SALVATION VS RELIGION

Many people have religion but they don't really have salvation. You see there's a difference between the two. Apostle Paul, he had religion when he was persecuting the church. Many today, call it the 'holy war'.  A lot of people are fighting these wars that we see in the land today.  Much of it is over religion and not salvation. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ.  Salvation is deliverance.  If you are living in a life that is full of hell, in distress and all kind of trouble, we have a remedy. 

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION  Jesus said, Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.  That is salvation. God gives us a deliverance…a way out.  The weapons of our warfare, they're not carnal.  We don't fight through this in a natural way.  When Jesus Christ was on the earth he said, John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight”.  So, we don't fight a natural warfare for our salvation.  We fight with a spiritual warfare for our salvation.

THE LORD IS MY SALVATION  Psalm 62:1 Psalmist David said,“Truly my soul waiteth upon God:”  So many times in our life, we don't want to give God the patience that we should have.  We don't want to wait on the Lord. Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. When we truly see God, how great that he is and come before him on our face like Balaam did (beginning at Numbers 22) and get away from our religion (what we think is the best way to go), that is where we can get that deliverance.  That's what Psalmist David was saying here.  “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.  There is no other salvation but in Jesus Christ.  Our salvation truly came through God.  2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.”…if you truly get settled on the rock. In Psalmist David’s time, he was speaking about God.  Our salvation is in Jesus Christ today. But it still comes from God that we have this.  We know that God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost are one.  If you need something to defend you, God has given us that. You can have something to be able to fight the battle…all the trouble and all the hardships that are out there in life. There is an escape from that. It's not just religion…there is Salvation.  The 6th verse, “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved”. 

CAN YOU LOSE YOUR SALVATION?  In 2nd Thessalonians 2:11“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”. Some believe that you can just live any kind of life and God's Amazing Grace will save you. Yes, God's Amazing Grace will save you.  You have to change the way you are doing. 1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not”.  He didn't tell us that it was okay to sin. 1 John 2:1 (continued), “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”. I'm sure that people will sin. I am sure that people will fall but when you do, you can get Christ in your life and get to a point to where you can live your life free from it.  It only comes through Jesus Christ.  That's what salvation is all about…that deliverance.  How do we get to that point? 2nd Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING  If you are doing good things, what is it you've got in your heart?  If you're doing wicked things, what is it you've got in your heart? Don't let anybody tell you that you can live any kind of life, do anything and be saved.  Salvation gets out those wicked things. It causes you to have goodness.  It causes you to have good works.

STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD   In Ephesians, the 6th chapter and starting at the 13-17 verses will show you how to be able to have that salvation and how to live that kind of life. The natural man knoweth not the things of God. You've got to let the Spirit of God come into your life. Then, you can see his word. If you live after the flesh, the Bible said you shall die but if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of this body, you can live. That is salvation…having life, everlasting life. It comes from God, and it's through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”…salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Ephesians 6:13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God”. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

HELMET OF SALVATION   If you were to fight the natural battle, you wouldn't want to go without something to fight with.  You have to get the armour… something for protection…something to stop the fiery darts of the wicked. It's done spiritually not naturally.  “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth”. Get that word of God. Have a love in your vessel to love the truth.  “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”(not wickedness).  15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”. Get that helmet of salvation. John 5:24 Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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. That is salvation…you can have it today.