The Age of Grace: The Content and Result of God’s Work

the Son of man | the Lord

Classic Words of God:

In the Age of Grace, Jesus came to redeem the whole fallen mankind (not only the Israelites). He showed mercy and lovingkindness to man. The Jesus that man saw in the Age of Grace was filled with lovingkindness and was always loving, for He had come to deliver man from sin. He could forgive man their sins until His crucifixion truly delivered mankind from sin. During that time, God appeared before man in mercy and lovingkindness; that is, He became a sin offering for man and was crucified for the sins of man so that they may forever be forgiven. He was merciful, compassionate, enduring and loving. And all those who followed Jesus in the Age of Grace also sought to be enduring and loving in all things. They endured all suffering, and never fought back even if beaten, cursed or stoned.

The Age of Grace: The Aim and Significance of God’s Work

Classic Words of God:

In the Age of Grace, man had already undergone Satan’s corruption, and so the work of redeeming all humanity required an abundance of grace, infinite forbearance and patience, and even more, an offering sufficient to atone for humanity’s sins, in order to arrive at its effect. What humanity saw in the Age of Grace was merely My offering of atonement for the sins of humanity, that is, Jesus. All they knew was that God could be merciful and forbearing, and all they saw was Jesus’ mercy and lovingkindness. This was entirely because they lived in the Age of Grace. And so, before they could be redeemed, they had to enjoy the many kinds of grace that Jesus bestowed on them; only this was beneficial to them. This way, they could be forgiven of their sins through their enjoyment of grace, and could also have the chance to be redeemed through enjoying Jesus’ forbearance and patience. Only through Jesus’ forbearance and patience did they win the right to receive forgiveness and enjoy the abundance of grace bestowed by Jesus—just as Jesus said, “I have come to redeem not the righteous but sinners, to allow sinners to be forgiven of their sins.”If Jesus had been incarnated with the disposition of judgment, curse, and intolerance of man’s offenses, then man would never have had the chance to be redeemed, and would then have remained forever sinful. Had this been so, the six-thousand-year management plan would have come to a stop in the Age of Law, and the Age of Law would have been prolonged for six thousand years. Man’s sins would only have grown more numerous and more grievous, and the creation of humanity would have been for naught. Men would only have been able to serve Jehovah under the law, but their sins would have exceeded those of the first created humans. The more Jesus loved mankind, forgiving them their sins and bringing unto them enough mercy and lovingkindness, the more mankind gained the capacity to be saved, to be called the lost lambs that Jesus bought back at a great price. Satan could not meddle in this work, because Jesus treated His followers as a loving mother treats the infant in her bosom. He did not grow angry at them or despise them, but was full of consolation; He never flew into a rage in their midst, but forbore with their sins and turned a blind eye to their foolishness and ignorance, to the point of saying, “Forgive others seventy times seven times.” So His heart transformed the hearts of others. It was in this way that the people received forgiveness of sins through His forbearance.

Why Did God Work Through the Spirit in the Age of Law?

The initial work of the three stages of God’s work was done directly by the Spirit, and not by the flesh. The final work of the three stages of God’s work, however, is done by the incarnate God, and not directly by the Spirit. The work of redemption of the intermediary stage was also done by God in the flesh. Throughout the entire management work, the most important work is man’s salvation from the influence of Satan. The key work is the complete conquest of corrupt man, thus restoring the original reverence of God in the heart of conquered man, and allowing him to achieve a normal life, which is to say, the normal life of a creature of God. This work is crucial, and is the core of the management work. In the three stages of the work of salvation, the first stage of the work of the law was far from the core of the management work; it only had the slight appearance of the work of salvation, and was not the beginning of God’s work of saving man from the domain of Satan. The first stage of work was done directly by the Spirit because, under the law, man only knew to abide by the law, and did not have more truth, and because the work in the Age of Law hardly involved changes in the disposition of man, much less was it concerned with the work of how to save man from the domain of Satan. Thus the Spirit of God completed this supremely simple stage of work that did not concern the corrupt disposition of man. This stage of work bore little relation to the core of the management, and had no great correlation to the official work of the salvation of man, and so it did not require God to become flesh to personally do His work.

Why Did God Work in Israel in the Age of Law?

The Church of Almighty God |  God's love

The work that Jehovah did in the Israelites established among humanity God’s earthly place of origin, His sacred place where He was present. He confined His work to the Israelite people. At first, He did not work outside of Israel; instead, He chose a people He found suitable in order to restrict the scope of His work. Israel is the place where God created Adam and Eve, and out of the dust of that place Jehovah made man; it is the base of His work on earth. The Israelites, who are the descendants of Noah and of Adam, were the foundation of Jehovah’s work on earth.

God’s Name Was Jehovah in the Age of Law

The Church of Almighty God | Holy Spirit

“Jehovah” is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. … That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. … The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. “Jehovah” represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel.

Why Did God Name the First Age the Age of Law?

During the Age of Law, Jehovah laid down many commandments for Moses to pass on to the Israelites who followed him out of Egypt. Jehovah gave these commandments to the Israelites, which were unrelated to the Egyptians, and they were meant to restrain the Israelites, and were His requirements for them. Whether one observed the Sabbath, whether one respected one’s parents, whether one worshiped idols, and so forth, these were the principles by which one was judged sinful or righteous. Whether one was struck by Jehovah’s fire, or stoned to death, or received Jehovah’s blessing, was determined according to whether one obeyed these commandments. Those who did not observe the Sabbath were stoned to death. Those priests who did not observe the Sabbath were smitten by Jehovah’s fire. Those who did not respect their parents were also stoned to death. This was all commended by Jehovah. Jehovah established His commandments and laws so that as He led their lives, the people would listen to and obey His word and not rebel against Him. He used these laws to control the newborn human race, to lay the foundation for His work to come. And so, because of the work that Jehovah did, the first age was called the Age of Law.

The Necessary Understanding of God’s Work in the Age of Law

If we can earnestly ponder Almighty God’s words revealing the significance and essence of His work in the Age of Law, we will be fully able to recognize that God’s work in the Age of Law was His initial work of guiding mankind after creating man. Jehovah was the eternal, one-and-only true God in the Age of Law who appeared to the Israelites, who first led them out from under the control and slavery by the king of Egypt, and then He issued the laws and commandments to the Israelites, thus initiating God’s personal guidance of mankind’s lives. In the Age of Law, God issued many laws and commandments that mankind must abide by, and among them, the three most important kinds were: First were the Ten Commandments; second was the Sabbath; third were sacrifices, which were primarily sin offerings, peace offerings, and burnt offerings. These three requirements put forward by God were His primary work in the Age of Law, and the essential significances of His three requirements were the primary indications for guiding the Israelites of the time in how to live on the earth. Next, we’ll speak about some understanding of the essential significance of these three basic requirements of God during the Age of Law.

The Age of Law: The Content and Result of God’s Work

Jehovah | The Church of Almighty God

Relevant Words of God:

After the creation of mankind in the beginning, it was the Israelites who served as the basis of work, and the whole of Israel was the base of Jehovah’s work on earth. The work of Jehovah was to directly lead and shepherd man through setting forth the laws so that man could live a normal life and worship Jehovah in a normal manner on earth. God in the Age of Law was One who could neither be seen nor touched by man. He was merely leading men first corrupted by Satan, and He was there to instruct and shepherd these men, so the words He spoke were only of statutes, ordinances, and common knowledge of living life as a man, and not at all of truths that supply the life of man. The Israelites under His leadership were not those deeply corrupted by Satan. His work of law was only the very first stage in the work of salvation, the very beginning of the work of salvation, and had practically nothing to do with the changes in the life disposition of man.

The Age of Law: The Aim and Significance of God’s Work

Relevant Words of God:

The significance, purpose, and step of Jehovah’s work in Israel were to begin His work on the whole earth, gradually spreading to Gentile nations from its center in Israel. This is the principle according to which He works throughout the universe—to establish a model, then broaden it until all people in the universe have accepted His gospel. The first Israelites were the descendants of Noah. These people only had the breath of Jehovah, and could take care of the basic necessities of life, but they did not know what kind of a God Jehovah was, nor did they know His will for man, much less how they should revere the Lord of all creation. Adam’s descendants did not know what rules and laws they must obey, or what work the created must do for the Creator. All they knew was that the husband must sweat and labor to provide for his family, and that the wife must submit to her husband and perpetuate the race of humans that Jehovah created.

Know the Purpose of the Three Stages of Work of God’s Management of Mankind.

The Church of Almighty God | God's work

Relevant Words of God:

My entire management plan, a plan that spans six thousand years, consists of three stages, or three ages: the Age of Law in the beginning; the Age of Grace (which is also the Age of Redemption); and the Age of Kingdom in the last days. My work in these three ages differs in content according to the nature of each age, but at each stage it accords with man’s needs—or, to be more precise, it is done according to the tricks that Satan employs in the war that I wage against it. The purpose of My work is to defeat Satan, to make manifest My wisdom and omnipotence, to expose all of Satan’s tricks, and thereby to save the entire human race, which lives under its domain. It is to show My wisdom and omnipotence while at the same time revealing the unbearable hideousness of Satan.

Why Does God Want to Save Mankind?

Relevant Words of God:

In the beginning, God was resting. There were no humans or anything else upon the earth at that time, and God had not done any work whatsoever. God only began His management work once humanity existed and once humanity had been corrupted. From this point on, God no longer rested but instead began to busy Himself among humanity. It was because of humanity’s corruption that God was taken from His rest, and it was also because of the archangel’s rebellion that God was taken from His rest. If God does not defeat Satan and save humanity, which has been corrupted, God will never again be able to enter into rest. As man lacks rest, so does God. When God once again enters into rest, man will also enter into rest. The life in rest is one without war, without filth, without persisting unrighteousness. This is to say that it lacks Satan’s harassment (here “Satan” refers to hostile forces), Satan’s corruption, as well as the invasion of any force opposed to God. Everything follows its own kind and worships the Lord of creation. Heaven and earth are entirely tranquil. This is humanity’s restful life. When God enters into rest, no more unrighteousness will persist upon the earth, and there will be no more invasion of any hostile forces. Humanity will also enter a new realm; they will no longer be a humanity corrupted by Satan, but rather a humanity that has been saved after having been corrupted by Satan. Humanity’s day of rest is also God’s day of rest. God lost His rest due to humanity’s inability to enter into rest; it was not that He was originally unable to rest.

Now we believe in the Lord Jesus, and suffer a lot and sacrifice all to preach His name. We are doing the heavenly Father’s will. That means we’re already holy. Our Lord will surely bring us into the kingdom of heaven!

the bible | The Church of Almighty God

Answer: Concerning who can enter the kingdom of heaven, the Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The Lord Jesus’ words tell us clearly that only those who do the will of the heavenly Father can enter the kingdom of heaven. Brothers and sisters, although people can suffer and sacrifice for spreading the name of the Lord, it’s undeniable that they still often sin. That people sin shows that they still belong to Satan, that they are filthy and corrupt, and that they can still resist and betray God. This proves no man is truly pure. If they take power, they can still oppose God and build separate kingdoms. This is proof that no one has been truly purified to become holy. How could those who resist God be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven? People can sacrifice for the Lord, spread the gospel, build churches, and support believers. These are all their good behaviors. If their good behaviors are done for loving God, for truly working for God, and for obeying and satisfying God, without any thought of personal gain, these are truly good deeds that will be remembered and be blessed by God.

The Lord Jesus has already returned and has a new name. He is Almighty God. The Word Appears in the Flesh expressed by Almighty God is the voice of the bridegroom. Yet many brothers and sisters are still unable to discern the voice of God. Today we have invited the preachers from The Church of Almighty God to fellowship with us about how to identify the voice of God. So we’ll know how to ascertain that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ | voice of God 

Answer: This question is of the utmost importance. To accept God’s work of the last days and behold the appearance of God, we must know how to identify the voice of God. In fact, identifying the voice of God means recognizing the words and utterances of God and recognizing the characteristics of the Creator’s words. Regardless of whether they are the words of God become flesh, or the utterances of the Spirit of God, they are all words spoken by God to mankind from up high. Such are the tone and characteristics of God’s words. The authority and identity of God are clearly manifested. It can also be said the unique means by which the Creator speaks. God’s utterances each time He becomes flesh surely cover many areas. They primarily relate to God’s requirements and admonitions of man, the words of God’s administrative decrees and commandments. His words of judgment and chastisement, and His revelation of corrupt mankind. There are also words of prophecies and God’s promises to mankind and so on. These words are all the expression of the truth, the way, and the life. They are all the revelation of the substance of God’s life. They represent God’s disposition and all that God has and is. Man is able to see from the words expressed by God that God’s words are the truth, and they have authority, and power. Thus, if you wish to determine whether the words expressed by Almighty God are the voice of God, you can look at the words of the Lord Jesus and the words of Almighty God. You can compare them, and see whether they are the words expressed by one Spirit, and whether they are the work done by one God. If their source is the same, then this proves that Almighty God’s words are God’s utterances, and that Almighty God is the appearance of God. Let us look at the words spoken by Jehovah during the Age of Law, and the words of Jesus in the Age of Grace. They were both the direct expression of the Holy Spirit, and, moreover, were the work of one God. This proves that the Lord Jesus was the appearance of Jehovah, the appearance of the Creator. God’s sheep hear His voice. When it comes to how to specifically identify the voice of God, all will become clear if we look at the words of the Lord Jesus. Those who have read the Bible all know that in the words expressed by the Lord Jesus during the Age of Grace, there were words of admonitions, words of God’s requirements of man, and words that touched upon God’s administrative decrees. There are words of many prophecies and promises too. These words were one complete stage of work carried out by God during the Age of Grace.

Sermons and Fellowship: Why Are Foolish Virgins Exposed and Eliminated?

The so-called ‘wise virgins’ represent those that can recognize God’s voice and hear the voice of the ‘Bridegroom’ and who can therefore accept and submit to Christ, thereby taking home the practical God. And because the ‘foolish virgins’ do not know the voice of the ‘Bridegroom’ and cannot recognize God’s voice, they reject Christ. They still hope for the vague God, so they are abandoned and eliminated. So we can see that it is very difficult to accept Christ without real faith in believing in God. Those that refuse to accept Christ will miss the ‘wedding feast of the Beloved,’ and they cannot be taken by the Lord back into their home in the kingdom of heaven, and they cannot enter the place that God has prepared for mankind. So, whether people can accept Christ of the last days and submit to His work is a crucial factor in deciding whether people succeed or fail in their faith in God.

The Consequence and the Outcome of Rejecting God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days

All people who have experienced God’s last days work can clearly see that only when deeply corrupted mankind experiences God’s judgment and chastisement will they be able to attain true knowledge of God’s righteous disposition, and obtain changes in life disposition. Only in this way can mankind follow the will of the heavenly Father, exert all their effort for the utmost expansion of the kingdom gospel, and have a share in the adversities, kingdom and patience of Christ. Only in this way can mankind be eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven. The backwardness and corruption of all those believers in the Lord Jesus who have not accepted God’s judgment and chastisement of the last daysand remain in the Age of Grace are mainly expressed in the following ten aspects:

1. Although they believe in their heart that there is a God, admit that all people have sin, and often pray and confess their guilt, they do not have true repentance or change.

The Lord has appeared in the last days and uttered words to do the work of judgment that begins with the house of God. This completely fulfills the biblical prophecies: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). Only wise virgins can hear the voice of the Lord and welcome Him.

I. The Lord has appeared in the last days and uttered words to do the work of judgment that begins with the house of God. This completely fulfills the biblical prophecies: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). Only wise virgins can hear the voice of the Lord and welcome Him.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jhn 10:27).

What Truly Are the Wise Virgins?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. … But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. … And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. … and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Mat 25: 1, 4, 6-7, 10).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jhn 10:27).

“These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev 14:4).

“For the Lamb which is in the middle of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev 7:17).

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Mat 7:7).

What Truly Are the Foolish Virgins?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. … five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: … While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not” (Mat 25:1-3, 5-12).

Sermons and Fellowship: What’s Wise About the Wise Virgins Who Welcome the Lord?

The Church of Almighty God | church life

“During the Age of Grace, Jesus talked about the wise virgins. What is this mystery all about? What does the term wise virgin mean? The main point is that she recognizes God’s voice. When she hears it, she thinks, ‘Why do I think that the things this Son of man is saying are God’s words? Why does it seem like He has God’s voice? These are things that man cannot say. This is God’s voice. So I must believe in Him. He is Christ. This is God incarnate.’ Look, this is why she is wise. Now, why are foolish virgins foolish? It is because they think, ‘Isn’t this just a man? Isn’t this Jesus of Nazareth? Isn’t this just a normal person? How can he be God? We will not believe in him. We believe in the God in heaven.’ You see, they do not understand spiritual matters, right? These people believe that they themselves are correct and that they are in the right. The result was that God takes the wise in their own craftiness. Aren’t you wise? Aren’t you someone who does not believe in man? Today, God has become incarnate. He has become man. If you do not believe, you will be destroyed, and you will perish. If you think that you are clever and wise, you will have fooled yourself.”

How Do the Wise Virgins Hear the Voice of God and Welcome the Lord?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jhn 16:12-13).

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:3).

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Mat 5:6).

How Do the Wise Virgins Hear the Voice of God and Welcome the Lord?

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mat 5:8).