8 Religious Acts that Cannot Save the Souls of Men

Ø Being a devout person:

A devout person is a pious man who is dutiful to a religion or belief. Devotion to religious rules and regulations are good but are not adequate to save and deliver the soul from eternal death which is the wage of sin. 

Mere devotion to religious rules and practices without faith in Christ for salvation is not enough. In the Bible, there are several records of devout men and women who were strong devotees to religious practices yet were unsaved men.  

Acts 2:5 is a record of many devout men who witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples of Christ on the Day of Pentecost and yet were no partakers in it. They were devoted to Judaism, circumcised men and strict adherents to the Laws of Moses, yet they were unsaved men as far as the Gospel of salvation is concerned.

Acts 13:50 is another account of devout Jews who raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabbas, expelling them out of Antioch where they were preaching the gospel that emphasizes belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the key to salvation. Also in Acts 17:17, is another group of devout Jews who doubted and disputed the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ø Fearing God:

The Bible teaches that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom (Proverbs 4:7) and that to fear God is to depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). The Bible also teaches that the whole duty of a man is to fear God and obey all his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). However, fearing God does not guarantee one’s salvation.

Demons also fear God but their fear avails nothing as they have been condemned and are hopelessly and eternally lost (James 2:19). 2 Kings 17:32-34 refers to a nation who feared the Lord, yet served other gods after the manner of other nations. Also in Jonah 1:16, the pagan sailors in whose ship Jonah travelled also feared God and made vows but lacked the full light that saves men.

Ø Giving alms:

The Pharisees in Jesus’ days did much in alms giving but they rejected salvation and were Christ’s bitterest enemies. The Bible tells us that one can give all that he has but without love, can be lost eternally (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Ø Praying always:

The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing and without fainting. But the Bible also condemns certain kinds of prayers as unacceptable before God. Many hypocrites whose hearts are not right with God pray to be seen and praised by men.

In Hell, some are praying and an example is the rich man in Luke 16:23-31 praying prayers that cannot work. Another prominent example was the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 whose prayer was condemned on grounds of self-righteousness, pride and hypocrisy.

Ø Seeing visions:

Ability to see visions is not an evidence of salvation or right standing with God. Ability to see visions is a gift from God and one can live in flagrant sin and continue to manifest this gift because the Lord does not usually withdraw His gifts once given (Romans 11:29).

There are men who saw visions which could not save them. Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan and King of Babylon saw visions from God more than once (Daniel 2:1-9). Acts chapter 10 is the story of Cornelius, who was a pagan who also received visions from God before his conversion. There are false prophets who use magical arts to see visions too.

Ø Fasting:

Matthew 6:16-18 condemns a fasting system where men wear a sad countenance, disfiguring their faces before men and announcing to others that they are fasting in order to be praised by men.

Ø Having a good report among men:

Saul of Tarsus had an excellent report among men before his conversion. He was a Pharisee, was circumcised on the eighth day; of the stock of Israel and from the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of the Hebrews and an authority in the Laws of Moses.

He had a good reputation among men but not before God. At a time, he was the greatest persecutor of the Church of Christ who murdered many saints thinking he was fighting for God until he was arrested by the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus leading to his conversion.

Ø Knowledge of the Scriptures:

Having knowledge of the Scriptures and an ability to memorize and quote it offhand are good qualities. But it is one thing to have the knowledge of a thing and another thing to believe what one knows. It is one thing to have knowledge of a thing and yet another thing to do and practice what one knows.

One may know the truth but harden his heart against it and speak evil of it (Matthew 13:15). Mere head knowledge of a thing is different from believing in it with the heart. Men will not be judged on the basis of what they know only but also by what was done with what they knew. 

The hearers of the law alone shall not be justified but the doers shall be. In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked ‘why do you call me Lord, Lord, yet do not the things which I say?

One may be teaching what he knows but what he knows or claims to know may be imperfect doctrine and he may not have a teachable spirit that accepts correction. What one teaches may fall short of the true gospel and be in error of the Bible’s claims.

In Acts 18:24-28 is the record of Apollonius who was thoroughly acquainted with the teachings of the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) and skilled in interpreting them. He was also zealous of the knowledge he had, but it was limited and imperfect falling short of the full light of the gospel.

He had a teachable spirit and was receptive to the full gospel which God led him into through Acquilla and Priscilla who taught him. The problem is not with knowing and teaching what one knows but is he open to correction when his doctrines are imperfect and falling short of the true and full gospel?

Many stick to what they know or claim to know and do not want to come into the full light because they do not have a teachable spirit and are not open to correction and do not accept to be corrected.

Romans 10:9-10 says:

‘If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart men believe unto righteousness and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.’’

Therefore the key to salvation is belief in the Lord Jesus: faith in his death, burial and resurrection. Mere religious practices without belief in Jesus Christ avail nothing. These practices amount to self-righteousness and reliance on carnal works of the Law which can prevent no one from facing eternal judgment for sin.

John 14:6 says:

 ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes unto the Father but by me.’’

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com