Friday, October 19, 2012
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1: 26-27
The word religion or religious only appears five times in the Bible. Two of those five occurrences are in the verses above. I think it's interesting that James uses the word "consider" when referencing a religious person. I think there are a lot of people who consider themselves "religious" for various reasons. In the context of the Gospels one would have to define religious as expressing faith in Jesus. There are a lot of people who would not define religious using that definition. John Piper connects James 2:1 with these verses to define religious as faith in Jesus as well. In the New American Standard Version, James 2:1 reads, "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." So in it's purest sense, religion that God accepts is expressed by faith in Jesus. With that working definition, let's see how practical being religious can be.
1. Religious people control what they say. Faith in Jesus should cause me to choose my words wisely. Do you THINK before you talk? The THINK acronym can be very helpful. Is what I'm about to say: True? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?
2. Religious people show compassion. In the first century widows and orphans were overlooked. James makes it clear that if you are religious you will reach out to those who cannot help themselves and who probably won't be able to pay you back. Again, this takes faith.
3. Religious people demonstrate personal purity in their lifestyle. They keep themselves from being polluted in the world.
James says pure religion will change my language, my love and my lifestyle. It will affect my talk and my walk. Isn’t this a perfect description of Jesus? Jesus used words of wisdom like no one else. Jesus was moved with compassion for the needy, the lonely, the outcast the “least of these”. Jesus showed purity in His lifestyle, by living pure in a polluted world. That's the kind of religion I want - the kind that makes me look more like Jesus.
The word religion or religious only appears five times in the Bible. Two of those five occurrences are in the verses above. I think it's interesting that James uses the word "consider" when referencing a religious person. I think there are a lot of people who consider themselves "religious" for various reasons. In the context of the Gospels one would have to define religious as expressing faith in Jesus. There are a lot of people who would not define religious using that definition. John Piper connects James 2:1 with these verses to define religious as faith in Jesus as well. In the New American Standard Version, James 2:1 reads, "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." So in it's purest sense, religion that God accepts is expressed by faith in Jesus. With that working definition, let's see how practical being religious can be.
1. Religious people control what they say. Faith in Jesus should cause me to choose my words wisely. Do you THINK before you talk? The THINK acronym can be very helpful. Is what I'm about to say: True? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?
2. Religious people show compassion. In the first century widows and orphans were overlooked. James makes it clear that if you are religious you will reach out to those who cannot help themselves and who probably won't be able to pay you back. Again, this takes faith.
3. Religious people demonstrate personal purity in their lifestyle. They keep themselves from being polluted in the world.
James says pure religion will change my language, my love and my lifestyle. It will affect my talk and my walk. Isn’t this a perfect description of Jesus? Jesus used words of wisdom like no one else. Jesus was moved with compassion for the needy, the lonely, the outcast the “least of these”. Jesus showed purity in His lifestyle, by living pure in a polluted world. That's the kind of religion I want - the kind that makes me look more like Jesus.
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