Pure Religion

"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. 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: 26, 27 KJV)

From these words we learn that there is a "pure religion," as opposed to a corrupt one, and an "undefiled religion (or 'worship')" as opposed to "defiled worship and religion." To know the difference determines whether one is saved or lost.

"Religion" is from the Middle English word 'religioun,' from Old French 'religion,' from Latin 'religiō, religiōn-,' perhaps from 'religāre,' to tie fast" or to "rely."

To "rely" means "to be dependent for support, help, or supply" or "to place or have faith or confidence: relied on them to tell him the truth."

The Greek word "thrēskeia" ('religion') means, according to Strong, "religious worship, especially external, that which consists of ceremonies" or "religious discipline."

It has been well said that a man's "god" is that which he "relies" most upon in time of crisis. Certainly "pure religion" wholly relies upon God. It depends upon him to reveal the way he seeks to be worshipped.

Thus an "idol" is anything that is put in the place of God, a thing a person "relies upon" the most. But Lord God is to be the thing or being most relied upon, not anything else. So Paul spoke of wicked men as having their "bellies" or "stomachs" for "gods" and for "idols." (See Philippians 3: 19 KJV)

A man reveals the quality of his religion, whether it be pure or corrupt, or whether it be God honoring or God dishonoring, by the things in which he trusts or depends upon, especially in adversity. A man reveals the same in the manner in which he "renders obedience" and gives "religous service to" God, and in what he most thanks and credits for his well being and blessedness.

Pure religion manifests itself in doing good to neighbors, and never in evil deeds. Pure religion is manifested also in the kind of devotion shown to deity. Religion is connected with "worship," and the word "worship" may be translated as "doing religious service."

"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." (Colossians 2: 18 AV)

"Worshipping" is from the Greek word 'threskeia' (religion). Here the apostle condemns a religion that is corrupt and false, one where there is the idolizing of angels, and pompous rites, designed not to glorify deity, but creatures, and where there is a religous pride masked by seeming humility, after the manner of Uriah Heep.

Jesus too spoke against false religion and illegitimate worship.

"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15: 9 KJV)

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4: 21-24 KJV)

"Pure religion" is such that is divinely regulated. God is not to be worshipped in any way a person chooses. Sincerity alone is not valid criteria. Pure religionists serve the Lord "in sincerity AND truth." (See I Corinthians 5: 8 KJV) He must "worship" and be "religious" towards God "in spirit AND in truth." People may be sincerely wrong. Although, philosophically speaking, this may be only in appearance, or merely seemingly, for it is only logical to believe that if one were truly sincere and "in spirit" to worship God, and were a genuine seeker of God, that he would then be led by God to his word, which directs his sincere desires into proper worship.

"Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." (Colossians 2: 23 KJV)

Many of the world's false religions have a "show" of religious piety and devotion. But, Lord God sees it differently. He sees all false religions as evil and corrupt. How many of these false religions promote bodily self mutilations and cuttings? How many involve immoral rites? How many involve numerous ceremonies all designed to lift the pride of man and feed his carnal lusts?

The Pagan religions, of Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and of Egypt, were infamous for their diabolical religions. Peter referred to some of their corruptions when he wrote to Christians, saying:

"For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." (I Peter 4: 3, 4 KJV)

These Pagan religions made sexual immorality part of their religion. They made drunkenness part of it. Their religious devotions were really no devotions to God at all. They drank to the "gods" of "wine" and "pleasure," to their "belly gods," and not to the one living and true God. It was all a farce, an outward show.

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." (16-23)

There is disagreement among translators and bible interpreters as to whether the Greek word in the text above should be translated as "too superstitious"or as "very religious." If the former is the more correct rendering, then Paul begins his sermon to these false religionists with a rebuke, whereas if the latter is more correct, then Paul rather begins his sermon without a rebuke but simply with an observation that was either neutral or slightly commendatory. If it was commendatory, then he would be simply commending their religiousness over against the those who were totally non-religious.

In any case, Paul confronted those who were falsely and ignorantly worshipping God, who were in a corrupt, defiled, and false religion, and taught them the one pure, true, religion of God, and how to worship God acceptably, "in spirit and in truth," and not according to the whims of corrupt and sinful men, but according to the oracles of God.

"Devout" is also a similar word to "religious" and means "reverencing God, pious, religious." It denotes being "dutiful to revere and to worship."

"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him." (Luke 2: 25 KJV)

"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." (Acts 2: 5 KJV)

"And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him." (Acts 8: 2 KJV)

"A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." (Acts 10: 2 KJV)

"But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts." (Acts 13: 50 KJV)

"And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." (Acts 17: 4 KJV)

A man who is "devout" is not necessarily a Christian or one who is favored of God, nor one who worships God truly. Many of the "devout" Pagan Greeks rejected the gospel of Jesus. It simply means that one is serious or intense in his religious exercises.

"But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." (I Timothy 5: 4 NIV)

This verse is similar to the verse in James cited at the outset. Pure religion involves doing those things that God has said that he desires that men do. True religion is not simply in the head, involving only a life of contemplation, but involves the daily activities of worshippers.

"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians 1: 13, 14 KJV)

"Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." (Acts 26: 5 KJV)

"Ioudaïsmos" = Jewish faith or religion. This religion was once the pure religion of Jehovah, but it had become corrupted, in a manner similar to the Greek and Pagan corruptions of the truth of God. (See Romans 1) So, Paul does not call the religion of the Messiah rejecting Jews "God's religion," but rather the "Jew's religion." During the time when Paul was intensely involved in the "Jew's religion," he was a lost sinner, spending his time murdering and tormenting the believers in Jesus. As Jesus had foretold, he "thought he was doing God service" (John 16: 2) in this murderous rampage against Christians. False religion is a potent evil while "pure religion" is a potent good.

Friend, what kind of religion do you have?