This is the story of my salvation from religion. Although I have been involved with the activities of churches for over forty-five years, the real essence of my salvation is just now becoming clear. I have been a pastor (17 years), a Bible college and seminary professor (14 years), and a Christian consultant (15 years). I have written over twenty Christian books. It would seem that I should know something about what it means to be a Christian. Until recently, however, I have to confess that I knew much about religion but very little about true Christianity. I found myself actually in need of salvation from religion.

Amazingly, I needed to be saved primarily not from bad things but from good things. I needed salvation from the bondage of seeing Jesus as the object of my devotion, my piety, and my worship. Seeing Jesus as the object of my action, I was being driven to greater acts of devotion, piety, and worship. The increased effort, with its motivation and consequential guilt when the effort failed, brought me into greater and greater bondage. The harder I tried the worse it became. I needed salvation from the religion that was killing me.

I no longer see Jesus as the object of my actions. I now see Him more distinctly as ". . . the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). This redemptive revelation has brought Jesus into focus as my breath and my heartbeat. He is becoming the essence of my all, in Him I live, and move, and have my being. He is making Christianity true life rather than a religion that kills.