Last time, James taught us that one of marks of “vain or worthless religion” in one’s life is an unbridled or untamed tongue. James 1:26 If your religion, or your Christianity does not produce godliness or sanctified behavior in your life and character, if your religion doesn’t equip you with the ability to control yourself and your tongue, what good is it? But what is also imbedded and implied in this description of vain and worthless religion is an outward mark of one who DOES possess that “True Religion” which is from Christ …. a bridled or tamed tongue. Cp. James 3:2 When God saves a sinner, God gives that believing sinner a new heart, a new spirit AND A NEW NATURE, even a new tongue…… with this new heart comes grace from God, and the ability, yeah, even the desire from the Spirit of God within…. TO NOT ONLY think right thoughts, but also, TO ONLY speak right words! James 1:27: “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.” The words “before God and the Father” are very important, THAT IS HOW every one of us ought to live our Christian lives each day…BEFORE GOD and the Father…. FOR His eyes and FOR His glory and approval! If that doesn’t IMPACT how you live your Christian life, I don’t know what will. James calls “True Christianity” ~ “Pure Religion and Undefiled before God and the Father”. This makes me think of what Christ told the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4:22- 24. God would have our worship of Him to be according to His truth, unmixed and free from our own faulty ideas and religious opinions. In our text, James teaches us what pure and undefiled, undiluted, unmixed religion looks like in the life of one that has it…... “To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” This is not an absolute description, or the only definition of what “pure religion” is, but it is a powerful outward and visible mark or sign of what it will look like in the life of one who has it, of a genuine child of God! As children of God, we should be merciful and compassionate to the fatherless, widows, to those that have no shepherd nor guide in the world. God has a special place in His heart for the fatherless, parentless, (orphans), and widows, and even strangers in their sufferings, afflictions, and needs. Oh, how sad it is to see children left to themselves, who have no father or mother to care for them, watch out for them, and to love them. God calls each of us, as His children, to be there for those who are unable to care for themselves. To be spiritual fathers and mothers to children who are parentless, to be caretakers for the aged, for those who have lost their husband or wife. Exodus 22:21-24, Deuteronomy 24:17-22, Hebrews 13:2 Show me the genuineness of your religion, or your Christianity by how you care for those that are unable to care for themselves! Show me your faith in God by how you get involved in people’s lives to help them, BY VISITING THEM, by getting your hands dirty in your Christianity….DOING what you can to relieve them. This is what loving your neighbor as yourself LOOKS LIKE! Luke 10:31-37 Because of whom they were as servants of God, they SHOULD HAVE stopped and had compassion and helped this wounded man! But because they did nothing and avoided the wounded man, they showed the worthlessness of their religion. 1 John 3:10, 16-19, James 2:13-17 Brethren, if we would be DOERS of the Word; if we are OF THAT “Pure and Undefiled Religion” which we profess, we will VISIT, COMFORT, RELIEVE, HELP the fatherless, widows, strangers, and our neighbors in their afflictions and distresses and needs. One of the wonderful descriptions of the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry was given by Peter in Acts 10:38: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about DOING GOOD, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” Don’t be like the priest and the Levite, who turned a blind eye to that wounded man, be like the Samaritan who went to him, had compassion on him, and cared for him. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness”. Hebrews 13:15-16: “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name. (But don’t stop there) …..BUT TO DO GOOD and to communicate (or share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”.
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