"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." – (Hebrews 6:1-2)

A. FAITH IN CHRIST

EVEN IN THE MARKET PLACES, in the busy streets of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces, one can easily notice the proliferation of "instant evangelists," although they only know three verses in the Bible, with the prima facie evidence of their real intention to collect money from every passerby. One "instant preacher" has a host of Tong agents (money collectors) from all sides of the streets, bringing with them a pouch similar to that of the excommunicated Judas Iscariot. And what do they have to say? "Have faith in Jesus and you are saved!" OSAS at that! (Once Saved Always Saved). With a promise of miracles and blessings (more on the material sense) they are able to attract people into their baits according to Jeremiah 5:26

"For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men."

Quite a number of hopeless Filipinos, hopeless because they cannot even afford to pay the consultation fee and the antibiotics that will be given by a doctor, if they are sick of flu which may amount to a thousand pesos, or a month’s wage of a domestic helper in the Philippines, are easily enticed with the promise of prosperity (you have to jump three times and shout Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!) and presto, by next week you will be a millionaire, with brand new Mercedes Benz and a certificate of holdings in the heavens. (It seems that they have subdivided the heavens among themselves) Who will not be enticed to join their group? But what do you have to do? Just accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior.

To a bookish like the writer, (bookish because the Bible does not permit opinions and personal interpretations) it sounds foolish and impertinent because no one can prove that Jesus Christ is a Personal Lord or personal savior to anybody. Remember the titles ascribed to Jesus by the Holy Scriptures—Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Lord of Sabbath, Lord of the Church, and Jesus Christ is the Savior of the Body (and not personal to anyone). According to the book of Ephesians 5:23

"For the husband is “the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the savior of the body."

And the body is the Church according to Colossians 1:18

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have preeminence."

How can a learned minister of the Bible claim that Jesus Christ is a personal Savior? It does not only sound foolish but it is extremely foolish! Christ deals with the church and communicates with the church as a body, and not personal to anyone. Even the relationship received by a person from Christ is not intended for him alone but for the congregation as a whole as written in I Peter 1:10-12

“Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

And according to the book of Revelation 1:1

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"

Note that the beholder of the vision is only one person, John, but the vision is not intended for him, but for the Church. A personal property, in the strictest sense of ethics and personal hygiene, can not be lent to anybody like your toothbrush and personal garments. A man should not wear a woman's garment and vice versa, according to Deuteronomy 22:5

"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God"

A wife maybe considered a personal property of a man as mentioned in the writings of Saint Paul on I Corinthians 11:3:

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."

And no wise man (not even the Three Kings of the Catholic Church because they are not wise, they left their wives behind and they did not bring any assistant with them) will share his wife with another man, as written in the book of I Peter 3:7

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

Even just looking at her with lust in the heart is already adultery, according to Matthew 5:28:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

If Jesus Christ is a Personal Savior to anyone, it will be unethical, illogical, and unbiblical to share Him with anybody else; Furthermore, it may sound that He is exercising favoritism if anybody claims that Jesus Christ is his personal savior. In a class of fifty (50), a considerate and compassionate teacher passes students on the basis of what is the score of the median. The personal score of the student does not matter, but the total ability of the whole class is considered; the passing grade might be lower than 50 but the fact is the student who got scores lower than seventy five percent is passed. In saving the body or the Church, the compassionate savior in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ will save and will declare triumphant even the least among His brethren who had done the least good things according to the book of Matthew 25:32-40:

"And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as shepherd divided his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungered, and ye give meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee stranger, and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

But Jesus is the Lord of the Church as explained in I Corinthians 8:6

"But to us there is but one God, the Father, whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him."

Therefore he is not a personal savior to anyone. The question of having faith in Jesus is a very broad topic of salvation. Firstly, who is that Jesus, to whom you have your faith in? The Bible forewarns us that there will be a proliferation of false Jesuses and false Christs especially in the latter days. These Christs and Jesuses are inventions of false prophets who are preaching them as what the book of Matthew 24:24 says:

"For there shall rise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

And St. Paul is also mentioning some facts about this matter in the book of II Corinthians 11:4:

"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."

Believing these Bible verses will leave no alternative to a person with "Delicadesa", but to put into test all these Jesuses and Christs as Apostle John said in I John 4:1

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Another question is from whom are you going to receive the real Jesus of the Bible? After all He is being preached only by commissioned ministers as what Apostle Paul said in II Corinthian 4:5:

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord: and ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake."

False Christs and Jesuses came from other gospels which are the fruits of the wicked preachers’ wild imaginations and inventions, pretending to be apostles and ministers of Christ as written in the book of II Corinthians 11: 13-14:

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

And the book of Romans 16:18

“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Also the book of Colossians 2:4

"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words."

Including the book of Galatians 1:8

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

And granting that you have luckily received the real Christ and Jesus of the Bible, remember that CHRIST IS JESUS and JESUS IS THE CHRIST as mentioned in the book of I John 2:22

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and Son."

Another problem is: is it now the complete formula for salvation? Just accept Jesus, and you are forever saved, as they have misunderstood the verse in Acts 16: 31?

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

You are lucky if, after having received Jesus, on that very day you are going to die. But if you have to continue in faith, other more important things must be given a greater degree of consideration as Paul said in I Corinthians 13:13

Having faith in Jesus is a fundamental step to salvation and we agree with it. But as we grow in faith it will not be sufficient to save us.

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love)."

Faith without love cannot save a person. It will render his total being useless as Paul said in I Corinthians 13:1-3:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feel the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

It is love that magnifies the works of faith which was mentioned in the book of I Corinthians 16:14:

"Let all your things be done with charity (love)."

As the name of the Lord magnifies his word according to the book of Psalms 138:2:

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

Also at the book of James 2:22

"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Remember that faith to be perfected it must bear works, faith without works is dead as James 2:26 says,

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

And the works of faith must be done with love for perfection as it is written in Colossians 3:14

"And above all these things put on charity (love) which is the bond of perfectness."

Therefore it is crystal clear from these verses of the Bible that love is not only an essence of salvation but, in fact, it is its most important requisite. But if we examine further the details of salvation in the Bible, other things must be weighted with equal importance as mentioned in the book of II Peter 1:5-10:

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

Remember that there are things that must be added to faith and they are mentioned as follows: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity and without these things a person is considered blind, but with these things that abound, a person will not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Still going deeper we now have to leave these fundamental teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ to have faith in Jesus. But what is next?

B. TO HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS

PAUL HAS HAD THE FAITH of Jesus for he mentioned in the book of Galatians 2:20:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

The first Christians who were luckily seen by John among those who were saved have had faith of Jesus as recorded in Revelation 14:12:

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Also in the Book of James 2:1:

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, with respect of persons."

HAVING FAITH IN JESUS IS VERY MUCH DIFFERENT FROM HAVING THE FAITH OF JESUS.

And what does the Bible mean when it says having the faith of Jesus? A person having the faith of Jesus must have the same line of thinking with Jesus as Paul stated in I Corinthians 2:16

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

And to think as Jesus thinks is to stop sinning by rejecting the works of the flesh as written in I Peter 4:1-4

"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, reveling banqueting, and abominable idolatries:"

We must also have the spirit of obedience that Christ had, as stated in Heb.5:7-9:

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he become the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."

It doesn’t necessarily follow that we must all have to speak in tongues, heal the sick, or cast out demons for not all the faithful in the history of the first century Christian church have had these gifts as written in the book of I Corinthians 12:28-30

"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"

Born-again preachers use the passage in Mark 16:15-20 which states:

And he said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth shall not be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. So then, after the Lord has spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with the signs following. Amen."

False preachers use Mark 16:15-20 as reference. They have grossly ignored the rules of truth and evidences, NOT ONLY ONCE but in many instances wherein these verses were proven to be false and were added only. They are not parts of the inspired scriptures. As a result, a mass suicide was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records about the 913 souls that perished with their leader Jim Jones by taking cyanide simply because they believed in these particular verses.

A meticulous perusal of these verses will reveal vividly that these are not original part of the Scriptures. Take these things into consideration:

1. “These signs shall follow them that believe: they shall cast out devils, shall lay hands on the sick, speak with new tongues, etc.” (Mark 16:15:20)

The apostle Paul emphatically said that not all Christians can heal the sick, speak in tongues and cast out demons according to I Cor. 12:29-30.

"Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"

Take another look and continue the verse

2. “And if they drink any deadly things, and they shall take up serpents…”

Christians even if they know that God will save them will not drink or take anything harmful to their body. That will be tantamount to testing God, and that must never be done by any Christian. (Matthew 4:5-7)

"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Further, if one is to intentionally hold the snake is also not in line with the original concept of the Gospel; thereby affirming the claim of more learned Bible scholars that the book of Mark must end with a short conclusion in Mark 16:8 and not with Mark 16:9-20 for the King James version:

For references see the following books: [1] the Greek New Testament the Longer Ending of Mark; page 196-198 Tertulian Aphrater, Apostolic Constitution, Didymus; [2] the Emphatic Diglot Bible (see the book of Mark chapter 16); and, [3] the Greek Interlinear Bible (see chapter 16, footnote, and comments of the scholars regarding the chapter)