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James 1:26,27
What is True Religion?

Christianity is unique among religions of the world. It does not advocate keeping a set of rules & regulations to gain salvation. But James calls it a religion because it possesses a body of doctrinal truth & encourages its adherents to adopt a distinctive lifestyle. He said that a truly religious person bridles their tongue, helps those in need and keeps themselves free from the spirit of the world.
Illus. Lady who lived alone. We desperately need fellowship, with God & with others. One of the most severe forms of punishment is solitary confinement. A person that is placed in a sound proof room, soon experiences hallucinations, then undergoes personality changes & eventually, if isolated too long, may go berserk. Loneliness is a fearful thing. Our text directs us to the reality that true Christians minister to the lonely. There was an elderly Christian lady who lived all alone. Partly crippled, she had to rely primarily on the good will & help of her neighbors. She spent some of her weary ours keeping a diary, although no one knew why, for she had precious little to record. Finally the Lord called her to himself to enjoy the blessings of heaven. It is reported that she lay dead for several days before anyone missed her! In looking through her few belongings, someone discovered her diary. Most of the book contained nothing of interest. In fact, near the end of her life, as one monotonous day followed another, she wrote only three pathetic words on page after page: No One Came!
We have a continued theme here on how to be a doer of the Word. James focuses on what is authentic!
Religion in the original language is threskos, which means give to religious observances, public things.
Read Col 2:18 - "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility & the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen & his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions."
A person in this category in our culture would probably attend Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day... something like that.
James tells us in this continuation of being "doers" what we need to do to show authenticity.
How do we motivate ourselves to do it? How do we value what we need to value?
There are three areas where this truth is put into practice

1. Speech - Captivity - Discreet Speech
Matt 12:34,35-Read
Speech reveals the heart.
The word for heart is Kardia our word cardiac. It generally refers to the mind
Our admonition is found in Paul's words in Eph 4:29. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

One who is scrupulous in observance of religious activities, but cannot control their tongue is deceived.
Matt12:36-37 -Read
What to avoid: Unwholesome conversation
What to add: Helpful conversation
2. Service - Charity-Sacrificial love
This is not a definition. It is a statement of what is better than external acts.
The Greek word is episkeptesthas - To care for their needs. "To visit (Mac.)
Matt 25:36
Widows & orphans were neglected people in ancient civilization.
1. I accept you as you are.
2. I believe you are valuable.
3. I care when you are hurt.
4. I desire only what is best for you.
5. I erase all offenses.
Illus. A number of years ago, Chuck Swindoll's church experienced this situation. In Southern California, there were significant numbers of street people. One Sunday evening at Fullerton, a young street person stumbled in to the church service. He looked awful; dirty torn shirt,
cutoffs, disheveled hair, scraggly beard & dazed eyes. He smelled of beer, the beach & body odor. But the church people looked beyond the surface & lovingly offered the stranger a seat in the meeting.
Later they found out that this guy had never been in a church before. He had been kicked out of his house by his parents & was living in the garage, sleeping on a cot. He existed on a six pace & corn chips during the day & drugs at night. He was useless to society, but the members of the congregation decided not useless to God. The people decided not to
lose contact with him. They practiced the Rules of Love. Steve, the homeless person, could not get over their love & concern. He had never known such attention. He realized these people cared! Slowly the walls around Steve's life began to crumble. Steve began to change all on his own; nothing forced. He changed from within first. His attitude changed.
His habits changed. His language changed. His appearance then began to change. He even changed his clothes. His huge hunger for God & for God's word knew no bounds. He decided to go back to work... then to return to school. He made things right with his family. Love totally won this young man. He entered seminary & ultimately graduated. He then began to minister in Southern California. Love never fails. It draws like a magnet.
Gal 5:6 - "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Words are not substitutes for deeds of love.
What we preach is best illustrated by what we practice.

Gk Philosopher - observed 2nd century Christians. "They love one another. They do not over look the widow or the orphan. They take strangers under their roof. Whenever one of their poor has died, each of them according to his ability contributes ungrudgingly, and they bury
him. If some are condemned or imprisoned on account of the name of their Lord, they contribute and send to them what they need and if it is possible, they redeem them. If there is any that is a slave or a poor man, they fast 2 or 3 days and what they were going to set before themselves they send to them, considering themselves to give good cheer
even as they were called to good cheer."
3. Separation - Purity-Personal holiness
World = Kosmos - society without God - pagan society That which is in opposition to God & righteousness.
Our admonition - 1 Jn 2:15
Polluted - Aspilos = a -"without" spilos - "spot"
Examples: 1 Pet 1:19 "precious blood of Christ , a lamb without blemish or spot."
1 Tim 6:14 - "keep commandment without spot or blame."

The world wants to spot the Christian Lot
1. James 4:4-Friendship with the world He "pitched" toward Sodom (13:12)
2. 1 Jn 2:15-17-Don't love the world He moved into Sodom (14:12)
3. Rom 12:1,2-Don't conform to this world Sodom moved into him -Lost his testimony (19:44)
4. 1 Cor 11:32-Being judged so as to not be condemned Lot lost everything (19:23-25)

Purity is not only a personal matter, but also a group project.
Striving for it is not for the purpose of man's glory, but God's.
It is His name that is at stake in the final analysis.
We need to get hold of this concept. It is not legalism.
It is a brother or sister helping another brother of sister out of aditch. We must champion purity (Swind - Grip pg. 67)

Conclusion:
Genuine religion is a life changing force.

In the context of your speech, is it critical or full of gossip? Take it captive. Refrain from participation.
Confess it.

In the context of service do you convey a genuine compassion for your brothers & sisters? Do you have a burden for those who are lost?

In the context of separation are you slipping morally? Confess it to God. Be accountable to others.