In order to Become a Living Sacrifice

Sun Myung Moon
June 30, 1967
Excerpt
Tokyo, Japan
Closing Remarks at the Conclusion of the Major Workshop on the Divine Principle
Unofficial Translation

SunMyungMoon-670630-1.png

The person, who needs to set indemnity conditions, has no freedom. He is a sacrifice. He who holds a self-concept cannot be a sacrifice. Also, he who becomes the sacrifice cannot act according to his own desires. If the master calls and tells, "You should climb up on the alter and shed your blood!" You must obey the master. You cannot resist. Like Isaac. Although you still own your authority over your own life, you should not have such an authority towards the parent. Therefore, you must not have a self-concept. Do you know what I say? ("Yes") This is how it is.

Until now, the mind and body have been fighting each other. As Heaven and earth were divided in creation, the relationship between the mind and the body is that of heaven and earth. In the past, the offering was cut into two and shed blood of indemnity in order to offer to God. However, now we are in the realm of merit where God and Satan recognized the past sacrifices that were shed blood and divided, and we can be one with the victorious foundation of the sacrifice; thus can be offered to God without dying. Therefore, we must offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God and become new beings that are given new life from God. Unless we become such a substance, we cannot be true children of Heaven. Namely, unless you go beyond being a sacrifice and become a resurrected substance, you may not enter Heaven. Unlike the resurrected Jesus who is a spiritual being because his body was killed, you must reach the standard where both your spirit and body are resurrected. Only by reaching that, are you qualified to enter the Kingdom of God on earth where both heaven and earth are perfected. Do you understand? ("Yes")

Therefore, you must not die. You cannot die physically. But, if you don't let go of the consciousness of your existence, Satan will hit you. Not God, but Satan will attack you. Such a person cannot be a sacrifice. Why was Jesus likened to a lamb? A lamb will never resist if the master sheers its coat or cuts the throat with a knife. A lamb only bleats one cry, "Baa," when the master takes its life.

This is different from other animals. It symbolizes obedience. It symbolizes honesty. This is the attitude for indemnity. If it resists, its nature would agree with Satan's. Satan is the master of opposition. Didn't Satan raise a flag of opposition against righteousness? He resisted God and went against goodness. To become a sacrifice, you must not have any elements of opposition.

A lamb was a symbol of Jesus, because Jesus never offered any resistance, or opposition to God, like a lamb. After Jesus prayed three times at Gethsemane, he said, "As you will," and "not as I will, but as you will." He repeated this three times. His obedience and honesty are symbolized as a lamb. So, you should not have the concept of self existence.

When offered, a person who needs to sacrifice himself for his redemption should not have any say on who will make the offering -- should be upper class or lower class -- in another words, a sacrifice should not have any class consciousness. You should go beyond classes and be obedient to anyone from any class. You should be ready to be an offering for a miserable person. You should be a sacrifice for a chief priest. Then, you are no longer bound by the class-consciousness. Why should you who would be a sacrifice go beyond class-consciousness? If you are bound by class-consciousness, you cannot stand in a position of the heart. In heart and love, there is no sense of class. Isn't this right? So, don't keep any classconsciousness. No more favoritism. When people come asking to redeem themselves from their sins, you will be able to deal with anyone fairly. You are in pitiable position -- being a sacrifice. But you must strive to live such a way.

What is your position? A sacrifice to be offered. You must be offered both spirit and body. So, we cannot insist on our own position, saying, "I am so and so. I am a college graduate. I graduated from Tokyo University. Look, I am in a higher social status than you." You must forego such a concept.

You must not have consciousness of your own self. You must not have class-consciousness.

Who is the leader who is tasked with the greater responsibility? He is a sacrifice for the whole who will climb on the altar. President Kuboki is a sacrifice that is offered on the altar representing Japan. On the altar, there is no more consciousness of self. No class-consciousness. You offer yourself for the whole. You are an offering for a miserable person or a person with high social status -- beyond all classes. You are offered for redemption of all people. Do you follow? ("Yes") First, you should not keep consciousness of your own existence. Second, you should let go of class-consciousness. Unless you are able to do these, you can never be a sacrifice to be offered to God.

From this perspective, let me give you my critique. You are leaders of different districts. So a district leader should give an order confidently as a representative of God. "Hey!" Who are the people who gather to our church? They are the people needed to be redeemed by the church leader as a sacrifice. Namely, they are the people who gather for the ceremony of redemption. What should you do at the ceremony? People are gathered to be redeemed of their sins. Therefore, the leader, who is a sacrifice to be used to redeem them, stands in the position to give an order to and resurrect them. At such a time, you must prepare yourself to receive the order first. Without this attitude, if you give the order, you will violate the law. Do you understand?

Even Jesus had to win the twelve disciples to natural surrender and redeem their sins so that the disciples were grateful to him as being saved by him. With gratitude, all disciples confessed their eternal purpose expressing, "Even though we face death thousands of times, we will be grateful. Please lead us in order to do God's Will." With receiving this confession, Jesus was able to give an order to them. Until such a time, he could not give any orders. Do you understand clearly? ("Yes")

If you inherit this tradition and work at your district according to this spirit, you will witness never ending tears of gratitude of being redeemed of sins wherever you go. This is the conclusion. "We are grateful to our district leader who acted as a true sacrifice for redeeming our sins." The members are always respectful before such a leader. Do you know what I am talking about? Do you? ("Yes") But, if you mishandle this, the development of our movement in Japan will be greatly hindered.

Therefore, the leader who is given greater responsibility is a sacrifice. Because you are a sacrifice for a great many people, unless you accomplish your mission as an intermediary -- providing God's grace through you as a sacrifice, you are not qualified to give any order to people. For example, if their sins amount to 100, only after you redeem the sins equivalent to 100, you are allowed to give the order equivalent of 90. However, despite there are 100 sins to be redeemed, you only forgive the equivalent of 10 sins, but you give the order which is equivalent to 20; then, both the leader and the people following will be claimed by Satan. Do you follow? ("Yes")

All sacrifices including Jesus in the past were offered by shedding the blood as an indemnity condition. However, today what we need to do is to go forth with determination to offer our life -- shedding our blood -- instead, we shed our sweat and tears as replacement for blood. We must go through this. Why? In order to set up indemnity condition, the offering must be cut in two. It is the iron-clad rule that the sacrifice must be divided in two. But, instead you must shed tears centered on God's Heart and stand in the realm of God's Heart in place of God. This was the situation of Jesus. While standing in the same place as Jesus, you give all you have as a living sacrifice for the redemption of people shedding tears. Otherwise, Kingdom of God will not be built on earth. Do you follow? ("Yes") Do you understand? ("Yes")

Firstly, a sacrifice does not have any concept of self. If you understand this clearly and go back to your district, you will be able to fulfill your responsibility as a leader. Secondly, you must not have any classconsciousness. Reflect your attitude in the past from this new understanding, were you humble as a leader? Or were you arrogant? What would have been your score from this point of view? But, from now on, if you practice these points, people will follow you while shedding tears of gratitude. That is a logical consequence. They feel that they will be saved by you. Then, their conscience will know it and follow the goodness. Their original minds will follow God. Once you set this eternal standard, you will be a true sacrifice. Both heaven and earth will bow their heads.

Rev. Moon is determined to keep this standard in my life even risking my own life. This is how I live. When you welcome me, saying, "Thank you, Rev. Moon, for gracing us with your presence." But, I don't allow myself to indulge in good feelings. On the contrary, I know I have a very important task to provide salvation to them. Their original mind would be moved to tears. So, I am prepared to receive people with the heart of giving. Thinking this way, no matter how hard I give myself, I don't feel it is hard or arduous. The more I do, the more I want to do. Your heart is wired this way without being taught by anyone.

This is how parents live for their children. Loving parents will sacrifice themselves for the sake of their children even if they wear rags. They never seek for any reward or being appreciated. They do not have any concept of themselves or class-consciousness. Some leader wants to give an order even though he did not give birth to this person (child), "Hey! You must offer filial piety to me." Many leaders are like this. This goes against the Principle. You should be aware that you have such a tendency. You have a very strong tendency! I can see it in your eyes, tip of nose, ears, and mouth. You are full of it. Do you understand? You must change for the better.

Do you look at your own face on the mirror when you wash your face in the morning or not? Of course, you look at your face, right? ("Yes") If your facial expression is tense and stiff, you must smile at the mirror. You must recreate yourself starting from your physiognomy. (Laughter) You, whose face is stiff, should try as hard as you can to show a facial expression that you are happy to see a person from your heart when you see people. If you try this, the person who sees you doesn't see you as stiff and tense. This is the heart makeup! You do the makeup from your original mind. Do you understand what I am saying? ("Yes") This should not be a superficial technique but should come from your original mind. So, from now when you look at your face, you should think, "Why my face is this way? If I change this part to look like that, I will be more handsome than anyone." If you heart becomes beautiful, your face will be beautiful as well. This is true. For ten, 20, 30 years, if you make effort to smile with the heart of cheerfulness, it becomes your second nature. Your body resembles your heart. So, if you live with this habit or tradition, your external appearance will change to match your heart. It's true. Try it. It works for you. You must study this type of things.

Leaders are such sacrifices! It is my hope that you will fulfill your mission, so I give this talk today. Please keep this in your heart.