PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED

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 Son of God who took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient even unto the death of the cross is truly the only pure and undefiled worshipper before God the Father. He visited this worldly orphanage and adopted a multitude of sons and daughters who were afflicted with no knowledge of the Father who loved them. Christ Jesus visited his church revealing that though she thought herself a widow, fact was, she had a Husband who loved her with an everlasting love and bought her with his own blood.

This One who visited us orphans and widows kept himself undefiled from this world. While carnal religion splattered itself with stains of hypocrisy by making known all their works, by taking advantage of the helpless, by using only those who could offer them gain in return, Christ our Lord quietly went about providing for those who could add nothing to him. That is pure religion and undefiled before God the Father.

When this same gracious Spirit of Christ enters a sinner, his religion is made pure and undefiled before God the Father in spirit. Now the former orphan is a son adopted and taken into the loving arms of his Father. Once full of wrath, he now bridles his tongue so he can listen to priceless instruction drop like honey from the lips of his Father. Now the former widow is adorned in the wedding garment of righteousness provided by her Husband who loved her and gave himself for her. Though their old nature wars against them, neither the son nor the bride would dare return to their former state, but rest under the care of their Father and Husband. Thus they keep themselves unspotted from this sinful world.