This is Pure Religion: Faith that Loves

This is Pure Religion

Introduction

Open your Bible to James 1:27, We will be looking at Chapter 1 Verse 27 to Chapter 2 Verse 4.

Very happy that it is not my job to invent exciting ideas that loosely tie to a passage of scripture. Rather, together we can dive in and see what the word of God says, hoping to find the truth of it by God’s grace, nothing more or less than what it teaches.

Last time we heard that there is a worthless way to practice religion. James let us know that we can tell if someone is practicing a worthless religion by how well they bridle their tongue. The speech of a person is a good measure of their heart. Jesus said,

Matthew 15:11 ESV

it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Today, we will learn from James that true, what James calls pure and undefiled, religion is demonstrated with actions. Actions that exemplify who God is and what Jesus has done for his redeemed elect.

It should be an absurd idea to us that we could encounter Jesus, the savior, and the price he paid, in the power of his resurrection and be unmoved into action.

I have used the fire analogy and I’ll use it here again. If a person believes the building is on fire that belief will create action in them. They will at least exit the build with haste.

If a person believes in the gospel that will produce in them action.

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (I’ll just call it The 1689 from now on), that we subscribe to, explains how faith is not disconnected from what we do, our works like this.

Chapter 11 article 2 reads,

“Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.”1

That last statement that faith “works by love” is import to us today in understanding the text that is before us. God willing we will be able to draw out the meaning in our time today.

Let Read the Text

Here the word of the Living and True God

James 1:27–2:4 ESV

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. My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 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, 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,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

May God bless the reading of His Word

Lets Pray

Body

Main Body Division 1

Text

James 1:27 ESV

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.

Explanation

Religion versus relationship

The Study of Religion is the study of how humanity responds to God.

If you have a relationship with God through Christ, but don't have a religion that comes from that, you are a contradiction.

God is the judge of what is pure and undefiled religion.

“Before God the Father.”

What God looks at and is pleased with.

“Because it is his nature.” In Deut. 10:18; Psa 9:18; 68:5; 146:9 and many other places God calls himself the protector of the Fatherless and the Widow and he calls his people to emulate him.

The scriptures use the picture of the fatherless and the widow as an example because they are helpless. They are not going to be able to reward you for helping them.

The motive is not to get recognition. It is done out of a true love for Christ and others.

The 1698 says “works by love”

If we have faith we will have love that does not seek a reward.

We already have all that we need in Christ and his salvation of us.

4. Unstained from the world

We are not only called to the fatherless and widow, but every good thing that is consistent with the charter of God.

John Calvin commenting on James 1:27 said,

“James then teaches us that religion is not to be estimated by the pomp of ceremonies; but that there are important duties to which the servants of God ought to attend.”2

Application

It is vitally important that we know who God is because God’s nature is the definition of what is good.

Let me say that again in a different way.

If we want to know what good is, we need to know God’s nature.

If we want to stand pure and undefiled before God the Father we must know God as he has revealed himself.

Transition

The theme of showing that we know God, by having a faith that loves, is continued on in the next verse. Let’s look at Chapter 2 verse one.

Main Body Division 2

Text

James 2:1 ESV

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Explanation

“Brothers”

This instruction is for believers.

“Show no partiality”

Partiality is the antithesis, the opposite, of love.

Doing something in partiality means having a motive for our actions.

a motive that is not based in our love for Christ and others believers

“the Lord of glory”

Why does James add, “the Lord of glory” here?

When we show partiality we are seeking a glory that is not Christ’s

Application

Christ’s Glory is never out matched.

If we want to avoid partiality we should not try to be impartial. We cannot do that. Rather, what we need to do here have a higher and and better view of God, in Christ.

The more we know about what Christ has done and his glory, the dimmer and of less value the things of the world look.

The reason James adds the words “Lord of Glory” is that when we see Christ for how glorious he is, everything else looses its luster.

Just stop and think about Christs glory for a moment, He is…

Creator

Sinless

Victor of death in the Resurrection

Accession

Redeemer

Mediator

King of kings and Lord of lords.

I could go on, but the point is that you don't need anything but a higher and better view of Christ to overcome all the stains of the world.

If your faith lacks, your view of Christ is lacking.

Call to God for a greater view of Christ today.

Transition

In the next 2 verses James gives us an practical example of partiality. Let us look at those verses now.

Main Body Division 3

Text

James 2:2–3 ESV

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, 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,”

Explanation

Rich and Poor

An example of the kind of partiality James addressing in his day.

Outward appearance

Cloths, Ring, skin color, part of town they come from, where they work.

Gonna throw another scripture at you.

Jesus said,

John 7:24 ESV

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

b. Another quote from John Calvin might help our understanding here.

Calvin says,

James “means that the respect of persons is inconsistent with the faith of Christ, so that they cannot be united together, and rightly so; for we are by faith united into one body, in which Christ holds the primacy.” 3

Application

We can use what James says here as a test for ourselves. When someone comes through the doors of this church, we need to ask ourselves, how are we judging this person? We need to be asking ourselves, what are our motives? Are they consistent with what God would judge as “Religion that is pure and undefiled?” Moreover, what are our motives for this community? Do we love them enough to get the gospel out of those doors? These are definitional questions.

Dr. Voddie Baucham often says, “if you cannot say Amen, say ouch.”

I am not going to hid it from you brothers and sisters, I have had to say ouch a few times examining myself over these things this week. It’s not bad to have to say ouch. It’s bad to say ouch and then do nothing about it.

Translation

I think verse 4 makes it clear for us to understand that when James says partiality he means as judging with an ungodly standard. Let’s look at the last verse for today. James 2 verse 4.

Main Body Division 4

Text

James 2:4 ESV

have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Explanation

It’s a rhetorical question,

The answer is yes, if we have made distinctions among ourselves, we have become judges with evil thoughts.

“judges with evil thoughts”

Notice the contrast between 1:27 and 2:4.

In 1:27 God and his nature are the dividing line.

God is the one making the judgement about what is right

The difference between the righteous judgement that Jesus talked about in John 7:24 and judgement with evil hearts is love, as defined in scripture.

Love of the Christ of scripture

Love of others as defined in scripture

Those that possess faith, will demonstrate, not perfectly, but they will show evidence of this kind of impartial love for Christ and his glory.

Illustration

Perhaps a illustration that is from our lives here.

Those trees we just planted. They say something about our intent for this place. They say, we are here to stay, we are invested in this place and we want to do our best for this place while we are here.

Application

The actions of a person are just like those planted trees. The actions of a person, demonstrate a commitment to Christ or they don’t. We need to reflect on our actions in the light of the word regularly.

Conclusion

Four points to remember

If we are to live in a pure and undefiled way before God the Father, we must live constantly with his nature. This means we need to know who God is.

Showing partiality is the opposite of love. Partiality is loving the things of the world more than we love the things of God. We love what God loves and we hate what God hates. Period.

Distinctions are for the word, doctrine is for the church. Let us never divide over our preferences. Let the word of God be the only sharp dividing sword here.

The way to overcome partiality is to see Christ as “the Lord of Glory.” The more glorious Christ is to us, the more we will see the fake glory from the world for what it is: It’s fake, it is dead, and it is evil to give the glory of the world honor above Christ.

Lets Pray

References

1. R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2484.

2. John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 299.

3. John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 301.

Bibliography

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.

Calvin, John, and John Owen. Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.