{"id":840,"date":"2018-02-09T07:52:50","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T15:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=840"},"modified":"2018-02-09T07:52:50","modified_gmt":"2018-02-09T15:52:50","slug":"devotion-james-127-not-like-the-world-but-like-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=840","title":{"rendered":"Devotion James 1:27 Not Like The World, But Like God"},"content":{"rendered":"

James 1:27\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble,\u00a0and\u00a0to keep oneself unspotted from the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Christians we often resist describing ourselves, or accepting a description from others, that we have religion, or are \u201creligious.\u201d\u00a0 The reason we push back against that is we have been taught that religion is what people do to please God and to earn their way to heaven.\u00a0\u00a0 We on the other hand, contrary to other false religions who believe such, hold fast to the teaching of God in His Word that clearly says that if is by faith, and not by works, that we are saved (Ephesians 2:10<\/b>).\u00a0 In view of this, most Christians will say that they are not religious because they don\u2019t not believe that salvation comes from works, but that salvation comes only by having faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, is it true that \u201creligion\u201d should be so narrowly defined?\u00a0 The secular definition is suitably defined as \u201ca specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number or persons or sects.(Dictionary.com)\u00a0 This secular definition describes the word religion not by what they belief and practice, but by what a group of people believe and practice.\u00a0 By that definition Christianity is a religion.\u00a0 Its adherents believe in the sacred proclamation \u201cSola Fide,\u201d or only faith.\u00a0 The definition of religion is not what a group believes but that the group all believe the same.\u00a0 Thus we have the Jewish religion, the Buddhist religion and the Christian religion.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this verse the word religion speaks of worship.\u00a0 It is how God is worshipped externally.\u00a0 It is observably how we live out our religion.\u00a0 It is appropriate that this word (threskeia \u2013 transliteration) is used as James is talking about how we will act, what is observable, of the life of a Christian.\u00a0 In Chapter 1 He states Christians should consider trials pure joy because God is at work within us to bring us to maturity.\u00a0 So a Christian should be joyful as they see the hand of God at work in their live.\u00a0 James also states that Christians don\u2019t seek wisdom from the world but from God. Christians have faith in God that does not waiver, but trusts God.\u00a0 Christians ought to be grateful for their position and accept where God is using them.\u00a0 After all, position, and even life on earth, is temporary.\u00a0 Christians do not accuse God of wrongdoing by attempting to put their temptation of sin as being something that comes from Him.\u00a0 Christians know that God is the fount of all good blessings.\u00a0 Christians know that we are called by God and the salvation of all is by the will and work of God.\u00a0 Christians understand that understanding, judgement and action should be contemplated by who God is and how He has expressed we should live out our lives (In this knowledge He Himself is revealed).\u00a0 Christians should not only read the Bible, but should have it take root in their hearts and remember its words and let the Word change our life so that we are ever increasingly more like Christ.\u00a0 Christians are circumspect about what they say.\u00a0 Christians look after orphans and widows.\u00a0 In all of the above we see that James is describing what Christians believe and how they act.\u00a0 So when James uses the word \u201creligion\u201d it is apt that he does.\u00a0\u00a0 He is speaking about what is the external evidence of Christ within.\u00a0 He is saying that followers of Christ ought to have these evidences of the Holy Spirit within.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

James is saying that those who claim to have a pure (clean, pure, purified by the fiery trials of live, a life pruned by God) and undefiled faith have it testified to by what they do (James 2:26<\/b>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an example of a pure and sincere heart for God James states that the orphans and widows will be cared for.\u00a0 Why is this a sign of God within?\u00a0 It is because as we lovingly, generously and with love guided purpose take care of these we show the heart of God within.\u00a0 The heart of God that offers salvation to all of mankind (2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16<\/b>) knowing that man cannot repay God for His salvation.\u00a0 It is a fee gift from God (Ephesians 2:8<\/b>).\u00a0 The orphans and widows are destitute and cannot repay with money or possessions.\u00a0 The person with the heart of God gives freely, for free, and expects nothing back.\u00a0 That is loving as God loves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To keep oneself from being spotted (unstained) from the world is from loving of God and a passionate desire to be like Him rather than like the world.\u00a0 A testimony of loving God is looking like Him.\u00a0 God is not stained with sin (1 John 3:5<\/b>) and neither should we be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Family, what this verse is trying to relate to us is love like God loves.\u00a0 Give generously, do not withhold good when it is in our power to do good (Proverbs 3:27<\/b>), love fully with a love that meets the need (1 Timothy 6:17<\/b>).\u00a0 If we simply let God shine from us, if we do these things, we will show, in increasing measure, that God lives within us.\u00a0 We do these things not to be saved but because we are saved.\u00a0 Let us be, let us live in such a way.\u00a0 Let us be joyful in living out our faith with God\u2019s love compelling us to live in such a way.\u00a0 Praise God!<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

James 1:27\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble,\u00a0and\u00a0to keep oneself unspotted from the world. As Christians we often resist describing ourselves, or accepting a description from others, that we have religion, or are \u201creligious.\u201d\u00a0 The reason we push back against that is we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[1791,2473,1841,1700,100,94,88,17,2036],"class_list":["post-840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-1-john","tag-2-peter","tag-ephesians","tag-james","tag-john","tag-micah","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm","tag-timothy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=840"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":841,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions\/841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}