God. When they discover more of God’s loveliness the love of God within them becomes more and more real, and their love of God grows as they gain more truth from Him. Once they possess true understanding of God their love for God becomes even more real. People who truly love God take Christ’s heart as their own, doing everything according to Christ’s intention. If Christ is not satisfied, no matter how well they feel they’ve done things they get no enjoyment out of it. This is the time when they are able to fully obey the will of Christ and not act according to their own will. True obedience comes from a true understanding of God and a true love of God. True obedience only exists within love; there is no resistance or barriers in love. Only those who truly love God are able to take His will into consideration in all matters and let go of their own feelings. Those whose dispositions have changed certainly truly love God—without a true love of God in their hearts, it can be said with certainty that there has not yet been a change in their life disposition. This is categorical.
The fifth aspect of the manifestation of a change in disposition is having proper interpersonal relationships, that is, loving others as yourself. Dispositional changes are the result of people possessing some truths within them. These truths become their lives to varying degrees and change their corrupt states of the past; they no longer live for themselves and for the flesh, but are able to live for God and live to do the will of God. Because people whose dispositions have changed have true love and obedience for God, they of course also display many manifestations of love for others, such as concern, love, help, patience and tolerance; they are also able to live in harmony with people. They will not impose their own dislikes on others or be judgmental, accusatory, and hateful when they see shortcomings in others. They are sincere toward others and are able to treat people according to God’s words. How God forgives, loves, and treats people becomes their principles for action. People with a dispositional change can treat God’s heart as their own heart—they not only have love for God, but also for other people, and they can live in harmony with all those in God’s house. This is the likeness of a proper human being that God has spoken of. People whose dispositions have changed are able to love what God loves and hate what God hates, and they possess the truth, principles and wisdom in treating people. This is the manifestation of the fifth aspect of a change in disposition.
from “The Five Primary Manifestations of Dispositional Change” in Collection of Sermons—Supply for Life
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