Salvation Is By Grace

Ian had a committed Christian mother who tried to encourage his faith by getting him confirmed at the family church as a young teen. But it backfired. He had expected to experience God but instead he met with, from his perspective at least, nothing but dead religion: dogma, ritual and rules. He said to his mother after the ceremony, ‘Nothing happened. I don’t believe God is real’, and turned his back on the God of the Bible.

Read Philippians 3:1-9.

Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship. The church planter Paul writes to some new Christians that they should beware of turning to dead religion (v1-2). In Christ we have it all (v3). Paul had once been very religious (v4-6). For most of his life he had thought that his spiritual pedigree and performance had some- how earned his acceptance with God. But now he realized he had been dead wrong! Based on pure undeserved grace alone, he could have a relationship with Christ (v8) and be righteous in God’s sight (v9). Sadly, Ian failed to realize this.

He misinterpreted the Christian faith as a way of earning God’s salvation through religious and moral deeds. He thought that salvation was something he would have to earn. So when he rejected religion, he threw the baby out with the bath- water – he rejected the God of the Bible too. We’re accepted by God not on the basis of our good deeds, but on the basis of Christ’s perfect life and death on the cross. Salvation belongs not to good people, but forgiven people. It’s a gift. Once we’re made right with God, we are able to enjoy a personal friendship with him. By all means, lose your religion, but then don’t lose the God of the Bible! Rather, like Paul, lose your religion and gain a relationship.

Have you experienced the difference between religion and relationship? If not, there’s no need to wait any longer! Come to God as you are, right here, right now, and let his all-sufficient grace cover over all your insufficiencies.