If you have faith in Christ and his Gospel you don't need anything else. Religion is not an indication of faith, Religion is an indication of the absence of faith.
I heard of a woman that went to the Catholic church everyday to take the sacraments. she was afraid that if she didn't go everyday she would not be saved. Do you believe that she had saving faith? I had a young Pentecostal friend. I could always tell when he had sinned because he went around looking like he had lost his best friend. He thought that his performance as a Christian is what would save him. There are multitudes of people that are trying to be good enough to be saved. They either do not understand the Gospel or they don't believe it.
The reason that we are justified by faith and by faith alone, Romans 5:1, is because there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that we can do to save ourselves. Can you fulfill all of the righteous demands of God's Holy Law? Can you atone for your sins and the sins of the whole world? Of course you can't. To say that you can is to deceive yourself, 1 John 1:8.
Saving faith is a faith that is resting in the work and the person of Jesus Christ. Those that have saving faith have ceased from their own works or religion and have entered in his rest.
"There remains a rest for the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his" Hebrews 4:9,10.
If you are striving to be good enough to be saved by your works or your obedience to the law, then you have not entered into his rest, you are under the law and will be judged by the law. Why do you suppose that some people believe in Calvinism, or Catholicism? They believe in these religions because they cannot believe that Jesus and Jesus alone saves them. They have to add something to the Gospel. In Calvinism its predestination. In Catholicism it is the Catholic religion. Neither one of these religions are of the faith. If anything, they are anti-Gospel and anti-Christ.
Religion does not bring anyone closer to Christ. Religion drives people away from Christ and his Gospel and into themselves, who are sinners. What do religious people talk about the most? Do they talk about Christ and his Gospel? No, they talk about themselves and their religion.
In the Gospel it is Jesus that justifies the ungodly, Romans 4:5 and reconciles us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. In the Gospel it is Jesus that atones for our sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:2. If you have faith in Christ and his Gospel, you won't need your religious security blanket. It is not going to save you anyway. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25.
I heard of a woman that went to the Catholic church everyday to take the sacraments. she was afraid that if she didn't go everyday she would not be saved. Do you believe that she had saving faith? I had a young Pentecostal friend. I could always tell when he had sinned because he went around looking like he had lost his best friend. He thought that his performance as a Christian is what would save him. There are multitudes of people that are trying to be good enough to be saved. They either do not understand the Gospel or they don't believe it.
The reason that we are justified by faith and by faith alone, Romans 5:1, is because there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that we can do to save ourselves. Can you fulfill all of the righteous demands of God's Holy Law? Can you atone for your sins and the sins of the whole world? Of course you can't. To say that you can is to deceive yourself, 1 John 1:8.
Saving faith is a faith that is resting in the work and the person of Jesus Christ. Those that have saving faith have ceased from their own works or religion and have entered in his rest.
"There remains a rest for the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his" Hebrews 4:9,10.
If you are striving to be good enough to be saved by your works or your obedience to the law, then you have not entered into his rest, you are under the law and will be judged by the law. Why do you suppose that some people believe in Calvinism, or Catholicism? They believe in these religions because they cannot believe that Jesus and Jesus alone saves them. They have to add something to the Gospel. In Calvinism its predestination. In Catholicism it is the Catholic religion. Neither one of these religions are of the faith. If anything, they are anti-Gospel and anti-Christ.
Religion does not bring anyone closer to Christ. Religion drives people away from Christ and his Gospel and into themselves, who are sinners. What do religious people talk about the most? Do they talk about Christ and his Gospel? No, they talk about themselves and their religion.
In the Gospel it is Jesus that justifies the ungodly, Romans 4:5 and reconciles us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. In the Gospel it is Jesus that atones for our sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:2. If you have faith in Christ and his Gospel, you won't need your religious security blanket. It is not going to save you anyway. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25.
