The Path of Faith

1. Because human beings are born as descendants of the fallen first human ancestors, we can neither find the path to God nor enter the heavenly nation unless we overcome the obstacle of the Fall. Furthermore, as beings encumbered with fallen nature, it is impossible to find a way to reverse the Fall on our own.

To reverse the Fall, we cannot rely on our power but must rely on the power of a third party. Such is the plight of people living today. Fortunately, Heaven has not forsaken us. Throughout history, Heaven has toiled, taking responsibility to guide us in reversing the conditions of the Fall. (076-091, 1975.02.01)

The path we must go by God's Will

2. When we discuss the true path of faith, “true” means there is only one path. What then, is the object of our faith? It is the absolute God. A life of faith is about seeking and finding the destination of hope desired by God, by His Will.

A life of faith is not about what I want; it is not about the desire of those who lead a life of faith. Confusion has occurred within the global community of faith because people have not understood that a life of faith should be centered upon accomplishing God's Will, not centered upon oneself. (265-312, 1994.12.01)

3. Everything depends on oneself. It is up to each of us whether we achieve perfection or fail to achieve it. It is the same regarding whether we succeed or fail in life. Our life of faith is no different.

Although our faith may be constant throughout our lives, our conscience urges us to strive after ever-higher goals. Reaching the highest standard is, however, no ordinary undertaking.

The higher we climb, the closer to the peak we are, until ultimately, we realize that everything ends in unity. It is difficult, though, to reach that point of oneness: historically, our conscience has sought the purpose of goodness, yet the perfection we desire as human beings still eludes us. (249-010, 1993.10.07)

4. In the Unification Church, your life of faith requires you to raise the standard by which you evaluate yourselves as you walk with God in your daily lives. When you go to the spirit world, this higher standard will be your asset. It will also be the determining factor deciding whether, in the new era, you will be remembered in history as a hero or an outcast. (25-215, 1969.10.04)

5. Each one of us needs a victorious standard, a starting point from which we can accomplish our mission. This means we must establish a victorious standard from the subject partner position.

Naturally, unless we establish a victorious standard, we will not be able to accomplish our purpose. Where must we establish this standard? It must be created within ourselves. (29-265, 1970.03.11)

6. When Jesus came to earth carrying God's entire mission on His behalf, standing as the one responsible for ending a cosmic struggle, the issue for Jesus was always to focus on his relationship with God.

God was to be the center of heaven and earth and Jesus the substantial center. Jesus was constantly mindful of this fact. If any gap between himself and God had opened, or a conflict over their purpose had arisen, they would not have been able to progress toward victory. (29-265, 1970.03.11)

7. Deep in his heart, Jesus carried the conviction that the Father and Son must always be united. In other words, centering on God, the victorious subject partner, Jesus was fully aware that to prepare a victorious foundation as a subject partner on earth, he needed to attend to God in his heart.

It is from this standpoint that Jesus referred to himself as the temple of God. Achieving a victorious standard means creating a foundation of unity, of becoming a temple centering on Jesus, the substantial manifestation of God on earth. In other words, to complete a victorious foundation, a standard must be established.

Otherwise, the completion of the restoration, the accomplishment of Jesus' mission, would be impossible. Therefore, unless we establish a standard of faith and begin, we cannot claim that we have attained a victorious foundation.

This is true, no matter how long we have practiced a life of faith or how difficult our course may have been. In conclusion, the most important point is to have one moment that defines the standard of victory within oneself. (29-266, 1970.03.11)

8. When you seek what is true, you need a heart that longs for what is true. When you yearn for the truth in which heaven and earth can take delight, you must realize that you have to prepare yourself to match the standard of what is true from Heaven's perspective.

The means of existence may differ between the true God, true truth, and true human beings. However, from an internal perspective, all three move in the same direction. In other words, God and truth move in one direction and coexist eternally.

When we look at today's world, we lament that this world has not become a true world. Furthermore, when we look deeply within ourselves, we lament not becoming true people and deplore not finding the true God in our lives of faith, despite yearning to do so. This is the agony faced by those who lead a life of faith. (4-187, 1958.04.20)

9. No one who lives a life of faith at the risk of his or her life wants to see his or her faith simply crumble amid life's tribulations. The more seriously we practice our faith, the greater the trials we encounter, and the more we want our faith to become deeper, wider, and more enduring.

If God is a serious God, then when He looks at each of us, we want Him to look more seriously at us than others look at us. Furthermore, as believers, we all desire to leave a legacy in this world related to the cause most dear to our hearts.
(44-322, 1971.05.30)

10. As believers, we say we will become God's children. Yet what is God's wish? God's ultimate wish

for us has nothing to do with the mundane matters of our daily lives, such as eating and sleeping. These activities are common to everyone.

The Bible tells us, “Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things… But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matt. 7:31-33) (104-097, 1979.04.15)

11. A life of faith involves overcoming the constraints of our environment, making breakthroughs every day, and constantly seeking new paths. Unless we do so, we cannot enter the kingdom desired by God.

Since we often lack energy and since our habits and daily lives do not meet a high standard on our path of faith, we need to uphold God as our standard and adjust our daily lives accordingly. (071-272, 1974.05.05)

The path to eliminate the fallen nature

12. Originally, human life was meant to begin with living for others, with God at the center. However, due to the Fall, human life did not begin with living for others. It began with selfish thinking, living for oneself, and creating self-centered relationships.

Since we are striving toward the goals of eternal freedom and peace, we must shed the self-centeredness and fallen nature that put our desires before the greater purpose. We need to become people who transcend ourselves and live for others. (2-165, 1957.04.07)

13. Before we can be proud of ourselves, we first must admit we are fallen people. Before showcasing our qualities, we first must confess the nature of our sins, while admitting that we come from a sinful history and that we are imbued with fallen nature.

Although this is the reality of our fallen state, we try to circumvent it in all kinds of ways. Heaven must cleanse all the guilt that stains history and resolve the resentments resulting from these festering historical crimes passing down through the lineage. (006-336, 1959.06.28)

14. Among your colleagues, teachers, students, or relatives, is there anyone who likes those who make excuses? Yet people are prone to blaming another person and scapegoating others when something goes wrong.

A common excuse is, “Why are you only blaming me? He also did that; my brother did the same thing.” This doesn't seem right. A person who makes a mistake should be honest. Yet often, someone who has committed an error tries to implicate others.

Such behavior is from a fallen nature. To correct this fallen inclination within ourselves, we should be honest in our daily lives. We must have even greater honesty in front of God. (45-251, 1971.07.04)

15. When perfect parts are put together for a particular purpose, a perfect object is made. For example, to build a house, the doors, and all the related components should be perfect. Only then can a house be completed. When we consider this, we realize we need to pursue perfection.

Therefore, Jesus said, in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

The standard is that you too must reach the perfection of Heaven. You must undoubtedly pursue the values of an objective partner who comes close to the Absolute. What is required is a perfected object partner who stands unashamed in front of the Absolute.

To achieve this, we need to analyze our daily life. We must set aside our daily lives and even our thinking. We must analyze our five senses and the entire body. Furthermore, we must feel and sense everything differently from how we did before. (60-047, 1972.08.06)

16. When you assert yourself in front of fallen humankind, it can be inferred that you still have your fallen nature. From this point, you must completely break yourself down. If you cling to the shape and elements of your fallen nature, you have more to do to reach total self-abnegation.

Taking oneself apart completely means total self-denial. The true, original, ideal hope of human beings cannot be attained by the self-assertive way of fallen people. This is the conclusion.

This is why, as God pursues providential goals through religion, the path He upholds is not that of self-assertion but the path of absolute self-denial. Unless we set the standard starting with total self-abnegation, there are no means for fallen human beings to fulfill the Absolute Being's principle of partnership.
(60-048, 1972.08.06)

17. We must completely detach from our fallen nature. To cut free from fallen nature, we first must dissociate from ourselves. Hence, we must be victorious as individuals – and then on the levels of the family, people, nation, world, and finally the cosmos.

This would be the realm of complete freedom from fallen nature. When we finally discover ourselves as object partners to God, having overcome our fallen nature, we will immediately realize that God is watching over us, and come to know that, instead of simply believing in God, we are with God. (61-171, 1972.08.28)

18. When you stand in front of Heaven, you have to reveal your shortcomings and recognize that you are a sinner. You need to become a lump of clay God can shape and mold as He pleases. This process is impossible if you assert or even acknowledge yourself.

Thus the biblical saying, "Those who lose their life for my sake will find it" is validated. (Matt. 10:39)

There is fallen nature everywhere in the body: there is fallen nature within these eyes, in these ears, in these lips. We must eliminate fallen nature. If God leads us one way, we must follow; if God takes us another way, we must go; if God tells us to extend our hand, we should do it; if God commands that we retreat, we must retreat. We should be willing to do as God wishes. (069-276, 1974.01.01)

19. Changing one's perception or understanding is a frightening and difficult task. Once acquired, a bad habit is difficult to change. This is why we have the adage, “Habits formed as a toddler continue until old age.”

Although you may have been in the Unification Church for decades, you have not rooted out your secular habits. You may say the words, “Sacrifice for the providence; sacrifice,” but have you sacrificed? If given the choice between a comfortable path and a path of trials and tribulations, can you confidently say you would go the path of sacrifice? No.

This disposition toward taking the easy way out is the result of secular habits transmitted historically.

Even St. Paul exclaimed, "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24)

This wretchedness is also a result of habits accumulated over a lifetime. St. Paul lamented, “Wretched man that I am!” because he saw within himself two laws at war with each other. His inner being delighted in God's law, but his body followed Satan's desires. He thus added, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (172-192, 1988.01.21)

20. Habits formed over a lifetime cannot be eliminated, even though you try until you die. Thus, it is logical to say that habits and fallen nature that have been passed down over millions of years cannot be rooted out with efforts made over a few centuries. This is a serious issue.

You speak vaguely about fallen nature, but this fallen nature was not inherited through something being eaten. Fallen nature has been inherited through flesh and bone; it has been passed down through lineage.

These habits have been mixed with flesh and blood. Fallen nature has taken root and cannot be removed with human energy. It has grown into a gigantic tree gathering all the people of the world. (183-018, 1988.10.29)

21. We need to be aware of our fallen nature and the bitter sorrow of the Fall. Think about Adam and Eve crying after being chased by Eden. Remember this, and let us cleave earnestly to our Parent, yearning to be one with Him, with the determination to go forward – even if we have to spend tens of thousands of years crossing over the peaks of death.

If we are unable to achieve mind-body unity, we will have no relationship with the foundation of God's victory, even as that foundation spreads across the earth. (254-038, 1994.02.01)

The path to finding, my original self

22. You cannot rejoice in who you are, since you are not your original self. You must recognize that your situation is sorrowful. Your grief, however, should not be directed toward the world. Even when you feel pain, your pain should bear no relationship to the anguish of the secular world.

When you feel sadness and pain, your sadness should come from being unable to find your true self. No matter how great the anguish and suffering from the world, they do not exceed the sadness and pain people experience being unable to find their true selves.

Given this situation, for whom has God been searching until now? God has been searching for each of you. This is why you need to uncover and strengthen your true selves.

Otherwise, you have no relationship to a true family of true individuals, a true society built upon true families, a true nation of true societies, a true world made up of such true nations, or to the cosmos that bears this ideal world that perfectly centers on the substance of oneness. The first standard for all these levels of goodness is individual perfection. (5-065, 1958.12.21)

23. By disobeying God's Word, humankind lost God's Word, lost His substance, and lost His love. Can you imagine God's heart as He spoke the Word, His heart as He created human beings to be His substance, and His internal heart anticipating the pride He would feel through that substance?

We are the ones who lost God's Word, failed to embody Him, and failed to embody the love that could create the garden envisioned by God. Hence, we must realize that we are all sinners who cannot take pride in ourselves.

On the contrary, we are beings who are incapable of establishing initiatives on our own and unable to find any basis to discover the foundation for the Sabbath within our minds. (5-176, 1959.01.18)

24. Our mind constantly redirects us along the way. It tells us, “Turn around. Return to the ancient place. Return to the deepest place in your mind.” This is why Buddhism encourages us to meditate.

The reality of our life on earth is that through our original mind's guidance, we sorrowfully seek our original selves. Once we have purified ourselves and returned to the ancient place, it is excruciating to recall our past, even in dreams.

God's goal is to eliminate this kind of sorrow-filled life. We should be living in the new, ideal world, enraptured with renewed hope. (7-279, 1959.09.27)

25. In the secular world, people seek good food and wear fashionable clothes. In contrast, the basic.

The attitude of a religious seeker should be to eat simple food by choice. This is opposite to the way of the world. When you look at religious seekers, you see that despite eating humble food, wearing shabby clothes, and leading impoverished lives, their way of life and their purpose is to find the original relationship – the love that can embrace them eternally. (044-192, 1971.05.07)

26. The original place of the Will is where God dwells. Therefore, that original place is sacred. When we transcend all levels of creation and measure our coordinates from all directions, we can determine exactly where we are in the Absolute.

However, if we are mistaken in measuring and are not aligned with the original point at 180 degrees, we cannot reach it until we realign and straighten ourselves out. Given the context of our sinful history, this is the inevitable conclusion.

We need to realign ourselves with all four directions to find the original zero point. And to find that zero point, we need to clearly understand the original center. Only when we fully unite with the zero point can we reach that original center?

Until we understand this, we cannot recover our position as a second, resultant being, totally united with the Will, through which we can achieve a new beginning. This is logical and no one can object to it. (127-209, 1983.05.08)

27. When God created Adam and Eve, He invested Himself wholeheartedly based on that original relationship. In the same fashion, we must transform our fallen selves and strive to return to our original position, by investing several dozen times greater effort than God did, using all His creativity through thousands of years of history. In the history of restoration, the effort to secure a foundation of goodness has run to hundreds of attempts and has taken tens of thousands of years. (475-253, 2004.11.12)

28. The human body and conscience began to fight once they were placed under the realm of Satan's love, within the devil's dominion, which stands opposed to the original mind.

The critical issue is how to resolve this fight between our conscience and our body. Resolving the issue at the personal level, however, is not enough.

Each of us must repair the global environment, which has been overtaken by satanic forces. The environment should not contradict us; it should adjust to us. It should even follow us. Unless we accomplish the correct order of dominion, we cannot move in the direction to which our original minds aspire.
(143-122, 1986.03.17)

29. We must ask ourselves, “What kind of being am I?” We are divine princes and princesses with cosmic value who are meant to find the crown of glory at the end of our lives, inheriting all creation and the entire universe.

Is it acceptable that people with such value be sold for a bowl of rice, or be the puppet of a group of worthless outlaws? Not! We must find ourselves. We need to bear the responsibility for our restoration and rebuild our original nature.

Furthermore, we have to ask, “Where is my original self?” We are searching, full of hope as we struggle to reunite with our true selves. We must uncover ourselves, which is connected with the origin of history, cosmic law, today's reality, and the future. (151-079, 1962.10.07)