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The true believers in Christ are not found in
many different religious organizations because
they are baptized into one body ( I Cor. 12:13) or one Church.
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  Interesting Questions-92

True believers are baptized into one body or one Church
(I Cor. 12:13; Colossians 1:18)


Letter to the Editor:
PASUGO, October 1998, p.2

MY FRIEND, WHO is member of your Church, has been trying to prove to me and to my friend Grace (we are both Born-Again Christians) that your Church is the only Church Christ Jesus will save come Judgment Day. But aren't those who have accepted Christ as personal Savior, believe in Him, and follow His commands the ones who will be saved? And also, isn't the meaning of Iglesia (Church) believers in Christ? Therefore, if one believes in Christ, he is already a member of the Church of Christ. Thus, Iglesia ni Cristo is not a organization but comprises many groups who believe in Christ!

Also, how true is your belief that your Brother Felix Y. Manalo is   the messenger of God in these last days?  Do the verses you use to prove his commission really pertain to him?

Lany Decena Magbalita
lani.magbalita@intel.com


Editor's reply:

     Here are the answers to the questions you have raised:

     First, not everyone who professes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and calls on His name will be saved. The Lord Himself attested:

     “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21, NIV)

     Acceptance or belief in Christ as Savior is definitely important. But belief or faith alone in Him without obeying the will of God does not guarantee salvation. We, thus, have to know the will of the Father that must be obeyed for one to be saved. What then is the Father’s will?

     “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Eph. 1:9-10, Ibid.)

     The will of the Father is for all men to be gathered under one head who is Christ. To be gathered in Christ, one must become part of His body which is the Church (cf. Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18). The Lord Jesus Christ referred to this Church as “my church” (cf. Mt. 16:18, NIV) and was called by the apostles as the Church of Christ (cf. Rom. 16:16). Thus, joining the Church of Christ is God’s will that must be obeyed to attain salvation.

      The true believers in Christ are not found in many different religious organizations because they are baptized into one body (cf. I Cor. 12:13) which, as stated earlier, is the Church of Christ. Moreover, the apostles affirmed that outside the true Church, there is no salvation (cf. I Cor. 5:12-13). In fact, those who are not in the flock or in the Church of Christ (cf. Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation), though professing faith in Christ, are regarded by the Lord as unbelievers:

     “But you don’t believe me because you are not part of my flock.” (Jn. 10:26, Living Bible)

     On your question regarding Felix Y. Manalo, we believe indeed that he is the messenger commissioned by Go to preach the gospels in these last days. His commissioning has been attested to my numerous prophecies written in the Bible, one of which says:

     “You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am, your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’.” (Is. 41:9-10, NKJV)

     The chosen servant of God mentioned in the prophecy would emerge from the “ends of the earth.” This phrase refers to the time when the end of the world is near signified by a war that would engage nations (cf. Mt. 24:3, 33, 6). The fulfillment of this was the First World War that broke out on July 27, 1914 (cf. The Nations At War, p. 8) – the same date when the Iglesia ni Cristo was officially registered with the Philippine government.

     This prophesied messenger of God was likewise likened to a bird of prey:

     “Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.” (Is. 46:11, NKJV)

 The “bird of prey” mentioned in the verse is not a literal bird but a man who executes God’s counsel. Hence, he is a preacher. The place of his origin is a far country in the east, in the Far East (cf. Is. 43:5, Moffat Translation). The Philippines, where Brother Felix Y. Manalo began preaching the Iglesia ni Cristo, is almost at the geographical center of the Far East (cf. Asia and the Philippines, p. 169).

     The fulfillment of many biblical prophecies in Brother Felix Y. Manalo proves that he, indeed, is the commissioned messenger of God in these last days and the Church he preached is the true Church taught in the Bible.

___________________

Bible Study Suggestion: If you have further questions, please feel free to visit the Iglesia ni Cristo congregation nearest you. A minister or an evangelical worker would be happy to answer any biblical question you have in mind. For the latest Worship Service Directory of Iglesia ni Cristo Locales and Congregations outside the Philippines, please visit www.iglesianicristoworshipservice.com or just click link at home page.

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