12/23/25

James 1:27 NASB95 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Religion has been given a negative meaning. However, it was not meant to be so in its origin. It has its root in worship of God, but Satan has encouraged man to worship idols, objects, false gods, and self, instead of God. In this twisted world, man often worships the act of worship, and thus religion has been turned into a perceived negative.

Religion has been said to be re, which means intensive, and ligo, which means to bind us. This is WRONG! Scripture teaches us that we are bound to God by God! It is in His grace, handed down through faith, that we can not be plucked from the Father's hand. Religion or worship doesn't bind us to God but instead is what we do because God has bound us to Himself by His grace!

Because people have accepted the wrong definition, religion has been twisted as bad. They see worship as an act of holding us to God when it is an action done because God holds us in His hand.

When religion is practiced to God and because of God, it is not a negative thing; but instead, it is desired by God.

This is pure and undefiled religion.

Most scholars see religion as service. We worship as service to God from our love. Just as Christ came not to be served but to serve. Mark 10:45 NASB1995 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

He gave His life as a ransom because He loves us. Not to earn our love. Romans 5:8 NASB1995 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This action is service and is done freely because of love and not to earn love.

Thus our religion is pure and undefiled when we do the same. Which is to worship by serving. James says, Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

To visit, to take care of, those in need. To show them, Christ through love, which is unstained by the world. This means the love is in truth and not in acceptance or tolerance.

Jesus didn't die so we could accept and live in sin but so we can conquer and live without sin. This keeps us from being stained in the world so that our religion is pure and undefiled.

Religion isn't bad when we are religious in a pure way.

That is in a way that doesn't earn but is true in a desire to serve the one who paid it all and gave it to us free of charge.

We see this in the previous verse. James 1:26 NASB95 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Love Bro. Scott