The Difference Between Religion And Christ!

I have a dear friend who is currently incarcerated in the state of Missouri at the Crossroads Correctional Center. He is serving a long sentence for a crime that is serious in nature and he will not become eligible for parole for several more years. But I believe my friend has a solid grasp of the difference between religion and Christ.
In a recent letter he shared that he was excited about an opportunity to teach in one of the prison church groups and that he selected this very topic for the occasion. Here is an excerpt from his letter to me...

Yesterday, I got to teach in church about the difference between religion and Christ. The difference is that religion is something to do to get closer to God, and Christ is someone who did something to make us right with God. Religion has no assurance that we are "good enough" before God, but Christ has assured us through His sacrifice for our sins that we are righteous before God.

My friend has quite accurately captured the difference between religion and grace. In the eyes of the world he is condemned because of his crime. But the truth of the matter is that this man is more free and more righteous than 90% percent of the people outside of those prison walls. 

By simple faith in the Savior my friend enjoys the righteousness of Christ and the assurance of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. No prison bars or walls can destroy this reality! He is free because Christ has set him free.

Many people in our churches today don't have this clear understanding of religion versus grace.

I have been reading a wonderful book entitled One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace For An Exhausted World by Tullian Tchividjian. Here is one of the many startling comments that Tchividjian makes early in his book...

"Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver"

My friend at Crossroad Correctional Center has come to the point in his life where he knows that he is unconditionally accepted even though he is undeserving. He also knows that God was under no obligation to extend His grace to any of us. Romans 5:8 puts  it like this ".But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Friend, are you persuaded that because of Christ's redemptive work on the cross that you are now "accepted" by God? If not, I urge you to simply trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to be a sufficient payment for your sins. Quit relying on whatever it is that you are currently doing in a vain attempt to be right with God. Jesus has already done it all and simply calls you to believe in His finished work!