According to the Copyright 1958 by G.&C. Merrian Co. Webster's New Collegiate dictionary; Religion is defined as:
1. The service and adoration of God or a god as expressed in forms of worship.
2. One of the systems of faith and worship.
3. The profession or practice of religious beliefs; religious observances collectively; rites.
4. Devotion or fidelity; conscientiousness.
5. An awareness or conviction of the existence of a supreme being, arousing reverence, love, gratitude, the will to obey and serve, and the like; as , man only is capable of religion.
The word 'religion' appears five (5) times in the King James Version:
Acts 26: 5 .... (2356 threskeia, thrace-kee-ah, ceremonial observance, worshipping)
Gal. 1: 13 .... (2454 loudaismos, ee-oo-dah-is-mos, Jewish faith, religion)
James 1: 26, 27 .... (2356 see above)
The word 'religious' appears two (2) times:
Acts 13: 43 .... (4576 sebomai, seb-om-ahee, to revere, i.e. adore, devout worship)
James 1: 26 .... (2357 threskos, thrace-kos, ceremonious in worship 'demonstrative' i.e. pious)
The numbers in parentheses are references to definitions of the original Greek word used in, The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Copyright 1995, 1996 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Neither 'religion' or 'religious' appears anywhere in the Tora (the first five books also none as the Pentateuch) or anywhere in the "Old Testament".
Focusing on James 1: 27 of the King James Version which we read:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this; To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
What we do for God is our Religion. It is practicing our faith. Or celebrating what He has done for us in giving us eternal life through His Grace. What some call "unmerited favor". Going to church to worship Him. Studying His Word to know what He wants from us. Helping the less fortunate in His name. Keeping ourselves from various sin. Testifying, sharing with others the Praises of God, for what He has done for us personally, and sharing the good news of salvation, as His first and most important gift to us. These things make us religious, we are being religious by doing them. But doing things for God, does not achieve merit toward salvation. Receiving salvation and working for God or, being religious, are two separate things. Being religious should not be considered earning merit points to gain access to eternal salvation. In Ephesians 2: 4-10 we read:
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive, together with Christ. And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; it is not by your good works: It is the Gift of God: Not of works, so no man can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has ordained before time began, that we should perform them.
We are supposed to do good works, but the benefits of doing them are the rewards we receive once we get to glory (the next life, in His presence). As we see in the scriptures above, getting into glory (his presence in the next life) is a free gift we can only receive through faith in the work performed by Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. By calling on His name to be saved. Calling on His name to be saved as in Romans 10: 9, 10 is how we receive the free gift of salvation. Here in Romans 10: 9,10 and 13 we read:
vs 9 If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, that God raised him from death, you will be saved. vs 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. vs 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary Copyright 1958 by G.&C. Merrian Co. Solifidian is defined as:
One who holds that faith alone, without achievement of personal merit, is sufficient to insure salvation.
Our religion celebrates what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us in the days of His Death and Resurrection. And God's great love, mercy and grace toward us. We are saved from an eternity of separation from God the Father, in an eternally existing form that would suffer from this separation in a grievous manner. It was our sin, our disobedience that separated us in the first place. Our religion is not what brings us back into the grace of God. If it did, then salvation would not be a gift of grace at all. Salvation would be an achievement of our own merits.
All Denominational religions are man made. Mankind's attempt to enter into the grace of God.
'Solifidian' is not a religion, it is a noun. What someone is called who holds to the belief as stated above, that only faith in what Christ did, by God's grace, can obtain salvation for us. But when asked, "What religion are you?" I will reply, in humor, "I'm Solifidian".
Now may the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it. (First Thessalonians 5: 23, 24)
