FAITH WORKS RELIGIOUSLY
James 1:26-27
FAITH WORKS #7
In many ways religion is in trouble today. Most young people don’t have time for
it. Older adults often misunderstand
it. The church often doesn’t seem to be
relevant.
Religion in some ways is rightly in trouble, because
much religion is useless. The only
valuable religion is pure religion. Pure
religion is an outgrowth of true faith.
Truly religious people are people of faith.
First one becomes saved, second the saved person comes
to pure religion. He becomes truly religious.
Pure religion is a result of being a changed person.
Galatians 6:14-15, 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Tonight we see that Faith Works religiously. The right kind of religion is contrasted with
the wrong kind of religion in verses 26-27.
POOR RELIGION IS VAIN – Vs. 26
James 1:26 - If
any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
There are many people who appear religious.
They “seem to be religious” in their own eyes. They count themselves as religious people.
Jesus warned about these “religious” people in the
Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6.
Matthew 6:1,5,16
The religious people James is talking about:
Say their prayers religiously.
Give to the church religiously.
Speak for God religiously.
Read their Bibles, religiously.
Outwardly they seem to be pious and devout, except
when they open their mouths!
Ephesians 4:25 - Wherefore
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are
members one of another.
Luke 6:45 - A
good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
A man’s tongue is an indicator of just how good a
man’s heart is. Naturally speaking, a
man’s heart is wicked. Jeremiah 17:9
What comes out of the mouth is an indication as to
whether a person’s heart has been transformed or not!
Most important, what comes out of a man’s mouth when
he is with those who know him best is the true indicator of the condition of
the man’s heart.
Many a person keeps the mouth under control when in
public. But how is he in private?
In James 1:26 James is telling us that the man
who outwardly appears religious but can’t control the tongue is fooling
himself. He thinks himself religious,
but God has not tamed his tongue. This
man’s religion is useless or vain.
This reminds me that what I am is more important to
God than what I do in religious activity. Proverbs 6:16-19, Philippians 4:8
PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE – Vs. 27
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.
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO GOD
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable
to the world.
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable
to friends and loved ones.
James is not talking about religion that is acceptable
to us.
James wants us to consider religion that is acceptable
or valuable to God.
Such valuable religion is “pure” and “undefiled”
This should lead us to self examination.
Is my religion valuable to God because it is clean and
without contamination?
Am I consistent in my walk with God?
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO MAN
Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…
Who had the hardest time in the ancient world?
Widows and orphans had the roughest time.
There was no life insurance.
There were no welfare plans.
There was no government support.
The poverty of widows and orphans was great.
They were in great need.
James is saying that a truly religious person is
actively concerned about the people who are in the greatest need.
Historically, God had always taught this kind of
religion. Deuteronomy 14:28-29
The New Testament is very clear that we should be a
people who care for the needs of those who are less fortunate. Galatians
6:9-10, 1 John 3:17, 1 Timothy 5:3, 8
The practice of pure religion, then, includes meeting
the needs of widows, orphans and others in need.
When we take care of widows and orphans, we are
touching the heart of God.
Psalm 68:5 - A
father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy
habitation.
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO OURSELVES
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.
To insure that the influence of the world system will
not harm us, we must first be totally committed to God. Romans 12:1
Pure religion keeps a person unspotted, “unstained”,
or “unpolluted” by the world.
What we listen to can pollute us.
What we watch can pollute us.
What we participate in can pollute us.
James will tell us later in this book in James 4:4,
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye
not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
John tells us in 1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. [17] And the world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever.
The world system includes three basic areas of
temptation to which Eve fell in the Garden of Eden.
LUST OF THE FLESH – What feels good
LUST OF THE EYES – What looks good
PRIDE OF LIFE – What centers around me
If you want to be truly happy, don’t let the world
influence you. Be unstained by the
world’s influence.
POOR RELIGION IS VAIN – Vs. 26
PURE RELIGION IS VALUABLE – Vs. 27
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO GOD
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO MAN
· PURE
RELIGION IS VALUABLE TO OURSELVES
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