When James wrote these words, he didn't mean to suggest that if a believer did these things, he did all that was required of him. Rather he was saying that two outstanding examples of ideal religion are to visit orphans and widows and to keep oneself pure.We might have thought that he would have zeroed in on expository preaching, or missionary work, or personal soul winning. But no! He thinks first of visiting those in need.The Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesian elders how he had visited "from house to house" (Acts 20:20). J. N. Darby considered visiting "the most important part of the work." He wrote, "The clock strikes the hours and the passers-by hear it, but the works inside make the clock go, and keep the striking and the hands right. I think that visiting should be your substantive work, and take all else as it comes. I dread much public testimony: and especially so, if there be no private work" (from a letter to G. V. Wigram, Aug. 2, 1839).An elderly widow, living alone, reached the stage where she depended on help from neighbors and friends. With time on her hands, she kept a diary of anything and everything that happened during the day-especially of contacts with the outside world. One day neighbors realized that they hadn't seen any signs of life around her house for several days. The police were called to enter the house, and they found that she had been dead for several days. For three days prior to her death, the only entry in her diary was "No one came," "No one came," "No one came."In the busyness of our everyday lives, it is all too easy to forget the lonely, the needy, the infirm. We give priority to other matters, and often to those forms of service that are more public and glamorous. But if we want our religion to be pure and undefiled, we will not neglect the orphans and widows, the aged and shut-ins. The Lord has a special concern for those who need help, and a special reward for those who step forward to fill the need.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"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)

In explaining the way of salvation to others, it is tremendously important to "make the message clear and plain," avoiding anything that might confuse them. They are usually confused enough already because Satan has "blinded the minds of them which believe not." (2 Corinthians 4:4).Let me give an example of how we can say things that are real earstoppers to the unconverted. We begin witnessing to a young man whom we have just met for the first time. Before we get very far, he interrupts us, saying, "I don't believe in religion. I tried religion and it didn't do anything for me." To which we are apt to reply, "I don't believe in religion either, and I don't preach religion."Just stop there! Can you imagine how confusing this is to our prospect? Here we are, talking to him about matters that are obviously religious, and yet we are telling him that we don't believe in religion. It's enough to blow his mind!Of course I know what we mean. We mean that we are not asking him to join a church or denomination but to enter into a relationship with the Lord Jesus. We are not pushing a creed but a Person. We are not advocating reformation but regeneration, not a new suit on the man but a new man in the suit.But when he thinks about religion, he thinks of anything that deals with the worship and service of God. The word "religion" to most people signifies a system of beliefs and a distinctive lifestyle that are connected with man's relationship to Deity. So when we tell him that we don't believe in religion, the thought immediately races through his mind that we must be pagans or atheists. Before we have a chance to explain what we mean, he has already tagged us as irreligious.Actually it isn't true to say that we don't believe in religion. We do believe in the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. We do believe that those who profess faith in Christ should show it by their lives. We believe that pure and undefiled religion is found in caring for orphans and widows and keeping ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27).What we don't believe is that religion is the savior. Only the living Christ can save. We don't believe in the watered-down versions of Christianity that are abroad today. We don't believe in any system that encourages people to think that they can get to heaven by their own works or merit. But we ought to be able to explain this to people without stunning them with such bombshells as "I don't believe in religion either." Let us not play games with words when souls are at stake.

"…they…expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.' (Acts 18:26 b)

27 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.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after<cr>1</cr> orphans and widows<cr>2</cr> in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.<cr>3</cr>

James 1:27

 27 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.  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

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. 

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.

 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.  

Bible Verse of the Day

June 20, 2000

James 1:27 NIV

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