Dec 11

One of the hardest situations I have found for witnessing to others about salvation in Christ is that where the people think that they are on good terms with God already because they go to church and do not do any blatantly immoral actions in their lives, etc. They think that because their lives conform to the moral code of this world and that they do not harm anyone, that God therefore accepts them and they do not have to humble themselves and surrender their moral pride and their soul to Jesus as the only way of salvation. It is the false religion of good works in various forms.

These people can be very religious and often think that they have nothing to fear from the coming judgment at the day of the Lord. But Scripture has a warning for them:

"Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light." (Amos 5:18).

Verse 21 of this passage goes on to record God as saying that he hates their religious feasts and cannot stand their gathering together in worship of him. Religion has to do with man justifying himself before God, even as the self-righteous Pharisee did in the parable that Jesus told.

Even obeying God's commandments can be a snare to us and send us into darkness at the judgment if we obey, thinking that that very obedience is our salvation, rather than the perfect obedience of Jesus -- obedience even to death on a cross.

Scripture for today: Amos 5:18-24
Thought for today: My salvation is not in religion or the church. Only Jesus saves.
Prayer for today: I rely on you, Jesus, to save me and make me right in God's eyes, not on what I do. May I never trust in the church or anything else for my salvation, but only and ever in you.

DEC 11