Religious But Not Saved

So, I wanted to share Jesus with my nail tech, and I wondered how best to initiate that discussion. How do you engage people who say they are Christians and strongly believe that they are good with Jesus? Lol.

I asked him, "Which church do you attend?"

He told me he was Roman Catholic.

"What is salvation?"

He laughed. He seemed uneasy. In the end, he couldn't define it.

"Are you a Christian?"

"Yes."

"Why do you say you are a Christian?"

"I go to church. I don't pray like Muslims do."

I explained that I wasn't asking whether he attended church. I was asking why he believed he was a Christian. For someone to call himself a Christian, there must first be salvation. 

A Christian is not simply someone who goes to church. You are not a Christian because you were born into a Christian home. You are a Christian because you have made a deliberate decision to follow Jesus Christ.

A Christian is a follower of Christ. That means surrendering your will to Him and choosing to live according to His Word rather than your own desires.

Soon after, other people joined the discussion, and the conversation moved in different directions.

But here's my takeaway from all of this:

Religion has a strong grip on many people who identify as Christians. Many know the language of Christianity, attend church services, and participate in religious activities, yet have little understanding of what salvation truly is.

I was born into a Roman Catholic home, but there came a point in my life when I encountered King Jesus personally and asked Him to be my Lord and Saviour.

Since then, so much has changed in me, and He is still changing me every day.

Salvation is not inherited. It is not transferred through family background, church attendance, or religious affiliation. It is a personal response to the Gospel. It requires repentance, faith, and surrender to Jesus Christ.

One of the greatest tragedies of our time is that many people sit in churches week after week without ever understanding the message of salvation. They know religion, but they have never encountered the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Many will never be taught what salvation truly is because even some of the priests and religious leaders overseeing them are not saved themselves. When the blind lead the blind, both remain lost. If a person has never experienced the transforming power of the Gospel, how can they faithfully lead others into it?

As a result, many people continue in religion without ever coming to genuine faith in Christ.

Salvation is an intentional act. It cannot happen by accident, and it cannot be passed down through DNA or bloodlines. It is a personal decision that requires the heart.

Jesus didn't call us to be religious.

He called us to follow Him.

Read more: This is your best response when confronted with sexual temptation