Would you describe yourself as a religious person? I commonly describe myself as a believer or a follower of Christ, because often the term “religious” carries a connotation of someone who is self serving, hypocritical in their lifestyle, or judgmental toward others. Since I want to avoid those pitfalls, I typically emphasize being in a relationship with Jesus as opposed to being a person of religion.
The Bible rarely uses the term “religion,” and most of the usages of the word are cast in a negative light. One scripture reference describes the term in a positive way and it is found in the extremely practical New Testament book written by James. Listen to James’ description of pure religion…
If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:26-27 NLT.
How does James describe “pure religion?” He characterizes it as a way of life in which believers take care of “orphans and widows.” Why are orphans and widows mentioned as the recipients of concern by genuine worshippers of God? Could it be that orphans and widows are people who are not going to be able to “repay” acts of kindness and acts of service? Could it be that the LORD wants his followers to give of themselves to others in selfless expressions of love without ever expecting anything in return?
The other facet of pure religion is “refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Jesus calls his followers to remain in the world and to be a positive influence in the lives of others. And this passage reminds believers to make sure that they are the ones doing the influencing as opposed to being the ones influenced. How about you and me? Are we seeking to influence others in our world? Or are we being influenced by the world around us?
As we examine the Biblical definition of genuine religion … Would you describe yourself as a person of “pure religion?”
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