Pure Religion

James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (ESV). ____________________________________ James' general epistle is often seen as instructions on practical Christianity, teaching us how to live as Christians in the real world and in a real way.

These two verses speak about being a religious person. The word used here "refers probably to a careful observance of religious restrictions, religious (probably in a limited sense), devout; fearing or worshipping God" (Strong).

But notice James said "seems" or appears to be or thinks himself to be religious. This is an outward show of piety. Going to church, reading the Bible, singing or playing religious songs, or even talking about God are some of the ways people appear to be religious.

However, James puts a condition on it: such a person needs to bridle (curb, restrain, sway) the tongue. Why the tongue? Well, earlier he gave a whole dissertation on the tongue (3:1-12) and how difficult it is to control that unruly little member. Note what the Apostle said: "For we all stumble and sin in many ways . If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses] (v. 2, AMP).

It would appear that the ability to control what comes out of the mouth is the ultimate expression of self-control, which is a result of having the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Without this self-control, one's acts of piety are worthless.

James now explains what God the Father accepts as true religion. This can be divided into two parts: service and holiness.

1. James called the saints to reach out to and relieve the suffering and burdens of vulnerable groups, in particular the orphans and widows. In James' day, these were the main two groups of people who were among the poorest and most disadvantaged. In our day and culture we should look for those in our society who are not able to do much for themselves and relieve their suffering. This is often referred to as the social gospel.

2. We are to keep ourselves unstained by the world. The Greek word used for unstained means "undefiled, spotless, pure; without spot or blemish and hence fully acceptable; refers to what is morally (spiritually) untainted, i.e. morally unblemished (pure) – 'free from censure, irreproachable, free from vice, unsullied' (K. Wuest)" (Biblehub.com).

There are two Greek words used for world. The one here is kosmos (from which we get cosmology, cosmetology, etc.). One of its meanings is given below.

Kosmos - "worldly affairs; the aggregate of things earthly; the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, etc., which, although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ": Galatians 6:14; 1 John 2:16; 1 John 3:17 (Strong)

Notice, it's not just the things but the fact they are hollow and frail, seduce us from God, and keep us from the cause or mission of Christ. For many of us our activities on social media, our means of entertainment, our conversations, our sex life, our monetary spending, our choice of clothing, our friends, our ambitions, among other things, are telling signs that we have been stained (and are being stained) by the world. John stands in agreement with James saying,

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world.(1 John 2:15-16, ESV)

Paul said he was dead to the world and the world dead to him (Gal. 6:14).

Some persons are big on the service part of Christianity but pay little attention to holiness. Others are high up on the holiness scale but rate poorly on the service aspect. Some manage to find a better balance of the two, and many are neither of them. The Word of God is exhorting us to have a healthy mix of both. This is pure and undefiled, that is, acceptable religion before God the Father.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us get it right.

Think on these things.