The Principle of Restoration
Through Indemnity
Through Indemnity
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Chapter Four
Fallen Man is in the Midway Position
The story of Job illustrates man’s fallen position. Fallen man must contend with two competing sovereignties, each with a legitimate claim, each attempting to establish an exclusive claim over man.
Notice the difference between God and Satan’s viewpoint of Job. God is proud of Job and expresses faith in him. God sees Job’s goodness and exalts it.
Satan, on the other hand, has a very pessimistic opinion of Job. Satan questions Job’s sincerity. He tells God that Job’s devotion is merely a result of Job pursuing his own interest. Satan has no faith in Job and wants to convince God of Job’s unworthiness.
Both God and Satan can legitimately see themselves in Job. This is the substance of fallen man in the “midway position” between God and Satan. Both God and Satan have a legitimate claim. Both God and Satan can, likewise, see themselves in each fallen person. How did this come to be?
One major result of the fall is that we came under two lords, or two subjects. If we had only one subject and one lord, it would not be such a problem to restore everything and return to the original state. If God were still the only subject, every creature could become harmonized with Him and there would be nothing to oppose such harmony. But there is another subject, whose direction is totally the opposite of God's. That being took the subjective position by rejecting God. As a result of the fall, the opposing power of love that pulls man away from God became much stronger than the power that leads man back to his original source. Thus, the power of love came to be divided into opposing camps of internal and external. Satan is connected to the world of love centering upon external power and God is connected to love centering on internal power. So two subjects came to stand over one object, man. Satan became the external subject, while God became the internal subject. Total Indemnity, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, April 3, 1983
God maintains a claim over man. Even though man fell, this does not undo God’s status as the true Creator and origin of man. However, due to the fall, Satan established an equal claim over man. Though God created man, this, likewise, does not undo Satan’s status as “god.”
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:23-25
This is fallen man’s plight: We have two masters, each with a legitimate claim. However, we are dwelling in a universe that allows for the exclusive dominion of a single master. God’s decision to “not recognize Satan as creator” means that God would not change that principle of exclusive dominion. That decision has a direct imprint on the nature of restoration. The principle by which God has created is applied to the work of restoration or “recreation” of man.
This means that, although God has a claim over man, He will not exercise dominion over man until He can establish an exclusive claim. The benefit for fallen man, in terms of restoration, is that Satan must follow the same principle. Therefore, Satan cannot exercise dominion without establishing exclusive claim.
The Book of Job shows us that Job walks the course to affirm a single sovereignty. Job, by his actions, will have to negate the claim of one master and affirm the claim of the other. Through Job’s conditions, exclusive dominion is established. This exemplifies the essence of man’s responsibility in the course of restoration.
Good Conditions: Believe the Word and Act Upon It
Thus, for God or Satan to exercise exclusive dominion, a condition must be established. In order to accomplish this, God sends His word. If fallen man, in the mid-way position, makes the condition to receive the word, believe it, and put that word into action, he will have then set up the condition for God to claim man and stand as exclusive master.
In the Old Testament Age, God would send his word, i.e., the laws, decrees, and commandments of God. If the chosen people would make the condition of receiving the word, believing in it, and putting it into practice, then God could lead them with “a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.” He promised them “blessings” if they adhered to that course. Of course, this was not salvation in substance, even so it did clearly foreshadow, as a model course, the process by which salvation would be accomplished.
In the pattern for salvation through Christ, Jesus comes as “the word made flesh.” If we make the condition of faith in Christ, receive Christ as the living word, believe and put his words into practice, we will be “judged” and brought to God’s side.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word that I spoke will condemn him at the last day. John 12:47-49
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25
The story of Job illustrates man’s fallen position. Fallen man must contend with two competing sovereignties, each with a legitimate claim, each attempting to establish an exclusive claim over man.
Notice the difference between God and Satan’s viewpoint of Job. God is proud of Job and expresses faith in him. God sees Job’s goodness and exalts it.
Satan, on the other hand, has a very pessimistic opinion of Job. Satan questions Job’s sincerity. He tells God that Job’s devotion is merely a result of Job pursuing his own interest. Satan has no faith in Job and wants to convince God of Job’s unworthiness.
Both God and Satan can legitimately see themselves in Job. This is the substance of fallen man in the “midway position” between God and Satan. Both God and Satan have a legitimate claim. Both God and Satan can, likewise, see themselves in each fallen person. How did this come to be?
One major result of the fall is that we came under two lords, or two subjects. If we had only one subject and one lord, it would not be such a problem to restore everything and return to the original state. If God were still the only subject, every creature could become harmonized with Him and there would be nothing to oppose such harmony. But there is another subject, whose direction is totally the opposite of God's. That being took the subjective position by rejecting God. As a result of the fall, the opposing power of love that pulls man away from God became much stronger than the power that leads man back to his original source. Thus, the power of love came to be divided into opposing camps of internal and external. Satan is connected to the world of love centering upon external power and God is connected to love centering on internal power. So two subjects came to stand over one object, man. Satan became the external subject, while God became the internal subject. Total Indemnity, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, April 3, 1983
God maintains a claim over man. Even though man fell, this does not undo God’s status as the true Creator and origin of man. However, due to the fall, Satan established an equal claim over man. Though God created man, this, likewise, does not undo Satan’s status as “god.”
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:23-25
This is fallen man’s plight: We have two masters, each with a legitimate claim. However, we are dwelling in a universe that allows for the exclusive dominion of a single master. God’s decision to “not recognize Satan as creator” means that God would not change that principle of exclusive dominion. That decision has a direct imprint on the nature of restoration. The principle by which God has created is applied to the work of restoration or “recreation” of man.
This means that, although God has a claim over man, He will not exercise dominion over man until He can establish an exclusive claim. The benefit for fallen man, in terms of restoration, is that Satan must follow the same principle. Therefore, Satan cannot exercise dominion without establishing exclusive claim.
The Book of Job shows us that Job walks the course to affirm a single sovereignty. Job, by his actions, will have to negate the claim of one master and affirm the claim of the other. Through Job’s conditions, exclusive dominion is established. This exemplifies the essence of man’s responsibility in the course of restoration.
Good Conditions: Believe the Word and Act Upon It
Thus, for God or Satan to exercise exclusive dominion, a condition must be established. In order to accomplish this, God sends His word. If fallen man, in the mid-way position, makes the condition to receive the word, believe it, and put that word into action, he will have then set up the condition for God to claim man and stand as exclusive master.
In the Old Testament Age, God would send his word, i.e., the laws, decrees, and commandments of God. If the chosen people would make the condition of receiving the word, believing in it, and putting it into practice, then God could lead them with “a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.” He promised them “blessings” if they adhered to that course. Of course, this was not salvation in substance, even so it did clearly foreshadow, as a model course, the process by which salvation would be accomplished.
In the pattern for salvation through Christ, Jesus comes as “the word made flesh.” If we make the condition of faith in Christ, receive Christ as the living word, believe and put his words into practice, we will be “judged” and brought to God’s side.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word that I spoke will condemn him at the last day. John 12:47-49
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25
