The Vitality of Religion to Salvation

11/11/2017 Christianity 22 Comments

It is a very common knowledge among people internationally that religion is the church where they belong to. When you pose the question: “What is your religion? Somebody readily answers: “I am a Catholic, or a Baptist, or a Seventh Day Adventist, etc.

Even when signing a legal or public document, people write down at the space provided for religion their ‘organized sect’ or religion. So, it has been accepted internationally that the religion of somebody is the church where he is affiliated to. The word religion in the Bible is ‘thrēskeia’ in the Greek Bible.Incidentally, the reason why we are citing Greek is because it was the language used by the New Testament writers like Paul and Luke who used the word ‘thrēskeia’, which was translated as religion in the English and Spanish Bible; And in the Bible, there is such thing as pure and undefiled ‘thrēskeia’ or religion.


The apostle Paul made mention of his former affiliation with the religion or ‘thrēskeia’ of the Jews before he became a Christian.


He used the word ‘thrēskeia’ to denote the organized religion of the Jews and their practices. He explained this on the following verse (verse 14).


If we look in the Greek dictionary of New Testament terms, the word ‘‘thrēskeia’or religion means:

So, the Greek word means that religion is ceremonial observance of something related to worship. Is religion vital to salvation? Here is our answer:

Whether you regard religion as the organization you belong to or as a ceremonial observance in worship, we believe that it is very vital to salvation! Your ‘organized religion’ or organization has a vital influence in your thinking, character, priorities, and beliefs. There are people who kill because their religion allows them, if not teaching them, to kill. Some, like the Mormons allows polygamous relationships; meaning having more than one wife. In their book called Doctrines and Covenants, they have this to say:



You can have ten wives according to Mormon doctrines.Religion influences the kind of family or life that you will live for the rest of your life. Religion also influences human societies and cultures — what they will eat and drink or not, what they should wear, the kind of profession they would prefer, and even the kind of government they are going to impose on people. Some organized religions teach their members to even overthrow the government of a land which does not favor their faith. Some even institute violent acts resulting in mass murders and killings. Analyzing the way religion influences the character of a person or a sector of society implies that religion is very vital to salvation. If you have fallen victim to ‘blind’ religious leaders, and have followed ‘blindly’ their erroneous concept of worship, you will not be saved!


Following man’s thoughts, ideas, and teachings will make your worship or religion vain, and you will not be saved.


Even if at the outlook, some religious practices may seem to be pious or holy but, if they are not God’s law, it is futile.


If these things happen to anybody, I am sorry to say that there is no salvation the he or she can hope for.


If in case anybody will say that salvation does not depend on your religious affiliation but in your ‘personal relationship’ to God or to Christ, the Bible has this to say:


The group that you cling to or cleave to is a great factor to salvation. The Bible tells us God’s teachings to know which group we must affiliate ourselves.


To have fellowship with the Father and the Son you must have fellowship with the right group of people like the apostles! If you are going to associate yourself to a group of murderers and fanatics, you certainly will not be saved.


We are commanded by God to disassociate ourselves to such kind of people or group, especially to idol worshippers.


If, in any case, somebody will say that he or she wants to be alone and do not have any ‘religion’, will he or she be saved? Remember that religion means worship. Anybody who says that he or she does not want to worship God will not be saved!

The Bible teaches us of a ‘Church’ — a ‘True Church’. The Church is a divine institution established by God through Christ. It is the ‘body’ whose ‘head’ is Christ Himself.


We are ordained by God to be parts of such body or Church by accepting the gospel.


That Church is the Church of God!


In the Church of God, the apostles teach the pure and undefiled religion or worship.


All the apostles teach in the Church of God, so it is in the Church that true religion, pure and undefiled, is being practiced.


Anybody who will reject the Church of the Bible, like most of the Born Again movements who call themselves ‘fellowships’, ‘ministries’, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses who call themselves ‘witnesses’ instead of church, and avoid the use of the word ‘church’ which came from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, are blatant anti-Christ!

I hope this article will answer some of the most important questions and discussions about religion.

God Bless.