Message from Scripture: 9/2/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Jas. 1:27; “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

 

In our world today, the word religion has fallen on hard times. It has come to represent formalism, something offered out of ritual and therefore empty or void of real meaning. In the Bible, however, the term means to worship, to be pious to a deity. While one can direct worship in the wrong way, and it be meaningless, it is also used of true worship offered to God. Whether it is empty or meaningful depends on where it is directed.

 

James tells us genuine religion includes the heart as well as our actions. It is to have two important elements that make it a valid expression of dedication to God. First, it must be pure, meaning sincere, and upright. It is also to be undefiled, meaning unstained, unsoiled, unpolluted by sin. This is a legitimate expression of commitment and love for our God, as well as our Savior, who offered Himself on our behalf. It is seen in two elements James says are crucial to having a genuine relationship with God. We are to look after, to take care of, those who are most vulnerable, who are having to deal with the pressures and difficulties of life, often without the means or help available to deal with such problems. It is also seen in living a life free from the blemishes and stains of sin, which the world entices us to embrace.

 

We should have a faith that expresses itself in both worship and service to God. It is to be pure as we worship and serve a holy God, and concerned about each other’s needs. This is true fellowship, real love, and kindness that the world rarely expresses. It transforms the lives of those who show it, and those who are its recipients. Today, let’s serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from a pure and undefiled religion, that honors God, blesses us and others, and shows what genuine faith truly is. God bless.

 

Robert