Can you rise above the judgment of God?

The Age of Judgment and ourselves (3)

Reverend Sun Myung Moon, 

November 21, 1976, Belvedere, New York, Translator-Bo Hi Pak

Can you rise above the judgment of God?

The historical ambition of God is to raise up one perfect man of God who can take care of the world. God is waiting for that one man to appear, the man the Bible promises will be the second Messiah. This one man that God is looking for will be able to completely rise above the accusation of Satan and be victorious over all human struggle. He is the person who will inherit all of history through taking responsibility for all of mankind.

We must prepare ourselves to become the coworkers of this man. The Unification Church is indeed the movement that will directly take this role.

The path and direction of the Unification Church is parallel with the direction of God and we are living a God-centered way of life. If there is a group of people ready to advance God's timetable, God and the Messiah will indeed come to those people. We must educate ourselves about God's providence and in the direction of God's will. We must also educate ourselves about the Messiah's mission so that we can be ready when he comes.

It is not God's way to have the individual going in one direction, the family going another way, and the nation and world going yet another. In this conviction, we are different because our way of life and our point of view start with the individual but then continue through to the universal level. We have to go through seven stages, including the spirit world. In following one vertical line of growth, we can truly meet God. Unless you are victorious in the sight of God as an individual, you cannot build your family. The world does not understand this principle.

There is always a test to pass at each level before you can advance further. Who is testing you? It is not God but Satan and the satanic world who test you. Satan is in the position of prosecutor while God is in the position of judge and you are the defendant. Jesus Christ is your lawyer. There is a court of judgment on every level of your advancement and finally God, the universal sovereign, has His own court. No one can escape from defending himself there.

One of the most important truths we are learning in the Unification Church is the law of indemnity. We now know that the amount of indemnity we must pay depends upon the seriousness of a crime. We also know what crime is most evil in the sight of God and what indemnity is needed for each level of commitment to God.

What is the mission of the Messiah? He is the one who bears your burden and your indemnity. That is why he is the savior. If you take over the burdens of someone else's life then you are that person's savior. If you save a family from disaster then you are a savior as far as that family is concerned. That family is indebted to you and you stand above their law.

The person who lifts off the entire burden of the Unification Church is above the law of the Unification Church. That person is praised by the Unification Church, wherever he goes because the church as a whole is deeply indebted to him. If he came to my suite at the New Yorker, I would stand aside and say, "This apartment is your home."

If there is a person who can be responsible for all the burdens of America and liquidate all the sins of this nation, then American law cannot touch him. If there is a person who feels he is able to be responsible for all the past, present and future sins of humanity, then that person is indeed the savior of mankind and stands above the laws and regulations made by mankind. Isn't that true? The Messiah is that person. He has the power and authority to liberate even hell.

That is not all: The Messiah can even liberate God. Can God judge a person to whom He is personally indebted? If He were liberated, God would not even go to the courtroom or make one pronouncement against that person. If God can be liberated He does not have to judge. Under those circumstances, no courtroom or judge, or prosecutor is needed.

In the city of Jerusalem, Jesus was sometimes angered at the immoral behavior of the people. He even overturned the moneychangers' tables in a moment of violence. By normal standards, he should have been arrested and no civil court would have vindicated him. But under the law of God Jesus had not committed any sin. Civil law is not heavenly law.

Do you want to become a person who will be judged in God's court or become a person who can even rise above the court of God? What kind of person must you become to rise above God's judgment? Become a savior by adopting the savior's way of life as your way of life. You can be a person who can give salvation to the world and who can say, "I will be responsible for the world and all of humanity. I will give my entire life and soul and energy for that purpose." Then you are indeed walking side by side with the Messiah.

We can depend on no one else to defend God's world

Unification Church members from all different races and countries are gathered together here in Belvedere. What kind of movement are we? What kind of people will be created right here? I am going to create the kind of person who can rise above the judgment of God and give his life and soul to the salvation of humanity. That was Jesus' way of life. It is my conviction and philosophy, and it shall become your way of life. Can you do this? In this respect, I am a very precious guest in America, bringing a most significant commodity to this country. The American people might think, "We gave so much to Korea that Korea is indebted to America materially and spiritually." But I see that this has now been paid back many times over by the spreading of this philosophy.

America did give tremendous aid to Korea, but money and sacrifice can always be paid back. Yet what is presently happening here in America? The young people of America are dying. I came to lift up the young people and give them new life. This is indeed the most precious, priceless gift that anyone could receive or give. Can you put a price tag on such a gift?

Why am I doings this? America is not the goal, the world is the goal! America is indispensable for world restoration, however. I chose America as the base for this movement but my eventual goal is the salvation of the world. I have not violated heavenly law nor have I violated any civil law. My conscience is clear in the sight of God. I can stride boldly forward to meet God without shame. When I go to spirit world I am indeed an attorney for the defense of suffering humanity. I have the power to truly prosecute the prosecutor, Satan. The day will come when we can all prosecute Satan, revealing his crimes and commanding that he not bother mankind anymore. That will be your day of victory.

Our goal now is Moscow, the symbol of communism. Even just the name "Moscow" sounds formidable, doesn't it? Look at the past, though-did you ever think about mankind or the world or about becoming a savior? In the past, all you thought about were your own desires, perhaps getting a good education, making a good salary and eating good food. Without knowing the truth, our goals are shallow and limited and self-centered. Mankind has been like little ants in the universe.

What kind of husbands do you women want? Men who have conviction and a philosophy like mine, or men with the philosophy of an ant? If you want to meet husbands with my philosophy, then you must make yourselves worthy to receive them. When you are on the MFT working hard you may not even have a chance to clean your underwear, but you think, "The day will come when I can get married and then I will wear beautiful clothes and have all kinds of beautiful things." If you want to become that kind of bride and get dressed up and parade around then you should not ask for a man like me. A man like me will never give you such things. On the very day of the wedding, he will take you fund raising and witnessing, all in dusty clothes. Do you still want a husband like me? A husband like me will also bring you out to the battlefield and will want to fight the battle together with you. Do you still want that?

If the communists come to destroy the Unification Church with guns then we will have to fight with guns too. We cannot be their helpless victims and be defeated by their bullets. Do you think God will win such a battle for you? If the time comes to fight the satanic force, I will never hesitate to become the commander in chief and lead the heavenly army into battle.

Do you think the Defense Department can safeguard God's world? Do not trust it too much. You can only trust the heavenly forces that are dedicated to God's purpose. Our young people should be trained in every way physically. In a final war against the satanic force, it will be a life or death battle. In order to safeguard the heavenly side we may need to become soldiers. It is Satan's nature that once he feels he is in a superior position he will attack.

Is it a crime to defend yourself and the heavenly nation? You should not have some naive concept of Christian love. That does not apply in a confrontation with Satan's forces, which are determined to destroy God's world and God's people. If God has no power to defeat a satanic attack then He is no longer God. As God's force, we shall be able to defend ourselves and to defend the godly world. We are a different kind of religious leadership.

I am confident and peaceful at this moment of showdown

This morning's message is how to rise above judgment. If you become a person who can rise above judgment then wherever you go and whatever the world will to say you, you will rise above it and God will recognize you as being righteous. You will never be destroyed.

We know that our battle is not going to be easy. Even your own parents oppose you but that is simply because they do not know the truth. Once they understand the truth they will apologize to you. Americans have been vicious and slanderous, but I want you to know that the time will come when heavenly law will prevail and even this nation will bow down to the truth. If that is not true than I am a poor man, no different from any other villain. This is the secret of the Unification Church and with this knowledge, we can go on and be victorious. We will step, upon the accuser's shoulder and finally even rise above the law.

The person who will rise above the judgment of God will have the power of judgment delegated to him. Are you going to be subject to the judgment of God's court or be a person whom even God will praise? In doing this you will rise above death itself. You know what kind of men and women you are and whether you are righteous children in the sight of God. If you are equipped, trained, and committed to this way of life, becoming leaders and going all over the world, America cannot decline.

I come from a foreign country, not even speaking the native language of America. I use an interpreter, yet still I can communicate and inspire people as I do you. How much more can you lift the people up, coming from their own culture and speaking their own language?

We are the only people under the sun who think about living this crazy way of life. There are no other men and women, who are following such a philosophy. We are a peculiar, lonely group, yet this is God's way of life. Therefore, God has to be on our side. He has to be our champion.

You are very small and unassuming and you may look miserable and pale. In many cases, Unification Church members look very shabby and people think the Unification Church will disappear tomorrow. But as long as God is on our side we will never be destroyed. Furthermore, we will win and be victorious. I have lived that way much longer than you have and I have not only survived but prospered and been victorious all of my life. That is our future. You must have faith in it.

Do you really want to become that kind of champion? If you have that conviction then even though you appear small and unassuming you are truly princes and princesses of God. In the sight of God, you are very, very precious individuals. Who is your tester? Not God but Satan. Satan has set up the barriers almost like an obstacle race. There is the family race, the society race, the national race, world race and so forth. When we break down the barriers, we can create a highway so everyone can run immediately to the goal.

We have already broken down the barriers on the individual, family, society and national levels. Now we have come to the final worldwide barrier. Once the final obstacle course is won, even the communists cannot stop us. America is now posing a big obstacle here, saying, "No, you cannot go any further." But I am insisting, "No! Open the way. Don't block the way to the world!" I am deeply confident, calm and peaceful, no matter what the accusers say to us. Please be patient and see.

Do not look at me as a Korean for my background is of God. If I were only Korean then I would not have left Korea, and furthermore, there would have been no reason for the Korean government to accuse me. I am not just an Asian because even Asians have come against me. I am a mysterious, unknown person. One person will say, "I thought Reverend Moon was a religious leader." Then I turn out to be a big businessman. When I meet politicians, they admire my awareness of political situations, even though my ambition is not political. Some people say, "Reverend Moon is a gangster, a dictator," but then all of a sudden I turn up among eminent scholars and those scholars are listening to me. If I became an actor, I would be an excellent actor.

When I taught Sunday school many years ago, I had wonderfully deep communication with the children. Sometimes I would make them burst into laughter and sometimes make them cry. I could change their mood in moments. I am a sportsman also. There is no sport I cannot win at. When I go to sea, I am a record-setting fisherman. When I go to the mountains, I am a number one hunter.

Look at Mother. Is she a happy woman or not? No, not quite. I am leading a most difficult life. It is impossible to keep up with my pace. When she takes time to rest at night, I am always walking around and working in our room. I have no concept of the time, even at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. Mother has a hard time keeping up with me. Do you want that type of husband? If you really want that type of husband then wait a little bit. I will go after the brothers and make them into such husbands to give to you.

Right now, we are facing a showdown. The newspapers keep saying there is some investigation going on and legal battles coming up. Let them do that. Eventually this final roadblock will be pushed away. Using their power, government officials accuse individuals of fabricated crimes if they want to. Did you ever hear me say, "We need money. Get a pistol and rob a bank and bring money"? Actually, there are robbers and murderers of innocent women and children walking around in broad daylight. Why then is the American legal system being used to interfere with our religious work?

I do not mind serving time in American prisons if necessary. American prisons are heaven compared to the prisons where I suffered under communism.

Nothing can make me feel fearful. Nothing can stop this movement. I was jailed under the imperialistic Japanese government because we were organizing work for Korean independence. That prison experience was a difficult life but my most severe prison experience was in North Korea, where the prisoners were purposely worked to death. But I survived even under that system.

Are you afraid of prison? You have no reason to go there. You have violated no law, neither heavenly law nor civil law, because that has never been my instruction. But if anyone ever has you imprisoned for some imaginary crime, don't be fearful. Imprisonment is the way the heroes of history have walked.

Let me ask you, if I ever ended up in jail in America under some fabricated sentence, would you run away? Communists know that I would never resort to violence that our movement would never go beyond the boundary of God's truth. Therefore, they take advantage of our situation.

My philosophy is this: I have no enemy. People come against me now because they do not know me, so I will be patient. It will take a longer time, but through educating people, I will turn them around. That is my method. That is our way of life and our work. Even the worst kind of enemy shall be made our best friend. We fear nothing. Our goal is to rise above judgment so what should cause us worry.

Those who can pledge their loyalty and obedience to heavenly instruction, who can liberate the communist world and even hell, raise your hands and pledge yourselves to God.

Let us pray.