Love, James 1.27

James 1.27

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:

to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself

unstained by the world. -NAS '95

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring

for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world

corrupt you. -NLT

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this:

Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against

corruption from the godless world. -MSG

Living out James' admonition here brings us right to Jesus' comments

regarding the coming judgment about how we in the practical, day-to-day treat

those we consider "the least of these" (Mt. 25)

If we are to be people of God we realize such good works do not save

us, neither are we living as genuine Christ-followers if we ignore or

for that matter, reject doing such as fruit of our genuine salvation. We

are NOT saved for ourselves alone! If we are blessed with the world's

goods (James also says) and withhold them from those in need we

are living something other than the life God desires us to live.

When James speaking of the rich howling (yep, that's what it says)

and indicts them with regard to treatment of the poor he's not

speaking about politics but human lives for which Jesus died and

rose.

There is simply no exit from the core reality of what constitutes

Christ-like treatment of those in need among us. Well, in one sense

there is: you can ignore, reject, rationalize and make thin excuses

for why such parts of Scripture don't pertain to you. I cannot.

God helps us that we might help others and so reflect, represent

Jesus in a world so deeply in need of Him and His love!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn