Pure Religion

By Mitch Rhymer

Introduction:

1. James 1:21-25 deals with what it means to be swift to hear.

2. As a continuation of the command in James 1:19, we need to understand why we must be slow to speak.

3. James associates pure religion with being slow to speak by suggesting that it is possible to believe that we are something when in fact we are not.

4. The hypocrisy James alludes to is confirmed when the hypocrite exposes himself by the things that he says.

5. James continues to expose the hypocrite when he compares this man's religion to that of pure religion and undefiled.

6. James reveals that we must be slow to begin speaking because our religious actions, use of our tongues, the condition of our heart reveal the measure of our religion.

7. By these tests we can compare the man having a vain religion with the man having a pure religion.

7. From the text before us let us not deceive ourselves but measure ourselves according to the tape which God gives us, His Word.

I. Man Having Vain Religion

A. He Thinks Himself to Be Religious

1. This man regards himself as being religious

a. Religious - an outward, external devotion.

b. This religious nature exhibits itself in activities of devotion to God.

c. This man is concerned with the minutest details of his devotion.

2. Notice the importance of the word "thinketh"

a. It means to seem to be.

b. This man evidently has examined himself

B. He Is Deceived By His Words.

1. Bridleth not his tongue

a. Bridleth means to put a bridle in one's mouth not in another.

b. He is supposed to exercise complete control over his tongue.

c. Does the horse have control when a bridle is in his mouth? No.

i. If so then we could not round up cattle or have fun at rodeos.

ii. If so then we would be deceived because the horse looks like we could ride it but in fact we cannot.

C. Deceived Himself

1. This man keeps on tricking himself under the delusion that he has an acceptable religious character.

a. All this man does in his external devotion blinds him to the true condition of his soul.

b. His attempts to attend to the smallest detail of his religion shades him from himself.

D. He Has a Vain Religion

1. Vain Religion

a. It is an empty, valueless external devotion to God

b. It has not value because God does not accept it.

c. Many denominations have a foundation in this type of external devotion.

i. They teach that mere profession of belief is sufficient to receive the blessings of God.

ii. An empty religious devotion is not a comparison between what others see in me but what I fail to see in myself.

2. If there is one evil propensity which religion does not control, or if there is any one thing which is not influenced by religion, regardless of other evidences of piety, the tongue will prove that a man's religion is vain.

a. A man's words reveals his heart

i. Psalm 39:1 - I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

ii. The connection is clear because the tongue and heart are linked then a uncontrolled tongue reveals an uncontrolled heart.

b. Therefore, we may conclude that a man who thinks that he is a religious man but does not control his tongue has an empty religion.

3. Pharisees and Scribes

a. Matthew 15:8 - But in vain they do worship me; teaching for commandments the doctrines of men.

b. Called Hypocrites because of their moral inconsistency.

i. Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

ii. They teach the law of Moses but refuse to enter the kingdom of heaven because of their traditions and those traditions they impose upon others prevent them from entering as well.

c. Called Blind Guides because of their foolishness towards the law.

i. Matthew 23:16-22 - Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

ii. Their teaching reverses the importance of things. They esteem more highly the gold of the temple rather than that which gives the gold its sacredness. They esteem more highly the gift of the altar than the altar which made the gift holy by its touch.

iii. Here the people were taught the binding nature of every oath and both its folly and wickedness because of the vanity of the Pharisees.

d. Easy to see the hypocrisy of the Pharisees because their words did not equal the word of God and yet they believed themselves to be religious.

II. Man Having Pure Religion

A. The conclusion of v. 26 and the introduction of v. 27 contrasts vain religion and pure religion.

1. It follows, then, that however precise one performs the external duties of Christianity if the tongue is not controlled then a man's religion is in vain.

a. Matthew 7:21-22 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

b. The implication is that if we are slow to begin speaking then we will examine our lives with what we are about to say. If they are not equal then we need to be quiet and fix ourselves.

c. Matthew 7:3-5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

2. Pure religion is the development of a clean devotion and heart that is spotless.

a. James is telling us that in order to control our tongue we must control our hearts.

b. The religion of purity is one that is before our God and Father.

i. We need to visually understand that to be before God is to be before his throne.

ii. This means that God has established a path by which we can stand before his throne.

iii. If we have not followed this path then we cannot be pure.

iv. Therefore, our external devotions must follow a path before we can be before the throne of God.

B. Heart connected with actions rather than words.

1. Remember that we pointed out that these verses dealt with being slow to speak.

a. The idea is that instead of having our hearts connected to our tongues; we need to have them connect to our actions.

b. Being slow to begin speaking implies that we have contemplated our actions based upon our heart that has the engrafted word (v.21)

2. We have a provider and so do others.

a. If our religion is pure then we will provide for those that do not.

b. Notice the connection between the Father, spiritual provider, and the orphans and widows, no physical provider.

i. God is saying that we provide for those who need physical provisions with spiritual provisions first and the physical provisions will follow.

ii. We recognize from this that no one is fatherless in spirit.

3. Religion is not visiting or keepings oneself unspotted.

a. Read the word "this" in verse 27 as a demonstrative pronoun.

i. It demonstrates what it is.

ii. IOW - This is pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father that we visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

b. Visiting and Remaining unspotted is the effects of pure religion

i. The visit is not for a social call but for the sustainment and support of those who have none.

ii. The keeping oneself unspotted from the world implies that one cannot participate in worldly things.

iii. One cannot come in contact with dirt, without becoming dirty; in like fashion, it is impossible to participate in the things of the world, without being worldly.

Conclusion

1. God expects man to be pure.

2. The purity of man is a direct result of the purity of his religion

3. If our religion is pure then we will be unspotted beginning with our heart and continuing into our actions.

4. All these things prevent vanity of devotion towards God.

5. Devotion, then, shows God the unspottedness of our hearts.

6. Remaining unspotted implies that we have been made unspotted.

7. In order to become unspotted you must come in contact with the blood of Christ.

Posted in: Book of James, Sermon Outlines