James chapter 1. Remember the grand theme or purpose of James is not to try and teach a doctrine that is different from the Apostle Paul's. It's not as if James teaches salvation by faith plus works. Paul deals with works relative to the gospel. when he says and declares that we're saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

He then goes on to say, for we are his workmanship created for good works, which he had prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So Paul insists on good works as a consequence of justification by faith. That's James' point as well. James is dealing with a people that have said they profess faith in Jesus Christ.

James is, however, addressing them perhaps because they are not living based on that profession. So when we believe the gospel, when we are justified freely by His grace, good works necessarily follow. It's, again, a consequence. It's not a condition of our salvation.

We don't bring these good works to God and get rewarded with salvation. Rather, we, because we have been saved, now walk in good works. It's the same sort of thing we saw in our studies in Matthew 25. They were not saved because they fed.

They were not saved because they gave drink. They were not saved because they visited or went to prisons or hospitals. They were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But those works demonstrated, or those works manifested, where those works gave evidence to the reality that there was indeed saving faith.

So we need to appreciate that, that James is approaching it that way. Notice in chapter 1 verse 18, James acknowledges sovereign grace of his own will. He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You've got to appreciate how Pauline that sounds.

The same sort of emphasis that we find, say, in Romans 9, 16. It does not depend upon him who wills or upon him who runs, but on God who shows mercy. Notice also in chapter 2, verse 1, my brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. James acknowledges grace.

James acknowledges sovereignty. James acknowledges faith. James is pressing the professing people of God with the reality that their lives must manifest what they say has occurred in their hearts. So let's read chapter 1 beginning in verse 19.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear. Slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Father, we thank you for James, and we thank you for the practical nature of it. As we have confessed faith in the Lord Jesus, may it be the case that we walk in obedience to our Lord's commands. Again, not so that we may be saved, but because by grace we have been saved. Help us to appreciate that good works are the fruits, the evidences of this faith in Jesus Christ.

God, help us to understand James' particular instruction here in verses 26 and 27. Give us receptive hearts and give us a desire, Lord God, to engage in the things we're called to in these passages. Again, forgive us for our sins and our transgressions, and please supply the Holy Spirit to us. And we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Introduction

Well, essentially what we have in this particular section is how James exhorts the people of God to receive the Word of God very specifically. Verse 21, therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. In other words, as the people of God, as those who profess faith in Christ, we ought to have a regard for the Word of God. It ought not to be the case that we neglect Scripture, whether it be private or public.

We need to be a people of the book. He then gives an illustration, specifically in verses... He calls us to obedience in verse 22. So a receiving of the word looks like being a doer of the word, not hearers only deceiving ourselves.

He illustrates this in verses 23 and 24 with a man who looks in the mirror, walks away, and forgets what he looks like. Contrast that with the man of verse 25, but he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Again, James' point, if you profess faith in Jesus Christ, it will be manifested in the way that you receive the Word. Do you receive it as a doer?

Do you receive it as an obedient one? Do you receive it as that man who looks into that law of liberty, that man who continues in it, that man who understands what it is to live by the Word of God alone? And then James gives three concrete examples of true religion. Notice in verses 26 and 27, if anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

We looked at that last Sunday night. The emphasis by James is on a man who does profess faith, he will control his tongue. He will be a man, a woman that exercises tongue control. And then in verse 27, he gives two more concrete examples.

Now, this is not an exhaustive list of true religion. This is not everything that can possibly be said. Probably James is highlighting those things that people of God generally or typically struggle with. They could have been specifically struggling with it in James' context.

But the next two are found in verse 27. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Allison, in his commentary on the book of James, says that these two verses is a succinct threefold characterization of authentic religion. Such religion involves measured speech, requires social action, and entails separation from the world.

It is the antithesis of sham religion that fails to control the tongue, shuns unfortunates, and assimilates itself to the world. So, let's look at verse 27, as we looked at 26 last week, under two specific considerations. First, the distinction between true and false religion, and then secondly, the practice of true religion.

True and False Religion Distinguished

But notice what James says in verse 27, pure and undefiled religion. The fact that he asserts that there is such a thing as pure and undefiled religion necessarily implies that there's an impure and a defiled approach or religion. I said last week that in our particular situation, we actually need to justify the use of the word religion. In 2012, there was a young man, and I don't question his motives, I'm sure he's a wonderful specimen of a human being, but he released a video, and it's called, Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.

And in that particular video, he really messes some things up. It's almost as if religion stands for everything bad and evil and wicked, but Jesus is completely the opposite. Now, Jesus is the opposite of everything bad, wicked, and evil, but it's to beg the question or an assumption to say that religion is that. The standard English reference with reference to religion, dictionary.com, defines religion this way, a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances and often maintaining a moral code covering the conduct of human affairs." Notwithstanding all the political correctness in that particular definition, superhuman agency or agencies, we don't want to actually say God today because that'll just blow everybody away.

But this is what it really is, a set of beliefs concerning the big issues in life. How is that bad? Why should we hate religion? We should hate false religion.

We should despise an attempt to distort true religion. But the word religion is a legitimate word, and we ought to accept it. The standard Greek lexicon defines religion, as used by James here, this way, the worship of God. religion, especially as it expressed itself in religious service or cult. Now, cult doesn't always carry a negative connotation.

You look at the Old Testament, we call their worship cult or cultess. Cult doesn't always mean Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons, but it means an approach to God based on some ritualistic aspects. The word religion isn't bad. In fact, if you read Puritans or you read the Reform, they use religion as a word so often that one would think somewhere along the line we've dropped the ball if we're against the use of the word religion, or if we would make a video that says, why I hate religion but love Jesus.

Our Second London Confession of Faith, for instance, in the preface alone, uses the word religion six times. Here's one of those instances. This is one of the aims that they had in presenting this doctrine or this confession of faith, and one of the aims they didn't have. They said, and also to convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words, but do readily acquiesce in that form of sound words which hath been in consent with the Holy Scriptures used by others before us." Now, I did, you know, a basic concordance look at, I cut and pasted the copy of the Confession, put it into a Word document.

I actually thought this was pretty smart along the way because there's a find feature on Word. And so when I went to religion, at least is what I found in the confession itself, it's used five times, it's actually the title in chapter 22 of religious worship and the Sabbath day. The point is this, the people that say, well, Christianity is about a relationship and not a religion. I, again, understand the sentiment and I understand the sappiness of it all, but Christianity is a religion.

And we ought not to shun that. We ought not to stray from a word that has been so universally used in a good way. And because now we like to say it's not a religion, it's a relationship, look at the use of it as if it's somehow suspect. Now notice, as James points out, there is a particular contrast.

Notice in verse 26, if anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his dog but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. So there's a useless type of religion, and there is a useful type of religion, and he explains that in verse 27. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this. So while we see that there is a false religion, we also see that there is a true religion, and I would submit that the existence of true religion is found in two particulars, belief in the truth and these consequential good works.

In other words, if I actually believe the gospel of salvation, I am justified freely by his grace, consequentially good works will follow. That's pure and undefiled religion. Now certainly false religion would be to believe false doctrine or to reject sound doctrine or to engage in works that are not biblical good works. Now persons might read 26 and 27 and say, hey, my next door neighbor is a heathen, he's a pagan, he has no religion whatsoever.

But I notice that he controls his tongue. I also notice that he goes to the old folks' home and he visits them and he plays the tambourine for them, or the banjo for them, and he really does some nice things. So how do you explain that, Christian? Do you have to be a believer in order to do good works?

We need to understand that a good work, biblically defined, Nothing wrong with going to play the banjo for some old folks, but are we asking the question, is this a good work as the Bible defines it? The Bible doesn't recognize any willy-nilly banjo playing as a good work. A good work is done out of faith in Jesus Christ for the glory of God with a genuine love for neighbor. In fact, our confession of faith, as it so often does, helps us here.

In 2nd London Confession, chapter 16, paragraph 7, it addresses works done by non-Christians. It says, works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands. They control the tongue. They visit widows and orphans in their distress.

They certainly don't keep themselves unstained from the world, but just for the sake of argument, at least they do two good things. And of good use both to themselves and others, yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith, nor are done in a right manner according to the word, nor to a right end the glory of God. You see, a biblical good work has as its goal the glory of God, love to neighbor. The confession goes on to say, they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, nor make a man meet to receive grace from God, and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing to God.

In other words, there is a definition of what good works look like in terms of the Bible. So just doing nice things doesn't necessarily qualify. as a good works. A true religion affirms the truth, confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and as a result, good works proceed from that. A false religion is either to reject the truth, to believe a lie, or to engage in maybe even positive works, we'll call them for a moment, and yet not springing from a heart of faith toward our Lord God Most High.

So that's a distinction between true and false religion.

The Practice of True Religion

Let's look secondly at the practice of true religion.

Godward Orientation of Good Works

Note the Godward orientation that James is concerned with. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this. You see, that is the primary orientation in terms of our works. It's unto God and the Father.

Probably he's identified as God and the Father in light of Psalm 68.5, which tells us that God is a defender of the widow and the orphan, the widow and the fatherless. And so James highlights the reality that the orientation of our good works must be done in light of God. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this. It's not to please other men.

You know, the Scriptures are filled with such examples, aren't they? Turn for a moment to Matthew chapter 6. to see the necessary implication. If our true religion is to be done before God and the Father, false religion oftentimes does its service to be seen by men. Notice in Matthew 6, verses 1 and 2, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.

Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." Isn't Jesus just wonderful the way he speaks? Don't sound a trumpet.

Don't draw attention to yourself. I've been thinking recently, this whole idea of Facebook, and I'm not anti-Facebook. I know probably some of you go home and say, you guys write a real problem with Facebook. No, I'm not.

It's just an observation. Very often, Christians and pastors post their good works on Facebook. You know, 20 years ago, we went out and helped people, but we didn't have to tell everybody about it. You know, now it's, boy, I helped this person today, you know, please pray for them.

It's a good thing to pray, but it's almost like if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear it? If a good work is done and it's not posted on Facebook, does it count? You see, we're not supposed to do things to be recognized by men. Our religion has a vertical orientation.

Our pure and undefiled religion is about pleasing God and the Father. Now certainly it's going to involve widows and orphans, but we don't use widows and orphans to sort of exalt ourselves as to what great guys and girls we are. I helped 15 widows and orphans last week. Post on Facebook or tweet.

Brethren, the orientation that the people of God must assume with reference to the good works done out of faith in Jesus Christ is before God and the Father. Notice in Matthew 6, 5, and when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. I should just back up for a moment.

I don't think, and I don't have a list in my office. You know, brother so-and-so, that's not it. I see pastors do this. I see men, you know, sort of tell everybody what they're doing.

How about we just do what we're supposed to do? Isn't this Paul's ethic in 1 Thessalonians? Here's his instruction to the Thessalonians. Aspire to work hard with your own hands and mind your own business.

Now, if you can utilize Facebook to that end, praise God! But if you're utilizing Facebook to exalt yourself or to display your talents or your abilities, then you might have a problem with reference to before God and the Father. That's the primary orientation. Now, again, don't come to prayer meeting and never ask for prayer for somebody you just witnessed to.

There's obviously a difference. Please pray for so-and-so because I witnessed to them. Really sounds like you're asking for prayer for so-and-so because you witnessed to them. But sometimes it has that feel like we're parading our good works before men, and we're not supposed to do that.

Notice in chapter 6, verse 16, moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." Brethren, I have to suggest that in verse 2 and 16, it wouldn't have been incorrect for us to smile a little bit when Jesus said this. I mean, just imagine, verse 2, therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets. That's funny.

I doubt they were really sounding trumpets. I doubt that is literal, that there was a class of men that would sound a trumpet so that everybody could see them do their good deeds. He's using hyperbole. He's using humor.

He's illustrating the point. Don't be the sort of person that draws attention to themselves. Don't be the sort of person that when they fast, they look sad, and they look gloomy, and they discountenance their faith, and they want everybody to know that they're so religious. Don't do that!

Anoint your face with oil, walk around with a smile on your face, and fast unto God. You see, true or pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and the Father is this, not impressing men, not letting men think that we're great guys or girls. Brethren, the whole point of our religion is to emphasize the reality that our Savior is great. If we are trying to exalt ourselves as great ones, we are going to rob Him of glory.

It ought to be the case that when persons lay their eyes on miserable wretches like us, we are able to extol the goodness, the majesty, the excellence, the glory, and the graciousness of Jesus Christ, who saved us from our sins. We're not going to heaven because we pray. We're not going to heaven because we give. We're not going to heaven because we fast.

We're going to heaven because Christ is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. Notice in Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18. I mean, here's a perfect example of religion not in the sight of God and the Father.

Luke 18, verse 10, two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. I don't think that's accidental language. He prayed thus with himself.

Now, obviously when we pray ourselves, hear ourselves pray. But who's our focus? Who's the orientation? Who's our audience?

It's God. And yet he says, he prayed thus with himself. God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

I remember hearing a sermon by R.C. Sproul many years ago on that account when Uzzah steadied the ox cart. Remember the ox cart is going across the mud and it starts to shake and Uzzah fears that the Ark of the Covenant is going to fall into the mud and so he steadies the ox cart and God kills Uzzah. We read that and we say, boy, that was an overreaction.

No, Uzzah was told not to touch the Ark. Why don't we learn that message? Don't touch things God tells you not to touch. That's the better lesson to learn.

And wow, that seems a bit harsh. But I remember hearing R.C. Sproul on that. What did Uzzah think?

Did he think he was going to hear a voice from heaven say, thank you, Uzzah? I would suggest the same with this Pharisee. What does he think? Does he think he's going to be congratulated by God from a voice out of heaven?

Good on you that you're not like these wretches. Good on you that you give. Good on you that you fast. This is not a God-word orientation.

This is to impress men. This is to look good before men. Now, I'm not suggesting that we try to look miserable before men. Don't go out and rob banks so they'll really extol the grace of God, but don't do your religion in order to be seen by men.

You do what you do for the glory of God out of a heart of true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's the Godward orientation.

Three Examples of True Religion

Back to James chapter 1. Notice specifically the three examples. We looked at the bridled tongue last week. Secondly, there is the care for the needy, and then thirdly, the necessity of sanctification.

John Gill says, not that the apostle is giving a full definition of true religion, only he mentions some of the effects of it, by which it is known and without which it cannot be true and genuine. Now,

Care for the Needy

when he says, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, Calvin describes it this way. To visit in necessity is to extend a helping hand to alleviate such as are in distress. It's not just visiting. The idea is, is visit with a view to do good to them.

So the target audience are widows and orphans in their distress, widows and orphans in their trouble. Now, there's a long back or a large background of material with reference to this particular application of faith. Notice in Exodus chapter 22, and look at a few passages to see the Old Testament background. Exodus chapter 22. on the visitation, extending a helping hand to alleviate those who are in distress, namely widows and orphans.

It is intriguing. Visit widows and orphans in their distress, not visit 25-year-old males in their distress, though we should. What's the supposition? 25-year-old males are working. They don't have the same sort of distress that a widow and an orphan has, right?

Typically. Now, there's guys who have, you know, serious problems and they can't work. I understand there's disease, there's ill health. I understand there's mental problems and all that sort of thing.

But as a general rule, 25-year-old males are working. So pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and the Father is this, to visit widows and orphans in their distress. Again, visit the 25-year-old male that's not working and he's in distress to be sure. But the primary target with reference to this situation are the genuinely needy, are those who are destitute, those who are hurting, those who have issues and problems.

Old Testament Witness for the Needy

You'll notice that God is the champion and the defender of these weak ones. Notice in Exodus 22, 22, you shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way and they cry at all to me. I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword.

Your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless." Wow, that's pretty severe with reference to God's concern for the widow and the orphan. Notice in Deuteronomy 10.18. Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 18. Again, speaking of God in this particular instance, He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.

Notice in Deuteronomy 27. as the book of the covenant is coming to conclusion, as they enter into the blessings and the cursings. Notice one of the specific curses in Deuteronomy 27, 19. Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Notice Psalm 68, and this is a sampling. You could literally be in the Old Testament for a long time concerning this issue of God's defense for the widow and the orphan. Notice in Psalm 68, very specifically in verse 5, a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families.

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Isn't that a beautiful description of our high and lofty God? This majestic one, this one who created the world and all things in it, this one who upholds all things by the word of his power, this one who is the redeemer of his elect. Notice what it says.

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in his holy habitation. Notice in Psalm 94 at verse six. Psalm 94, well we ought to put it in context, verse 1, O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs, O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth, rise up, O judge of the earth, render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

They utter speech and speak insolent things. All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. They break in pieces your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.

Yet they say, the Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand." Notice in Isaiah, the prophet, chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1 is a scathing rebuke of Israel and her sin, and very specifically in verses 16 and 17, wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Notice in 123, your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.

They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them. This is a mark of the depravity of the princes in Israel. They are wicked. They are not doing what they're supposed to be doing.

Notice in Malachi 3, specifically verse 5. Malachi chapter 3 and verse 5, this is God's judgment based on the reality that the persons of Israel had violated the law of the covenant. Notice in Malachi 3, 4, then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord. as in the days of old, as in former years, and I will come near you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners, and widows, and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien, because they do not fear me," says the Lord of Hosts.

You've got sorcery, adultery, perjury, and the oppression of widows and orphans. You see, this is something the Lord takes seriously.

New Testament Witness for the Needy

Turn to Matthew chapter 23 to see a New Testament witness. Matthew chapter 23, what's one of Christ's indictments of the religious leaders in Israel in the first century? 2314, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation. What does this mean to devour widows' houses?

Well, as religious leaders, they were trusted in the community. And if a woman's husband in the synagogue died, she would naturally go to a leader in the community. And instead of helping, instead of careful planning, instead of giving the wisdom and the information that would secure her assets, he exploits her, and he takes for himself the stuff that she had. Notice in Luke chapter 7, Luke chapter 7, our Lord's approach to a particular widow in Nain.

Luke chapter 7 at verse 11, Now it happened the day after that he went into a city called Nain, and many of his disciples went with him in a large crowd. And when he came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and he said to her, Do not wait.

He had compassion on her, a woman in the city of Nain who had a dead son. And Christ raises the dead son so that she is no longer a woman without a son. Now, a widow would obviously have a tough road to hoe in Old Covenant Israel. If her son died, well, then she'd pretty much be left all on her own, destitute.

So this raising of her son was a great mercy. So she could indeed have the benefit of this young man. are Lord's heart toward those in need. Turn to the book of Acts. Acts chapter 6.

What's the early church doing? They're feeding widows. They're helping widows. They're caring for widows.

Acts 6.1. Now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. They are not suggesting that it's somehow bad to serve tables.

They are simply suggesting that there ought to be a division of labor in the church of Christ. The apostles are supposed to be given to prayer and to the ministry of the word. If they're given to prayer in the ministry of the Word, when they actually go to serve the tables, they're taken away from prayer in the ministry of the Word. So they say, look out among you, find men full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit, men that we can appoint to this particular task.

So they choose these men. I think they're seed-formed deacons. They're not identified as deacons, but that's certainly their function at this particular point in the church's history. You see, they were feeding widows.

Again, it's not a bad thing, according to the apostles. It became a bad thing because it took them away from their main thing. That's why they wanted these men, so that they could serve in the daily distribution. Acts 11, Agabus predicts, prophesies, tells us that there's going to be a famine in Judea.

That's a lot of the backdrop behind Paul's letters. When Paul in Romans 15 is appealing to these Gentiles to give to the Jews, it's for famine relief in Judah. When Paul comes to James in Acts chapter 21, he's not only accompanied by Gentile converts, but probably money. And he probably lays it at the feet of James so that James can disperse that money to those in need in Judea.

Galatians 2, when Paul says he met these pillars, he met James, they extended to him the right hand of fellowship. Again, another way, we know there is no problem between James and Paul, because when Paul met James, James shook his hand and extended the right hand of fellowship. James did not say, well, you preach justification by faith, I preach justification by faith and words, so therefore I'm not going to extend to you the right hand. Of course they extended the right hand.

Salvation's always by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, with the consequential good works as effects or as results or as fruits or as demonstration that there is the presence of a lively and true faith. But the Apostle says, after the extending of the right hand of fellowship, they said that they wanted us to remember the poor, the very thing Paul says in Galatians 2.10, I was eager to do. Who are the poor? The poor are those dying of famine in Judea in the first century.

This was a real historical occurrence. So Paul would go to these Gentile churches and he would appeal to them to give money for famine relief. 2 Corinthians 8, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. that you through his poverty might become rich. That is one of the most glorious Christological statements in all of the Bible. But it's right smack dab in the middle of an appeal by Paul for the Corinthians to cough up money. to give up dough so that people that were dying of famine in Judah could eat.

You see, much of the New Testament documentation is written under that specific situation. And so we see the heart of these men in Scripture toward the defenseless, toward those needy ones. And then look at 1 Timothy 5, very specifically, a particular mandate concerning treatment of widows. Now, I would include orphans here as well.

I don't think Paul would say, you know, those orphans, they should just go beg on the street. He's dealing with specifics in the life and the context of the church. Notice in verse 3, honor widows who are really widows. The word honor there means give them money.

We don't typically think that way. We think honor meant they had a special chair or they had a little placard and they got their own hymn book. No, that's not the honor in view. The honor in view is pay them.

Give them money. They have to buy food. They don't wander into the Walmart or equivalent of it there. Oh, you're a widow.

Here, let's just give you bushels of food. That just didn't happen then. It certainly doesn't happen now. Honor widows who are widows indeed.

Later on in 1 Timothy 5, it's going to say honor elders. Provide double honor for those elders who rule well, especially in the Word and Doctrine. The honor there is financial remuneration. It is pay them well.

That's what honor in this particular context means. That was not an indirect plea for a raise, by the way. I'm just trying to expound what the text says, because we come to this, we see honor, and we think, oh, that means to esteem them. No, it means to cough up dough to them.

It means that without money, they're going to die. You know, it's one thing we're all addicted to, food. We're all addicted to water. If we don't get those necessary nutrients in our vitals, we are going to die.

And so Paul addresses the church and he says, honor widows who are really widows. But notice, the first line of defense is the Christian family. If you're not looking after your own widows, if you're not looking after your own children, if you're not looking after your own castle, you certainly shouldn't be out trying to fix the kingdom. It always starts at the home, and this is Paul's emphasis.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents, for this is good and acceptable before God. You see the apostles' logic here. The church is going to look after them if there's nobody else to look after them. The first primary line of defense is the family.

Notice, he defines what a widow is, verse 5. Now, she who is really a widow and left alone trusts in God, continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives, and these things command that they may be blameless. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

In the context, this is providing for widows. It's not even a reference primarily to your wife and to your kids. If you don't provide for that, you're really an unbeliever. You're really worse than an infidel.

Then notice verse 9, specific direction to the church if indeed the widow doesn't have a family to care for her. Verse 9, do not let a widow under 60 years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works, if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. Now, in our day, they'd say, well, you can't ask that. I mean, she's a widow, right?

She doesn't have a husband. Yeah, but has she been faithful? See, we don't just throw money at people. They're faithless, and they're going to go buy crack cocaine.

You don't just throw money at them. There has to be criteria. In other words, there is discrimination, not racial. Don't take this home and say, oh, he's discriminating.

This is discrimination, unless she has been this, this, this, this, this. In other words, there are criteria to fulfill with reference to this particular situation. Just so you can see, I think we're lobbed things at the church, at the Bible today. Like immigration, for instance.

Have you noticed that in those Old Testament passages, it's not only widow and orphans, it's strangers. Strangers doesn't mean a guy named Bob you just met. Oh, he's a bit of a stranger. Strangers are those who have come into Israel that are not Israelites.

And we are told very much today, well, the Bible's very pro-immigration. In fact, Jesus and his family were immigrants, right? And we're being pressed with this mindset. God-haters who reject scripture all of a sudden become Bible scholars when it comes to a doctrine like immigration.

It just blows me away, and the Christian church doesn't respond. Well, here's the bottom line. Yes, there were strangers in Israel. Notice what you do not find, however, in the first five books of Moses, a detailed policy on immigration.

We simply don't know what it meant for a person to become a stranger in Israel. But I think we can surmise it did not mean that these strangers could erect altars to Baal. It did not mean that these strangers could incite revolution against Yahweh. It did not mean that these strangers could somehow go against the covenant order.

As long as they did what they were supposed to do, as long as they towed the line, at least externally, they were welcome. Intriguingly, in Exodus chapter 12, the legislation concerning Passover, if a stranger in the land wants to participate in the Passover, he needs to become circumcised. He needs to join Israel. He needs to put his money where his mouth is.

If he wants to play, or engage rather, in Passover, then he has got to be a proselyte. One law for the Israelite and for the stranger. Not two, not three, not four, not five. Oh, you're in this category, so go ahead and participate in the Passover.

Now, I submit that even more so, what I'm suggesting, I think is more on the line than, say, these liberals that say, oh, you know, just let everybody in. I suppose there was some sort of, and I don't want to be anachronistic, vetting process or at least some instruction when these strangers showed up in Israel. I would imagine they were met with at least some basic legislation. No altars for Baal.

No revolution against Yahweh. No thing that would indeed incite riots concerning the civil order. I don't think that's an unjust leap or jump, especially in light of Exodus 12. I want to participate in the Passover.

Okay, you're going to become an immigrant. You're going to become a naturalized citizen, and this is the methodology. You need to go see him and get circumcised. You say, well, wait, you didn't just keep your religion.

You didn't just keep your ways, especially if they were contra, God's ways. So, you know, before we just start freaking out about all these people telling us how bad we are as Christians because we don't want criminals. I don't know why that's so hard. I don't want criminals coming into my house.

Does that make me a bad guy? Am I a xenophobe? Am I racist? Because I don't want criminals in my house?

Why am I a xenophobe or a racist if I don't want criminals in the city? Nancy Pelosi said, well, illegal immigrants haven't done anything wrong. Illegal immigrant. Can you not see this?

And I'm not trying to be political. I'm not trying to be, you know, go out and vote Republican. I'm not doing that. Brethren, just because the scripture addresses the reality that there were strangers in Israel doesn't give us license to develop an immigrant policy that just lets anybody and everybody in.

I can't imagine, in light of Deuteronomy 7, 1 to 5, with the stipulation concerning holy war, that they just willy-nilly let any immigrant in and let them do whatever it is they wanted. I really doubt that's what's going on in Old Covenant Israel. Notice the primary focus is on the widows and the orphans associated with the church. Now again, this doesn't mean to kick widows and orphans that aren't part of the church.

Or if they're unconverted, don't have anything to do with them. But remember when Jesus defines who the target of these good works are, the least of these my brethren. Galatians 6.10 says we are to do good to all men, especially to the household of faith. In other words, our primary orientation in terms of widows and orphans, if we're going fly to China and help orphans over there or widows over there, but we neglect the widows sitting in our own church?

We neglect those who are in our own context? We don't ever help them or visit them in their distress? No, I'm too busy for you, sister. I'm going to China to help some widows over there.

No, our primary emphasis is on the people of God, not just in this local church, but the least of these, my brethren, They are Christian people. And again, don't leave here saying, Butler's a racist, he's prejudiced, he's bigoted, all you can ever help is a believer. No, I'm not saying that. But I am suggesting that our primary responsibility, and I'm also suggesting that if we're not looking after our primary responsibility, I don't think we have any reason to doubt we're not going to, or there's any reason to believe we're actually going to help others.

I mean, if I don't love my own widowed mother-in-law and help her, why would I help some other person in the church, you see? If I'm not fixing, maintaining, dealing with my own castle, I'm certainly not concerned about the kingdom.

The Necessity of Sanctification

Notice the third example, the necessity of sanctification. The expression of saving faith is not only in external acts, good works, but in internal sanctity. Notice what he goes on to say. Visit widows and orphans in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

You see, the choice isn't between external works or internal sanctity. Well, I'm going to be one of those social justice warriors and go out and fix everything. But this internal sanctity, that's not really for me. But it can't be just internal sanctity and walk over widows and orphans when You know, they're between you and your car.

It's both. You see, these three things are very intricately linked. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and the Father is this, to visit widows and orphans in their distress and keep oneself unspotted from the world. Not or.

You know, there's errors on both sides. I'm just going to go out and help people. You need to read your Bible and pray so that you're not unspotted by the world. I'm just gonna, you know, sit and pray and read.

But there's other things that you're supposed to do as well.

Defining Worldliness

James will condemn his readers later in James 4 for worldliness. Now, worldliness is tough to define. The longer I live, the more I'm convinced it means somebody doing something I don't do. They're worldly.

You gotta be very careful. God alone is Lord of the conscience. London Baptist Confession 22. God alone is Lord of the conscience.

Be careful on this. I wish I had 10 tips how not to be worldly. You know, the old quip, don't drink, don't chew, don't dance, don't run with girls who do. You know, that at least served in some context as a definition for worldliness.

You know, when you look at the Bible, for instance, it doesn't condemn drinking. It condemns drunkenness, but it doesn't condemn drinking. So based on that old quip, somebody would be worldly if they had a beer. Be careful.

God alone is Lord of the conscience, you see. So worldliness, tough to nail down, but James nails his readers or his hearers. Notice in James 4.4, adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously? Other passages that speak to worldliness, John chapter 17, John 17. These are just a few specimen passages. John 17, 11, Christ essentially says, I don't ask you to take them out of the world, but keep them while they're in the world.

The whole old adage, right? We're in the world, but we're not of it. That's what we ought to see. We're in the world, but we're not of it.

Now, that cannot mean we have no association with the world. We're in the world, at least to some degree. We're gonna wear the same sorts of shirts and, you know, same sorts of pants, and we're gonna, you know, at least look like, and I don't ever get this feeling that the people of God in the Bible stood out based on the way they looked. Now, the text never says that, but you don't get the vibe that Paul was identified as a troublemaker because he wore, you know, something that was totally different.

Probably war was typical of the culture at that particular time. So we need to make sure that we're on board, we're in the world, we're not of it. And again, I wish I had ten things, but none of these passages on dealing with worldliness have ten things. It's like Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 2 with reference to female modesty.

It intrigues me that Paul doesn't say, okay, a skirt must be this long, hair must be this long, you can wear two, precisely two pieces of jewelry. He doesn't do that. They painted broad strokes, they give the particular principles, and I think they trust the Holy Spirit is going to guide us and help us to maneuver through the various extremes on either side, you see? But in this particular instance, with reference to John 17, Jesus says, now I come to you that these things, verse 13, I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." Romans 12. Romans 12, verses 1 and 2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, and do not be conformed to this world. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Whatever conformity to the world looks like, its opposite is the transformation of the mind. In other words, learn sound doctrine. Learn good theology. Because once you have it, the Spirit takes it and helps you apply in your life.

So that you're not shaped by the world, you're not functioning according to the world, but rather you're being transformed by the renewing of your mind. Notice as well, Titus chapter 2, verses 11 to 15. Titus chapter 2. what the grace of God teaches us. Titus 2.11, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

And then 1 John 2. 1 John 2. Specifically, verses 15 to 17. Again, these are passages I hope that you'll take home, pray through, and consider in your own life. Verse 15, do not love the world or the things in the world.

Again, I don't know that he means there, don't have a stake. Well, the world has a stake, I can't have a stake. No, Paul tells us, we can receive a stake with thanksgiving and enjoy it and praise God for it. The world gets married, does that mean we shouldn't get married?

No, it doesn't mean that. It's the demons. Doctrines of demons forbid marriage and abstaining from certain meats. You see, not everything that we do in this world is necessarily sin.

I mean, you know, if you have a garden, is that worldly? Oh, it's tilling the earth, and that's the world. Don't do that, brethren. We've got to be very careful that we're not going nuts here.

Now, obviously, there's worldly things. There's sinful things. There are things that are just wicked that Christians shouldn't do, right? I think we all see that, but I think at the very point of specifics and details and what I do and what others do, we need to be very careful that we don't encroach that particular theme of Second London Confession, and Westminster as well, and probably Savoy, that God alone is Lord of the conscience. 2.15, 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. for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever." Now, brethren, we have the particular ability to make anything sinful. Go back to the garden. Not the Garden of Eden, but your garden.

You like to garden. If you're obsessed with it, you spend all your money and time on it, and it becomes an idol, I'd call that worldly, wouldn't you? Oh, but gardening's so neutral. It's such a good thing.

Adam was a gardener. That's a beautiful thing. Not if you're an idolater, if that's everything, you know, your life, your energy, your blood, your sweat is poured into your garden. I mean, that might actually qualify as being worldly in that particular instance.

Allison seeks to define, or at least explain, what this whole idea of worldliness looks like. He says, presumably, world does not include all activities and relationships outside the religious community. We all have lives and relationships outside the religious community. If we don't, there's a problem.

You're supposed to go out and shine as a light in a crooked and perverse generation. If you're not doing that, then you are not doing what God calls you to do. So the supposition or what he says, it doesn't include all activities and relationships outside the religious community. More likely, it is the practical antithesis of God and Father and the functional equivalent of sin or evil.

Motier says, it is the whole human scheme of things organized in terms of human wisdom to attain a human goal without respect to God, His laws, His values, or His ultimate judgment. The world is, in fact, anything and everything that is at odds with the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. Now, there are some things that we could indeed list, 10 things you shouldn't do. I suspect we know those things.

With reference to the particular details and how we work this sort of thing out in our own hearts and lives, I suggest London Confession Chapter, it's 21 on liberty of conscience, right? That's a great starting point and these passages and pray through them and search them out. But

Application

I don't want to keep us here too much longer, so we'll just conclude by saying there is false religion. And I would submit that the false religion is seen by the rejection of the true doctrine or the embrace of false doctrine. In other words, if a man believes, I'm saved by works alone. That's false religion.

You know, I mentioned that video. The guy condemns. I mean, he says, you know, Jesus came and, you know, he called the religious people, you know, whores and whatnot. Yeah, false religion, but somebody who's actually engaged in true religion, why would Jesus call them whores?

He just wouldn't do that. You've got to understand it's a set of beliefs about the big things, and those beliefs lead to a particular bit of conduct. Religion is either good or it's bad, depending upon the beliefs that are held to. So false religion rejects the truth or embraces a lie.

As well, there is no God-word orientation in terms of the external works performed by these false religionists. They don't do good works the way we saw defined in our confession of faith, which I think accurately summarizes what scripture teaches. Secondly, the practice of true religion, the belief in the truth of the gospel. was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. If you are not a believer here tonight, that's the emphasis.

The emphasis is not, go out and tame your tongue, go out and visit widows and orphans in their distress, and go keep yourself unspotted from the world. Right now, look and live. Right now, believe the gospel. Turn from your wickedness and your idols to the true and living God.

Look to Jesus Christ. Faith is the means by which God accepts or God brings sinners into His fellowship through Jesus Christ. But for those who have believed, conduct which is the consequence of saving faith. In this text, it is. the bridled tongue, care for the needy, personal sanctification.

I think John Gill sort of summarizes this all beautifully when he says, where there is true religion in the heart, there is love to God, right? Let's just do this one step at a time here. Where there is true religion in the heart, there is love to God. And where there is love to God, there is love to the saints.

And this will show itself to them in times of affliction and distress. And where this is wanting, religion itself or this religious expression is not pure and undefiled. So where it is wanting, this expression of affection and love, it is pure and undefiled. I'm sorry, religious is not pure and undefiled.

You get the point. If there's love to God, there'll be love to the saints. If there's love to the saints, it will express itself. It will visit, it will tend to, it will care for, it will help.

And so I want to conclude by saying there is a necessity in our text on both and. This isn't, well, I'm going to be an external Christian doing good works, or I'm going to have internal sanctity. This isn't soup or salad. This is both and.

We need to be a people that are about those things that have a tangible expression to those who are in distress, but those who are seeking, by the grace of God, to keep themselves unspotted from the world. And I don't take that specifically as, well, I can't go here, I can't go there, I can't go there, I can't do that. No, that may be involved, but it's communion with Christ. It's cultivation of the soul.

It's being in the presence of the altogether lovely. The best means, the best antidote, the best help to resist the world is to be caught up with the Savior, to be in love and enjoyment with the one who is altogether lovely. I mean, if we love him, if we adore him, if we worship him, of course we're not going to go here, there, there, the other place. We're going to avoid those things like the plague because they're contrary to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, let us close in a word of prayer.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for your grace and the mercy that you showed us in the gospel. And God, even as we read this passage about pure and undefiled religion, even as we see and examine your heart toward the fatherless and the widow, God, we confess, or at least I confess, a lack of concern, a lack of compassion and kindness. I pray, O God, that you would help us by your Holy Spirit to take such passages as these and to truly bridle our tongue and to care for the needy to seek to cultivate that internal sanctity, those things that will help us and guard us and guide us with reference to life in this world.

We ask now that you would go with us and watch over us in this coming week, grant us grace to glorify and honor you, and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed.

Scripture References

• Exodus 12; 22:22
• Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 10:18; 27:19
• Psalm 68:5; 94:1; 94:6
• Isaiah 1:16-17; 1:23
• Malachi 3:4-5
• Matthew 6:1-2; 6:5; 6:16; 23:14; 25
• Luke 7:11; 18:10
• John 17:11; 17:13
• Acts 6:1; 11; 21
• Romans 9:16; 12:1-2; 15
• 2 Corinthians 8:9
• Galatians 2:9-10; 6:10
• Ephesians 2:9-10
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11
• 1 Timothy 2; 5:3; 5:5; 5:9
• Titus 2:11-15
• James 1:18; 1:21; 1:23-27; 2:1; 4:4
• 1 John 2:15-17