James 1:26-27
James is
a no-nonsense type of guy that writes a no-nonsense type of letter.
It is full of practical truth for everyday living. James emphasizes
how a man behaves over what he believes (vs. 22, 26; 2:18).
Religion
is what man does outwardly for himself. Salvation is what God
does for a man inwardly that he cannot do for himself. Your religion
will show up in your outward life. The word means devotion and
service based on a set of beliefs. What you believe is revealed
by how you live.
Everyone
is religious.
The question
is, is your religion the right kind? (Not denominations)
2 kinds
of religion: Pure (clean; effective) or Vain (useless; ineffective)
"Pure
religion" has nothing to do with rituals, temples, or holy
days.
It is characterized
in the following three ways:
I. How you SPEAK with your TONGUE (1:26).
A. We
are judged by how we walk AND how we talk!
1. The tongue reveals the heart (Mt. 12:34).
A clean heart = clean words.
2. Tongue must be "bridled" (like a "broncin' bronco").
Uncontrolled tongue = uncontrolled life (James 3:1-3).
B. "Death
and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21).
Gossiping tongue = vain
Abusing tongue = vain
Bragging tongue = vain
Lying tongue = vain
Critical tongue = vain
II. How you SPEND your TIME. Unselfish with time and treasure.
A. Helping
those who are vulnerable:
1. The fatherless: Having no father.
2. Widows: HAVING NO PARTNERS
B. Without
help from Family:
1. SLAVERY
2. STEALING
3. STARVING
A father once gave his son a half dollar as his allowance. Later
when he asked his son what he did with it. His son said he loaned
it to someone. "Did you make sure you'd be paid back?"
inquired his father. "Yes, I gave it to a poor beggar
who looked hungry!" "That was dumb. You'll
never get it back!" "But Dad, I read in the Bible,
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and
that which he hath given will he pay him again" (Prov.
19:17).
Thinking this over, the Christian father was so pleased that he
gave his son another half dollar! "Wow!" said
the boy. "Thank-You, Lord. I knew You'd pay me back; I just
didn't think You'd pay me back so soon!"
III. How you SEPARATE from TEMPTATION (1:27b). "the world" = society without God. Worldly values = passion/pleasure (the lust of the flesh); possessions/ properties (the lust of the eyes); power / prestige (pride of life).
A.
The world is out to put a it's spot on you. How do we get spotted?
1. We get friendly with the world (James 4:4)
2. This leads to love of the world (1 John 2:15-17).
3. Then we become conformed to this world (Rom. 12:1-2).
4. The result is being condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32).
5. Illustrated by the life of LOT-
a. Pitched his tent toward Sodom
b. Moved into Sodom
c. Sodom moved into him.
d. Lost his testimony
In the forests of Northern Europe lives the ermine (er-min), a
small animal known for his snow-white fur in the winter.
Instinctively he protects his glossy coat with great care lest
it become soiled. Hunters often capitalize on this trait.
Instead of setting a mechanical trap to catch the ermine, they
find his home in a cleft of a rock or a hollow tree and daub the
entrance and the interior with tar. Then their dogs start
the chase, and the frightened ermine flees toward his home.
But finding it covered with black tar, he gives up his place of
safety. Rather than soil his white fur, he courageously
faces the yelping dogs who hold him at bay until the hunters
capture him. To the ermine, purity is dearer than life!
The Lord wants us to keep ourselves "unspotted from the world"
(Jas. 1:27).
B. How do we keep ourselves unspotted from world? A man
that stays busy guarding his tongue and reaching out to the needs
of others, will have little trouble keeping himself from temptation!
1. LISTEN to the SPIRIT - He will convict you.
2. LEARN from the SCRIPTURES - They will command you.
3. LABOR with the SAINTS - That will contain you.
CONCLUSION: What kind of religion do you have:
The kind that works or the kind that
doesn't.
RELIGION THAT WORKS- Two
Christian friends were enjoying a dinner together at a local restaurant.
During the meal, a waitress accidentally brushed against one of
them and spilled a glass of water on him. He immediately
exploded with a tirade of angry words. He was so harsh with
her that she ran to the back room in tears.
After a
moment, his companion looked him in the eye and said, "Brother,
I dare you to witness to her when she returns." Of
course he couldn't, because his sharp tongue had rendered useless
anything he might say about Christ. His religion was vain.
God doesn't
measure us by our ability to speak our minds but by our ability
to mind what we speak. That is a religion that works.
Someone
said, "If your religion doesn't change your behavior, change
your religion!"