Religion Or Christ?

Our Daily Bread

READ: Ephesians 2:1-10

By grace you have been saved through faith . . . ; it is the gift of God, not of works. —Ephesians 2:8-9

About this cover

Mary works hard because she wants her boss to recognize her accomplishments and reward her with a higher-paying position. Nancy loves her job and the product her company sells, and out of loyalty she works hard to make the product better.

Mary is like the person who hopes that good works or religion will be rewarded by God someday. Such people count on their good deeds to get them into heaven.

Nancy is a picture of those who have faith in God to get them into heaven. Such people do good works out of gratitude and love for Him.

Someone with religion may believe in God, attend church, say prayers, show kindness, and be seen as a good person. People with religion have many good qualities, but religion is not a substitute for faith in Jesus Christ.

People with faith put their trust in Jesus for forgiveness of sin. They have assurance of entrance into heaven and seek to become more like Jesus each day. The apostle Paul said that the way of salvation is by grace through faith. It’s not of works but is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9).

The only way to the Father in heaven is through faith in Jesus (John 14:6).

Do you choose religion or Christ? —Anne Cetas

For Further Study
If you have questions about faith in Christ,
read Religion Or Christ: What’s The Difference?

We are saved not by what we do but by trusting what Christ has done.

For similar resources, search these topics:

Basics Of Faith > Salvation > Grace