The Faith that we ought to Possess

Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

IT IS BEST THAT we study about faith

this time. How can we have faith, and what
kind of faith should we possess, especially so
today when a lot of religious organizations
are proliferating? Although most of us
believe that there is God, yet we do not
believe in God in the same way. We vary in
our manner of worshipping God; we have
our own way of acknowledging and showing
our faith in God. Perhaps, it would be
better if all of us would be able to realize the
rightful manner of showing our faith in
God.

Do you know why people have different

beliefs in God? One of its reasons is because we have different basis in our faiths.
There are people who base their faith on what their elders tell them. And this gave
rise to so many superstitious beliefs like witchcraft and sorcery for instance. But if
we will only think about it, we practically share the same beliefs. Sometimes, our
faith is founded on facts, sometimes it is not. The Feng Shui, for instance, tells
that the doors of the house should not be directly opposite each other, because that
is not good. It also tells that the bed should not be adjacent to the door. That is
also not good. Actually, the Feng Shui tells of so many “don’ts”. And because of
these superstitious beliefs, our faith in God has taken a back seat. More
importance is given to superstitions. As a result, man has begun to undermine the
things that God can do for him. It is as if even God is governed by these
superstitious beliefs. For example, one should not sweep the floor at night because
God’s blessing would also be swept out.

For this reason, I decided to tackle, in this particular edition, what should be the
correct basis of our faith for us not to be misled. Faith is one thing which we do
not really possess from the beginning. We were still without faith when we were
born. Faith is not inherent in man. It is not an original component of our being.
Instead, it is simply injected in us. Allow me to give you an illustration. By
nature, a person gets tired; he feels sleepy; he gets bored. All these human
attributes are necessary, because it would afford him great danger if, for instance,
he doesn’t get tired of something. For example, you had lechon (roasted pig) for
breakfast; you had lechon, again, for lunch; and lechon, again, for dinner. And
when you had your snacks, you ate barbecue. The following day, you had the
same viand again. If, after a month, you ate nothing but lechon, it will no longer
be surprising if, one day, you will just drop dead. In other words, our tendency to
grow tired of something came from God. We get tired of the food we eat, of the
same beverage we drink, of the same sight that we see, and even of the same
things that we do.
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

For this reason, I decided to tackle, in this particular edition, what should be the
correct basis of our faith for us not to be misled. Faith is one thing which we do
not really possess from the beginning. We were still without faith when we were
born. Faith is not inherent in man. It is not an original component of our being.
Instead, it is simply injected in us. Allow me to give you an illustration. By
nature, a person gets tired; he feels sleepy; he gets bored. All these human
attributes are necessary, because it would afford him great danger if, for instance,
he doesn’t get tired of something. For example, you had lechon (roasted pig) for
breakfast; you had lechon, again, for lunch; and lechon, again, for dinner. And
when you had your snacks, you ate barbecue. The following day, you had the
same viand again. If, after a month, you ate nothing but lechon, it will no longer
be surprising if, one day, you will just drop dead. In other words, our tendency to
grow tired of something came from God. We get tired of the food we eat, of the
same beverage we drink, of the same sight that we see, and even of the same
things that we do.

“To love and to cherish In sickness and in health For better or for worse For richer
or for poorer Until death do us part...”

In other words, the will of God is for the husband and the wife to stay together
until death. But nowadays, wives are no longer far different from their husbands.
If there are husbands who get tired of their wives, there are also wives who get
tired of their husbands. They also look for other men. Bear in mind that getting
tired of something, or of somebody, has specific uses. What do I mean to say?
Why am I saying this? Boredom and forgetfulness are innate traits of man. We do
not remember everything, all the time. Sometimes, it is not good to remember
everything all the time. For instance, you saw a decomposing rat, which smelled
badly. If you remember everything, perhaps, you would not be able to eat
anymore. Perhaps, you would always throw up because you could vividly recall
the dead rat. So, for you not to be affected by that unpleasant sight and odor, that
sight would be erased from your memory. Therefore, our ability to forget
something is already in us from the very start.

There are also feelings and emotions that we are already endowed with from the
time we were born, but there are things which are not inherent in us. Let us take
vitamins, as an example. Our body can readily produce Vitamin D. Just subject
yourself to the morning sun, and your body will produce Vitamin D. But one of
the essential vitamins that our body needs is Vitamin C. However, our body does
not have the capacity to produce it. We have to draw it from various sources like
fruits and vegetables. In other words, although Vitamin C is good for our body,
our body is not equipped with it from the very start.

It is just like faith. Faith is something, which we implant in ourselves. We do not

have faith, yet, when we were born. This is simply introduced to us. And we can
definitely feel its presence once it is already implanted in us. Sometimes, it even
governs our feelings and our principles in life. And because of faith, we,
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

sometimes, find ourselves leaving our respective homes and families. Faith has a
very compelling power over men. Nonetheless, faith is something that is simply
imbedded in our beings; it is not inherent in us. And because of that, we have to
be cautious in the kind of faith that we are introducing our beings, because it is
capable of influencing our totality. Sometimes, it is our faith that directs our lives.
That is why we need to examine first the kind of faith that we shall embrace. If we
won’t, we might end up embracing a faith that is of the devil. That would be very
unfortunate of us. Even devils have faith also. Let us read James 2:19, which
says--

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe,
and tremble.”

So, even devils also believe. And they even tremble. Do you know why they
tremble? That is because they were enveloped with fear, because of their
wickedness. The devil trembled with fear because of their wicked ways.
Therefore, even devils also believe. That is why it would be risky if you would
not examine a certain faith before accepting it. For all you know, that faith is of
the devil. If that would be the case, yours is a useless faith. That kind of faith is
deceitful, superficial, and hypocritical. That kind of faith will not make you
worthy in the sight of God. There is really an evil kind of faith which we ought to
avoid. James 2:26 says--

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

What it says is clear. A body without a spirit is dead. Similarly, faith without
works is dead. In other words, there is such a thing as dead faith. If the faith that a
person acquired is without works, such faith is dead. So, this is the kind of faith
that a person should not possess. Titus 3:10 says --

“A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject.”

There is also such a thing as wrong faith. It would be a great mistake if a person
would practice this wrong faith, or heresy. God said, “A man that is an heretic
after the first and second admonition reject.” God wants you to reject a person
who exercises wrong faith. Why? What can a wrong faith do to a person? II Peter
2:1 says--

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies ...”

Damnable heresies, which come from false prophets, can bring one to perdition.
We know very well that, right now, there are many false prophets that have
emerged. Actually, among the Born Again groups, there are many false prophets.
The Bible said many false prophets shall appear; they shall prophesy falsely; they
shall speak of lies. According to Peter, those false prophets “privily bring
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

damnable heresies.” Therefore, erroneous faith can lead people to destruction.

Wasn’t it that Jim Jones misled 913 people? That had been recorded in the
Guinness Book of World Records. Jim Jones read that if a person has faith, he
would not die even if he drinks poison. So, what did he do? He let his 913
members drink cyanide. All of them died, including Jim Jones. That is a result of
wrong faith. That is why we have to be cautious.

We are not saying that all, but most Born Again pastors today are false prophets.
So, the Bible warns us to be careful of these false prophets because they bring
damnable heresies, which could lead us to perdition. What is our proof? Let us
read Galatians 5:19-20--

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies ...”

(Galatians 5:21) “of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

A person who practices heresy will not be worthy in the sight of God. He shall not
inherit the kingdom of God if he is practicing the wrong faith. How can we be
saved if our faith is wrong? Do you know that there is another form of damnable
heresy? II Corinthians 15:1-2 says—

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which ye have received, and wherein ye stand. By which also ye are saved, if ye
keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”

There is also such a thing as believing in vain, according to St. Paul. That is why
you must not readily grab any faith. Do not readily believe pastors who tell you
that you just have to believe in Jesus and you will be saved. I couldn’t help but
laugh as I watch these pastors on television, who make their members believe that
by merely raising their hands they are already born again, and are, therefore,
saved. You have to be careful. For all you know, the faith that you are accepting
might be one of those that we have talked about. There are faiths that are of the
devil; there are dead faiths; there are wrong, or erroneous, faiths; and there are
faiths that are useless. What else is the other kind of faith? James 2:22--

“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made
perfect.”

But if faith is without works, how does the Bible call it? In James 2:20 it says--

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead.”If your faith is
without works, it is considered dead and fruitless. And that is hateful to God.

Perhaps, at this point, we have proven to you that faith is something which we
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

implant in our hearts, and this is something that should be handled with care. You
are not supposed to accept any faith that is introduced to you by anybody. Do not
believe everything that pastors say; do not put into your heart everything that you
heard. Otherwise, you will end up polluting your whole being. Be cautious.
Exercise caution. Try to find out if the faith you have simply came from other
people, like the Chinese. What do the Chinese believe in? ... No loans during
Mondays. Chinese do not grant loans during Mondays. Perhaps, you have also
adopted some of the superstitious beliefs of the Filipinos like you are no longer
supposed to collect or pay loans once the sun has set. It is as if the paying of one’s
loan has something to do with the setting of the sun. What if you die that evening
without you paying your financial obligation?

We believe in so many things; we adopt so many beliefs from different people.

“This is what our elders said ...” “This is what the scientists said ...” “According
to ...” And there you are, accepting everything that they said. It is like eating
chicken wholly, without discarding the bones, the feathers, and the intestines. But
you must realize that we cannot just take everything. When you eat food, you do
not swallow the food right away. You chew it; you use your teeth to grind it.
Before you swallow the food, you eliminate all the non-edibles; they are harmful
to the body. A person should be able to discern which should be, and which
should not be, put inside the mouth. He can always spit out whatever he finds to
be non-edible. Now, if it can be done to the literal act of eating food, the more we
can do it in matters concerning faith. We have our ears, our minds, and our hearts.
We have discernment; we have the reasoning power, which we can exercise for us
to be sure if the faith that we are accepting really comes from God. If you will
notice, there are faiths that came from the devil, so, you have to be cautious. But
the question is, how can we be sure that the faith that we are injecting in our
beings is right? This is what I Corinthians 2:4-5 says--

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom,
but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

There is a right basis of faith, and once your faith is founded on this, you can
never go wrong. And that is the faith that stands in the power of God.

“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of
God.”

Therefore, it is very clear that the basis of our faith should be the power of God. If
music is based on the musical notes, if our computations are based on the
fundamental Arithmetical operations, then, our faith should stand on the power of
God. Now, which is that power of God, where our faith should be based? In
Romans 1:16 it says--

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

salvation to everyone that believeth.”

That is very clear. Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the
power of God. And which is that power of God, wherein our faith should be
based? According to St. Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: For it is
the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”Therefore, our
salvation is dependent on your faith in the Gospel. But if your faith simply stands
on the blabber of your pastor, you will not be saved. Our salvation can be attained
if our faith is based on the power of God, which is the Gospel, or the teachings of
the Bible.

So, if you are going to sing, what song will you sing? You will sing songs of
praises to God. What will be your basis? The Bible! are not supposed to sing a
disco music. God will not be pleased. If you will sing for God, you have to be
particular about the lyrics. It should be based on the Gospel for it is the power of
God for the salvation of everyone that believes. Your songs should be correct;
your prayers should, likewise, be correct. If you will notice, there are incorrect
prayers. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but pity St. Mary whenever people pray to
her. “Holy Mary, mother of God ...” They call her mother of God, but if she is,
indeed, the mother of God why are they ordering her to do a lifetime work, “Pray
for us sinners, now, until the hour of our death!” That is ridiculous! Imagine, they
are not giving Mary any respite. While they do not stop sinning, she also never
stops praying for them. Whereas, what the Bible wants is, we are the ones who
should pray. This can be read in Romans 12:12--

“Rejoicing a hope; patient in tribulations; continuing instant in prayer.”

A Christian should be patient in praying. You have to pray yourself. Do not task
another person to pray for you. But what are you doing? You are passing the
responsibility to another.

“Tower of David, pray for us. Tower of ivory, pray for us. Mystical rose, pray for
us. Queen of Apostles, pray for us. Mother most pure, pray for us. Virgin most
prudent, pray for us. Virgin most venerable, pray for us. Etc.”

You have commanded everything and everybody to pray for you, including the
tower of David. Can it pray for you? God said, pray. You have to pray. So, in
praying alone, you no longer meet the standard of the Bible. Do you know that the
worst thing that a person can do is to mislead other people? It is like this. If I
commit adultery, I destroy myself. If I commit suicide, I also lead nobody but
myself to destruction. But if I teach people wrong doctrines, how many souls do
you think will I be leading to perdition? There are a lot of them. That is why the
worst that a preacher can do is to teach people wrong doctrines. He can lead
people to destruction. And for us not to be misled, we ought to have a basis. In the
songs that we sing, we should have a basis. In our manner of dressing, we should
also have a basis. Actually, even in our manner of dressing, the Bible is giving us
The Faith that we ought to Possess
Bro. Eliseo F. Soriano

a basis. Deuteronomy 22:5 says--

“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.”

God does not want a woman to wear garments that pertain to a man, and neither
should a man wear a woman’s garment. That is an abomination in Him. But are
the priests teaching this doctrine? No! They do not care whatever you wear. You
can wear anything you want. But if we really want to be saved, read what the
Bible teaches. It is the power of God which will save everyone who believes. If
you know what the Bible says, you will never give tithes to the pastors of the
devil, especially the ones who collect money in streets and in market places. They
cheat people by telling them that what they are collecting is for God. What a
pitiful God they have! Do not give anything to those people; you are only making
them richer.