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A WORLD RELIGION OR GOD’S SALVATION

‘…that you may know that you have eternal life.’ 1 John 5: 13

How many religions would you

guess are in the world?

The major religions are all out there and include:Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Christianity.

Today there are some 9,900 different religions in the world and increasing every year.

David Barrett, editor of The World Christian Encyclopedia says..

Most of the World Religions reject the name of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

as the Saviour of this world and His redemptive work on the cross.

The question is, "Where can I find the truth? How can I know which way is right?" The answer is simple, God has revealed His truth and His way in the Bible. The Bible, not the human mind, is the

final authority. The human mind is incapable of formulating a way of life that would be acceptable to everyone.

In seeking answers to Life’s most important questions, we must have some authority. The choice narrows down to two

possibilities. It is either men’s opinion or the word of God. It’swhat people suppose or it’s what God says.

In matters of vital and enduring significance, it must be an infallible authority. There must be no room for error.

Human opinion certainly doesn’t qualify here. Just as people’s faces differ. So does their opinions.

THE BIBLE

E

Either

Only the Bible, the Word of God, is infallible.

It is truth.’

But how do we know?

We know it by its fulfilled prophecies. There are over 60 propheciesconcerning Christ alone that came true when He was on earth. In addition, there are hundreds of prophecies concerning Israel and the Gentile nations that have come to pass. The probability of all

these happening by chance is to vast to be taken seriously.

At least 40 men in different countries, at different times, in three different languages, over a period of 1600 years penned the

Sacred Word. They had no way of collaborating, yet the Bible has aunified theme. It tells one consistent story. What other book can

boast of such intelligent design?

The Scriptures are unique in their power to transform the lives of people from sin and shame to

decency and integrity.

The words of the Bible are applicable to all times; they are as current as the hourly broadcast.

They have universal appeal; they speak to people of every race, tongue, tribe, and nation.

They are inexhaustible, providing material for endless study, comfort and guidance.

Think of all the literature God’s Word has

prompted:

Bible dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, poetry, and sermons. It has inspired great movements such as the

abolition of slavery, civil rights, social justice; institutions such as hospitals, schools, orphanages, homes for the poor

and aged; and world agencies to alleviate poverty and hunger. It has exerted a positive influence on human society wherever

it has travelled.

It is pure, exposing sin and warning against it. It does not stoop to popular culture but seeks to elevate it.

The Bible is a living book.Some people actually fear it while

others would die for it.

The Bible claims to be inspired by God. That means that the words are God’s words. If they are not, then it is a fraud. But even its

enemies do not accuse it of being a hoax.

The Holy Bible has endured centuries of efforts to burn it andbanish it. Yet it has survived. When governments forbid it,

smugglers risk imprisonment and death to defy such edicts.

No other book can compare with God’s word in the number oflanguages in which it speaks and the number of people who

have read it.

This amazing book records the life of a perfect person. A mere man cannot write such an account. The French skeptic, Renan, said

that “it would take a Christ to invent a Christ.”

In the literature of the ages, the Bible stands unparalleled and unique. Those who have experienced its transforming power in their lives are not likely to deny that it is the Word of the

living God. Or, as someone has said, he who felt the force of it is not likely to deny the source of it.

There is no risk in accepting the Bible as our final authority.

Others have attempted to worship the true God through a vast variety of sacrifices, ceremonies, sacraments and

services. But 'religion', however sincere, can never solve man's sin problem, for at least three reasons.

Religion can never change man's sinful nature. A person's behaviour is not the problem, only the symptom. The heart of man's problem is the problem of man's heart,

and by nature man's heart is corrupt and depraved. Going to church and taking part in religious ceremonies may make you feel

good but they cannot make you good.Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!

(Job 14:4)

REASON 1

RELIGION CAN NEVER CHANGE MAN’S SINFUL

NATURE

REASON 2

RELIGION CAN NEVER SATISFY GOD. Religion is man's attempt to make himself right with God, but any

such attempt is futile because even man's best efforts are flawed and so are unacceptable to God. The Bible could not be clearer:

all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

God demands perfection; religion fails to meet the demand.

God’s Standard

Is AbsolutePerfection

REASON 3RELIGION CAN NEVER REMOVE SIN.

Your virtues can never cancel out your vices. Good deeds can never remove bad ones, If a person gets right

with God it is not by works, so that no one can boast.

(Ephesians 2:9)

Christian beliefs about one's destination after death vary greatly:

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

works, lest any man should boast.Ephesians 2:8,9

Salvation is a free gift

No religious efforts or experiences - christening, confirmation, baptism, holy communion,

churchgoing, prayers, gifts, sacrifices of time and effort, Bible reading or anything

else - can cancel out a single sin.

Salvation… is what

God does for man

Religion is what man does for God

Religion depends on our behaving

Salvation… depends

on our believing

Religion says we must act our best

Salvation… says we

must accept God’s best

Acts 4: 12.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none

other name under heaven given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”

At certain seasons of the year, we find many religious celebrations being

conducted.

We find that the natural man wants to be religious and at times will do many things

thinking that he is performing an act of worship unto God.

But the Word of God teaches…

that you can be religious and miss heaven

You are saved by Jesus Christ or you are not saved!

How clear and concise: There should be neither confusion nor contradiction. There are many names

under heaven in which we can find religion; but salvation can be found in one only, and that is the name

of Jesus Christ.

The Word of God tells us in I John 5:11,12, "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he

that hath not the Son hath not life.”

Men are willing to give head knowledge to the claims of Christianity, but they refuse

to accept in their hearts the Christ of Christianity.

Men and women are willing to believe in the moral precepts of God's Word, as based on the Ten Commandments; while refusing to

believe in, rest on, and receive God's Son as Saviour to their souls.

RELIGION… is the improvement

of the old nature.

SALVATION…

is the imparting of a new nature through receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Word of God

tells us in John 1: 12, "As many as received him (Christ), to them gave

he power to become the sons of God.”

RELIGION… clothes us with the

robes of our own righteousness and God tells us in Isaiah that our

righteousness is as a filthy rag.

SALVATION…

clothes us in the perfect righteousness of Christ, which alone can make us acceptable in the sight of

God. God's Word tells us in Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which

we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

Isaiah 64: 6

RELIGION… is what man does for God

SALVATION…

is what God does for man. Isaiah 53:6 tells us,

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him (Christ) the iniquity

of us all. 

RELIGION says: Something in my hand I bring.

SALVATION…

says: Nothing in my hand I bring. Ephesians 2:8,9 says,

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

works, lest any man should boast.”

RELIGION… is trusting in a work we do

SALVATION…

is trusting in a work that has been done. Hebrews 10:10,

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

RELIGION… depends on our behaving,

SALVATION…

depends on our believing. Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be

saved.”

RELIGION… says we must act our best.

SALVATION… says we must accept God's best.

Romans 6:23,“The gift of God is eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord. "

RELIGION… depends on the sufficiency of

character.

SALVATION…

depends on the Sacrifice of the Cross. I Cor. 1:18,

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which

are saved it is the power of God.”

RELIGION… tries to furnish a sacrifice

SALVATION…

trusts in a finished sacrifice. John 19:30, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar,

he said, IT IS FINISHED:

and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

RELIGION… is striving for a better attainment.

SALVATION… is secured I through a perfect atonement.

I Peter1:18,19, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed

with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your

fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

RELIGION…  tries to bring us from

darkness to light.

SALVATION…

does bring us from death unto Life. John 5:24, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come

into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

RELIGION… says we must be found

in God's house.

SALVATION…

says we must "Be found in him (Christ), not having" our "own righteousness which is of the

law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. " Philippians 3:9.

C. S. Lewis made this observation about Jesus:"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him

as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense

about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open

to us. He did not intend to" (Mere Christianity).

The death of Jesus is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him, and which might have

been prevented.

His death was the very reason He came! The preaching of forgiveness should never be built on the fact that God is our Father and that He will forgive us because He loves us. It is untrue to Jesus Christ' s revelation of God... it makes the cross- unnecessary and the

Redemption "much a ado about nothing".

God does forgive sin, but it is because of the death of Christ, God could forgive men in no other way than

by the death of His Son, and He is exalted to be the Saviour because of His death. ' We see Jesus... because

of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.

The greatest note of triumph ever to sound upon the ears of a startled universe was that spoken

by Jesus Christ as He died on the Cross... The last word in the redemption of man:

“It is finished"

God is wholly satisfied with what Christ did on the cross – HE raised Him from the dead.

WHY AREN’T YOU ?

The Empty Tomb

Again I remind you of the text; “neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name under heaven given

among men, whereby we must be saved ”.

My dear friends, do you have religion or salvation?

If you only have religion, then you will miss heaven and spend eternity apart from God and His Son in a place of torment. If you

have salvation, you now have the promise of eternal life with God and His Son forevermore.