Pure Religion

In a previous post we went into what religion is and how it is defined.  Now let us take a look at what pure religion is, as defined by the Word of God.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

To get an idea of what this verse is saying we need to dissect it a bit.  We need to go over it with the same “fine toothed comb of definition” as we do others.

You might recall that we looked at the word “religion” from a secular perspective and found that the word itself means the act of process of relying upon.  While people will say that runners run religiously (which is a correct use) if I were to simply say that, “he is religious” without “about running” most would assume I was talking about God.

Many people approach God in a religious manner, with the emphasis on relying on what they do to gain God’s approval, or to gain heaven.  And so, this is what the term religion has come to be associated with.

But what does the term used in James 1:27 really seek to convey? 

To understand we have to look at the word thrēskeia.  This is the word in the Greek that is translate religion and it means religious worship and comes from a root meaning fearing or worshipping God.

Worship is response to Who God is.  Everything we do, if we do it for Him qualifies as worship.

So this verse it putting “religion” in the right context.  It is saying that if you want your worshipping of God to be pure then demonstrate the heart of the Father in all that your do.  Go to the fatherless, just as Your Father came to you before you were born again and adopted you.  Go to the widows… just as Jesus came to offer Himself as the Bridegroom.  And be holy… completely set apart for God.

Change the religion of the word: the act or process of relying upon, into the religion of God: the act or process of realizing who God is and responding to His creation the way that He would.

SDG