President Tomihiro Tanaka’s Message for January 2026
Scripture: Romans 8:12-18
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Heirs of God
Introduction
On November 20, 2025, a commemorative ceremony was held at Shoto Headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, to celebrate the 66th True Children’s Day and the 38th Foundation Day for the Unified Nation of Heaven and Earth. In his sermon, then-President Tomihiro Tanaka explained the mission of Heaven’s children established through True Parents’ realm of victory and called on participants, saying, “We are the only ones that can fulfill True Mother’s dream. Let us make a new start, conscious of this fact.”
Editorial Department
The way was established for fallen humankind to be reborn into God’s lineage through True Parents
The 66th True Children’s Day and the 38th Foundation Day for the Unified Nation of Heaven and Earth—congratulations. Let us once again offer an applause of gratitude for being able to welcome these precious holidays.
True Children’s Day is one of the Four Major Holidays. These Four Major Holidays should have been established simultaneously when the human ancestors, Adam and Eve, entered holy matrimony, but due to their fall, this was not accomplished.
True Parents have reclaimed these commemorative days one by one while establishing the realm of victory within Heaven’s providence. Through True Mother’s guidance, Heavenly Parent’s Day and True Parents’ Day have come to be celebrated in conjunction with True Parents’ Holy Wedding Anniversary.
This is my personal view, but I believe that True Children’s Day and True Day of All Things will also come to be celebrated together, coinciding with the 60th Heavenly Parent’s Day in 2027.
We celebrate True Children’s Day every year. Each time, I believe we are reminded of what it means to be children and of our awareness as children (of God). Today, I would like to share with you my thoughts as we mark this day.
Personally, I feel that True Children’s Day is somewhat different from the other three major holidays: Heavenly Parent’s Day, True Parents’ Day, and True Day of All Things. It feels easier to accept because I can take ownership of it. Perhaps it’s because the word “children” is included, but it makes me realize my responsibility that “I must stand in the position of Heaven’s child” and it allows me to sincerely accept the position I’ve been given.
The Four Major Holidays were established through the victorious realm of the True Parents, so the main lead of True Children’s Day is undoubtedly the True Parents. We must not lose sight of this perspective. When we look at it this way, our impression should change.
In the Home Church daily planner, it explains the significance of True Children’s Day as “the day in which it was proclaimed that the basis had been set for fallen humanity to be reborn into God’s lineage through the True Parents.”
Through True Parents’ realm of victory, the foundation has been established for all fallen humankind to be reborn from Satan’s lineage into God’s lineage. This is what it means for True Parents to be the main lead. The path for all humankind to return to God has already been prepared.
With the position bestowed to us by Heaven, what resolve should we lead our lives?
Now, I will explain the three points I wish to share with you all.
First is the significance of the character “true” (真).
“True” signifies a break with “falsehood.” It means bidding farewell to being “false children” and having the path opened to walk as “true children.”
In a sense, this is a blessing bestowed upon us unilaterally. The standard for “truth” ultimately resides with the True Parents. The very criterion of being reborn into God’s lineage was established by the True Parents. Needless to say, we ourselves are far too distant from being worthy of that position.
Just because you received the blessing doesn’t mean you will be able to see visible change. This might sound cold, but think back to the moment you received your blessing.
Do you think Adam and Eve felt any change when they fell? They probably just turned pale.
(Many of us) have received the blessing, and on the surface, nothing has changed. Yet it is clear we have been placed in a position where we have been reborn into God’s lineage. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we must never forget that this position was established by God according to the “true” standard.
What is required of us, blessed families, is to choose to become children worthy of standing before the Parents, who have bestowed the blessing upon us.
Receiving the blessing undoubtedly places one in the position of being reborn into God’s lineage. However, are you determined to live and uphold that status? I believe choosing that way of life is the standard required of children. The question is what resolve you hold as you live within the status bestowed by heavenly grace.
For example, Princess Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, was born into the Imperial Family and granted the status of Princess. However, whether she would live her entire life in that position was her own choice. Princess Mako chose to renounce her imperial status and live as a commoner. While she remains the eldest daughter of Prince and Princess Akishino, she has ceased to live with the status of an Imperial Princess.
Mother’s resolve to embrace all of humanity
True Mother is currently detained in a detention center in Seoul, South Korea. Even in such circumstances, Shin-chul nim and Shin-heung nim have chosen to walk the path as the Inheritors of Heaven’s Love and Blessing. What I feel when I see them is that they have grasped their own identity, drawing strength from it, and are finding meaning in their lives.
The day before yesterday (November 18, 2025), I visited True Mother at the detention center with Shin-Heung nim. During that time, I spent my time wondering where his thoughts and feelings truly lay. Shin-Heung nim was not focused on the physical presence of Mother before him, but rather aligning his own status with her true status—that of Heaven’s Only Daughter, Holy Mother Han. He chose the path of focusing precisely on aligning himself (with her position), which I was able to feel in his aura.
True Mother has repeatedly emphasized we, the children, are her direct descendants. When I look at this, this is Mother’s powerful declaration of resolution. The declaration of making us her direct descendants is also a declaration that she is our parent. “You are my direct descendants, so I will never abandon you. How will you receive this?” She is compelling us to give our answer to this powerful question and make our resolve.
True Mother pours her heart into nurturing the Pure Water. The term “direct descendants” embodies both resolve and the parents’ heart. Therein lies the standard of “true.”
In any case, True Children’s Day was established because True Parents rose up. Let us welcome this day with immense gratitude that True Parents took this stand. We are filled with nothing but gratitude.
What exactly is an heir?
The second point I’d like to talk about is the identity and responsibility as children.
Many young people living in modern society cannot determine where they come from, where they are now, or where they are headed. In this state, they drift along in the midst of diversified values.
On the other hand, the second generation know that their identity stems from True Parents. They clearly understand where they come from, where they are now, and where they are headed. Their stance gives me hope.
When second-generation members step into the world, knowing their place is a strength. Words spoken by those with a clear identity carry power, enabling them to confidently advocate for faith and purity—values often shunned in society.
Leading the way, members of N.A.B.I boldly testify to their respect for their parents’ faith. They also openly express gratitude toward their parents. What is the source of their strength in which these second-generation believers are able to speak to the world without hesitation? It is undoubtedly their awareness of their own position.
Today, the emcee read the following scripture:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:16 – 18
This scripture mentions the word “heirs.” As the Holy Spirit testifies, we are children of God. And if we are children, then we are also heirs of God. Furthermore, it is written that we are “joint heirs with Christ.”
Generally speaking, heirs do not merely inherit assets. They must also inherit what are known as debts and liabilities. The “heir” in the scripture above likely does not mean one who inherits only what is convenient for themselves. I believe they are depicted as being in a position to inherit everything, including what they dislike.
Jesus faced betrayal from His disciples and walked toward the cross in a lonely, isolated state. Children of Heaven are those who inherit everything—including the standard of loving Heaven no matter the circumstances. The position of children requires us to simultaneously consider inheriting faith and inheriting the mission held by our parents.
God’s desire is to reclaim all of humanity from Satan
When I met True Mother alongside Shin-heung nim, my heart cried out as I stood before her: “This person absolutely cannot be left like this. She absolutely should not be here.”
True Mother is now viewed by the world as if she were a prisoner. She is clad in the clothes provided, a large number stamped on her chest. Called by number, not name, it is as if her very personhood has been stripped away. Unable to wear makeup or dye her hair, she is merely a pitiful old woman awaiting judgment. Yet even in such circumstances, she faces us unchanged, just as she always has.
As I gazed upon True Mother, I felt, “Ah, God must have permitted this person to be sent here. No, He had no choice but to permit it.” Of course, I also understand that our inadequacies led to this situation.
Satan restrained True Mother first and struck her. God must surely be planning the next move. As I gazed at Mother, I felt, “God must have something He must recover.” One could say I had no choice but to think that way.
In my heart, I asked God, “What are You planning to do now? How could You possibly allow True Mother to be detained? What exactly are You trying to accomplish?” At that very moment, Mother spoke the words, “Thank you for becoming one.”
True Mother rejoiced that we, brothers and sisters, had become one. So then, how must she have felt all this time, watching us who had not yet become one?
When God has to walk a certain providential path, True Mother seeks to walk that path together. Hearing Mother’s words expressing joy that brothers and sisters have become one, I felt deeply sorry and also pondered what God intends to accomplish through this unity. Becoming one cannot be the goal itself. So I wondered, “What does He wish to restore through this unity? What does He intend to accomplish?”
There is only one answer: to reclaim all of humanity from Satan. This is what God aims for. The meaning of True Parents standing is to restore the love, life, and lineage stolen by Satan back to God. It is the children, the heirs, who fulfill this together.
We are children united with True Mother, who lives with us on earth today, and we must inherit that mission as her children. True Parents were established after six thousand years, and to fulfill the desire to restore all humanity to God through them, God had no choice but to send Mother down the path of hardship. As children, we must firmly grasp this reality.
Upon leaving the detention center after meeting with True Mother, I suddenly recalled True Father saying, “When (Father) dies, who will take care of God in (Father’s) place?”
I will now share a related statement from True Father.
First, love Japan more than I standing here. Love the world more than I. Love Heavenly Father more than I. If I should fall beside you, do not grab my corpse and weep. Do not shed tears. Who will love Heaven, which I so loved? Who will love humanity that I loved, the universe that I loved? Who will take responsibility? Shed tears for that God. That is the message I wish to leave behind. Everyone in Japan, in this age and state of affairs, we are the ones who must pioneer the path of the Fall. We are the ones who must save humanity that is being judged.
The Words of Rev. Sun Myung Moon in Japanese, Vol. 1, pp. 235-236
We have inherited our faith from True Parents and received Heaven’s blessing. As recorded in the Bible, we stand as heirs. We have also inherited (Heaven’s) mission. We must fully grasp this and rise up now.
When True Mother says, “You are my direct descendants,” I feel that these words are spoken to us not only with a mother’s love for her children, but also with the earnest wish that we inherit (Heaven’s ) mission.
The fulfillment of the Word we should be striving for
The third point is whether we truly embody (our identity) as children.
This will absolutely be questioned when inheriting (Heaven’s) mission. We are living in an age that demand being “real.” Making contributions to the world is important, but that is not the goal. Offering cheongseong is important, but that, too, is not the goal.
What we must strive for is the fulfillment of the Word. We must pursue the standard of completing individual character, the standard of completing the family-based four-position foundation, and the standard of becoming masters who bear Heaven’s providence and harmonize with all things.
The Divine Principle states that “the purpose of truth is to realize goodness, and since God is the origin of goodness, God will be the center of the world founded upon this truth” (p. 9). What we aim for is a world where humanity serves God as the Parent and is firmly united in brotherly love. Many different types of phenomena occur because such a world does not yet exist.
The other day, the Top Gun members (the youth and students) embarked on their forty-day mission. I was asked to give a talk at the opening ceremony, and I spoke for fifteen minutes.
The aim of this forty-day course was to bring victory in witnessing, and as I prepared my talk, I reflected on the Old Testament scripture, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
This single phrase contains God’s intensely passionate message. “You are a created being” clearly implies there is a Creator. We are called to live with this awareness.
The purpose of existence lies with the Creator; it is not something that can arbitrarily be decided by the created. Therefore, one must come to know the Creator early in life and clearly understand why they were created, what they should aim for, and how they should live.
Standing before the members of Top Gun, I felt that when heading out to preach, our strongest and greatest heavenly weapon is our own position—our identity as children of God. We are children of God and we must live with conviction in our identity as children of the eternal and unique True Parents.
We are now fighting to preserve our religious corporate status for future generations. We are employing every possible means to secure victory in the court case surrounding the dissolution order. However, even if we manage to retain our corporate status, it would be meaningless if the energy required to defend it causes us to lose sight of our core identity.
No matter what position or situation we find ourselves in, the strong resolve to fulfill Heaven’s will springs from unshakable conviction and certainty that “I am a child of God.” “I am a child of True Parents.” This is where everything begins.
We, the blessed families, have inherited the mission of True Parents. With conviction in this fact alone, believe that you can forge any path and devote yourselves wholeheartedly to your respective responsibilities.
When I met True Mother at the detention center, she called out to Shin-heung nim, “Shin-chul, Shin-heung,” addressing both of their names. For True Mother, who is her hope? Shin-chul nim and Shin-heung nim—who have completely become one with her and shared her mission—are undoubtedly her greatest hope. But we too are True Mother’s hope and the inheritors of Heaven’s mission. We are the only ones that can fulfill True Mother’s dream. Let us embark on a new beginning, conscious of this fact. The difficult struggle continues, but brothers and sisters all over Japan, we will overcome this by being united as one.
I sincerely hope this becomes a “True Children’s Day” where we embark, pledging to become children who can return joy to True Mother. Thank you.