Salvation or Religion?

Colin Melbourne

© 98-08 Born-Again-Christian.info

What's the difference? : Truth or tradition, Heaven or Hell

Jesus Christ publicly rebuked the most respected religious people of His day, the Pharisees and Teachers of God's Law. He called them foolish, hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, snakes, vipers, and sons of Hell.

Holy Bible NIV Lk.11:40, Mk.7:6, Mtt.23:16-17, 23:33, Mk.7:6

I like that kind of Preacher don't you? One who tells the truth without compromise, without fear of the phonies. You can see why He wasn't popular amongst the religious crowd.

Jesus was not the sort of chap to 'fit in nicely' and avoid rocking the boat. He broke almost every religious taboo of His time. He 'worked' on the Sabbath, rebuked the Rabbis, ignored rituals and rites of men, touched lepers, and spoke to Samaritans and prostitutes. He often refused to follow human traditions, regularly disdained political correctness, and railed against those who contradicted God.

Jesus did all this in perfect love. Love did not stop Him from telling the truth. To cap it all, He stood in front of the 'God Experts', and told them He was God.

I and the Father are one. Jn. 10:30

They threw a loop, and picked up stones to kill Him.

Because you, a mere man, claim to be God. Jn. 10:33

But Jesus Christ is God

He said things only God could say. He did things only God could.

Religious people hated Him, but sinners loved Him (they still do.) The reason is simple.

Jesus Christ has nothing to do with 'religion'. He did not come to bring religion. He never had a religion. He didn't start a religion. And He certainly never proclaimed religion.

Religion, all 'religion'; is a sham, false, man-made, and devil inspired to keep people at arm's length from God.

Jesus came to bring salvation. He came to bring us to God.

Jesus' High Priestly prayer for all believers was that;

They be one as we are one. I in them, and you in me. Jn. 17: 22-23

This is the most profound prayer in the Holy Bible. And is fulfilled the instant a sinner receives Christ into their heart. They become one with God. No amount of religion will ever give you that.

Jesus also came to show us God in the Flesh, the Living Truth. He said when you see Him, you see God in the Flesh.

He taught all that was needed to satisfy God was to trust in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that simple, and straightforward!

Religion is the opposite, it's complicated, tortuous. Religion says in effect;

"This is how to please God, and satisfy Him, Go to this building, perform this rite, do this penance, offer this sacrifice, fulfil this code, recite these words, agree with this creed, burn this stuff (candles, incense, flesh, money etc.) pay this price, and God will accept you, up to a point. You'll be okay for a little while, but you've got to come back and do more, because this stuff wears off."

God hates it!

I hate, I despise your religious feasts, I cannot stand your assemblies. Amos 5:21

Religion confuses and complicates the simplicity of the only way to come to God. Which is by simple genuine heart-faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God instituted feasts, Laws and rites amongst the Jewish people, but they missed the point, and turned them into a religion. Just as people confuse knowing about Jesus, with knowing Him personally.

The point was not religious observance, legalism or 'having to' obey, but being eager and wanting to from love for God. Through the animal sacrifices, God was pointing the Jews to the fact we all need to trust in the Sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God and only Saviour, but they missed it. Most still do. (Soon they will reinstitute the animal sacrifices at the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us so.)

But here is the whole significance of the Law and the Temple sacrifices;

The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Gal. 3:24

He did it to teach us about sin, its consequences, costs, and to foreshadow the coming of Christ, the Redeemer. But so blinded were they by religion, that when God came in Christ, and stood in front of them, they didn't even recognize Him. They called Him Beelzebub (Satan), and crucified God's Son.

That's religion for you. It hasn't changed.

When Jesus arrived the world was full of religions. It'd been so long since Adam and Eve, that people had forgotten what real God was like. Satan hoodwinked them with all sorts of silly notions, and twisted philosophy. Men under trees, and hermits in caves, dreamed up ceremonies, incantations, invocations, and ideas about God, and how to approach Him. In Asia, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Animism were the rage. Paganism, Mysticism and Judaism dominated the Middle East. Animism and Pagan idolatry were rampant in Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Jesus exposed the deceit of all religion as a way to God. He stood up and boldly declared:

I am the way and the Truth and the life. No-one comes to the father (God) except through me. Jn. 14:6

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Jn. 14:9

When a person believes in me, they do not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When they look at me, they see the one who sent me. Jn. 12:44-45

He was trying to tell the Jews, they were looking at Almighty God in the Flesh, and that to come to God you simply have to trust that Christ is Lord (YHWH).

How refreshing after centuries of ridiculous religion, and turgid traditions.

Jesus liberates: Religion binds.

Salvation: God's way, God's words, God's world.

Religion: Man's way, Man's words, Man's world.

Jesus is The Perfect Antidote to religion

Religion spiritualizes God: Jesus Humanized God.

Religion never saves anyone, it keeps you grovelling, and begging before God as an unworthy worm in the dust. It makes you work for peace, but never brings it. Religion is Satan's treadmill.

But

Jesus gives God's peace freely, by grace:

For it is by grace you (believers) have been saved - through faith - and this is not by works, so that no-one can boast. Eph. 2:8-9

Jesus announced His mission:

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Lk. 19:10

God proclaims:

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved. Ro. 10:13

Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

When you trust in religion (including formal 'Christian religion') you remain lost in your sins. When you sincerely trust in the Lord Jesus Christ you'll be saved. You will have what Jesus came to bring, what He proclaimed, what He offers you today. A real living relationship with Almighty God based on simple faith.

The New Testament makes it clear that salvation is complete redemptionfrom sin, sickness, Satan, and the powers of evil. The Holy Spirit wrote through Paul that God has;

Qualified you (believers in Christ) to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the power (dominion) of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:13-14

The root Greek word for salvation is Sozo. It encompasses total deliverance, healed, cured, rescued.

Salvation (Soteria), Saviour (Soter), save, heal, healed (sozo) all mean unqualified spiritual and physical deliverance.

Forgiveness and healing are inseparable in the New Testament.

The New Testament does not distinguish between a spiritual and a bodily salvation.

That is why every saved person, can claim total bodily health, through Christ's death on the Cross.

Jesus means 'The LORD Saves'.

Jesus is the perfect fulfilment of the promised Messiah, the bringer of salvation, the Physician, Saviour of spirit, soul and body.

Religion can never give you that.

Real peace with God comes only One way:

Being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ro. 5:1 KJV

Religion cannot save, doesn't justify, and never brings peace.

Only Jesus saves.

Are you trusting in Jesus' victory or pedalling Satan's treadmill? Reject religion: Trust in Christ now, and be saved!