Salvation what is it?

Is it a simple transaction, where we say the special prayer and boom we get our ticket stamped so we get into heaven and miss the fires of hell?  Now it doesn’t matter whatever else we do, we got in and all the others are on the outside.   Our only obligation is to get others to make that same transaction.

Is it a transformational experience that completely rocks your world.  Yes, it has a starting point where we come to the realization that Jesus accomplished our salvation apart from our efforts.   And this beginning for us merely marks a point from which we should grow daily in our desperate love for the One who’s set us free.   We are never to be the same.  

For me, it was presented ad the first method.  With all the hellfire and burning judgement to scare me into saying that prayer.  I never got a hold of that version from the people who witnessed to me.  I was too blinded by the allure of the world to want to set it all aside.  But when I was exposed to the love of Jesus demonstrated by some friends who just loved me as-is the overwhelming grace of God was like a magnet drawing me back into his arms.  It was indeed a total transformation which has continued day by day.

Religion thrives on two lies, distance and delay!

Religion assumes that god is either a distant being who has little concern for his creation or a group of gods merely playing a game. He’s in no hurry to intervene in the affairs of men. Humans were left here to figure this whole life thing out on our own. We can come up with our own methods to reach out to him. It doesn’t matter too much how we go about that as there are many paths and truthfully they all look to be very similar. 

We look at the circumstances around us and find ways that seem to appease the deity or maybe even deities. There’s no real relationship other than that. Appease the angry gods so that they’ll bless us as a reward or maybe just let up in the torment they appear so eager to inflict. The gods are quite removed from our experience, just sort of watching from the stands not willing to interact with the players on the field. 

The good results are always delayed from our perspective and the bad results continue on long after the perceived offense.   This lends proof to the perceived aloofness of the deities, it really appears they are just playing with us on the game board of this planet. 

All of this gives fuel to the engine of Religion and its relentless pursuit of appeasement.  The soul crushing burden of figuring out all the rules and then living in a way that somehow satisfies the system. 

But Jesus……

He came to demonstrate the Father’s love for us and His deep desire for close relationship with the whole of humanity.   Run from religion and into the arms of our father who’s been waiting and watching for us to return to Him.