If you are still reading what I have written it is because God is at work in your life drawing you unto salvation and Himself. Scripture states that the natural man will not seek after God.
Psalm 10:4 (NASB)
4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.
All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
If there is a desire in your heart to know God you are doing something that is totally contrary to the nature of man.
Romans 3:11-12 (NASB)
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
You see, every person by their very nature is a sinner and has no time or interest in God. If you have come to a place in your life that you are concerned about the sin in your life and desire to find forgiveness it is because God has begun His work in your life. Jesus said:
John 16:8 (NASB)
8“And He, (The Holy Spirit) when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
Romans 3:23 (NASB)
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We are not talking about being religious or becoming a Church member. These things do not save us. Only God saves us and He does so through the power He has vested in The Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are saved our lives will be different and we will want to be a part of His Church and we will be because He will place us there.
If it were possible for religion to save us, certainly Nicodemus would have been saved by his religion.