True Religion

Our Theme for 2023 is Life in the Spirit.

This week we continue our series of “Hot Topics”

Hot topics are messages that you requested.

Last week’s Hot Topic was called “Be Strong in the Lord”

We talked about our identity and confidence coming from who God made us to be.

And we talked about how walking in the fear of the Lord helps us to navigate all of the other voices that would try to sway us.

This week’s Hot Topic is a verse from the book of James.

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

This person wrote, “religion our God accepts” how does this differ from the world’s view?

What is true religion?

Religion is notoriously difficult to define.

James is using a word here that is not often used in the Bible, but is frequently seen in Greek literature to refer to people who are zealous for a particular deity.

If you study world religions you will discover that some people believe in many gods and even among those who are monotheistic (believe in one God) there are very different ideas about God and how to properly worship Him.

That is the essence of religion - devoting yourself to a higher being or a higher purpose - and ordering your life in such a way as to please them and invoke their help.

In many parts of the world, as a Christian, other people would understand you to be a devotee of Jesus - He is your chosen God whom you follow.

In fact, we believe that there is only one God

and He chose us before we chose Him

and that Jesus is the completely unique expression of God, who is also equal to God.

But all of that aside - I believe James chose this word because he wanted to talk about the practice of our faith.

What kind of religion is James talking about here?

It’s not just about faith - which is the word that the Bible uses far more that the word “religion”

It’s is also about the actions which accompany faith and which are derived from faith.

It is specifically about the application side of faith - how do we worship God appropriately and correctly with our lives.

What kind of action does our faith produce?

What is the logical outcome of our world view?

What kind of person do we become as a result of our faith?

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

This one verse is a kind of summary statement for James’ entire letter - so we will be touching on a number of other passages in James.

James says that the marks of true religion - devotion to the One True God - are:‌

An active faith.

A sustainable life of service.

And a genuine attitude of humility.

Active Faith

James 2:14–17 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Faith is worthless without action.

One of the tenants of Protestantism is that we are saved by faith alone.

Martin Luther said that, and he meant that you can’t buy your way into heaven with either money or good deeds.

BTW, Luther didn’t like the book of James very much - he much preferred Paul’s letters.

The Apostle Paul makes a similar claim about following the Jewish ceremonial laws.

Galatians 2:16 ESV

16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

The context of Paul’s remark is to the Apostle Peter who is visiting the Antioch church but who doesn’t eat with the Gentiles - following the Jewish ceremonial law of not eating with those who are “unclean.”

Gentile believers are just as “saved” as Jewish believers.

Paul calls Peter out for believing one thing but practicing another.

James is also pointing out that you can’t say one thing and do another.

Faith and works go together.

We are saved bay faith in Jesus Christ alone - good works won’t get you to heaven.

But on the other hand, if you claim to be saved, born again and regenerated by the Spirit - but there is no change in your life - that doesn’t add up!

The Bible calls it bearing fruit.

Luke 6:43–45 ESV

43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Good fruit is the natural result of a healthy tree.

What you see on the outside is an indication of what is on the inside.

Good works can’t make you good - but they can show that you are good.

They should be an indication that faith is at work on the inside making you want to do what is right.

The take-away from this should be that faith in Christ naturally produces a spiritual transformation which leads to a changed life - and if it doesn’t, that’s a problem!

Belief and practice should not be separated.

There's a bit of history that I learned in seminary about the American church which explains a lot about why the American church is so divided.

It explains why Christians practice religion differently.

In the 1800’s the enlightenment in Europe had led to the theological field of ‘higher criticism’ which means that Bible scholars were not just studying the text to see what is says, but they were forming opinions (sometimes educated guesses) about who wrote what and when.

It was a rather subjective so-called ‘science’ and some were even discarding portions of scripture as later additions because they didn’t believe in prophecy or miracles.

This was rocking the world of theology that some would dare to question the truth of the scripture.

The church responded in one of two ways - orthodoxy and orthopraxis.

Much of the mainstream church decided that the value of the scriptures was in their ability to inspire more than their inspiration.

“So what if Isaiah didn’t really write half of his book or if most of the miracles in the Bible were exaggerations; it’s still truth if it speaks to you!”

In this way of thinking, it’s all about the outcome - love each other and do good works.

The emphasis is on “right practice” or orthopraxis.

Whatever you believe is fine as long as you do the right things.

Conservative scholars, on the other hand, put a great deal of effort into defending the authority and inspiration of the scriptures against the assertions that were being made.

For the most part, they have been successful and it has led to a deeper and richer understanding of the scripture.

But during this time, some decided to prioritize the doctrines that they would defend - they became know as ‘fundamentalist.”

There are five ‘fundamentals” such as the virgin birth, the authority of scripture and substitutionary atonement that they would defend at all cost. (not all lists were the same)

They emphasized “right belief” or orthodoxy.

So what’s the problem?

In choosing between right belief and right practice, making one more important, it implies that the other is less important.

Two things got separated that should never be separated.

As a result, we have churches today who judge your spirituality based on their doctrinal statement and serving the community is somehow optional.

And on the other side we have churches who teach things the Bible never taught, nor would Moses, Jesus or Paul - but it’s OK, because they are ‘just being nice’.

What you believe is important - and what you do is also important!

The Mennonite tradition that our church came out of has tried to be somewhere in the middle, but more and more churches are moving to one side or another.

The worst thing about the culture wars today is that people are becoming so polarized that is is forcing churches to chose between a political position and reaching people.

I don’t want to have to choose between upholding the truth of God’s Word and helping a person who is not living the way I believe they should.

Later in our Hot Topics series we had several questions about how to witness to certain groups of people and I hope to address this in a balanced way that communicates both truth and love.

We want to love God with all our heart, mind and soul but that naturally leads to loving and valuing people who are created in His image- more on that later.

Sustainable Service

James 2:1–5 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Religion is worthless without service.

This is where religion becomes real.

Does the world see you as a follower of Jesus?

Are sinners and unsavory characters like tax collectors among your friends?

Are you attracting the sick, the hurting and the broken who are in need of healing?

Are you making a difference in the lives of people around you?

If you love God and you are devoted to serving God, then you will be concerned about the things that are important to God.

We worship God and we tell Him how much we love Him.

We say things like, “God, I just want to know your heart!”

Do you want to know God? Then learn to love what He loves.

When you like someone you start to care about the things that interest them, because that is what is going to make them fell closer to you.

What does God love? What does He care about? What is most on His mind?

It’s the lost! God’s heart is for the lost in this world!

Read the parables of Luke 15.

The good shepherd leaves the 99 to go after the one.

The woman calls her neighbors to celebrate a lost coin.

The father runs to greet the lost son.

In Romans Paul says that he would be cursed if it would save Israel.

Is that just Paul being dramatic?

Or does he have the heart of Jesus?

Did you know that there is a really cool play on words in the Bible between worship and service?

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

And in another translation

Romans 12:1 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Do you know why the difference? Because worship and service are the same word in Greek and Hebrew!

We serve God by worshipping Him and we worship God by serving.

Do you know what this means for our concept of religious practice?

The idea that ideas or belief is somehow superior to our actions or our service is unbiblical!

The idea that spiritual worship is somehow better or different than serving people or vice versa is also wrong.

The people who serve in the church are just as important as those who study the scriptures.

There is no hierarchy of religious importance - it’s all important as it is all done unto the Lord!

Honoring God means honoring His image.

We know that all of humanity is created in God’s image and has inherent value, just by virtue of being human.

Society in the days of the first Apostles was not that way.

There were definite categories of people and social classes.

Everybody was taught to “know your place.”

It is still like that in many parts of the world today.

Rich people expect preferential treatment.

Poorer people are expected to know their place.

Which means some people are left just trying to survive.

James says that when we think like that we are complicit in the corruption of the world.

James 2:4 CEV

4 That is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.

A crooked judge judges the person, not the situation.

A crooked judge is more interested in the outcome than in justice.

A crooked judge doesn’t care about what’s right or fair, he’s going to rule whichever way is going to improve his position.

Is that how we treat people; like they exist to meet our needs and desires?

If that is how you think about people then just remember that there is always someone higher on the food chain looking at you the same way!

That’s not how it works in God’s Kingdom.

Everybody here is somebody who is known and loved by God.

God has no favorites - we are all His favorites!

We are all part of one another - interconnected across every social category.

The people who are honored here are the ones who serve.

Compassion works best in a community.

I know that there are people today who say that we should redistribute the wealth - make the rich people give their money to help the poor.

There are some who who even claim that its Biblical.

Acts 2:44–46 ESV

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Doesn’t that sound great! It get even better...

Acts 4:34–35 ESV

34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

It sounds like Socialism! - except is wasn’t.

It was completely voluntary! - nobody was making them do it!

It was happening in the context of community.

This wasn’t a government program - this was people sharing because the people who had more than enough were in in relationship with and saw those who had needs.

Nobody was being coerced or manipulated to give and nobody was being taken advantage of - it was just simple love in action.

When I travel I spend time with people who are living in different socio-economic conditions than what we have in America.

The first thing that we establish is that our relationship is not about money - there is nothing promised and nothing expected.

Our fellowship is around the Lord Jesus Christ and we honor each other as equals in Christ to the best of our ability.

In the Hopewell Network that means that we show our International guests hospitality when they come here - we see that all of their needs are taken care of when they are with us.

But they do that same thing for us in their country and in their economy.

It’s a matter of giving them the dignity of providing hospitality for us just as we do for them.

Dignity in relationship is more important than money - we cannot function as equals if we cultivate a dependency on outside resources.

It’s not good for us or for them - because we can’t promise that we will always be there.

It’s not compassionate if it is unsustainable - we are setting them up to fail.

When we do give, it is toward projects that will help increase their capacity for self-sufficiency.

We want to invest in things that will help them to develop streams of income that will also benefit their communities.

We give where we see initiative, not helplessness.

We give where we see that people are Kingdom minded, helping them, helps them help others.

And one more thing, because I know this message goes online and we have people watching from all over the world.

I regularly get requests form people who want to partner with me in ministry.

And I have some invitations that are probably genuine from people doing good work for the Lord, but I can’t accept all of them because I am already invested in long-term relationships that I value and want to maintain; and I can only maintain so many relationships.

It’s not just about serving; but serving in a way that is sustainable.

If I spread myself too thin, I may not be able to keep my commitments and that is not honoring to other people or to the Lord.

The best way to meet those needs, is not to throw money at them, but to cultivate community where we give mutually as we are led by the Lord in the context of an ongoing relationship.

Genuine Humility

James 3:13–18 ESV

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

If religion is about devoting yourself to following God then the kind of person you become will show people what kind of God you are serving.

What are your motives?

What is in your heart?

What does the fruit or the evidence suggest?

How is true religion different from the worlds view?

Fallen humanity is wired for self-preservation, self- protection, and self- promotion.

The world is self- focused - even their good deeds are done to look good.

People try to be good to feel better about themselves - it’s selfish!

Only God loves in a way that is truly self-sacrificing and other-focused.

We don’t learn that from the world around us.

That comes from devoting our lives to God.

James goes on to talk about listening more than talking.

He talks about reigning in our anger and our hatred.

We need to confront our selfish pride and ambition.

None of that is from God - its not true religion.

That is the way of the world around us.

Let’s look at this verse again:

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

What is the action step that this verse is suggesting?

Use your power to help the powerless.

Why do you think God gives you good things - just so you can enjoy them?

Yes, so you can enjoy them, but also to share them.

If God prospers you financially, isn’t that so you can bless others?

If God gives you skills and abilities, isn’t that also for the building up of others?

What if God gives you power or influence? Wouldn’t that be to speak on behalf of those who are oppressed?

We all have a certain amount of power or ability. What if we used our power to to lift others up? Wouldn’t that give honor and glory to God?

Widows and orphans are mentioned as examples of people who are at the bottom of the social class system.

A widow in that society had no means of getting by unless she either had been left with some money or family to take care of her.

Orphans ether lost their parents or were abandoned by them.

These are people whose survival is dependent on the generosity of others.

And that is why they are mentioned as the test of true devotion.

What are you willing to do for someone who can not do anything for you?

Are you willing to enter into their suffering? Are you willing to be made uncomfortable?

Jesus told the host of a banquet who he thought should be invited to the feast.

Luke 14:12–14 ESV

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

We all know how it works - you give a favor and you are owed a favor.

But if you really believe in God - a compassionate God who is looking out for those who have no one else.

Wouldn’t it be better to to have God’s favor and earn His interest?

There is one more thing that I want to point out about James 1:27

James 1:27 (ESV)

... and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

This statement seems out of place.

What do you think it means?

If it means to avoid sinners and people who might spoil your good reputation - then it would be just the opposite of what has been said so far.

Who is ‘the world’?

Certainly not the widows and the orphans (or the poor, the crippled, etc)

Avoid people who avoid responsibility.

It’s the people that think they have it all together that you have to watch out for!

The irony of true religion is that you need to beware of religious people.

Not religious in the sense of devoted to God, but religious in the sense of practicing a form of religion - or what looks like religion.

Avoid people who care too much about what other people think of them.

Or who care more about what other people think than about what God thinks.

They want to be known as godly, but they don’t want the responsibility of doing what God does.

They don’t want to deal with messy people.

They don’t really care about the poor, the oppressed or the lost - unless they can throw money at it to alleviate their guilt.

Don’t let yourself be soiled by people who aren’t willing to get dirty.

James is essentially taking a common religious expression and turning it around.

Jews who were familiar with the OT law knew that to be unclean was to be ritually impure and unwelcome in the Presence of God.

The things that could make a person unclean, things like blood, were to to be avoided.

Jesus came touching and healing people with diseases and demonstrating that His blood makes people clean.

We are not afraid of death touching us because we have His life in us!

True religion is just the opposite of the world’s idea of religion.

It’s not about right belief or right practice - its about faith and works together producing righteous fruit.

It’s not a hierarchy of some people being better than others - it’s relating in mutually honoring relationship and serving each other in mutually beneficial ways.

And most of all its having the humility to embrace those who are hurting and who might not seem to have anything to contribute and giving them a place at the table in honor of the One who gave Himself for us.

Questions for reflection:

How is your faith/works balance? Is your religion mostly a head thing? Or are you just going through the motions? Is your faith alive and bearing fruit naturally?

Do you measure yourself against other people? Do you idolize some people and look down on others? Is religion supposed to be a competition? How can you help someone else win?

Who or what are you truly worshipping? Do you care more about what other people think or what God thinks? What kind of devotion does your service demonstrate?