Pure Religion - Chapter 2

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." - James 1:27

A Common Oversight

As far back as I can remember, I have heard sermons preached that focus on our need to keep ourselves separate from the world. "We are a peculiar people." This is a basic truth and not to be questioned, as it is directly from the Word of God. Indeed, we are admonished in James to keep ourselves "unspotted" from the world.

Many of us labeling ourselves "Christian" have clung to the latter part of James 1:27, priding ourselves in our distinction from the world. However, James was clear that there are two overlapping aspects of pure, undefiled religion.

While the latter part of verse 27 is emphasized, the former part is often overlooked. "To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction..." The "fatherless and widows" here are meant to be types of anyone who is in need of charity or suffers affliction. Matthew Henry observed that the word "visit", in this context, indicates "all manner of relief which we are capable of giving to others." In other words, we are not to just visit those in need, but we are to give whatever assistance is necessary to alleviate the pain and discomfort of those who are afflicted in any way.

Let's imagine for a moment that those of us (I include myself in this) who claim to be "religious" actually exemplified the true definition of "religion". What kind of churches would we have then?

How many times in the past have we looked disapprovingly on someone who entered our sanctuaries looking disheveled, world-weary, or smelling of alcohol and smoke? How many of us have frowned on the crack addicts we have seen roaming the streets late at night looking for another "fix" for their affliction?

On my way to service last Sunday, I passed a cigarette butt laying outside the door to the church. My first reaction was to think, "Great, what are we gonna do about the person with the smoking problem? We'd better get the air freshener ready!" But God spoke to my spirit and caused me to view that situation in a different light.

We really aren't doing our job of reaching the lost until we regularly see cigarette butts, beer bottles, crack pipes and other questionable paraphernalia outside our church doors. We need more churches that have ashtrays outside the doors and the distinct odor of smoke and alcohol in the sanctuary. We need churches that have more seats in the front for the visitors and fewer reserved parking spaces for deacons and VIP's.

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." - James 2:1-10

We are "guilty of all" if we offend in one point. Wow... what an indictment on the modern-day Church. How can we sit idly by and attend service after service with no one there for the Word of God to reach? Please understand, I am not being sacrilegious. How else do we know we are truly reaching those who are afflicted? Only when we reach the needy and hurting and they become a regular, welcome sight in our churches can we say we're beginning to fulfill the Great Commission.

In my next chapter, we'll cover the attitude the Word of God commands we have toward those in need.