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.

We hear much about religion, most of which is connected with buildings and organizations of various types. Today, much as in the times of Jesus religion is, sadly, mostly about public meetings and ceremony and people using religion for their own enrichment and glory.

When Jesus lived, even the Son of God was persecuted, his identity and the message that he received from his Father were totally rejected, and he was finally publicly executed by the Roman government, at the insistence of the Jewish religious authorities. It has often been the accepted religious authorities who oppress and refuse the truth of God’s word.

Because religion is often given a bad name by those who have perverted it, while they at the same time, proclaim to be practicing it, we are so thankful for God’s definition of pure religion so clearly proclaimed in the verse we have just read. Let us spend some time looking at God’s definition of pure religion.

The first thing that strikes us is the simplicity of the definition. Sometimes when people attempt to define a word or a concept, they complicate it so much, that we end up with something more complicated than when we began. Not so with this definition. It is basically composed of two elements or parts: (1) providing for those are in a weakened position and who have no one to help them, and (2) keeping oneself from sin. Simple enough! It is to this that we should devote ourselves. That is where we must put our emphasis, our possessions, our time, and our efforts.

Much of that which passes for religion puts little of its resources, time and strength into these two things. It is either building great beautiful buildings, or having assemblies and activities that in one way or another attract people. How different from the pure religion that God describes here! Religion, that which connects a person with his God, must do more than just appease the wrath of an angry God. It must do more than just satisfy a primal need to appeal to a greater force to help us against things that we, ourselves, feel too weak to confront. It is not enough that it fulfill our need for community to relieve our loneliness. False religion aims to do all that!

Pure religion must connect the person to his God in such a way as to transform the mentality of the person in two fundamental ways: (1) to become a person who cares for others, and (2) to cause us to keep ourselves pure from sin. At this point in our study, we should become clearly aware that what God is trying to do is to get us to take on those great and notable characteristics of His nature: love and purity. All that God does in relationship to us, his grace, his goodness, and his promises is toward this goal. Just as God cares for us and provides for our needs, he is leading us to show that same care for others. Just as God is pure, he is leading us to be pure. Pure religion leads us toward His nature. We become like the object of our worship. If religion does not do that, it is not not pure religion, and is actually against God and what He is trying to do in us.

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)