Jesus Christ Made the Way of Salvation Simple—Why Did Religion Make It Difficult – Is This Part of Satan’s Deception? Let’s Investigate (KJV)

September 22, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde  

When I read the New Testament, something becomes increasingly difficult to ignore: the Gospel Jesus Christ and His apostles taught is remarkably simple. Yet over the centuries, Christianity has accumulated institutions, ceremonies, theological systems, denominational requirements, membership rules, traditions, hierarchies, and countless arguments over what a person must do to become acceptable before God.

In some religious systems, a person can spend an entire lifetime trying to understand everything supposedly required of them. How did something so simple become so complicated?

And there is an even more uncomfortable question worth considering: Could religious complexity itself sometimes become a tool of Satan’s deception, causing people to look everywhere except directly to Jesus Christ? To this I must shout AMEN!!!!

Some biblical subjects genuinely require careful study. But the KJV does give us a remarkable warning about deception and complexity.

Paul wrote, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). The simplicity in Christ! Is your spirituality simple?

Think about what Paul just connected. He mentioned the serpent, deception, and “the simplicity that is in Christ” in the very same sentence. Apparently, even in Paul’s day, there was a danger that something beautifully simple could become corrupted.

So, what was the Gospel the apostles actually preached? This is definitely a question that my former church members did not know, for they have been taught that the Apostles teachings were the same as the teachings of their founder of the church. So, what were those teachings of the Apostles?

Paul answered that question plainly: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).

Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again. That is the foundation of the Gospel. When the frightened Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas the most important question a human being could possibly ask—“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”—their answer was not complicated: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30–31).

That almost seems too simple to the religious mind. Surely there must be something more we must accomplish. Surely, we must earn something. Surely there must be ceremonies. Surely some religious authority must approve us. Surely salvation cannot simply be received as a gift. But Scripture says exactly that: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Perhaps mankind has difficulty accepting a Gospel in which Jesus Christ receives all the credit.

Religion naturally wants to add something. Christ plus my works. Christ plus my church. Christ plus my baptism. Christ plus my ordinances. Christ plus my priesthood. Christ plus my religious leader. Christ plus my worthiness. Christ plus my ceremonies.

This is NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ, RATHER it is ONLY because of Jesus Christ, and our faith in that gospel principle.

The moment we begin believing that something we contribute completes what Jesus accomplished, we should remember His words from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Jesus did not say, My portion is finished; now you complete yours. He said, “It is finished.” Hebrews explains why: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). One offering. One Savior. One completed sacrifice.

Jesus Himself confronted religious complexity. The religious leaders of His day had surrounded God’s commandments with human traditions. Jesus told them, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9).

He then said they were “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition” (Mark 7:13).

That should cause every church and every religious person to stop and think. Tradition can become so powerful that people begin defending what their religion says about God rather than simply listening to what God has said. Eventually the question changes from “What does Scripture say?” to “What does my church tell me Scripture means?” Those are not necessarily the same thing. Herin lies the deception from the adversary.

Jesus also condemned religious leaders who placed enormous spiritual burdens upon people. He said, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4).

Religion can still do exactly that. A person begins with Jesus Christ and eventually finds himself asking: Am I worthy enough? Have I performed everything correctly? Have I completed every ordinance? Am I attending enough? Am I giving enough money? Does my religious leader approve of me? Have I fulfilled every covenant? Have I performed enough good works? Will God finally accept me? Can you relate to this statement. You certainly can if you belong to a “high demand” religion.

All of these additional requirements from the church do NOT bring you closer to Jesus Christ, they actually push you further away from the details that matter; You being Born Again through accepting the atonement of Jesus Christ as all that is necessary for you to live with Him one day in “heaven.” To GIVE HIM ALL OF THE GLORY, not your church or even yourself through your good works.

Jesus speaks through all that religious noise and says,

Matthew 11:28–30 KJV:

28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Notice where Jesus directs the burdened person. “Come unto me.” Not come unto an institution. Not come unto a hierarchy. Not come unto a ceremony. Come unto Me.

This is where Satan’s deception may be much more sophisticated than many people realize.

We sometimes imagine that Satan’s primary objective is to convince everyone that God does not exist. But Scripture describes something far more subtle. Paul wrote, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

He continued, “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15).

This does not give us permission to accuse every minister or church with whom we disagree of serving Satan. But it destroys the assumption that something must come from God simply because it looks religious, sounds righteous, mentions Jesus, or comes through an impressive spiritual experience. Deception can wear religious clothing.

Perhaps the most effective counterfeit would not remove Jesus Christ completely.

Perhaps it would simply add something to Him.

Imagine a religion saying, Yes, Jesus saves you—but you also need us. Or, Yes, salvation comes through Christ—but you must also receive our ordinances. Or, Yes, Jesus is your mediator—but God’s highest blessings require our authority.

Those statements are much harder to recognize as potential corruption because Jesus remains somewhere within the system.

Paul encountered something similar and warned, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians 1:6).

Then came his astonishing warning:

Galatians 1:8–9 (KJV):

8 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

9 “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Paul repeats the warning for emphasis. The Gospel has already been taught by Jesus Christ and His apostles. Not even an angel has the authority to add to, or change what has already been taught. This one simple truth can certainly flush out any false teachings that do not agree with what has already been given.

Is your church complicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and leading you closer to the church, rather than closer to Jesus Christ? That indeed was my experience in my lifelong religion.

Why would Satan want salvation to become complicated? Because complexity can redirect our confidence. Instead of asking, “Do I trust Jesus Christ?” we begin asking, “Have I done enough?”

That seemingly small change shifts our attention away from Christ’s sufficiency and toward our own performance. Paul wrote, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

God justifies the ungodly who believe. Religion frequently tells people that they must become worthy enough to approach God. The Gospel tells sinners to approach Christ precisely because they aren’t worthy enough to save themselves.

Perhaps nowhere is this demonstrated more beautifully than with the thief on the cross. He had virtually nothing left to offer God. He had no lifetime remaining in which to accumulate good works. He could not build a religious résumé. He simply turned toward Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus answered, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42–43). The thief had nothing with which to purchase salvation. He had Christ—and Christ was enough.

Does that mean good works are unimportant? Absolutely not. Immediately after Paul says salvation is “not of works,” he writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

The order is enormously important. We are not saved by good works; we are saved to do good works. Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root of it. Jesus Christ is the root. When religion reverses that order, it risks changing the very Gospel it claims to defend.

Nicodemus provides another remarkable example. He was already deeply religious. He knew Scripture. He belonged to the religious establishment. Yet Jesus did not tell him to become more religious. He told him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), and then repeated, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Religion wasn’t enough for Nicodemus. He needed new life through Christ.

So, is making Christianity complicated part of Satan’s deception? It certainly can become part of deception when complexity corrupts “the simplicity that is in Christ,” replaces God’s Word with human tradition, creates another gospel, or persuades people that Jesus Christ’s finished work is insufficient.

Scripture itself connects the serpent’s subtilty with corrupting that simplicity. The biblical test is not merely whether something is complicated. The test is whether it agrees with the Gospel already given.

Strip everything away for a moment. Remove the denominations. Remove the impressive buildings. Remove the religious titles. Remove the ceremonies. Remove the hierarchies. Remove centuries of tradition. Remove man’s pride. Then stand at the foot of the cross.

Christ died for our sins. Christ was buried. Christ rose again. Christ offers salvation.

Scripture says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Perhaps one of Satan’s most effective deceptions would not be convincing mankind to stop talking about Jesus Christ. Perhaps it would be surrounding Jesus with so many additional requirements that eventually people can barely see Him.

That is why Paul’s warning remains so important: “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

The Gospel is simple because Jesus did the difficult part. We could not pay for our sins—He did. We could not defeat death—He did. We could not make ourselves righteous before God—He provided the way. We could not open the way into God’s presence—He opened it.

Our responsibility is not to improve upon what Jesus Christ accomplished.

It is to believe, and trust in Him.

Salvation was never intended to demonstrate what mankind could accomplish for God.

The Gospel demonstrates what God accomplished for mankind through Jesus Christ.

I invite all of you to learn the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is NOT about your church…Quite honestly, your church has NOTHING to do with your salvation…Nothing!

It is all about your relationship directly with Him. He is calling you to experience this new spiritual rebirth of becoming Born Again. This happens with only YOU, God, accepting the atonement of Jesus Christ, and confirmed through the Holy Spirit. As you place your faith entirely upon Jesus Christ, this spiritual rebirth will happen immediately.

If you are trusting in additional things for your salvation, you are not following the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The moment we believe that something we accomplish must be added to Christ’s finished work in order for us to be saved, we have changed the basis of the Gospel.

Jesus did not die merely to make salvation possible if we could complete the remaining requirements ourselves. Our confidence for salvation must rest in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished—not in what we accomplish for Him.

As you take this information to God in prayer, He will confirm the truthfulness of His gospel, and show you the way forward. I know this personally, because that’s exactly what He did with me!