I absolutely HATE religion!!! But do you understand that Christianity is NOT a religion - it's a RELATIONSHIP with God / Christ!
"RELIGION is a man in church thinking about fishing - but RELATIONSHIP is a man fishing thinking about God!" The first is DOING "GOOD STUFF," following man-made beliefs and teachings, doing rituals and whatever related practices, in pointless, vain, continual attempts to gain God's favor and merit Heaven. But the salvation of Christianity is freely given - and ONLY made possible - by God, Whom (must be) embraced (and ONLY) through faith and submittance to Jesus Christ (who is likewise, FULLY God, and a Person of a Trinity of the ONE and ONLY God). When you enter, through faith, into a relationship with Jesus, He saves you and applies the price HE paid for your sins when He was put to death on that Roman cross, 2,000 years ago - but He ONLY applies His forgiveness and Heaven to those who have entered into a committed / submitted relationship with Jesus. One simply cannot gain God's favor by trying to do good stuff - as He says that is impossible and all based upon one's own feeble (no matter how diligent) efforts at trying to please Him. God's way is that HE does all necessary to save - but He ONLY does that for those who enter into a relationship with Christ.
Confused? Consider! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsvgWCKc7E