James 1:26
King James Bible
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

New International Version
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

James 1:27
King James Bible
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.

New International Version
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

 

 

Some people say they Love God, but Hate Religion. Some people say they Love Jesus, but Hate Church.

 

While I can understand this position to a certain degree, I believe this stems from not understanding what Real Religion is. God's Word specifically speaks on Religion and what it is.

James the brother of Jesus I believe gives the most direct answer as it relates to a clear definition of Real Religion. James 1:26-27 helps differentiate man's religion from real religion. I believe it is the concept of "man's religion" that people have grown tired of and therefore have developed a hate for it. Many believe that men have developed rules and practices that are contrary to what God requires.

I personally grew up in a very strict and traditional Apostolic church and there were many rules and regulations. I was constantly told what I cannot do, where I should not go, what I should not wear, how I must not act; to the point where there was a time I viewed church as a place that stopped you from doing what other people were doing. I had questions about certain things but there was also an assumption that you must obey those that have rule over you - ask no questions, just do what you're told. As I got older I could see those that began to pull away, they were typically the ones that needed the answers, just do what I tell you was not sufficient; they needed biblical support.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my upbringing, I appreciate those that openly rebuked me when they felt I was heading down the wrong path. I got it, it was the way things were and frankly it was needed.

However, I can also understand this position of give me more substance than "just don't do it" - tell me why not? When we consider how knowledgeable and intelligent people are becoming we can understand why people need answers. We live in a day of critical thinkers, highly educated people who have become accustomed to figuring things out logically - of course we can see the issue with receiving vague answers. Answers that lack a supportive structure and content. It is a generation that has to "know".

We just must be careful that we do not find ourselves in the place of the Pharisees and scribes, individuals that were very intelligent to the point it actually worked against them. How so? Jesus often criticized them because of their "reasoning"; they simply could not believe - they needed proof, they desired signs. The Pharisees were people of laws, code, conduct, but this actually became a hindrance to them receiving Jesus (or Real Religion).

In fact one of the most strict Pharisees recorded in scripture - the Apostle Paul, helps us understand how to distinguish religion. On numerous occasions, he referred to his upbringing as the "Jew's religion" (Judaism). Paul wrote to the Galatians that he was so sold out to the Jews' religion that it actually made him persecute the church of God and he wasted it (Galatians 1:13).

But I believe this is the real message, Paul was so DISCIPLINED in his Jewish religion that he could not be a DISCIPLE of Jesus. At the core, to be RELIGIOUS means to be DISCIPLINED. And the Lord wants to make us disciples, but in order for us to become disciples; we must learn from Paul - the things that he thought were gain to him (things he was comfortable in and relied on), he had to count them as lost so that he could win Christ.

Paul's Jewish religion caused him to almost miss out on the REAL RELIGION - becoming a Disciple of Jesus Christ. The church is the body of Christ, the church is composed of the disciples of Christ, the church is full of people that are religious towards Christ. To say I love Jesus, but hate church would be like saying I love my face, but I hate my body - It's ONE. Jesus is the head of the church (the body of believers). As a husband, you can't say you love me, but you hate my wife - the fact is, we're married. She's mine and We're ONE.

In conclusion, Jesus tells us what it means to really be a disciple or what Real Religion is and what it's not, in Matthew chapter 45:

31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 45:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

This lines up with James 1:27 where he talks about Pure Religion; it's visiting those that are afflicted and keeping yourself unspotted from the world. We are called to help those in need and to not conform to the world. We can attach Paul's words regarding Jesus Christ giving his life because of his love for his church in Ephesians 5:27 to help with this keeping unspotted from the world:

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Who desires a partner that's involved and tangled up with other people?

Jesus was so sold out to his Religion that he gave up his life for it. He stayed disciplined to the call that was on his life - to help those in need while keeping himself unspotted from the world (i.e. SIN). And we are called to do the same thing - be DISCIPLINED in helping one another and with the help of the Lord keeping ourselves from sin and worldly ways, and that is REAL RELIGION. There is NOTHING wrong with RELIGION, just make sure you're following the REAL one.