“Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5).
The real conflict between faith and religion is based on the process by which we are saved. Religion believes salvation is earned by something we do. Christianity maintains that we are saved because of what Jesus has done.
Paul used a familiar analogy to help us understand the difference. When I work to earn wages those wages aren’t a gift. I deserve them because I worked for them. Salvation isn’t obtained in the same way we earn our salaries. It is a gift. There is nothing we could have done to deserve God’s gift of salvation. That gift was paid for by what Jesus did for us.
As Paul said, it is obtained because of our faith in God who forgives sinners. As with any gift, it has no value to us unless we receive it. We receive it by believing in Jesus. We are children of God destined for heaven when we receive the free gift of salvation by faith.
For those who think that’s too easy, that there must be some religious performance required of us, we simply respond that it had to be easy. Nothing we could do would have earned it. It’s a gift and when we believe in Jesus we receive that gift and live the rest of our lives out of gratitude.
