The Danger of Religions that Teach “Jesus Plus”

If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that many religions add layers on top of Jesus. Some say you must pray to saints or to Mary. Others insist you need to belong to a certain church or follow its rituals to be saved. Others add additional books to read rather than the Bible alone. The truth of Scripture is clear: salvation is not found in Jesus plus something else, it is found in Jesus Christ alone (see Acts 4:12).

Whenever you add something to Jesus, you risk losing everything. “Jesus Plus” religions are dangerous because they diminishes the cross and distract people from the only way to salvation.

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Christianity: It’s Not a Religion, It’s a Relationship

Religion is man’s attempt to reach God through rules, rituals, or mediators. But Christianity is different. Christianity is God reaching down to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come to start another religion; He came to reconcile us to the Father and to save us from the consequences of sin.

Paul makes this point in 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” This verse leaves no room for additional mediators - not Mary, not saints, not pastors or priests. Only Jesus bridges the gap between a holy God and sinful man. Anything more than Him is “Jesus Plus,” and that’s a dangerous lie.

Jesus desires that we have our own personal relationship with Him. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus invites us to have a personal relationship with Him: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus Plus Nothing

The Bible warns against adding anything to the finished work of Jesus on the cross. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), He meant it. Salvation had been accomplished fully, completely, and eternally.

• You don’t need Jesus plus Mary. Mary herself declared she needed a Savior: “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47).

  
  

• You don’t need Jesus plus saints. Saints include anyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ: “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” (Romans 1:7).

  
  

• You don’t need Jesus plus church rituals. The thief on the cross was saved by faith alone in Christ: “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:42–43).

  
  

Paul put it plainly: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

If salvation could come through “Jesus Plus” anything, then Jesus died for nothing. Think about that for a moment. If our prayers to saints, our devotion to Mary, or our obedience to church rituals could somehow add to the cross, then Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t enough.

Scripture makes it clear: “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:21). In other words, if we could make ourselves right with God by keeping rules, traditions, or by using human mediators, then the death of Jesus was pointless. To add to the cross is to empty it of its power. To trust in “Jesus Plus” is to say, even if unconsciously, that His blood alone is insufficient — and that is another dangerous lie.

(To Learn more about False Doctrine that is being taught today, click here)

Direct Access to God

When Jesus died on the cross, something incredible happened: “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51).

That veil had separated the people from the Most Holy Place for thousands of years. This was where the High Priest met God on the Day of Atonement - once a year. By tearing the veil, God showed us that through Jesus, the barrier is gone. We no longer need a human priest to go before God on our behalf.

The writer of Hebrews declared: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Because of Jesus, you and I can approach the throne of God directly - on our own. “Jesus Plus” religions say that you need someone else to intercede for you. The Gospel says you can go straight to the Father yourself.

Called to Read the Bible Ourselves

Since we have direct access to God, we are also called to know His Word for ourselves. The Bible is our authority, God's love letter to each of us.

In the Book of Acts we read: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

In other words, the Bereans didn’t just take someone’s word for truth. They eagerly listened but then went straight to the Scriptures to confirm it for themselves. This is the model for every believer today. Don’t rely on tradition, teachers, or churches alone. Test everything by God’s Word, because the Bible is the final authority and you should read it for yourself.

“Jesus Plus” religion hands your faith over to someone else. True Christianity calls you to open your Bible, read it, and let God speak directly to you.

Why “Jesus Alone” Matters

Adding anything to Jesus diminishes His sacrifice. To say you need Jesus and something else is to say His death and resurrection were not enough. Scripture tells us He is more than enough:

• “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father

  except through Me." (John 14:6)

• “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

  
  

Notice these verses doesn’t say “no other name plus your church” or “no other name plus your good deeds.” It says no other name. 

This means there is no back door into heaven, no alternate plan of salvation, and no partnership deal where Jesus does part and you or someone else does the rest. To believe otherwise is to trust in a false hope.

“Jesus Plus” isn’t just unnecessary - it’s spiritually fatal, because it points people away from the sufficiency of Christ and toward things that cannot save.

A Relationship That Saves

At its heart, Christianity is not about checking religious boxes. It’s about knowing Jesus personally. When you put your faith in Him, you are adopted into God’s family:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

You don’t need to climb a ladder of works, because the cross has already brought heaven down to you. You don’t need anything else — no statues to pray to, no saints to intercede for you, no special books outside of Scripture, and no rituals to earn God’s favor. It is Jesus alone, that’s it.

The Gospel is good news because it’s not about what we can do, but about what Jesus has already done. You cannot work your way to heaven, you cannot buy your way into God’s presence, and you cannot pray through anyone else to gain access to the Father. Statues, saints, ceremonies, and human mediators only distract from the truth.

Again, salvation is through Christ alone. He alone is sufficient. He alone is Savior. He alone is Lord.

Final Thoughts

Many voices today will tell you that Jesus isn’t enough and that you need to pray to this person, belong to that group, or perform certain rituals to be saved. But the Bible speaks with one clear voice: Only Jesus can save you.

The dangers of “Jesus Plus” religions are that they look holy but deny the sufficiency of Christ. This is why these religions are deadly. They add false hope where only Christ’s finished work can save. Salvation is not about religion. It’s about a relationship with the Savior who died and rose again - for you. Don’t settle for Jesus plus. Rest in Jesus alone.

“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

Call to Action

Where do you stand with Jesus today?

• Have you been trusting in “Jesus Plus” — adding good works, traditions, or mediators — instead of Jesus alone?

  
  

• Do you truly believe that His sacrifice was enough for your salvation?

  
  

• Have you opened God’s Word for yourself to see what He says, rather than relying on others to tell you?

  
  

The Bible is clear: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). No statues, no saints, no rituals — just faith in Christ alone.

If you’ve never put your trust fully in Him, you can do that right now. Call on His name, confess Him as Lord, and rest in the finished work of the cross. Jesus alone saves.

Blessings,

Amy