THE PURE AND FAULTLESS RELIGION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

James 1:27

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There are all kinds of religions in the world, a virtual buffet table of them for people to choose from. And one might assume then that each of these religions are competing, one against the other, in order to gain the trust of a believer.

This leads to a quandary for anyone who wishes to commit to some religious belief system and have so many that are promoting themselves as the right one to follow.

So what is a person to do? How can someone find a religion that is absolute truth, the one religion that stands apart from the others and renders them as nothing more than false?

Well, the answer to the question begins by looking to the One who made everything possible, the Father God of all people who made the heavens and earth and all things within each. If you want a perfect answer, ask a perfect God, the only One who can provide such an answer and since we have the inerrant word of God at our disposal, we only need to reference the Bible to find what God calls the one true religion. Look again at these words from the 27th verse of James’ epistle:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

Here we find the guidance we need to assess the world’s religions and find our way to the One God accepts. There are two set criteria:

1. The religion needs to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

We know that widows are men or women who have lost their marital partner. In biblical times, this was a particularly precarious situation for women because often times, they had no means of financial support after their husband passed away. Therefore they needed looked after and this was an expectation in Old and New Testament days.

Orphans on the other hand were arguably dealt and much tougher hand. This is because these children lost their parents, either by way of death or abandonment. Unable to care for themselves, these orphans would need someone to step into the void left by their departed parents and make sure their needs were met.

As we look into the scriptures, we learn how God Himself had made it a priority to assist widows and orphans. Looking at the 68th Psalm, we find these words:

Sing to God, sing in praise of His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before Him—His name is the Lord. A Father to the fatherless, a Defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5

When we take this in context with our devotion verse from James, we can see that the pure and faultless religion we are to follow is the religion where He, the Father to the fatherless and Defender of the widows, is the focal point. We’re to give our worship to the One who cares for orphans and widows perfectly and uses His followers to help Him to that end.

2. Keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This is the second indicator of a pure and faultless religion and since we already established in the prior evaluation of orphans and widows that God is the focal point of such a religion, then we will look at the religion all people should follow based on Him, particularly in light of this second benefit to be gained.

How does one keep themselves from being polluted by the world?

By having help to ensure behaviors are pleasing to God and free from the sin of the world.

Where does that help come from?

God provided it to us in the way of His one and only Son, Jesus.

You see, not only was Jesus sent to save us but also to live a life we can model. Jesus was one with God, He said as much, and so we know that He was just as perfect as His Father. Therefore, if we live as He lived and commit ourselves to that, then we can be assured we’ll be safe from the world’s polluting.

Just to make sure we know what to do since Jesus is no longer with us in person but sitting in the heavens at God’s right hand, we were given the Holy Spirit which leads and guides us to make the right choice every time we have one to make. This was the great Counselor and Advocate Jesus promised that God would send to step into the gap left by His absence, and the Holy Spirit has been working to keep Christian believers on the path of righteousness and holiness ever since biblical times.

You may have caught what I just wrote or maybe you missed it but note that the Holy Spirit is not available for everyone. The only way to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is to first place your belief in Jesus as Savior.

Therefore, the identity of the pure and faultless religion is revealed. It is Christianity, the only religion that places the one true God at its center, the one true God who made it a priority to be a Father to the fatherless and Defender of widows, the one true God who sent His one and only Son to show anyone who puts their trust in Him how to live a life free from the world’s sinfulness, the one true God who also sent the Holy Spirit to take up the work that Jesus started and that Spirit has been leading people to the righteousness and holiness God desires ever since.

If you’re looking for a religion to follow, there are plenty of options but only placing your belief and trust in Jesus as Savior, brings you to the religion that is pure and faultless, the only real true religion.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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