Sun Myung Moon
April 3, 1983
God's Will and the World: Excerpts from "Total Indemnity" (April 3, 1983) and "Today in the Light of Dispensational History" (February 23, 1977)
Photo date and location unknown
Then how can God create this kind of environment? He cannot do it by saying, "You religious people must achieve self-denial all by yourselves!" No, we can't do it that way. The standard of self denial must be created within reciprocal relationships. If you are pushed into the position of being denied by somebody else, it is the same as self-denial. Since you cannot create the sphere of denial by yourselves, God Himself creates it. Therefore, a religious person will be opposed by everybody. This is the deeper meaning of persecution. When you believe in God and in religion, often those who are closest to you, such as your parents or loved ones will oppose you. In such a case, Satan, as the second subject, is attacking the first subject God. When someone strikes a righteous person unjustly, it sets a condition that must be repaid. Because of this repayment, the development of religion is secured. Do you understand why persecution occurs?
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Think of human history. In the beginning, evil took the initiative and brought about the fall. The relationships between God and man, and Adam and Eve, were infiltrated and attacked. That is the original characteristic of evil. The attacker may inflict certain harm or destruction, but it is a universal law that eventually that person will have to not only restore the damage but pay a penalty as well. God knows this universal principle. Then, do you think He take the initiative in any war? No. God has never initiated attacks.
What about the people who are on the side of God? Can they say, "God, You are too good!You sit down, we will fight"? God's true people will never initiate an attack. An aggressive action will never be taken by God's people. God's people are always being attacked, but they endure, persist and move on. That's the characteristic of God's people. Always under attack, they take the beating but never give up.
It is a universal law that you become a winner by being attacked. The aggressor has to pay the damage plus a penalty. So you must endure and survive the attack on the individual level, then on the family level, national level and the worldwide level. You must withstand, survive and persevere. In the end, you will receive the entire universe because Satan and evil have to pay you the damage plus the penalty. That's how God's side will win.