A reader’s comment on ‘faith’
(Part I)
LAST Sunday (August 13th), the title of my article in this column was “We cannot ‘edit’ our God.” One of the reactions/comments that I received on the evening of August 13th, Sunday was a letter sent through e-mail by a Visayan lawyer who requested anonymity.
Here is the letter of my reader, a lawyer: “To: villafuerte_nelly@yahoo.com “Aug 13 at 8:20 PM “Your column ‘We cannot edit God’ is very insightful .... but ma’am, there might be problems if people misunderstood what you meant.
“It is true that we are saved by our faith ... but how should one exercise his faith in God? That to me is the ultimate question...We are all called to serve God, but in what way and in what means? this to me is a person to person basis as no one is perfect ... Your level of understanding and faith in God might be totally different from your neighbors...
“You made an example of the thief who asked Jesus not to forget him when He goes to heaven ... That was absolute surrender to God and his reward was the guarantee made by Jesus Himself that on that day he would be with Him in paradise. It was a guarantee that He did not even give to His disciples...
“I humbly submit that each person has a mission in life...that is to find God, acknowledge Him, surrender to Him...and serve Him .... but it is to each his own ....
“The first step for me is to pray .... to say thank You ..... and to be guided in order to be kind in thoughts and in words, for one cannot be kind to others if he cannot be kind to himself ...... to be at peace with himself, as no one can give peace to others if he has no peace in himself...to love himself as he cannot expected to love others if he does know what love is ... in relation to law, that principle is called ‘nemo dat quod non habet’ ... that means, you cannot dispose what you do not own ... or have ... He who has not found true happiness cannot be expected to share his happiness to others ... It has been said that the more you give, the more you receive ... But to me it does not mean money at all ... it means happiness, if you are truly happy, being in the service of God, with full trust and confidence that He is with you, then you can share your happiness with as many people as you can without worrying that it will diminish your own happiness.
“If we look around, there are almost NO GOOD NEWS ... bad news makes better mileage in media ... the more horrific the news, the better as people tend to talk more about it and media is fueling it every step of the way ... If only people know what to pray and how to pray, then the world would be a much better place to live in ... but then again, I believe that the world was meant to be like this, so that mankind may seek God...and so we must ... regardless of creed or religion
“Thanks for your time :).”
*** The Visayan lawyer is actually echoing our uncertain and sometimes confusing definition/interpretation of the word faith (referred to as the saving faith) in God’s plan of salvation as laid down in the Holy Bible by many of us – including myself before I started reading the Bible in 1986.
*** Before I comment on certain portions of the above-mentioned letter of my reader, let me share again that:
• There is only one plan for the salvation of our souls as laid down in Ephesians 2:8-9 of the Holy Bible;
• From the Biblical standpoint, it is very clear then that salvation is a gift. We all know that a gift is something that is given free – it cannot be bought or earned. Being a gift, all we have to do is to accept it;
• Many people do not yet know that salvation is freely given. In their desire to be saved, people turn the gift to a kind of purchase arrangement by “earning” their way to salvation. Yes, many are seeking to be saved but they are approaching salvation their own way contrary to the plan of salvation in the Holy Bible. Despite their zeal and sincerity, they do not understand the greatness of God’s salvation;
• Some people also think they can earn salvation by beating their backs with whips until blood oozes out. Others even go to the extent of crucifying themselves on a cross by having nails driven through their hands on a Good Friday;
• The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Understanding the true meaning of the word “believe” in relation to salvation is very critical. The word “believe” simply means to have complete trust or to have complete faith in Jesus Christ. It is mentioned more than 150 times in the New Testament that we must believe in Jesus Christ to receive eternal life;
• Many people say they have always believed in Jesus Christ since they were children. They also believe about the things that God did … and can even quote from the Holy Bible. But whether or not they have complete trust in Jesus Christ for all their needs is another matter. A person who trusts Jesus Christ 99.99 percent and reserves 0.01 per cent of his trust for other intercessory entities or for good works as a passport to eternal life in heaven is not complying with the Biblical passage on salvation. We must have complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He should be our only personal Savior. Does this surprise you?
This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 LRV Building, Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred.