Many difficulties arise in the church today because God's children sacrifice the truth. A local church became divided after a brother said, "I had no intention to be separated from you, but last night something happened in the church, and I was not informed of it. Today I will no longer meet with you." The truth is absolute. If the brother's separation of himself was right, he should have done so even if he had been informed of the matter. Likewise, if the brother's separation of himself was wrong, he should not have done so even when he was not informed of the matter. If he is absolute for the truth, the act of informing him bears no significance. If his separation is based on a lack of informing, man has been elevated above the truth. Another place wanted to have separate tables and to break bread separately because a brother was offended when he asked a question in the meeting and did not receive an answer. If it was right for him to separate himself, he should have started another table much sooner. If it was wrong for him to separate himself, he should not make an excuse of not receiving an answer to his question. This is what it means to be absolute to the truth. If having separate tables is according to the truth, there should be separate tables, even if the brothers are attached to one another. If having separate tables is not according to the truth, there should not be separate tables, even if there are offenses. Brothers and sisters, have you seen this? We must deny all forms of self before we can serve the Lord. If there is any pride, selfishness, or thought of receiving respectable treatment as a condition for upholding God's word, we are putting ourselves above God's truth; we are saying that we are more important than His truth. This disqualifies us from His service. In our service to the Lord, we have to deny ourselves absolutely. Whether or not we like what is happening and whether or not we feel hurt about something have nothing to do with the issue. If something must be done one way, it must be done that way no matter how we feel. Even if we suffer greatly by doing so, we still have to do it. Even if others mistreat us, despise us, or count us worthless, we still have to do it. We cannot force God's truth to go our way just because we want to go that way. Man is too bold; he always forces God's truth to follow him.

We have to see the glory of God's truth. We cannot project our own feelings into His truth. When we stand beside God's truth, we should not just consider ourselves to be smaller than it; we should consider ourselves to be non-existent. If we involve the self even a little, we will end up with trouble immediately. A brother, who had been criticized in some quarters, came to the church and felt quite happy about the contacts he made. He felt that he had been unjustly criticized where he had been, but he did not really touch the truth before the Lord. He was merely impressed by a few of the brothers. Such a brother was very undisciplined in his conduct. Some time later another brother said to him, "Brother, you have been too loose," and he proceeded to point out some of the things that the new brother had done. This was a speaking of truth in love. But when the new brother heard this, he left, remarking in anger, "No wonder so many people are against this church. It should be criticized." Brothers and sisters, this brother was not absolute to the truth. If he had been absolute to the truth, he would not have said this when he was rebuked by others. Because he was not absolute to the truth, he changed his tone as soon as he was rebuked.