Is a female counterpart necessary for salvation, spiritually and physically?

Question

Sun Myung Moon · Accepted Answer

This profound question delves into the very essence of God's original creative purpose and the complete restoration of humanity. Understanding whether salvation necessitates both a male and female counterpart reveals the full scope of God's plan—a plan extending beyond individual forgiveness to the restoration of ideal families and the establishment of God's Kingdom on Earth. The Biblical Foundation: God Created Them Male and Female From its very beginning, Scripture reveals that God's image is profoundly reflected through both man and woman together, in co-equal dignity and purpose. Genesis 1:27 states, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." This fundamental verse signifies that the complete expression of God's image is found in the complementary relationship of male and female. The first blessing bestowed upon humanity—"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28)—inherently required the cooperative union of male and female. God's declaration, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18), further emphasizes the necessity of companionship and partnership in fulfilling God's purpose. Even in the New Testament, Paul speaks of the profound mystery of husband and wife becoming "one flesh" as representing the intimate relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32), quoting Genesis 2:24. The culmination of God's plan in Revelation is depicted as a marriage: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7). These passages reveal that God's ultimate and complete purpose involves the harmonious and fruitful union of male and female counterparts. Divine Principle's Clarification: True Parents for Complete Restoration The Divine Principle illuminates that humanity's fall occurred through the failure of both Adam and Eve, who were intended to become the first True Parents. Therefore, the complete restoration of humanity requires the establishment of True Parents—a perfected Adam and a perfected Eve who, through ideal marriage and lineage, can become the source of sinless children. God's original plan was for Adam and Eve to mature, marry, and give birth to pure children, thereby initiating a sinless human lineage and establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, centered on God's true love. Their tragic fall—resulting in illicit relationships centered on Satan, which led to the inheritance of sin both spiritually and physically—derailed this entire plan, contaminating the human lineage with original sin. Jesus came as the Second Adam to restore what the first Adam lost, meaning he came to give us rebirth spiritually and physically as a True Father. As 1 Corinthians 15:22 explains, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." Jesus accomplished spiritual salvation, offering a path to individual spiritual rebirth and forgiveness of sins. However, because Jesus was crucified before he could marry and establish the position of True Parents (a perfected Adam and Eve), only the spiritual dimension of salvation could be completed during his first coming. Jesus went to the cross because of the failure of human responsibility, not because it was necessary for him to forgive sins; he already had the authority to do so (Matthew 26:39-46, Matthew 16:23). God's original plan was for Jesus to marry and, with his wife, become True Parents to bring complete salvation. The physical dimension of salvation—the complete eradication of original sin from the lineage and the establishment of a sinless heritage through blessed marriage—awaits completion at the Second Coming. This is why, despite spiritual rebirth, humanity continues to struggle with inherited fallen nature and the effects of original sin passed down through lineage. The complete salvation is the restoration of both spiritual and physical dimensions, culminating in the establishment of God's ideal family lineage. Understanding the Deeper Meaning: The Marriage of the Lamb When the biblical imagery of the "Bride of Christ" and the "Marriage of the Lamb" is understood through the lens of Divine Principle, a more comprehensive picture of salvation emerges. Salvation inherently has both spiritual and physical dimensions. Jesus, as the Son of Man who came from heaven, was one with God physically as well as spiritually, serving as the True Father who gives rebirth. But a father alone cannot give birth; a True Mother is also needed. Since Jesus went to the cross with no bride, the Holy Spirit took the position of the spiritual True Mother, enabling spiritual rebirth. Christians are reborn when they come to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. This established spiritual salvation, but to restore our physical being, Jesus needs to come in the flesh to accomplish marriage and family life, just like us. The return of C

Is a female counterpart necessary for salvation, spiritually and physically?

The Biblical Foundation: God Created Them Male and Female

Divine Principle's Clarification: True Parents for Complete Restoration

Understanding the Deeper Meaning: The Marriage of the Lamb

Living the Principle

Sources and further reading