Sun Myung Moon
March 23, 1975
Tarrytown, NY
If man had not fallen, words like compensation, restitution, or indemnity would not have had to be used in the dispensation. We need to make restitution because of the fall. The Principle says that when we are going to the heavenly side from the side of Saran, we must pay something as a sort of toll. Restitution is the fee or the toll we pay to cross the border from the satanic side to God's side. After the human fall, has there been any man who has completely crossed the border back to God's side? According to the Principle, we must excel Saran; we must do something more than Satan can to pay restitution and go closer to God.
Individuals, families, nations, and a world are already established on Satan's side. One man, Adam, fell in the beginning, and that means all his descendants have been born as fallen men. In the course of restoration, we cannot go from the world level to lower levels. Where does restoration through restitution start? It must begin from the individual. An individual must cross the individual boundary by having his mind and body united into one; and families must be united into one to cross over the family boundary, going to the next level of clan or nation; the same thing applies to every level, reaching to the world. Since every single man is in the satanic world, we are destined to have to go back to God's bosom by crossing over those boundaries, or those levels, by paying the proper indemnity "fare." The scope grows bigger and bigger. It goes from the individual level to the level of family, and next to the nation, and then to the world. Each level may be different from the preceding one in certain ways, but as it goes to the next level and still the next, it grows bigger in scope. So at the end of the process, the whole world will come into oneness. The broadened scope will include the whole world. If that principle did not apply, it might be very simple for us to be restored.
God needs one perfect model
It has long been a puzzle that God has not been able to save all of mankind in an instant. Rather He has had to wait a long period of time, until man has done something. Seen from this viewpoint, the definition of the perfect man is that he has crossed over all the boundaries to perfect himself. It is very difficult for individuals to go through all those stages, so God's expectation is to have one man as a perfect model and have others follow his example. Before establishing the world of perfection, God's idea was to have one person as the core and have him cross the levels of individual and family and nation and world, with each level or unit of people following his example, to finally restore the whole world.
In this light, when we closely examine the world of Christendom, we find that every Christian group belongs either to the first stage or second or third or fourth, but there has not been any group or any person who has crossed over all the boundaries to reach perfection. So, even religious people are still in the world of the fall, having to pay an indemnity toll to cross each boundary or level, not to speak of the world in general. Those religions have many levels yet to accomplish. How many Christians can there be who are confident enough to have already crossed over all those boundaries, reaching perfection? Have you ever met such a person, with confidence and self-awareness that he is already perfected? Among the Christian leaders, including ministers, evangelists and laymen, have there ever been such men? (No) Has God been struggling so hard only to get that negative answer from people? At all costs, for at least once, God would want to have such a man in whom all the stages have been perfected or fulfilled. Only with the birth of that kind of man, can God have hope for the rest of mankind to be perfected or restored through him. So will the central figure who can be responsible for the restoration of humanity be a man, God, or Satan? Yes, it must be a man.
In what way can that man complete the process of restoration through indemnity? He must be a man who has fought Satan and won over him, thereby gaining the qualification to restore the whole world to God. He must be a man with such strong conviction that he can win the worldwide battle against Satan. This cannot remain just an idea, but he must actualize it; that is the important thing. Can any of you stand in the forefront of others, saying, "I can be responsible for the restoration of man, and I can pay any toll for chis restoration myself." Can any of you pay the indemnity to restore all mankind?
Restoration starts from God
How can you become the person who is responsible for the restoration of other people through indemnity? Restoration through indemnity cannot take place if it starts with a man. It must start from God, or else it cannot be fulfilled. In what manner can that person be recognized by God? Before God can recognize that man, his qualification must be that he has conquered any evil power coming from individuals, families, and other levels. God must wait for this man to pay the price of restitution, going over the individual level, family level, national level, and worldwide level. By his doing that, he will be elevated to higher and still higher standard, expanding his scope and territory. Also, the first stage will be transferred to the next, and the next will be transferred to the third, until he brings into one totality all the things he has accomplished. Without that strategy, God could not have this man pay the restitution fee for the complete restoration of the world. Centering around that man, on the individual level he has to fight against an individual saran or evil on the worldwide scope. When he's on the next level, he has to fight the same battle against evil coming from the family level on the worldwide scope. And he does the same on the national level and worldwide level. Finally, he connects all those levels he has fulfilled, so that every level of salvation or restoration will be accomplished through this man.
In the history of the providence of God, there must be one nation of God's choice that can be responsible for making restitution. Suppose the family level is already accomplished by someone. If it is not connected to the individual level below and to the national level above, then it doesn't have any life or meaning in the providence of God. A great man may have accomplished quite a lot in his lifetime on the worldwide level, but if what he has done has nothing to do with the restoration of God of you pay the indemnity to restore all mankind?
Restoration starts from God
How can you become the person who is responsible for the restoration of other people through indemnity? Restoration through indemnity cannot take place if it starts with a man. It must start from God, or else it cannot be fulfilled. In what manner can that person be recognized by God? Before God can recognize that man, his qualification must be that he has conquered any evil power coming from individuals, families, and other levels. God must wait for this man to pay the price of restitution, going over the individual level, family level, national level, and worldwide level. By his doing that, he will be elevated to higher and still higher standards, expanding his' scope and territory. Also, the first stage will be transferred to the next, and the next will be transferred to the third, until he brings into one totality all the things he has accomplished. Without that strategy, God could not have this man pay the restitution fee for the complete restoration of the world. Centering around that man, on the individual level he has to fight against an individual saran or evil on the worldwide scope. When he's on the next level, he has to fight the same battle against evil coming from the family level on the worldwide scope. And he does the same on the national level and worldwide level. Finally, he connects all those levels he has fulfilled, so that every level of salvation or restoration will be accomplished through this man.
In the history of the providence of God, there must be one nation of God's choice that can be responsible for making restitution. Suppose the family level is already accomplished by someone. If it is not connected to the individual level below and to the national level above, then it doesn't have any life or meaning in the providence of God. A great man may have accomplished quite a lot in his lifetime on the worldwide level, but if what he has done has nothing to do with the restoration of God on the worldwide level and the other levels below that, it doesn't mean anything in God's mind.
The chosen nation must win over Satan
To review, God wanted a nation of His choice -- the Israelite people. That is why we see that the main requirement of the Israelites was that they cling to their tradition. They were chosen people, and they knew that it was their mission to establish a foundation or tradition for the rest of the world to follow. God wanted this nation to win over satanic power. This nation needs to have the notion that they cannot be defeated by satanic power, because their mission is to accomplish God's will. Centering around the nation, God wanted to have the rest of the world restored to God's side Therefore He would have one man go through the individual level, family level, national level, and the worldwide level. And He sometimes exposes that person or the whole nation to a satanic invasion to test them. In the face of difficulties and hardships, if the individual, family and nation win over satanic power, then God will recognize their qualifications. On every level there have been many sacrifices. Without gaining the qualification of having won over all those things on each level, they cannot bring the whole of mankind back to God.
In Israelite history, let us take the example of Jacob. He went to Haran, and after long years of drudgery there had to come back with a victory earned by himself. In the satanic world of Haran, the evil satanic power did everything and anything to defeat him. In Egypt, God formed the base of the chosen nation, and then the whole nation of Egypt came against the Israeli people. In trying to enter the land of Canaan, God mobilized seven tribes to fight against the chosen nation of the Israelites. After going through the battle on many levels including the period of judges and other trials, and remaining intact from satanic invasion, they became part of the Roman Empire.
The whole of Christianity had to go through difficulties in the Roman Empire, having to pay a great price, including much martyrdom, but then they moved to another level. In the face of persecution from Catholicism, Protestantism was born and the Protestants had to flee to America. Protestants from all the European nations came to the continent of America for religious freedom. Then where is America - representing the whole of Christendom -- headed for? America is facing a Communist threat. The Communists are taking the offensive and if America 'cannot win over Communist power, it is doomed to perish. Both in Judaism and Christianity, God wanted His people to fight through, winning over the satanic power on every level. America, however, even though she is the leading nation in the Christian and democratic world is now retreating from accomplishing God's will. Among the Christian population in America, is there any group of people left who have the confidence to win over satanic power to accomplish God's will? (No) What shall we do with America and the democratic world of God's preparation? Will we just let them alone if they perish, if they fall prey to Satan? (No) What shall we do? Who will fight? (We will!)
Who will fight?
This is the question: who will fight against satanic power? In paying indemnity on the individual level, family level, national level and worldwide level, God would rather have America -- which has been prepared for this mission -- do the job. But in case He doesn't find that taking place in this nation, He must use someone else, some other group for the mission. Who can carry out that task? God has prepared individuals, families, and nations. In America, which is the melting pot of all the nationalities, God has prepared the people to pay indemnity and save the whole world. But among the Christian population in this nation, God cannot find this being done. So someone or some group must do the job, and God is looking for this someone. God has failed to find such a group in the established churches. So, we are mobilizing ourselves in the Unification movement to do the job, and this is the chief significance of our group.
Christians as individuals must have such strong faith as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, inherit their missions, and take the responsibility for the restoration of the whole world on their shoulders. There must be at least one person like that. We must be aware that we can accomplish the mission which Abraham failed to accomplish, Moses failed to accomplish, and even Jesus failed in part to accomplish. In the Unification Church, we represent the whole of humanity, and go through all those gates by paying indemnity.
On God's side, there's no nation established as yet. God cannot assemble good people from all over the world to fight against the evil worldwide power. Is there any nation on God's side? (No) Is America God's nation? (No) Are we a nation as yet? (No) We don't now have a nation. We are forming units of families and tribes and are in the process of forming a nation. But before we can do that, there's a fierce battle to be fought.
Satan will test you
You must become such a person that even Satan will say "I cannot win over this person, I must surrender before him!" God, too, must expose you to the evil power, and you must fight at the risk of your life; at the end of the battle, Satan will give up and then he cannot accuse you of any evil quality. Then, God can sign your sheet. But without having Satan's autograph, approving your being God's son, you cannot go back to His bosom. From the nature of Satan, do you think Satan would just freely sign your sheet without testing you and putting you in the utmost difficulty? (No!) Satan will come to you with more power gathered, and more strength collected; if you fight back and win over him again and again, finally he will abandon you.
That's the final victory only on the individual level. Even though you are a victor there, a stronger Satan is awaiting you in ambush, saying, "Wait and see if you come up to this level, I will fight against you with more power!" Roughly divided, you have to go through four levels of fight: individual level, family level, national level, and worldwide level. On what level are you situated? When can you reach that final level? That is the question.
In becoming sons and daughters of filial piety to your parents, you must excel all other men in the satanic world: in being patriots of your nation, you must excel anyone else in the satanic world, excelling even Satan. You must topple even Abraham; and in being loyal to humanity, you must excel any other person in the world -- any other saint in the world. You must even excel Jesus Christ. Are you like that? You must answer honestly to yourselves. Are you awakened to the fact every morning when you get up from bed that you have such an important mission on your shoulders? If you represent God's side, would you rather stand where all the satanic power is mobilized to fight against you, or in such a weak position that the satanic powers are not concerned about your presence?
Let me pay the indemnity
Your attitude must be, "Any indemnity which man may have to pay, let it be paid by me." The ideal tactic is for you to call to the enemy, letting him shower you with all his bullets for the individual level, family level, national level and worldwide level at once. If you survive all those shots, and they run out of bullets, then you are going to be the winner. However difficult and bitter the satanic attacks may be, if you are well-trained, disciplined and toughened up, then you are qualified enough to fight back against the satanic power; also you are likely to win over them. You must be determined to pierce the heart of Saran and return to God. Restoration through indemnity will take place through you and in no other way. Through you as individuals, restitution muse be paid. You must have faith that you will be ready for the bullets amidst you; you are not standing there for your sake alone but for your family, your nation and the whole world. You must be determined to be the persons whom, wherever you go, your family will follow, your nation will follow, and the whole world will follow.
This is what I think: whatever may come from Satan, let it come all at once! Since there is so much indemnity to pay and there are no other persons who can be responsible for that, we must be able to take the responsibility. If you are all-out in your efforts to fight against Satan, would God recognize you? Not in an instant, no. In my past experience, there have been many such occasions in which God put me to the test, even though I was ready and determined to win the battle. God would allow Satan to attack me; in the face of the attack, if I retreated, God could not help me out.
I have fought all my life with this sense of mission. When individuals came against me, I had to fight against them and win over them. When a group of people came against me, I did the same. When whole churches and the nation or any unit of the community came against me, I did the same. In the whole world I want to gather the people who are prepared for this mission, and form a tribe or nation to fight against the satanic nations of the world. Would you want to become God's child, God's family, God's tribe, and God's nation? If you want to do that, do you think you can do it all by yourself, on your own? (No!) Do you think you can become that, if you follow me? (Yes!) You cannot accomplish that with a lukewarm thought and attitude. You must be like me, brave and strong in face of any difficulty.
Our mission is worldwide
If we call ours a godly nation or a godly group, we must take the responsibility to defeat Satan. We are going to do that for the whole of mankind. Even though we are a religion, our fight is not going to be on the scope of that religion, but on the scope of the world. We have the mission of having to save the whole of mankind, including its good and its evil members. We have the mission of saving the American people and the established churches in America. What about the criminals in the prisons? Can we exclude the criminals in the prisons? (No) If you are imprisoned, you must be the savior for all the rest of the criminals.
Without your being able to liberate mankind on earth, can you liberate the population living in the spirit world? (No!) The established religions have never thought of this. They just prayed for their own good with folded hands, without thinking of saving the satanic world, liberating the people from the real prison of life, and liberating the whole population in the spirit world. In many religions, people separated themselves from the mundane world, escaped from the worldly way of life, kept themselves intact from evil, maybe, but they didn't think of saving the rest of mankind. In Catholicism, for instance, they wear special black habits, and say lofty things that indicate they are saved people, different from ordinary people. In that way, we cannot save the world. Without their mingling together with the rest of the world, there's no way for them to save the world. We must abandon that way of thinking.
In the providence of God, after America's bicentennial she must extend her hands for the salvation of the whole world. The Christian ideology must be realized not only in the nation of America, but in the whole world through the American people. That has been God's will. We must influence and stir up the whole nation to make the people think that without the Unification movement and its young people, they cannot save the nation and the world. Leave American people in our hands, and we will re-make them into bold people to fight against any evil power in the whole world. We will make the world a better place to live in -- the Kingdom of God on earth. That is why God blessed this nation. God wanted to have the Christian people to make this nation and world like that. God has prepared this nation with democracy to make the whole world a free world. But Christianity in this nation and democracy itself have led to the nation and the world being more and more under satanic dominion. God cannot leave this situation alone.
Fading Christianity must be revived
The founding ideology of your nation was Christianity, and your forefathers came from the old world to the new continent of America for religious freedom. Now you are forgetting that, and the Christian ideology is fading away in this nation. So even though the whole nation fights against us, we must fight back, win over them, and establish a new nation of America. We must become new Puritans establishing a new movement, to found a nation anew on this continent. We must make America rise again, instead of allowing her to decline. You must have that sense of mission and accomplish it. You were born in America, raised in America, and educated in America, but you are not the Americans you should be. I must make you into new Americans.
In the established churches, people are leaving the church. In democracy, people are forgetting God. In our movement, we must restore the churches so they are full of devout Christians, and we must restore the people back to God's bosom by carrying out our mission. There are many difficulties and hardships coming to this nation. With this in mind you must be ready to shoulder any responsibilities and difficult problems. If you are ready for that, we will succeed. This means we will bear the most dreadful responsibility for this nation and world. We must gather the strength of the declining churches and revive them. We must re-vitalize the declining spirit of Americanism. We must be responsible for victory over Communism. We cannot afford to lose a moment.
In this crucial period, whatever you think, whatever you say, whatever you do must be associated with the will of God; and every difficulty you meet must be overcome by your paying the necessary indemnity. You must be proud of yourselves for having been born and endowed with life in this precious period in the providence of God. However hard the indemnity toll may be, you must go through it as though you were kicking a ball. You must be so confident as to do that. We will ignite the world.