Is your religion worthless?

Unfortunately, it is a horrible truth, that many ‘Christians’ really look no different to the rest of the world. They are just part of the church social club, and the unbeliever is just part of some other club. How Christians treats others, what comes out of their mouth, what they watch, and what they pursue in life is no different to the unbeliever.

But the Bible says that a Christian whose faith is like this, is dead, worthless, NOTHING! Is your faith real and alive? Or are your religious and Christian pursuits actually worthless in God’s eyes? In James 1:26-27, James shows us worthless religion, and religion that is pure and undefiled before God.

James 1:26-27 says “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 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.”

Now we need to realise, that the words religion and religious are quite general in meaning today. And the words James uses in these verses were the same in his day. Perhaps this is so that James can say, anyone who claims some genuine religious experience or thinks they are religious should test it by what he says in these verses.

How do we define whether someone is religious? We often look at their knowledge, their ministry involvement, their position in church or their faithfulness to religious rituals. But God doesn't judge by the same measures that we do. For God, the test is not the rituals of worship, which people can do without thinking and often with no heart commitment. Also the test is not Church attendance, following Christian traditions like thanking God for the food or attending Christian events.

For God, the real test of true religion is obedience. Without that, our religion is worthless and empty. In James 1:19-27, he shows that true Christians hear and do God’s word. And in verses 26-27 he gives three examples of what it looks like to be a doer of God’s word.

So what is true religion? What does a genuine Christian look like?

1. Genuine Christians control their mouth

Verse 26 says “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”

What is bridling the tongue? It is taking control of it. The bridle is the leather straps that connect the rider to the bit in the horse’s mouth. The bridle is how the horse is controlled. So, the call here is to be in control of your tongue.

Don't think that you are religious if you don't control your tongue. If we can't control our mouth, then our religion is useless and empty. Our words reveal the true nature of our religion and beliefs. The average person spends about one fifth of their life talking. How we use our mouths will show a lot about who we really are. If we don't bridle our tongues, we deceive our hearts (see Matt 15:18-19). An unbridled tongue reveals that we are wrong to think we are religious. So, don’t be deceived! Check if you have true religion and genuine faith! Look at how you speak to your family, friends and enemies. Your mouth will reveal what your heart is like and if your religion is worthless.

As Matthew 15:18 says, “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and this defiles a person”. And Matthew 12:33-37 says “...Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks... I tell you on the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.”

May you strive to not let careless or empty words come from your mouth (Matthew 12:33-37). “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19-20). And realise that the tongue is like a powerful rudder, like a beast that cannot be tamed and like a small fire that causes a deadly blaze (3:1-12). The mouth is powerful, because from it “comes blessing and cursing” (3:10). Your mouths can cause great damage or great blessing in the lives of others.

So before you speak, run everything you say by the filter of these questions:

- Are these careless or considered words?

- Do they have no purpose or are they profitable?

- Will they bring people down or build others up?

- Will these words condemn me or confirm that I belong to Christ?

2. Genuine Christians care for the mistreated

Verse 27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction...”

Orphans and widows were the neediest people in ancient times as they were unable to make money. James is giving the call to care for the socially disadvantaged and needy. Who are the needy or mistreated that we can help? Aborted babies, persecuted Christians, immigrants, poor people in other lands, those who are homeless around us, abandoned children and orphans.

But why is caring for those who are needy, the type of religion that is pure and undefiled before God? Well its because God is concerned for the needy and we are to be like him. Psalm 68:5 says, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” We so often fail to reflect God in this area. Most of our time, efforts and giving is focused not on those who are need, but on those already well off. For majority of Christians, most of their giving goes to their church, their friends, their family or mission work serving those who are well off. WHO do we spend most of our time with? WHO do we invite to our houses? WHO do we give most of our money too? Is it those we love, who are well off? Yet the New Testament resounds with the call to give especially to our Christian brothers and sisters in need!

And what should guide how we care for those in need? Well James says to “visit the orphans and widows IN THEIR AFFLICTION”. Don’t just visit them, but help the mistreated in the ways that they need. Don't expect people to come to you or your church so that you can care for them. No lets humble ourselves, step out of our comfortable houses and go to them. This is what Christ did for us isn't it? And how thankful we are that Christ humbled himself, and came to take on flesh so He could die to provide salvation. If we who have been shown such compassion, do not reach out to others and show the same compassion, we have good reason to doubt if we have received mercy from Christ. As God's children, we are to show and speak of God’s mercy through Jesus.

3. Genuine Christians keep themselves unstained by the world

The third thing we see in James 1:26-27 is that they keep themselves unstained by the world. Verse 27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: ... to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Worldliness is such a dangerous thing, because we cannot serve both God and money. We have one master and we can't have a foot in both worlds. James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

If we are stained by the world, our faith is dead because we cannot love the world and love God. So, what is it to be stained by the world? It is to be influenced by the world so that you follow the pattern, pursuits and philosophy of the world. To be stained by the world is to fall into the worship of idols which this world is gripped by. It is to be worldly minded, rather than seeking first God’s kingdom. When we are stained by the world, our religion is defiled, impure and false.

So, do you have genuine religion?

Are you saved and is your faith real? Well check, are you a doer and not just a hearer of God’s word? Is the God who saved you, transforming the way you use your mouth, growing your heart for the needy and stimulating a distain in you for the world’s corrupt pursuits? Notice I’m not asking whether you are perfect! But do you long to be a doer of God’s word and do you hate when you hear His word and do nothing with it?

James 1:26-27 says “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 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.”