Faith

In this world afflicted with sin, most people are not in touch with their true selves. God cannot easily be felt or experienced.

Truth cannot easily be understood or practiced. Relying on ourselves, we wander in a sea of vain desires and false conceptions. Human beings need a star to guide them through the darkness, a map by which to navigate in uncharted waters. This is faith. Faith begins with a belief in the tenets of religion and the effort to orient our lives following God’s commandments.

A religion’s creed may be only a few words, yet those few words can rightly guide us into a relationship with God.

As we go deeper, we realize that our faith itself is a gift of God. It is the way God provides out of His love to reconnect with fallen human beings, who are in no condition to save themselves.

Here is St. Paul’s, between faith and works. A similar doctrine was taught by Shinran, the Japanese Buddhist saint who placed his faith in the ‘Power of Another.’ This is pure faith, uncontaminated by self-seeking. There are no grounds for pride, even in one’s ability to have faith.

Father Moon affirms that as all people are contaminated by sin and stem from a sinful lineage, no one can possibly pay off the debt of sin by his own efforts. Hence the only proper basis for a relationship with God is to rely on God’s gracious love for us, His children. Faith matures into a mutual relationship with God, characterized by trust and faithfulness (Heb., Emunah).

As we strive to live the way that God would have us live, we can overcome adversity knowing that God is faithful to us. Yet as we relate to God as our Subject of faith, we can ask whether God can equally count on our faithfulness to Him.

People are so double-minded, vacillating between faithfulness and faithlessness from one day to the next. To become the sort of person whom God can trust to remain faithful through any adversity requires absolute integrity and self-mastery (see Chapter 12).

God searches out such people, to whom He assigns great missions. Father Moon calls us to “absolute faith.” This is the unshakable faith that remains firm despite the vicissitudes of life. It is not compromised by the believer’s personal preferences.

Opposition, tragedy, and loss can shake a person of weak faith. The pleas of family and loved ones cannot turn back absolute faith. Like Peter, who denied his lord in a crisis, the person of weak faith runs away or even loses faith altogether.

But with absolute faith, we can move mountains, overcome any adversity, and even triumph over death.

Belief—the Starting Point of Faith

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3.16

Faith… is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 2 (Islam)

Trembling with fear, [the jailer] fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16.29-31

O mankind, I am the messenger of God to you all, of Him to whom belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life, and He makes to die. So believe in God, and His messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believes in God and in His words, and follow him that haply you may be led aright. Qur’an 7.158

He who does not understand the will of Heaven cannot be regarded as a gentleman. Analects 20.3.1 (Confucianism)

He [Abraham] believed the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15.6

Who therefore shrinks from the religion of Abraham, except he be foolish-minded? Indeed, We chose him in the present world, and in the world to come he shall be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, “Surrender,” he said, “I have surrendered myself to the Lord of all Being.” And Abraham charged his sons with this and Jacob likewise, “My sons, God has chosen for you the religion; see that you die not save in surrender.” Why, were you witnesses when death came to Jacob? When he said to his sons, “What will you serve after me?” They said, “We will serve your God and the God of your fathers Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, One God; to Him we surrender.” That is a nation that has passed away; there awaits them what they have earned, and there awaits you what you have earned; you shall not be questioned concerning the things they did. And they say, “Be Jews or Christians and you shall be guided.” Say, “Nay, rather the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith; he was no idolater.” Say you, “We believe in God, and in that which has been sent down on us and sent down on Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets; of their Lord; we make no division between any of them, and to Him we surrender.”1 Qur’an 2.130-36

By faith you shall be free and go beyond the world of death. Sutta Nipata 1146 (Buddhism)

Faith is composed of the heart’s intention. Light comes through faith. Through faith, men come to prayer, Faith in the morning, faith at noon and at the setting of the sun. O Faith, give us faith! Rig Veda 10.151.4-5 (Hinduism)

There are four kinds of faith. The first is the faith in the Ultimate Source. Because of this faith a man comes to meditate with joy on the principle of Suchness. The second is the faith in the numberless excellent qualities of the Buddhas. Because of this faith a man comes to meditate on them always, to draw near to them in fellowship, to honor them, and to respect them, developing his capacity for goodness and seeking after the all-embracing knowledge.

The third is the faith in the great benefits of the Dharma. Because of this faith a man comes constantly to remember and practice the various disciplines leading to enlightenment. The fourth is faith in the Sangha, whose members can devote themselves to the practice of benefiting both themselves and others. Because of this faith a man comes to approach the assembly of Bodhisattvas constantly and with joy to seek instruction from them in the correct practice.2 Awakening of Faith in Mahayana (Buddhism)

Inexpressible is the state of faith; Whoever attempts to describe it shall in the end regret his rashness. This state pen and paper cannot record, Nor cogitation penetrate its secret. The great, immaculate Name of God May only be realized by one Whose mind is firmly fixed in faith. Through faith the mind and intellect find concentration; And to the seeker are revealed all the stages of enlightenment.

Through faith one will not receive blows in the Hereafter, Nor be subjected to death’s terror. The great, immaculate Name of God May only be realized by one Whose mind is firmly fixed in faith. Through faith man meets no obstacle on the Path, And shall proceed to his abode with God with his honor universally proclaimed. One with faith shall not stray into sects and byways, But be fixed in true religion. The great, immaculate Name of God May only be realized by one Whose mind is firmly fixed in faith. Adi Granth, Japuji 12-14, M.1, p. 3 (Sikhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Faith is the path each person must walk in search of God. Faith should be nurtured through a direct vertical relationship between God and each individual. Exposition of the Divine Principle, Preparation 1)

Why do we lead a life of faith?

It is to invest in a higher form of energy that transcends our individual selves. Its direction is toward the world of higher realm, not the fallen world in which we now live. That is why theories that deny God’s existence are groundless. (89:76, July 11, 1976)

The measure of the life of faith is not money or any glory in this world… The center of infinite value is God alone; therefore, we should make God the standard of our life of faith. We should not pay attention to anything besides God. (68:130-31, July 29, 1973)

The primary thing is to have a firm faith in the Center. Unless you have firm faith, all your willpower and zeal are of no use. Ask yourself, “What will happen to my faith if some calamity befalls me along the way?” What would be your answer? (27:114, November 30, 1969)

Why did Adam fall? He fell because he lacked faith. Faithlessness was the first cause of the Fall… Consequently, we must go the way of faith. Through our faith, we should reverse the effects of our ancestors’ fall due to their lack of faith. Then we can go upward. To go upward, even above the point where our ancestors fell, we must have absolute faith. (126:35, April 10, 1983)

To go the way of restoration, you need the Messiah. Fulfilling the condition of faith, with its three aspects—the central figure, the object for the condition, and the period of indemnity—is like recovering from an illness. To be healed, you need a doctor, the prescribed remedy, and a period of time.

The doctor tells you, “Take this medicine for three days” or “I have to give you this medical treatment each day for a week.” In the same way, a sin-sick person must keep faith in the Messiah, the Lord. He is your Physician. You must believe his word more than your own ideas. (63:183-84, October 14, 1972)

In our life of faith, the most critical issue is God, the object of our faith. At the same time, God, as the subject of faith, has human beings as His objects. While we human beings place God as the object of our faith, God treats us as the objects of His faith.

This intersection forms the gateway in which we stand. Therefore, we should uphold God’s essential teaching, sharing life and death with Him. And at the same time, we should uphold the value of people, sharing life and death with them. (59:237-38, July 23, 1972)

People make a great mistake when they think that all they have to do is “just believe” in God and Jesus in order to receive God’s overflowing blessings.

They believe they can have everything they want without doing anything in return. That attitude of faith is like that of a thief, who takes things without earning them. Why did Jesus undergo the way of suffering? He did it to save the world.

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world…” God needed Jesus to undergo his difficult course in order to prepare an environment in which God could love the people of His nation, and through them to love the world. Shouldn’t we who believe in Jesus join with Jesus in taking responsibility for this? (124:296, March 1, 1983)

What does Heaven long for? Not for believers, but for those who practice and substantiate their faith in their daily life. (6:84, March 29, 1959)

You cannot go this path having an old-fashioned faith, just believing and expecting everything will be solved and accomplished by itself. We must go forward with the right attitude of faith— with determination to survive and neutralize the powers of death that may confront us.

Passion, faith, endeavor, and endurance—all these are necessary to receive the first level of inheritance from Heaven. (6:131, March 29, 1959)

Faith is a gift of God, not a Human Work

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2.8-10

God has endeared the Faith to you, and has made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief, wickedness, and rebellion: such indeed are those who walk in righteousness—a grace and favor from God. Qur’an 49.7

No one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father. John 6.65

He it is who sent down peace of reassurance into the hearts of the believers, that they might add faith to their faith. Qur’an 48.4

Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve. Bhagavad-Gita 18.66 (Hinduism)

Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain?—if it really is in vain. Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Thus Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” So you see that it is men of faith who are sons of Abraham… Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Galatians 3.2-7, 11

“If even a good man can be reborn in the Pure Land, how much more so a wicked man!” People generally think, however, that if even a wicked man can be reborn in the Pure Land, how much more so a good man! This latter view may at first sight seem reasonable, but it is not in accord with the purpose of the Original Vow [of Amida Buddha], with faith in the Power of Another. The reason for this is that he who, relying on his own power, undertakes to perform meritorious deeds, has no intention of relying on the Power of Another and is not the object of the Original Vow of Amida. Should he, however, abandon his reliance on his own power and put his trust in the Power of Another, he can be born in the True Land of Recompense. We who are caught in the net of our own passions cannot free our- selves from bondage to birth and death, no matter what kind of austerities or good deeds we try to perform. Seeing this and pitying our condition, Amida made his Vow with the intention of bringing wicked men to Buddhahood. Therefore the wicked man who depends on the Power of Another is the prime object of salvation.3 Shinran, Tannisho (Buddhism)

One of the crowd said [to Jesus], “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid… have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9.17-24

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
How can we explain the relationship our Father has with us, considering that we are all descendants of the sinful lineage? We cannot escape the bondage of sinful history.

We live within the realm of sin, unable to overcome it. Because we cannot relate well with the Father even by our best efforts, we are taught to believe with all our hearts. This is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which teaches us to approach the Father not through any other way but by believing in our hearts. (7:52- 53, July 12, 1959)

How will you be justified by Heaven? You cannot take pride in your merits and efforts for Heaven. These things do not acquit you at the judgment. Only by your experience of God’s heart and Jesus’ heart within you, bearing fruit—a relationship that even God and Jesus cannot break—will establish the condition for eternal life. (4:107, March 16, 1958)

As you live your life of faith, do you have an explosive and stimulating power in the center of your heart, which moves unceasingly towards the world of God’s Will?

When you have that heart, then it is evident that God is with you. On the other hand, if you do not have that power, it is evident that God is separate from you. When your heart is pouring out love for people, and you have the heart to share your life limitlessly with others, it is clear that you belong to Heaven.

You must know that self-centered love and arrogant, self-centered values are evidence that God is already leaving you. (32:21-22, June 14, 1970)

God created humankind and has believed in us unfailingly. God has maintained that standard throughout history, no matter how often people betray His trust.

Fallen parents in this world believe in their children, even though they are not trustworthy. They continue to believe in their children even after being deceived and lied to again and again. This is the very heart of God…

What happens when you believe in someone who cannot be believed, love someone who is unlovable, and stay by the side of someone you cannot live with? Even though they may leave you, once they realize your love for them, it will move their heart and they will return. God has been walking the providence of restoration with that heart. (Way of Unification 8.4.8)

With what heart did God create this world? God created this world with a heart that longed for all things to become worthy of His infinite trust. He longed for human beings to become worthy of His infinite trust…

God tried to believe in people, believing that they could be in such oneness as to not even be conscious of the word ‘faith.’ With this heart, God sought for people of eternal faith. Yet due to the human Fall, this heart of God has remained unfulfilled. (4:71, March 9, 1959)

We know we appear unworthy. When we critique and analyze ourselves, we know we do not measure up as beings able to offer something to Thee. Yet let us not forget that we are already Thy children. It is our destined relationship, which cannot be broken whatever we do. (24:245, August 24, 1969)

To Trust in God and Live by Faith in Him

Put your trust in the Exalted in Might, the Merciful—who sees you standing forth in prayer, and your movements among those who prostrate themselves. For it is He who hears and sees all things. Qur’an 26.218-20

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3.5-6

The righteous shall live by being faithful. Habakkuk 2.4

Rabbi Simlai said, “Six hundred and thirteen commandments were given to Moses, 365 negative commandments, answering to the number of the days of the year, and 248 positive commandments, answering to the number of a man’s members. Then David came and reduced them to eleven [Psalm 15]. Then came Isaiah, and reduced them to six [Isaiah 63.15].

Then came Micah, and reduced them to three [Micah 6.8]. Then Isaiah came again, and reduced them to two, as it is said, ‘Keep ye judgment and do righteousness.’ Then came Amos, and reduced them to one, as it is said, ‘Seek me and live.’ Or one may say, then came Habakkuk [2.4], and reduced them to one, as it is said, ‘The righteous shall live by his faith.’”4 Talmud, Makkot 23b-24a (Judaism)

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7.21

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2.14-17

I do as I talk and live up to my words in deed; take a balance and weights in your hands O my Lord! If my words and deeds should differ slightly by even a barley grain, you kick me and go, O Lord Kudala Sangama! Basavanna, Vacana 440 (Hinduism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
What kind of faith does God desire?

When Jesus said, “Believe in me,” he meant we should believe in him as he believed in God. Jesus could say, “I am God’s Son, and I believe in God,” because as His Son, he was certain that God trusted him just as he trusted God his Father. (5:180, January 18, 1959)

Although you believe in Jesus as your Lord and the subject of your faith, it is not good if you just believe in Jesus and stop there. Believing in Jesus is just the first step on the walk of faith with Jesus, on whom you stake your eternal life.

Once you have developed a living relationship of faith with Jesus, it becomes the basis to experience God as a living reality. If you genuinely believe in Jesus, then you can accomplish these things. (3:19, September 8, 1957)

When you declare that you believe in Jesus, does it mean that you only have to believe in the things that Jesus likes? Or do you also have to reject the things that Jesus hates?

Surely, just as you have to do what Jesus likes, you must also reject what Jesus hates. What are the things that Jesus hates? They are, simply, Satan and sin. (124:294, March 1, 1983)

Unless you feel in your heart that God loves you, and unless you are so proud of these great words of God as to be eager to declare them throughout the universe, you cannot stand tall as God’s son or daughter. You must have absolute confidence that comes by trusting completely in God’s authority. (22:205, February 4, 1969)

Although we believe that God is our Heavenly Father, we should strive for the day when Heavenly Father, our Subject Partner, trusts us, His object partners, one hundred percent. We should take God’s purpose as our clear goal, and dash forward to reach it with one hundred percent conviction.

This is the last significant problem that people of this era have to solve… You know very well that the first human ancestors fell because they did not trust God. They fell because they did not have faith. (6:209-10, May 17, 1959)

Among people of faith, which of these three will God side with: The person who believes but does nothing? The person who has the conviction to act but acts negligently?

Or the person translate his faith 100 percent into action, even courageously dedicating his life? Which type of person do you want to be? (92:312-13, April 24, 1977)

What is the most important experience in a life of faith? It is to feel that you are living a subject-object relationship with God. You experience that God exists, that He loves you.

Then, honoring God as your Subject of faith, you become earnest to act in ways that make God take notice of you and support what you are doing. You must feel God’s presence with you so much that whenever you pray, you feel gratitude to Him.

Then indeed He is with you. You may not experience this in the beginning, but when you reach a certain level in your life of faith, you will feel it naturally. (58:312, June 25, 1972)

You have to remain faithful and keep your integrity towards Heaven even though you live in the satanic world. Have you ever regarded the children you are raising as God’s children?

Have you ever thought that you and your spouse belong to God?

Have you ever considered that your parents, your ancestors, your people, and your country all belong to God? Ignorant people on this earth are not aware that Heaven is moving the world towards this standard. (8:85, November 8, 1959)

May we gathered here today become people about whom Thou art able to say: “You are the person I have hoped for. You are someone I can trust and someone I can love.” (1:101, June 6, 1956)

Absolute Faith—Untainted by Personal Desires and Unaffected by Circumstances

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will move this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Matthew 17.20

He who has in his heart faith equal to a single grain of mustard seed will not enter hell, and he who has in his heart as much pride as a grain of mustard seed will not enter Paradise. Hadith of Muslim (Islam)

[Jesus] said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9.59-62

Those journeying to heaven do not look back; they ascend the heaven, the two worlds. Satapatha Brahmana 9.2.3.27 (Hinduism)

But Lot’s wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19.26

“My clothes are torn, I shall soon go naked,” or “I shall get a new suit”: a monk should not entertain such thoughts. At one time he will have no clothes, at another time he will have some. Knowing this to be a salutary rule, a wise monk should not complain about it. Uttaradhyayana Sutra 2.12-13 (Jainism)

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.38-39

Say: Lo! My worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Qur’an 6.162

Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3.17-18

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
When you pray, be aware of your privilege as a glorious son or daughter of God. Then when you pray, “O Lord, please grant me my wish; I truly want it to be done,” God will grant your request.

Thus you will discover the living God. You will see that God is alive and working on your behalf. By harnessing the power of God in this way, you can heal your members when they become sick.

When you go through difficult times, you will find that God is directly helping you. Live this way, and you will have many realizations. You will gain the confidence and conviction to overcome every obstacle. You will know with certainty that God is on your side. (65:286, January 1, 1973)

On the way of our faith there should be no self-assertion or self-concept. Absolute faith means there is no concept of self at all. If I say I believe absolutely, it means there should be no opposition to that within myself.

When you say you are united with God, there should be no ego. You have to unite completely with the Subject, leaving no trace of self. In the life of faith there is no place for egoism. (46:82, July 25, 1971)

When God called Noah, He did not instruct him to do something that corresponds with common sense. He said, “Noah, build an ark on the heights of a mountain.”

God could have told Noah to build the ark near the seashore or by a river, but instead He gave Noah instructions that seemed completely implausible. Nevertheless, Noah carried out God’s command in faith and persevered in doing so for 120 years. God always conducts His providence in ways that ordinary people cannot understand. (70:64, February 8, 1974)

If you follow the secular environment and try to pursue a life of faith at the same time, you can- not attain absolute faith. Most people live routine lives and think, “I am acceptable in God’s sight.”

However, regarding the fundamental problem—how to enter the Kingdom of God—living a routine life in this fallen world does not suffice… Why is it, that without an absolute standard of faith, we cannot establish the Kingdom of God? It is because Satan dwells there. (46:79-80, July 25, 1971)

When you walk with absolute faith, even if your nation comes against you, you must never yield. Although your family may oppose you, with absolute faith you should not be defeated. Even if your loving spouse persecutes you, you must hold on to the attitude of absolute faith.

Why do we live our lives with an attitude of absolute faith?

Quite simply, the way to goodness requires that we overcome the evil environment. (29:206) The purest and most trustworthy person does as God does: although belief seems impossible, he never stops believing; although loving is difficult he never stops loving, and although he cannot stand living with his partner he continues to live together with her. That kind of person will definitely become a victor over any circumstances. (Way of Unification 8.4.8)

How serious are you, as you stand before God’s tremendous Providence which He has been conducting through history? How much are you united with God’s Will?

Are you leading a life of absolute faith, centered on God’s Will?

You should be able to say, “Though winds and tempest blow, and though I may perish, my conviction is firm. I could be wrong, but God’s will can never be wrong.” You should have such a rock-solid conviction. It is folly to desire for the Kingdom of God when your faith is ever changing from morning to evening. (46:74, July 25, 1971)

Where do we connect to love?

It is at the point where we become absolutely zero, where there is no trace of self. To find perfect love, there is no place for “me.” It is the same with faith.

As God’s object partner I believe in my Subject absolutely, and God as my Subject partner believes in me as His object partner absolutely. In faith, there is no self. In absolute faith, there is no place for “me.” Faith is absolute at the zero point.

When you unite with your partner in absolute love, there is no “I.” Likewise, when you unite with your partner in absolute faith, there is no “I.” This is how two become one. Follow this way, and you will become completely one. (279:146, August 4, 1996)

At the time of creation, God created with absolute faith. When God spoke, He determined according to His Word that created beings would become His object partners. In other words, He spoke based on absolute faith. Furthermore, the objects that God created by His absolute faith were for the sake of His absolute love. (273:298, October 29, 1995)

Faith in the Face of Adversity

Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26.39

Now there was a day when [Job’s] sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; and there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them; and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “The Chaldeans formed three companies, and made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1.13-22

Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him and killed him. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 1 Samuel 17.33-36

When a surah comes down, enjoining them to believe in God and to strive and fight along with His Apostle, those with wealth and influence among them ask you for an exemption, saying, “Leave us behind; we will be with those who sit.” They prefer to be with the women who remain behind; their hearts are sealed and so they understand not. But the Apostle, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons; for them are all good things, and it is they who will prosper. Qur’an 9.86-88

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came; and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway. And the maid saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while again the bystanders said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. Mark 14.66-72

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Suppose you have been married for some time and are deeply in love, but suddenly your spouse dies. You feel as if all of heaven and earth were crumbling. At that moment, you could curse God for taking your loved one away, but instead, you should think: What could be the reason this has happened?

You should recall that God often takes away something precious in order to give something more precious. Such is the heart of a parent. You should think about your situation in light of the principle of restoration through indemnity, remembering that on the path of restoration, indemnity is something to be grateful for.

Then you can appreciate it, saying, “God chose me to suffer this loss because He knows I am the only one strong enough to go this indemnity course.” And then, if you come before God with a settled spirit and pray, “What’s next?”

God will be amazed. When you look at the long view, your suffering today will accrue as blessings to your descendants 100 years, 1,000 years in the future. (104:106, April 15, 1979)

Absolute faith! It is the subject of my prayer these days. Not the faith of Peter, but absolute faith. Absolute faith!… With absolute faith, you can go on even though you are dying. Prison is nothing; not even death can stop you from continuing on the path. Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

Even though he died away from home, he died not for himself, but for the sake of the Father. He became a glorious offering. Do you understand what your limitations are? You have to be courageous even in the face of death. Then a leap will occur—a leap.

When you have made up your mind to die and go forward—even at the most difficult point where you cannot escape either down into the earth or up into the sky—God will surely appear.

Hence, I am not bothered by the question of whether or not God exists. I experience so many of His works—works like in dreams. God always works as He desires for His people of absolute faith. (126:238, Unification Family Life 3.3.2)

Because our first ancestors fell due to disbelief, to go forward we have to overcome disbelief. We can go over the line where our first ancestors fell when we act out of absolute faith.

What is the meaning of absolute faith? It means to go forward in the face of death, go forward even though you are dying, and continue even after you are dead. (126:35, April 10, 1983)

Today throughout the world Christianity appears to be fading. Even the United States, this gigantic nation, seems to be sinking. What kind of people does God, the unchanging Subject, look for to be His object partners?

He cannot work with people who dance to the world’s tune and accommodate themselves to it. People change and the world changes, yet God looks for people who determine never to change, who say, “Even though the world may perish, we will not change.” God is expecting us to be such people, who stand on firm ground and who demonstrate both faith and zealous deeds. (66:47, March 18, 1973)

You call upon God, you cry out for God’s Will, you seek after God’s truth, and you fight for God’s glory. What is the purpose of such a life of faith? First, its purpose is to make you absolutely firm and resolute.

God cannot trust you unless you have the conviction that no suffering can overpower you, and no historical sorrow can defeat you, for the foundation laid in your mind and body is unshakable.

Unless God can trust you, He cannot use you to bring an end to the evil state of affairs of your generation. (12:304, August 11, 1963)