RPG Adults
PURE AND UNDEFILED
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25
James 1:27
Psalm 68:5
“A father of the fatherless,
and a judge of the widows…”
PURE AND UNDEFILED
Webster’s Dictionary defines religion as a belief in God, in the revelation of His will to man, in man’s obligation to obey His commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and man’s accountability to God; and also true godliness or purity of life, with the practice of all moral duties.
“Pure religion and undefiled” (James 1:27) refers to a clean and sober way of the believer’s life. This life is the evidence of one who is genuinely born again. The outward display of piety is vain without the inward working of charity. Although Christianity is considered a religion, believers understand that it is more than a set of dos and don’ts. Two aspects of a “pure religion and undefiled” are as follows:
(a) Visit the fatherless and widows: The word “visit” means much more than to drop by for a chat. It carries the idea of caring for others, exercising oversight on their behalf, and helping them in any needed way. Generally, the neediest people in the early church were the orphans and widows. They are without parents and husbands, and are unable to reciprocate the kindness shown to them by others. The believer’s care for the fatherless and widows thus would show his true sacrificial love.
(b) Keep unspotted from the world: To be “unspotted” is to have no stain, and thus faultless. Thus to exemplify true religion, there is personal holiness and avoidance of spiritual contamination from the sinful world. Here, “world” is a reference to the world system with its values and practices, which are under the sway of Satan (John 14:30; 1 John 5:19). Careful attention to God’s Word, followed by a conscious effort to obey its precepts, enables the believer to remain uncontaminated by the evil surrounding him. This testimony reveals true religion, not just religiosity.
The Christian church today is filled with cold and apathetic people who are oblivious to the needs of those around them. Are you one of them? Read 1 Corinthians 13:1. Dear reader, look around and pray for open doors so that you can be a blessing to others around you!
THOUGHT: Am I applying the Word of God in purity and sincerity?
PRAYER: Father, grant me a heart that genuinely and sacrificially helps those who cannot repay my service for them.