True and Undefiled Religion “Real Life” [James] Series [9] James 1:26-27

IN SEARCH OF TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS] A Double-edged Principle of Self-Deception: 1)Hearing without doing leads to self-deception. “deceiving yourselves…” (vs )  Why? It is obedience [not mere hearing] that brings a spiritual life that pleases God. 2)Doing without inner godliness leads to self-deception. “deceives his heart…” (v. 26)  Why? It is inner godliness that brings true an outer godly life.

IN SEARCH OF TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS] A Twofold Question for Today’s Text (vs.26-27): 1)Inwardly, what is the essence of true and undefiled religion? 2)Outwardly, what is a threefold test for true and undefiled religion?

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 1)Inwardly, the essence of true and undefiled religion is SINCERITY that guards against self-deception. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart… (vs.22,26)

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 1)Inwardly, the essence of true and undefiled religion is SINCERITY that guards against self-deception. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart… (vs.22,26)  The beginning point of the true godliness/religion is the recognition of our depraved heart [i.e., our human propensity for self-deception].

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 1)Inwardly, the essence of true and undefiled religion is SINCERITY that guards against self-deception. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart… (vs.22,26)  The beginning point of the true godliness/religion is the recognition of our depraved heart [i.e., our human propensity for self-deception].  The nature of self-deception requires watchful sincerity and self-examination (it’s easier in deception by others).  The remedy for self-deception [& hidden motives] is to look into the mirror of God’s Word honestly in faith.

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Psalm 19:12 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account Hebrews 4:12-13

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 1)Inwardly, the essence of true and undefiled religion is SINCERITY that guards against self-deception. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart… (vs.22,26)  The beginning point of the true godliness/religion is the recognition of our depraved heart [i.e., our human propensity for self-deception].  The nature of self-deception requires watchful sincerity and self-examination (it’s easier in deception by others).  The remedy for self-deception [& hidden motives] is to look into the mirror of God’s Word honestly in faith.  Therefore, we are to seek relentless sincerity at all times.

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 2)Outwardly, the first test is self-control in speech. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (v.26)  The first test of true godliness is a bridled tongue. Why? The tongue—our speech life—reveals much about the inner condition of our heart.  For this reason, James sets aside an large portion of his letter for this topic of tongue (Chapter 3).  The test of a bridled tongue is on who controls our heart—is it our egoistical self or the Holy Spirit?  Therefore, we are to practice self-control in our speech as an essential part of true Christianity [true godliness].

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:7-8

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 3)Outwardly, the second test is compassionate love shown to the poor and helpless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction… (v.27a)  The second test is to practice ACTIVE LOVE for the poor and helpless—i.e., active love must be the KEY FACTOR.  Why orphans and widows? In antiquity, the two most defenseless and poor people were orphans and widows.

5 "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. Jeremiah 7:5-7

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 3)Outwardly, the second test is compassionate love shown to the poor and helpless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction… (v.27a)  The second test is to practice ACTIVE LOVE for the poor and helpless—i.e., active love must be the KEY FACTOR.  Why orphans and widows? In antiquity, the two most defenseless and poor people were orphans and widows.  Our application may be a bit different but the focus must still be on the poor and defenseless/helpless.  Therefore, we are to show LOVE IN ACTION to the poor and the defenseless/helpless in our world as our true allegiance to God’s heart.

Giving to the Poor: How Much Is Enough? Charity—giving to the poor—is an essential part of Christian morality... Some people nowadays say that charity ought to be unnecessary and that instead of giving to the poor we ought to be producing a society in which there were no poor to give to. They may be quite right in saying that we ought to produce this kind of society. But if anyone thinks that, as a consequence, you can stop giving in the meantime, then he has parted company with all Christian morality. I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I’m afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, and amusement, is up to the standard common of those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things that we’d like to do but cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them. - C. S. Lewis

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 4)Outwardly, the third test is uncompromised godly counter-cultural values. …to keep oneself unstained from the world. (v.27b)  The third test is our spiritual moral purity as the holy people of God.  This purity stems from our commitment to God’s values as the people who are separated from the world (i.e., unadulterated counter-cultural values).  James elaborates this topic in Chapter 4—i.e., friendship with the world is an enmity with God.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

WHAT IS TRUE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION [TRUE GODLINESS]? 4)Outwardly, the third test is uncompromised godly counter-cultural values. …to keep oneself unstained from the world. (v.27b)  The third test is our spiritual moral purity as the holy people of God.  This purity stems from our commitment to God’s values as the people who are separated from the world (i.e., unadulterated counter-cultural values).  James elaborates this topic in Chapter 4—i.e., friendship with the world is an enmity with God.  Therefore, we are to keep OUR PURITY OF GOD’S PEOPLE by being watchful against the worldly values and ways spiritually and morally.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.Inwardly, seek SINCERITY in your motive in serving God and people.  Examine your heart—including any hidden motive.  Purify your heart by seeking only one thing—the will of God.  Surrender the truth in your innermost being to God. 2.Outwardly, pursue LOVE IN ACTION in your relationship with God and people.  Practice in self-control in your speech.  Practice compassionate love for the poor and the helpless.  Practice in uncompromised godly values in lifestyle.