Modern Day Revival

Religion and Salvation are completely different. A religion is something based on "works" and you never really know if you're going to Heaven when you die or not. 

Whether it's a hierarchal Christian denomination, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Witchcraft, New Age, Agnostic, Atheist, or self-righteous belief, nature, they all are elusive about fully knowing if you have eternal life with God upon death.

 Their all based on good works followed by either Purgatory, Barzakh, Sheol, Yamaloka, Nirvana, Reincarnation, or just simply no afterlife at all. 

Wouldn't you want to know now rather than later where you will go upon death? 

First of all, you have to understand that the bible is God's literal written word that was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

 2 Timothy 3:16: " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Newer versions of the bible other than the King James Version replaces "inspiration of God" with "God-breathed" or " breathed out by God." 

So, we all can be in agreement that the bible is God's instructional playbook perse, and that God is in charge. Again, the bible is God's literal written word so if you have a problem with what is written in it, then you have a disagreement with God, and not with this website or anyone else. We deal in facts and truth. Just like Sergeant Joe Friday on the old TV series Dragnet used to say: "Just the facts, ma'am". 

Since the bible is truth, let's now use it to learn the difference between being religious and being saved. 

James 1:26-27: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

From the above verses we learn that being religious is an outward action or expression done by a person. It's doing "good works" that a religion requires, or you do it because you're generally a good-hearted person. Treating others with respect is what Christians should do, but it has no bearing on whether a saved individual goes to heaven.  A religious person will follow traditions and rituals based on their affiliation, and they can be loving, mean, or indifferent while doing it. Religion has man-made rules or traditions that aren't found in the bible. Religious people are always "doing" things to stay in good standing with their religion.

Things like praying the rosary, praying with a misbaha, performing Salah, Dharma, rituals, personal enlightenment, Tefillah, Diwali, Hajj, Thaipusam, Day of The Dead, Kumbh Mela, Ash Wednesday, Obon, Seder, Inti Raymi, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Vesak, Maha Shivaratri, Guru Granth Sahib, The Eight Sabbats, Makahiki, Powamu Festival, Gion Matsuri, energy clearing, donating money or goods, sacrificing humans or animals, worshiping idols, self-mutilation, not eating meat on Fridays, volunteering as a means to gain God's favor, casting spells or curses, killing others in the name of a God, going to Confession with a priest, using holy water, only eating a certain diet allowed, burning cedar or sage to rid away unwanted spirits, baptism as a means of salvation, and obeying the Old Testament Law are numerous examples of doing works-based actions.

Jesus mentions two commandments when asked about Old Testament law. The law was works-based so therefore we can say it's religious because one had to do something in order to be justified. Jesus hadn't yet been crucified, and the Jews still had to do works.  

Matthew 22:36-40: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." 

Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5 is the Old Testament verses Jesus was referring to and those are works-based verses. The Old Testament Law was works-based and as long as you did the outwardly works that God required, then you were in good standing with him. The New Testament didn't start with John the Baptist or when Jesus was born, it really started upon the death of Jesus at the cross because he was the Messiah prophesized in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Psalm 22: 16-18). 

Once Jesus shed his blood on the cross, died, and was buried on the third day according to the scriptures, the Old Testament Law was done. Therefore, no other blood sacrifice had to be regularly done for the forgiveness of sin which was a requirement of the law. Believers still were being baptized and repenting to receive the Holy Ghost, but as time went on and in the Book of Acts, we read about Saul who then became Paul. He was the one that Jesus revealed to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles and to go from water baptism unto simply having faith in the blood of Jesus which was given to all by God thru grace. 

Colossians 2:10-14: "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." 

Verse 14 "the handwriting of ordinances" is referring to the Old Testament Law and it was nailed to the cross. It was finished because the final blood sacrifice was completed by Jesus, the Son of God who was sinless and perfect. No human being or another entity can match the likeness of Jesus because he was God on earth. He gave up his own life for you and shed his blood to wash away all sin from the past, present, and future. 

Now, remember above where we read about Jesus telling the apostles to hang the law and the prophets on the two greatest commandments?

 Well, if the law was hung on those, and now the law was hung on the cross, it's fair to say that works is no longer required for salvation, correct? Because the expectation of those all died (ended) when Jesus gave his life for you.

Instead, good works is something a saved person should be doing because they are to live a life that is Christ-like and not in worldly ways or lusts. Their good works are a testament to the change that took place within them after they got saved. It's an inward transformation from the heart shown in an outwardly way which means Jesus Christ is at work in that saved person's life. 

  Ephesians 2:8-10:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 

So, what is salvation? It is the gift given by God's grace for you to believe and accept what Jesus did on the cross thru the shedding of his blood in faith. SALVATION IS NOT OF GOOD WORKS, IT'S FAITH

1 Cor 15:1-4 explains the Gospel: 

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" 

 When John the Baptist and Jesus were alive it was repentance and baptism that was required of someone to receive the Holy Ghost. Males still were being circumcised, and one couldn't enter into a synagogue unless they were. But as time went on, the Jews mostly rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  Salvation by grace thru faith was spoken of by the Apostle Peter in Acts 15:1-12 when the subject of circumcision was discussed as still being a requirement for a Gentile saved males. 

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

 As you can read in verse 11, Peter makes it very clear "that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved." 

 Even Peter who the Catholic Church deems to be the first Pope, was corrected by Paul when he was requiring the Gentiles to still keep parts of the Law. 

Galatians 2:14-16: "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Again, you can clearly read that that a person is saved by grace thru faith and not of any good works thru religion or being religious.

 Good works are a sign of being a saved Christian, but those good works do not save a person. Only faith in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross saves you. Once you believe, you are saved. You can say a prayer if you like to repent and ask, but it's having true in faith in his blood that was shed on the cross that already saved you. 

 Ephesians 2:8-10: 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.  

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."