Hello Brother Xiaoyang,
After your bearing witness to Almighty God’s work of the last days for me, I have watched many gospel movies, dance and song videos, MVs, etc. on the internet produced by The Church of Almighty God. I also read some words in The Word Appears in the Flesh expressed by Almighty God, feeling that they are quite practical, carry authority and power and can’t be spoken by man. I confirm that they are God’s utterances. But my pastor and elder say the word and work of God are within the Bible and that outside of the Bible, there are no words and work of God. I don’t understand why the work and word of Almighty God goes beyond the Bible? How do you understand this?
Yours sincerely,
Xinzhi
Brother Xinzhi:
Hello! The question you have brought up also generally exists in the entire religious world. Especially leaders in the religious world often say, “God’s word and work are recorded in the Bible and can’t appear outside the Bible.” Therefore, we can’t figure out why the work and word of Almighty God, Christ of the last days, exceed the Holy Bible. So let’s discuss this question.
First, which came first, the Holy Bible or God’s work and word?
First, we should understand which came first, God’s work and word or the Holy Bible. We all know that, in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and all things, destroyed the earth with the flood, burned Sodom and Gomorrah and so on. When God did the work at that time, the Old Testament didn’t exist. They were recorded by later generations after Jehovah God did work and spoke. In addition, when the Lord Jesus came to work in the Age of Grace, the New Testament didn’t exist; it was in a religious conference after AD 300 that religious leaders of all nations selected the Four Gospels from the disciples’ records of the Lord Jesus’ work, and some of the apostles’ and disciples’ letters that they wrote to each church, to then compile them into the New Testament. Therefore, the Bible came after God’s work and word and it is just a historical record of God’s past work.
Second, are God’s work and word according to the Holy Bible?
In the Age of Law, Jehovah God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and promulgated laws and commandments, guiding them on how to live and obey His teachings. At that time, when Jehovah God did His work, the Old Testament didn’t exist, so He couldn’t work according to the Bible. Let’s look at God’s work in the Age of Grace. At that time, the Lord Jesus preached the way of repentance, and He taught people to love each other, to forgive others and be patient, to bear the cross, and to subdue their bodies, and He also performed many signs and wonders, such as healing the sick and casting out demons. These words and work weren’t recorded in the Old Testament. Besides, the Lord Jesus led His disciples to work on the Sabbath, and when His disciples were hungry they began to pluck ears of corn to eat, and moreover, the Lord Jesus healed the sick on the sabbath day (See Matthew 12:1-15). Thus it can be seen that God’s work wasn’t restricted by the Old Testament, but was according to His own plan and the needs of mankind at that time. It completely exceeded the Old Testament and was new work outside of the Old Testament, bringing a new way of practice to man at that time. From this, we can see God is the Ruler of all things, that He is not only the Lord of the Sabbath, but the Lord of the Bible, and that God’s work is principled and He does His work according to His plan, not the Bible.
Third, is there God’s word and work outside of the Bible?
Actually, at that time, the Lord Jesus said more words than what was recorded in the Four New Testament Gospels, and most of His words were not included in the Bible. The Lord Jesus worked for three and a half years, said countless words and gave many sermons during that period. The limited record of His words found in the Four New Testament Gospels is only a drop in the vast sea of God’s life. As John said, “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” (John 21:25). This proves that the Lord Jesus’ work and word were not completely recorded in the New Testament. So the words “There is no work and word of God outside of the Bible” aren’t consistent with the fact.
The Lord Jesus said, “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” (John 16:12-13). “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48). Moreover, there are many places in Revelation with prophecies that say, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7).
From the above verses, we can clearly see that in the last days, God will work and speak again and express more truths to supply mankind. However, these truths could not automatically jump into the Bible in advance. When the Lord returns in the last days, He will do the work of separating the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, the true believers from the false believers, and save mankind through expressing the words of judgment. The true believers who are purified will be brought to the good destination of the future, while those who perform all kinds of wicked deeds and still oppose God shall be subjected to everlasting punishment. This exactly fulfills the prophecy in the Book of Revelation, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). If, as in our thoughts, God can’t go beyond the Bible to carry out His work, how could these prophecies of God be fulfilled and accomplished?
The word of Almighty God says, “The work of today is a path that man has never walked, and a way that no one has ever seen. It is work that has never been done before—it is God’s latest work on earth. Thus, work that has never been done before is not history, because now is now, and has yet to become the past. People don’t know that God has done greater, newer work on earth, and outside of Israel, that it has already gone beyond the scope of Israel, and beyond the foretellings of the prophets, that it is new and marvelous work outside of the prophecies, and newer work beyond Israel, and work that people can neither perceive nor imagine. How could the Bible contain explicit records of such work? Who could have recorded every single bit of today’s work, without omission, in advance?”
God’s work in the Age of Law was not according to the Bible, so was His work in the Age of Grace. All the work God does is according to His plan and the needs of mankind. His work isn’t in accordance with the Bible or constrained by the prophecies of the Bible. We can’t use the Bible to define His work or restrict His work within the Bible. The Bible only prophesied God’s work of the last days, but did not record detailed content. Today Almighty God has come, opened the scroll and broken the seven seals. The book The Word Appears in the Flesh has revealed the truths and mysteries that man has not understood for generations past. For example: God’s six-thousand-year management plan for the salvation of man, the significance of God’s names, how God does the work of judgment in the last days, how man escapes sin to receive cleanness, humanity’s outcome and destination, etc. These are precisely the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches and the truths that we mankind need in order to be saved. Only by carefully listening to God’s voice and following the footsteps of the Lamb can we be wise virgins.
Brother Xinzhi, I hope the above communication will bring you a little help. In investigating God’s work, as long as we recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit, confirm God’s expression and follow God’s footsteps, we can gain God’s full salvation.
Truly yours,
Xiaoyang
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