CAN RELIGION SAVE US?
Down through the years I have know several men,
and a few women, to get converted who had previously been cussing,
drinking, fighting, wild-living sinners. When their
life really changed it was not uncommon for their old crowd to say,
"He got religion."
There have been numerous times I have asked
people about their relationship with God. They answer, "I’m
satisfied with my religion."
I have noted that when someone dies who has been
faithful in church attendance; lived good lives, and have done good
things for other people, that a common expression has been, "If
anybody makes it to heaven he (or she) will!"
What these statements imply is that if someone
has a religion and lives a good life that this will surely satisfy
God and He will accept them into heaven.
The fact is; not one
statement in scripture teaches we can be saved by religion. The word religion does not even appear in the Old Testament. The sum
total that religion /religious appears in the New
Testament is six times. Three times the apostle Paul speaks of how
faithfully he observed the Jews religion before he trusted Christ as
Savior (Acts 26:5; Galatians 1:13, 14). The word religious
is applied to Gentile proselytes to Judaism (Acts 13:43). James
makes a distinction between those whose religion is vain and those
whose religion is real. James 1:26-27.
I. The Apostle Paul Discovered That Religion Is Powerless To Give
Salvation
In Philippians 3:4-6 Paul refers to the religion
he zealously practiced for most of his life. "... Though I also might
have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have
confidence in the flesh, I more so: Circumcised the eighth
day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal,
persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the
law, blameless." In the first nine verses of Philippians 3 Paul
reveals the uselessness of religion to give salvation:
There Is No Salvation In Religious Rites
(verses
1-2)
Paul speaks here of those who trusted in the rite
of circumcision as necessary for salvation. He describes them as
vicious agitators and evil workers. We can be sure that if he
desired, he could have given many illustrations from personal
experience. Many are given in the book of Acts. According to Romans
4:9-11, circumcision was given to Abraham as a seal of the
righteousness of faith which Abraham had before he was circumcised.
(See Genesis 15:6 and 17:9-11)
In the same way many have made rites out of the
New Testament ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The
observance of these ordinances do not save us. They point to the
sacrificial death of Christ for our sins which made our salvation
possible.
There Is No Salvation In Religious Orthodoxy
(Verses 4,5)
Paul had circumcision. He was born into the tribe
of Benjamin. This was the tribe that continued to worship Jehovah
when ten tribes split away. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. This
was a term to describe those who were "the cream of the crop". Paul
was a Pharisee. He described them as being "the straightest sect of
our religion" in Acts 26:5. During Paul’s days as a Pharisee he was
undoubtedly counting on his religious orthodoxy to gain his much
favor with God. On the Damascus Road he was jolted with the
realization that it didn’t gain him any favor at all.
There Is No Salvation In Religious Works
(Verse
6)
In other scriptures Paul made such statements as
"I. . .was zealous toward God, as you all are today." Acts
22:3. "And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of
my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous
for the traditions of my fathers." Galatians 1:14. An honest and objective appraisal
of Paul’s works in his Jewish religion was that he was "off the
charts" when compared to anyone else.
Yet Paul came to realize that all of his zeal in
performing religious works gained him absolutely no merit with God.
He came to realize that the law was a "...our
tutor to bring us
to Christ that we might be justified by faith"
Galatians 3:24.
II.
Paul Discovered Salvation Is Only To Be
Found Through Faith In Christ
"But what things were gain to me, these I
have counted
loss for Christ. Yet, indeed, and I also count all things loss for
the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God by faith:"
Paul is referring to that time on the Damascus
Road when he had an experience that caused him to throw his
religious rites, his religious orthodoxy and his religious works on
the garbage dump as far as giving any hope of salvation is concerned.
What does Paul say brings salvation to
the seekers heart?
"…the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord";
"…And be found in Him";
"…not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ"
Paul is
testifying, "When I reached out in faith to Jesus Christ that day on
the Damascus Road it resulted in me coming to know Him as my
personal Savior. I have come to realize that God placed me in
Christ and no longer sees me in my self-righteousness of Christ.
That is what saves me and makes me acceptable to God. As for as my
Christian life, I have discovered that my works are no longer what I
am doing for God to help save me, but they are the result of what
God is doing in me that makes me want to living pleasing to Him and
serve Him."
A sample of what Paul preached is found in his
sermon in the Jewish synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, "Therefore
let it be
known to you, brethren, that through this Man is
preached to you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him everyone who
believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be
justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38-39
Hopefully, you are trusting Christ alone for your
salvation. If you are still trusting religion, the words of Christ
in Matthew 7:22,23 give a powerful warning "Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name cast out demons
in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then will I
declare to them, I never knew you: depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Copyright © 2002 Thomas E Berry
All Scriptures quoted from NKJV unless otherwise noted
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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