James 1:26-27

Today we’ll be continuing to look at the book of James. In order for us to understand today’s context, I’d just like to review the previous two passages that we looked at, in order for us to gain a better understanding of today’s passage.

In verses 19-21, James told us that we are to receive the Word. James (Howard) had talked about how we needed to put ourselves in the position of being exposed to the Word, whether by reading it or hearing sermons, etc. We were able to see from that passage the importance of receiving the Word.

In verses 22-25, James told us that receiving the Word doesn’t mean merely hearing, or coming in contact with the Word. He qualified his statement by saying that we need to be doers of the Word. We talked about the importance of spending time in the Word - that we must first meditate on the Word of God before we can do the Word of God.

Today we’re going to learn what it means to ‘do’ the Word of God. We’ve established the great importance in taking in the Word of God through meditation, but today we’re going to learn what doing the Word of God is and isn’t.

JAMES 1:26-27

I) Religion - what is it?

In studying this passage, I have to admit that I was perplexed as to why James would use the word ‘religion’ here. I grew up in an environment where that word was almost a dirty word. I was always taught to juxtapose religion with faith. I’d hear people saying about others that such and such a person wasn’t a Christian, they were merely religious. Due to this prevalent attitude in my upbringing, I find myself becoming uncomfortable with this word ‘religion.’

But what is it that James is talking about when he says ‘religion,’ and why is it that he uses this word instead of a more spiritual word like ‘faith.’ In order for us to answer that question, we need to take 2 things into consideration: the meaning of the word religion, and the context in which it’s placed.

The meaning of the word ‘religion’

This word caused me all kinds of problems in my study of the passage. It’s only found 5 times in the entire NT - 3 of those in this book! The other 2 passages are Acts 26:5 and Col. 2:18.

ACTS 26:5

Take notice here that he is identifying the Jewish belief system as a ‘religion.’ What was it about the Jewish belief system that qualifies it as a ‘religion?’ What united the Jewish people? The centrepiece of Jewish worship was the temple in Jerusalem, and the extensive list of practices that they had to perform. Males had to be circumcised. They had to rest on the Sabbath. They needed to remember the festivals. They needed to offer sacrifices in a certain way. It can be said quite concretely that the Jewish people were united in certain rites/practices which were used in worshipping the God they believed in. The Pharisees, of which Paul was a part, was the strictest sect of that religion. They adhered to the most rigourous of external practices.

COL. 2:18

Notice in this passage that the word ‘religion’ is translated as ‘worship.’ This passage speaks of those who are given to asceticism and worshipping angels. Their ‘worship’ is actually a series of rites and practices in which they show their devotion to angels.

The lexical definition of the word is this:
expression of devotion to transcendant beings, esp. as it expresses itself in cultic rites

The word itself, then, is representative of a system of practices intended to show devotion to a particular being. Now that we have a good understanding of what the word means, let’s look into the context of how James uses it.

The context of James’ usage of the word ‘religion’

Remember that in verse 22 James tells us to be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. Verses 23-25 show the importance of meditating on the Word and taking it into our hearts. Verses 26-27 continue the thread of ‘doing’ the Word. James is writing to primarily Jewish believers, and so they would have a natural respect for the rites/traditions of the Jewish belief system. We saw in the book of Acts what a struggle the early Church had with severing the old way of doing things. James is now using a word which very deliberately and pointedly highlights the external, visible mode of worship, and he will contrast that with what God says is true religion.

II) What religion is not

As we move into our next consideration, I have to confess that I’ve always been baffled at the Christians I was taught to look up to. I grew up in a conservative church, and the lives of most of the leaders were squeaky clean. That’s not a bad thing. What always baffled me though, was the favourite past-time of those who were supposed to be spiritual giants. It seemed like there was always whispering going on. ‘Did you hear about so-and-so?’ Gossip. Non-stop gossip. Praising the God of heaven with a loud voice while whispering about His children out of the side of their mouth.
It seems to me that this is a serious problem within the church. The classic, caricature of the ‘preacher’s wife,’ is that she’s the town’s gossip. It just doesn’t make any sense; and James is telling us it shouldn’t. He says quite clearly (1:26).
Admittedly, he’s not simply talking about gossip. He’s talking about all kinds of sins. Lately God has really been working on my heart over my attitude while driving. I get angry when I drive. Really angry. And that anger sometimes works itself out in unkind words.
Col. 3:8-9 give a pretty good list of these kinds of sins.

These are the kinds of things that show us the inner character or a man or woman. What’s sad, and a little frightening, about this is that this is a test for people who think they are walking closely with the Lord. If they find themselves not able to have a command over their tongue, James says that they are deceiving their own hearts.
Here, I’d like to offer a very clear explanation of a very difficult statement. James is not saying that a slip of the tongue is an evidence that you are not a Christian. He’s saying that a regular habit of being given to gossip, slander, etc. is an evidence that your external practices don’t emerge from a heart close to God. A person who regularly is given to such things is not a ‘doer’ of the word, and is deceived. Remember in 1 John we learn that Christians will sin, and that includes sins of the tongue, but it’s if we find ourselves in the regular habit of sinning that we ought to start examining ourselves and see if we really are in the faith.
This really is the point that James is making here, is that we needn’t look solely to the practices of prayer, meditation, singing praises, fasting, etc. to show us where we stand in the sight of God. Simply doing these external ‘spiritual’ practices, doesn’t mean that we are children of God. If there is evidence to the contrary, if we notice that we’re really critical of people, ungracious, quick to anger and so on, then we ought to examine ourselves and see where we really stand before the Lord. Our belief in the Lord will ultimately show itself not only in the ‘spiritual’ rites/traditions that we perform (the use of the word ‘religion’), but that ultimately our faith will work itself out in very particular ways. In verse 27, he gives us 2 things which show ‘pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God.’

God’s view of religion

Notice that he’s careful to point out that this is God’s view. It’s not his own desire of what his Christian brothers’ lives would look like, it’s God’s view on the matter. Whenever we see in Scripture how God views something, we should always pause and listen carefully to what he has to say. And what does God have to say?

Caring for the needy

He says that a true Christian will ‘visit orphans and widows in their distress.’ This statement really hits home. God says that if we truly are affected by the Word of God, that we’ll visit orphans and widows in their distress. This is something that I haven’t done a whole lot in my life, and quite frankly I don’t know many Christians who do. If we really are in the Word of God though - if we really know the Word of God intimately - we won’t be surprised one bit by this statement.

JOB 31:16-17; PSALM 146:9; ISAIAH 1:17,23

This is a recurring theme in the Word of God. The fatherless and the widow have a special place in the heart of the LORD. Certainly this call is to be literally fulfilled by us, however, we understand that orphans and widows are a picture of the needy. James is talking about these two classes of people in a way that is inclusive of more than just these two classes. He’s not saying that true religion cares only for orphans and widows, but is using orphans and widows to represent the needy. And who fits that category? This is the question that we need to answer. Certainly orphans and widows are in this category, and so we should be looking to care for them. ICC has an orphan ministry that goes once a month to visit with the orphans. This is an important ministry and truly faithful to the Word of God. What are some other types of needy people, though, and why does James use orphans and widows to represent the needy?
It’s hard to think of a more desperate situation than being either without parents, or being a woman without a husband. This is highlighted much more when we think about what the life of an orphan or widow would’ve looked like in James’ time. Widows wouldn’t have had access to pension funds. They would be on their own to provide for themselves. Having relied on their husbands to provide for them before they died, more than likely they wouldn’t have acquired any kind of craft/skill with which they could earn a decent wage. It would be hard living as a widow at the time this letter was written.
Orphans are probably in a much more desperate situation. This has become emphatically illustrated to me by the birth of our daughter. She depends on us for everything! Sometimes when we’re not in the room with her she’ll start to cry. Her crying won’t cease until she sees either her mother or I’s face, which upon seeing, she smiles. It’s amazing to me that she already seems to know love and recognizes those who are there to comfort and support her.
An orphan is not only bereft of material provisions, but they also lack the comfort, guidance and spiritual care that a parent provides. There’s nobody for them to teach them. No one to point them to the Word of God and teach them how to walk in His ways.
These people are truly needy. They really are in need of the love, care and comfort of righteous people. Recently my wife and I were part of a Truth Project small group study. In the last episode, we talk about community. Without giving too much away, I’d like to talk about an important concept that we learned. God’s commands stem from His nature. His actions as well stem from His nature. He says that He supports the fatherless and widows. It’s part of His very nature to care after those who need it. This is the reason He saved us - because we needed it. He works patiently with our broken and battered souls, and He has compassion on the lowliest of people. This is exactly why we should also care for the needy around us. God’s nature is compassionate, and we also should be compassionate to widows and orphans.
Not only widows and orphans, but also all others who have real, felt needs. The sick, the lonely, the outcast, the person nobody wants to talk to. What does it say about our character when we exhibit an aversion to these kinds of people. Are we comfortable when we’re these people? I referenced George Muller last week. George Muller was a man who devoted his life to helping orphanages. He opened 4 orphanages and cared for more than 1,000 fatherless children. He wasn’t naturally disposed to be with the truly needy; if you read his autobiography he talks about how he spent his youth in selfish sin. But God changed Him, and that change worked itself out in his life.
One final thought on this subject. A lot of people have the idea that if they give their money to organizations which help the poor or to their churches to help the poor that they are fulfilling God’s command. Nothing could be further from the truth. While giving to the poor is a good thing, it doesn’t replace spending time with those who have a poverty of spirit. Notice that James says visiting orphans and widows in the time of their distress. That means spending time with them when they need it. There is more to be done than just giving from your wallet. This may be why the poor are left off of this list, because James is not speaking of finances. We need to give of ourselves to these people who need it. Recognize the needy around you and visit with them… tend to their needs.
I used to visit nursing homes with an elder at the church I grew up in. I never really put much weight into going, because the people we met with never really engaged in great conversation. I never really realized how much it meant for them that I was there, spending time with them. We need to think very seriously about how we can reach out to the needy around us - not just financially.

Keeping free of the world’s mindset

There are a lot of people though, who feel a sense of responsibility for the needy, but who are certainly not regenerate Christians. This is why God tells us that we also need to be ‘unstained by the world.’ What He’s telling us here is that we need to live holy lives and have a mind that is filtered through the Word of God, and not tainted by worldy viewpoints. The holiness aspect of this is something that we’ve talked about many times in our church, and it’s really something that we ought to know. We need to live lives of holiness and purity. We are called to live by a higher standard than the culture around us.
But this passage is saying more than just that. James is also telling us that our minds need to be free from worldly influence. In our day we’re seeing a real battle of worldviews, and I have to admit that I’m sometimes very pessimistic about our generation of Christians. There have been many times that I’ve been talking with a Christian about social issues or moral issues and just thought to myself, ‘What are you saying!?!?! You’re supposed to be a Christian!!!’ It’s puzzling to me how a generation of people who say they believe the Bible and all that’s written in it, are so apathetic towards knowing what’s written in it, and towards shaping their worldview by it. The Bible speaks to every major area of our lives, and we need to be careful to form our ideas of the world based on what we see in Scripture.




If you’re sitting here today and are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit by His Word, that’s a good thing. Do not let this opportunity pass. Submit to the Holy Spirit and seek out those areas in your life which need to be changed. Seek out the areas of your thinking which is not in line with the Bible. Seek out the areas of your life that are impure and unholy. Seek out ways in which you can help the needy around you. Pray for the grace of God to have a controlled tongue. If you’re unconfident about your spiritual position before the Lord, or are feeling guilty about the way you live your life, I challenge you today to take time to think about these issues. These are the things that God says are the marks of pure and undefiled religion; true faith. If these things are missing from your life, I challenge you to seek out the reason why.