The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Forbearance, Self-Control

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Galatians 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Ezekiel 33

13 Suppose I promise good people that they will live, then later they start sinning and believe they will be saved by the good they did in the past. These people will certainly be put to death because of their sins. Their good deeds will be forgotten.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Moral Law

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

The way of prosperity is to follow God’s law. The reason is simple: God protects and helps anyone who follows God’s law because He wants to see His purpose of creation fulfilled. Hence, if we observe God’s law we will prosper. If we oppose God’s law and follows Satan’s law instead, we will perish, for God will strike us. (103:275, March 11, 1979)

How do we describe a person who lives in accordance with the law? Do we say he is arrogant? No, we say he or she is as an honest person. The Korean word for honesty (jeongjik) is composed of two Chinese characters, 正 meaning “right” and 直 meaning “straight.” The law establishes what is straight. With the law we separate good from evil and distinguish between right and wrong. (37:112, December 23, 1970)

This is a meter ruler. You cannot arbitrarily make your own meter different from the standard length. You have to measure distance according to the standard of the original meter. In other words, you should measure your words and deeds according to the original standard. (51:80, November 11, 1971)

The law of the universe, which upholds the welfare of the whole, is a proper standard of judgment. All human beings come before its court, and at the trial each is judged according to its statutes. What sort of people will be justified before the law of the universe? They are men and women who willingly sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the whole. On the other hand, those who dislike sacrifice, who pursue their individual interests and even take advantage of others, will be found guilty. Do you understand? So what kind of people are good people? They are people who work for the sake of others. What kind of acts are good acts? Surely, they are acts of self-sacrifice and service to benefit others. From this point of view, are today’s young people who live lives of self-indulgence good people or bad people? They are bad people, without a doubt. The law of the universe applies not only to human beings, but to the all beings in the material world. For instance, the cells of the eye cannot act as though everything in the body exists only for the eye. If the eye were to say to its owner, “Submit to me. If you as a human being, employ me for your sake, I, your eye, will rebel against you!” that kind of attitude would lead to its destruction. Rather, the cells of the eye exist for the benefit of the entire body. The eye should think, “Although my cells are precious, serving my owner is the public purpose, so I will follow the law of the universe.”
That which is public has greater value. This can be affirmed in every instance. Since we know this principle, we cannot complain. (105:93, September 30, 1979)

Those Who Live In Accordance With Divine Laws Are Released from Karma

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 231

The family is the heavenly base. You
must firmly settle in a family. You should
firmly settle in a family and decide the
direction in which you will go. Center-
ing on True Parents and God, all fam-
ilies should put up True Parents’ pic-
ture, and your four-position foundation
should bow there together. Three gener-
ations must offer a bow. The four posi-
tion foundation involves three genera-
tions. Three generations – grandfather
and grandmother, mother and father,
and children – should offer a bow. After
establishing a four position founda-
tion, when you bow down in the name
of True Parents this is not within the
fallen domain. You will be in the realm
of liberation because God has direct
dominion over you. All the spirits in
the heavenly world will come to earth
and protect you just as the archangel
was meant to protect Adam’s family. We
have entered such an age. In the past, the
Cain domain was the spirit world and
the Abel domain was the earth. Abel was
being used because it was the time when
Abel had to sacrifice to rescue Cain. But
now, since the right of the eldest son
has been restored, the spirit world is the
angelic world and today’s Unification
Church families constitute the Adam
domain; so the spirit world is meant to
support the Adam domain and not use
it for its own advantage. Through this,
the land wherein Satan can interfere
and operate is disappearing. There is no
room for him. Satan is being expelled.
When we march forward strongly and
boldly, without sacrificing our stan-
dards of being the forefront even by one
step and keep a progressive attitude and
unwavering standard, the devil’s forces
will fall off a cliff. Let’s light a fire under
each family. (211-349, 1991.1.1)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1700

Why was woman created? She was
created for the sake of love, for man. She
is meant to exist for the sake of man.
Why was man born? Man was born for
the sake of woman. That is the essence
of the original ideal of the universe. That
is the law of the universe and the truth.
There is nothing that can change it. This
simple truth was unknown until now.
(278-203, 1996.5.24)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Moral Law

Divine law, the immutable law of nature, is inherently moral. It embraces in one principle the cosmological, ethical, social and legal spheres. Religion, therefore, cannot accept the modern distinction between fact and value; rather the moral law governing human life is as absolute as the law of gravity.
Since the order of the universe and the order of life cohere; establishing right order in our lives is the way to prosperity and longevity. Following the moral law leads to life and heaven; ignoring the law leads to decline, suffering and death.
The moral norms of human life are revealed in sacred Scriptures are variously called the Law or Torah (Judaism), Dhamma (Theravada Buddhism), Tao (Taoism), Dharma (Hinduism), and Moral Order (Confucianism). Yet these are but expressions of a natural law, inherent to our being and written on the heart, which transcends religion or social circumstance. In fact, as Father Moon teaches and Confucian texts confirm, it finds its foremost expression in the family. The fundamental principle is to establish harmonious relationships, and this is achieved by practicing unselfishness and living for the sake of others.

  1. Living by the Law

The Lord commanded us to do all these stat-
utes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good
always, that he might preserve us alive, as at
this day.
Deuteronomy 6:24

Easily known is the progressive one, easily known
the one who declines. He who loves Dhamma
progresses, he who hates it declines.
Sutta Nipata 92 (Buddhism)

God has revealed the fairest of statements, a
Scripture consistent, [with reward] paired [with
punishment], at which creeps the flesh of those
who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their
hearts soften to God’s reminder. Such is God’s
guidance, with which He guides whom He will.
Qur’an 39.23

The night passes; it is never to return again.
The night passes in vain
for one who acts not according to the law.
Uttaradhyayana Sutra 14.24 (Jainism)

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for ever;
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psalm 19.7-10

Those who live in accordance with the divine
laws without complaining, firmly established in
faith, are released from karma. Those who violate
these laws, criticizing and complaining, are utterly
deluded, and are the cause of their own suffering.
Bhagavad-Gita 3.31-32 (Hinduism)

Every one then who hears these words of mine
and does them will be like a wise man who built
his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon
that house, but it did not fall, because it had been
founded on the rock. And every one who hears
these words of mine and does not do them will be
like a foolish man who built his house upon the
sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and
the winds blew and beat against that house, and
it fell; and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 7.24-27

The blessed Buddhas, of virtues endless and
limitless, are born of the Law of Righteousness;
they dwell in the Law, are fashioned by the Law;
they have the Law as their master, the Law as
their light, the Law as their field of action, the
Law as their refuge…
The Law is equal, equal for all beings. For low or
middle or high the Law cares nothing. So I must
make my thought like the Law.
The Law has no regard for the pleasant. Impartial
is the Law. So I must make my thought like the
Law….
The Law does not seek refuge. The refuge of all
the world is the Law. So I must make my thought
like the Law.
The Law has none who can resist it. Irresistible
is the Law. So I must make my thought like the
Law.
The Law has no preferences. Without preference
is the Law. So I must make my thought like the
Law.
The Law has no fear of the terrors of birth-and-
death, nor is it lured by Nirvana. Ever without
misgiving is the Law. So I must make my thought
like the Law.
Dharmasangiti Sutra (Buddhism)

What Tao plants cannot be plucked,
What Tao clasps cannot slip.
By its virtue alone can one generation after
another carry on the ancestral sacrifice.
Apply it to yourself and by its power you will be
freed from dross.
Apply it to your household and your household
shall thereby have abundance.
Apply it to the village, and the village will be
made secure.
Apply it to the kingdom, and the kingdom shall
thereby be made to flourish.
Apply it to an empire, and the empire shall
thereby be extended.
Tao Te Ching 54 (Taoism)

We Exist as Women and Men Because of Love

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1 Timothy 3

They must not be new followers of the Lord. If they are, they might become proud and be doomed along with the devil. Finally, they must be well-respected by people who are not followers. Then they won’t be trapped and disgraced by the devil.

Church officers[d] should be serious. They must not be liars, heavy drinkers, or greedy for money. And they must have a clear conscience and hold firmly to what God has shown us about our faith. 10 They must first prove themselves. Then if no one has anything against them, they can serve as officers.

11 Women[e] must also be serious. They must not gossip or be heavy drinkers, and they must be faithful in everything they do.

12 Church officers must be faithful in marriage.[f] They must be in full control of their children and everyone else in their home. 13 Those who serve well as officers will earn a good reputation and will be highly respected for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Job 42

13 In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, 14 whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. 15 They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.

16 Job lived for another one hundred forty years—long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own— 17 and when he finally died, he was very old.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Eternal Truth

3. The Law of Love

Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and
Mother of the universe, including man.
Science and Health, p. 256 (Christian Science)

Love is the great law that rules this mighty and
heavenly cycle, the unique power that binds
together the diverse elements of this material
world, and the supreme magnetic force that
directs the movements of the spheres in the
celestial realms. Love reveals with unfailing and
limitless power the mysteries latent in the uni-
verse. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned
body of mankind, the establisher of true civili-
zation in this mortal world, and the shedder of
imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race
and nation.
‘Abdu’l Bahá (Bahá’i Faith)

That which lets now the dark (yin), now the
light (yang) appear is Tao.
As continuer, it is good. As completer, it is the
essence.
The kind man discovers it and calls it benevo-
lence (jen).
The wise man discovers it and calls it wisdom.
The people use it day by day and are not aware
of it, for the way of the superior man is rare.
It manifests itself as benevolence but conceals
its workings.
It gives life to all things, without sharing the
anxieties of the holy sage.
Its glorious power, its great field of action, are
of all things the most sublime.
It possesses everything in complete abundance:
this is its great field of action.
It renews everything daily: this is its glorious
power.
I Ching, Great Treatise 1.5 (Confucianism)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

The universe is created centering on love and the principles of love. It dances to that rhythm, not to the rhythm of the individual. (131:124, April 22, 1984)

The omniscient and omnipotent God, who has no need for gold or knowledge, the God who has everything—what was it He yearned for that He would create human beings? What was the fundamental motivation for the act of creation? It was not power, it was not knowledge, and it was not wealth. What God lacked was a foundation for love. Even God cannot bring about love by Himself. Thus, the motivation for the creation of the heavens and the earth was love. (149:149, November 21, 1986)

The creation of the universe began with love. Love preexisted the creation. If the idea of love did not exist, then there would have been no purpose to the principle of male and female. The mineral kingdom consists of positive and negative ions—like male and female. The world of insects consists of male and female. The animal world consists of male and female. Human beings, likewise, are men and women. Before the principle of male and female, there was the idea of love, that things made male and female would become one through love. If the idea of love didn’t exist, this universe pervaded by the duality of male and female would not have arisen. Which came first: male and female physical beings or the emotion and idea of love? This is the old philosophical problem of Realism vs. Idealism… We should know that the idea of love came first. Women are not born for their own sake. Men are not born for their own sake. They both exist for the sake of love. For this reason, the chief concern of both men and women is love. (218:339-40, August 22, 1991)

The created world contains subject and object partners, and for this reason there are men and women and male and female creatures. The subject-object relationship is found in flowers with stamen and pistil, in molecules with positive and negative ions, and in atoms with protons and electrons. Everything exists in a pair system. Nothing else but love fulfills the value and carries on the history of existing beings. Through love men and women procreate. Other beings—insects, plants, and minerals—also love according to their kind. Why is everything in a pair system? Why are there always subject and object partners? The reason is love. Which came first, love or subject and object partners? Does love exist because there are women and men, or do we exist as women and men because of love? Which is it? We exist as women and men because of love. (227:268, February 14, 1992)

Without God’s investment of love, the cosmos could not have come into being. The law of the cosmos is that the subject partner lives for the sake of the object partner. However, in the fallen world, the subject does not live for the sake of the object; instead, the subject misuses the object for his own sake. That is why the world is destined to decline. Religions must teach the heavenly principle that you are happy only when your counterpart is happy. (271:70, August 21, 1995)

Live for the Sake of Others Without Hopes of Receiving Something In Return

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Cheon Seong Gyeong 2283

From the outset of history, no one has
been persecuted as much as I or faced as
much opposition. In one era I had to be
persecuted worldwide on the individual,
family and tribal levels.
The Unification Church tribe must be
related to all peoples in all 160 nations of
the world through the global association
of Blessed Families. That is the work of
restoration. We need to first carry out
this work tribally, next on the level of a
people and then nationally. (176-332)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1272

God wants everyone reborn. From
His position, He is trying to bring all
of humanity, which is still in the realm
of Satan’s false love, to His side through
His greater love. Since all humankind
was born through the parents, ances-
tors and lineage of false love, they need
to be reborn through the parents, ances-
tors and lineage of true love. In this way,
they can become the children of God
and the people of God’s Kingdom. The
precious blood of Jesus and the ritual of
the Last Supper all symbolize the provi-
dence of becoming the children of God
through the conversion of the lineage.
(135-12, 1985.8.20)

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Eternal Truth

2. Truth Is Absolute

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Since God is an eternal, unchanging and unique Being, the love, ideals, peace and happiness that He desires must be likewise. (74:161, December 7, 1974)

God is absolute. Even after the Fall, God continues to relate to what He has made according to the laws and principles He established. (52:87, December 22, 1971)

The life of true love is living for the sake of others… [without] hopes of receiving something in return… as Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” and “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This is the very Principle of Creation, which God Himself set up. God is the almighty Creator, yet He will not destroy what He created at a whim and start over again, for to do so he would have to negate His own Principle.3 (January 27, 2004)

The components that make up the universe were not created blindly. This vast universe exists and moves by the relative relationships between subject and object partners, whose unceasing give and take following the track of the law enables the universe to continue in perpetuity. To continue in perpetuity, we, too, must follow the track of the law. If we do not, we will not continue but will perish. For our physical life to continue, we need to eat, digest normally, and have good circulation to distribute the nutrients throughout our body. Thus, a being can continue only when there is smooth give and take. (182:117, October 16, 1988)

Ontology should clarify… the motivation, purpose, and laws of creation, and show that they govern the movement of all beings. The normative laws that govern human beings should be in unity with the laws of the universe—the way of Heaven. Just as the laws by which the sun, moon and stars were created—the way of Heaven—set up a system of vertical order, so also in the family there is a vertical order extending from grandparents to parents and children, and likewise a horizontal order formed by the siblings. The laws of Heaven and the values or norms of [family life] correspond. With a theoretical structure consistent with the natural sciences, and with a self-evident nature acceptable to the human conscience, ontology must attest to the historical validity of the proposition, “Those who betray Heaven will perish, and those who are faithful to Heaven will live.” On the basis of this ontology we can establish absolute values in the true sense. Establishing them—absolute truth, absolute goodness and absolute beauty—then understanding them and practicing them, we will bring about humanity’s spiritual revolution. Then the chaos in today’s world will gradually disappear. (122:303-04, November 25, 1982)

Absolute Truth Is Indestructible

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Romans 4

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[d] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Ezekiel 20

Tell them that long ago I, the Lord God, chose Israel to be my own. I appeared to their ancestors in Egypt and made a solemn promise that I would be their God and the God of their descendants. I swore that I would rescue them from Egypt and lead them to a land I had already chosen. This land was rich with milk and honey and was the most splendid land of all. I told them to get rid of their disgusting idols and not to sin by worshiping the gods of Egypt. I reminded them that I was the Lord their God, but they still rebelled against me. They refused to listen and kept on worshiping their idols and foreign gods.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Truth and Universal Law

Eternal Truth

2. Truth Is Absolute

From the bosom of the sacred Word He
brought forth the world.
On high, below, He abides in His own laws.
Atharva Veda 4.1.3 (Hinduism)

There is no changing the words of God; that is
the mighty triumph.
Qur’an 10.64

Righteousness and justice are the foundations
of thy throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before thee.
Psalm 89.14

Truth is victorious, never untruth.
Truth is the way; truth is the goal of life,
Reached by sages who are free from self-will.
Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6 (Hinduism)

By Divine Law are all forms manifested;
Inexpressible is the Law.
By Divine Law are beings created;
By Law are some exalted.

By Divine Law are beings marked with nobility
or ignominy;
By the Law are they visited with bliss or bale.
On some by His Law falls grace;
Others by His Law are whirled around in cycles
of births and deaths.
All by the Law are governed,
None is exempt.
Says Nanak, Should man realize the power of
the Law,
He would certainly disclaim his ego.
Japuji 2, M.1, p. 1 (Sikhism)

Absolute truth is indestructible. Being indestruc-
tible, it is eternal. Being eternal, it is self-exis-
tent. Being self-existent, it is infinite. Being infi-
nite, it is vast and deep. Being vast and deep, it
is transcendental and intelligent. It is because it
is vast and deep that it contains all existence. It
is because it is transcendental and intelligent that
it embraces all existence. It is because it is infinite
and eternal that it perfects all existence.
Doctrine of the Mean 26 (Confucianism)

What is meant by an eternally-abiding reality?
The ancient road of reality has been here all
the time, like gold, silver, or pearl preserved in
the mine. The Dharmadhatu (Absolute Truth)
abides forever, whether the Tathagata appears
in the world or not. As the Tathagata eternally
abides, so does the Reason of all things. Reality
forever abides, reality keeps its order, like the
roads in an ancient city.
For instance, a man who is walking in a
forest and discovering an ancient city with
its orderly streets may enter into the city, and
having entered into it, he may have a rest,
conduct himself like a citizen, and enjoy all
the pleasures accruing therefrom. What do you
think? Did this man make the road along which
he enters into the city, and the various things in
the city? [No.]
Just so, what has been realized by myself
and the other Tathagatas is this Reality, this
eternally-abiding reality, the self-regulating
reality, the Suchness of things, the Realness of
things, the truth itself.
Lankavatara Sutra 61 (Buddhism)