James 1:27

"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" (James 1:27).

There is constant friction between the flesh and the Holy Spirit that dwells in the hearts of those who have accepted Christ as personal Savior. The flesh seeks personal satisfaction above all else and will stop at nothing to gain whatever pleases its desires. However, the Holy Spirit purposes to align our hearts with the sovereign will of God that holds humanity accountable to live on mission for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is this dichotomy that James highlights when he defines what pure religion is. Does this mean there is nothing else which contributes to the picture of pure religion? Absolutely not! However, what James appears to be pointing out in this example is the importance of being selfless and obedient to Scripture and self-controlled in our response to sin and temptation.

For example, visiting orphans and widows in affliction requires recognition that those around us have needs we can remedy if we’d simply open our eyes and obey the Spirit’s prompting on our hearts. It is also meant to highlight the need for us to abandon self-centered works of the flesh by intentionally seeking out those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It signifies selflessness in our personal character which James highlights as a sign of pure religion we should strive to emulate.

The other mark of pure religion James states is self-control which inhibits secular theology or relative truth from becoming our personal theology. Self-control identifies us as Christ-followers, for Jesus exemplified this characteristic in His sacrifice for our sins. He submitted in obedience and relinquished His will to the Father, and we are called to identify ourselves similarly by exuding self-control over sin and temptation.

In the end, if we desire for our faith to be thoughts, humble, and pure in application, selflessness and self-control must be our identity as Christ-followers. Otherwise, we are no different from the world and essentially undermine the faith we profess, which only undermines the Gospel message of salvation and how we are to love our neighbor as born-again, Christ-followers.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).