Religious? (James 1:26-27)
What is the difference between spirituality and religion? These two words often used interchangeably yet representing paths that can be as divergent as they are overlapping. We venture today into the realm where the rituals meet the heart, where the sacred texts meet the human spirit, and where the pews meet the very core of our being. This inner journey, this personal quest for meaning, purpose, and connection, is what we often call spirituality. It is where we go beyond the rituals and dogmas, moving towards an uncharted territory of personal connection and transformation. It is within this space that our deepest questions find their answers, and our souls find peace.
In the gospel of John, Jesus says, "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." Here, the importance of aligning our outer religious practices with our inner spiritual truth becomes evident. It's a journey that goes beyond mere participation in religious rites. It becomes a transformative and liberating quest for connection with the divine, and a journey towards becoming the best versions of ourselves.
Today, I want us to explore the beauty of this sacred balance - between being religious and being spiritual. The dance between the structure of religion and the freedom of spirituality. It is my belief that one does not cancel out the other, but rather, they complement and enrich each other. They intertwine in a divine harmony, calling us towards a deeper and more profound experience of faith.
The intertwining of religion and spirituality is not just a philosophical or theological debate. It's about life in its fullest, richest, most profound sense. It's about finding our place in this vast universe, discovering our deepest values, and living out our most profound convictions. It's about finding our way home.
What Would Jesus Want?
We turn now to the powerful words of James, a man who not only bore witness to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also became one of the great leaders of the early Christian community. As the Lord’s brother, we could imagine that he knew him better than most. His epistle is a practical guidebook, focusing not merely on faith, but the lived expression of it. Today, we center our discussion around James 1:26-27, where he provides a mirror for self-examination, for understanding the difference between worthless and worthwhile religion.
Let's read together:
James 1:26–27 (ESV) — 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 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.
What is worthless religion?
James, in his forthright manner, does not mince words about what he considers worthless religion. He introduces the concept by pointing out a discrepancy between self-perception and behavior. If someone considers themselves religious, yet does not have control over their own tongue, they are, in James's words, deceiving themselves, and their religion is worthless.
The tongue here symbolizes more than just the words we utter. It represents the actions that come from our hearts. Our words, after all, reveal our thoughts and, ultimately, the state of our heart. Jesus Himself teaches in Matthew 12:34, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
Worthless religion, then, is a religion that fails to manifest in one's daily conduct, especially in the way we speak and interact with others. It is the sort of religion that is confined to rituals and ceremonies, devoid of true transformation of heart. This type of religion does not impact one's life beyond the four walls of a church building or the pages of a notebook. It is merely a superficial label rather than an intrinsic part of one's identity.
When our faith does not result in a change in our behavior and the way we treat others, it is, according to James, a form of self-deception—a worthless religion. It is like looking at our reflection in a mirror and forgetting our appearance as soon as we walk away, a metaphor that James uses earlier in the same chapter.
This sharp critique invites us to reflect on our own lives. Are there instances when our words or actions have not aligned with the faith we profess? In these moments of introspection, let us remember the words in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves..."
As we ponder upon these questions, let us turn our attention to the counterpoint that James proposes—the concept of a worthwhile religion, a religion that is pure and faultless in the eyes of God our Father. In the next part of our sermon, we will delve deeper into this idea.
What is worthwhile religion?
As we continue our exploration of James's teachings, we turn to his definition of what makes religion worthwhile. James 1:27 offers a strikingly clear, practical, and powerful explanation: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to visit or look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Notice, dear brothers and sisters, the beautiful simplicity of James's words. Worthwhile religion, according to him, manifests in two main ways: compassionate care for those in need and personal purity of life.
Visit
First, James emphasizes the importance of "looking after orphans and widows in their distress". This is not a call to a general sense of kindness, but rather, a very specific instruction to care for the most vulnerable among us, those who are often marginalized and forgotten. This same word is used a few times in the New Testament. Notice what it refers to.
Luke 1:68 (ESV) — 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people
Luke 1:78 (ESV) — 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
Luke 7:16 (ESV) — 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
The 'orphans and widows' symbolize all those who are in need, those who are suffering, and those who society often overlooks. The act of looking after these individuals goes beyond offering fleeting moments of sympathy. It involves a genuine, ongoing concern for their well-being, a dedication to easing their distress, and a commitment to justice for them.
This message echoes throughout the scripture, such as in Deuteronomy 10:18, where we read that God "defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow", and Jesus's teachings in Matthew 25:40, where He identifies Himself with the least of these.
If we choose to spend all our time with those who do not need our help, our religion is missing a vital element that, James tells us, God cares about.
Unstained
Second, James instructs us to "keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Here, the word 'world' represents not the physical world, but the worldly values and practices that stand in opposition to God's commandments. To keep oneself unpolluted is to resist the temptation to conform to these worldly ways, to hold steadfastly to the moral and ethical standards set by our faith, even in the face of adversity.
We are made pure by the blood of Christ, but there is an expectation that we would maintain that purity. James tells us that the Christians he is writing to are struggling with that. They have passions at war within them.
James 4:3–5 (ESV) — 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 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. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
Listen to his solution.
James 4:7–8 (ESV) — 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James calls us to a faith that is not merely ritualistic but transformative. It’s not an external transformation primarily. It’s an internal transformation. Sin starts in out hearts. It begins with our desires. Worthwhile religion changes the way we interact with the world around us, pushing us to lead lives of compassion, integrity, and purity. It inspires us to reflect the love of Christ in our actions, to stand firm against the corruptive influences of the world, and to bear witness to the transformative power of the Gospel in our lives.
James's definition of worthwhile religion is as relevant today as it was in his time. It's a call to practical Christianity, a call to a religion that doesn't just preach but acts, a religion that reaches out in love and stands up for purity. It's a call to live out our faith in a manner that honors God and serves humanity. In essence, it's a call to a religion that matters, a religion that truly makes a difference.
As we meditate on James's words, let us reflect on our faith journey. Are we living out our faith in a manner that aligns with this vision of worthwhile religion? Do we care about those who are not going to provide us with some benefit? Are we willing to set aside our love for this world to pursue the pure life God has called us to? In the final part of our sermon, we will explore how James's teachings relate to our discussion of the relationship between religion and spirituality.
How is spirituality and religion explained by James?
In exploring the teachings of James, we find a profound illustration of the interconnectedness between religion and spirituality. James did not view them as separate entities, but as two elements of a unified whole, where faith is both professed and lived, doctrine is both believed and embodied. Both are pleasing to God when they are done in the right way.
Let's look at our passage again:
James 1:26–27 (ESV) — 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 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.
James's perspective is remarkably balanced. On one hand, he speaks to the religious aspect of our faith: the profession of belief, the acknowledgment of doctrines, and the outward manifestation of our faith in words and actions. On the other hand, he emphasizes the spiritual aspect: the internal transformation, the personal relationship with God, the integrity of heart that aligns our actions with our beliefs.
The "worthless religion" James describes may be seen as religion without spirituality—a rigid adherence to religious practices without the underpinning of a heart transformed by faith. This type of religion results in a disconnect between belief and action, leading to the self-deception James warns about.
In contrast, the "worthwhile religion" James promotes is religion full of spirituality. It involves not only the acceptance of religious teachings but also the personal, transformative experience of God's love. This spiritual dimension elevates religion to an internal transformation with faithful action.
For James, spirituality is not a departure from religion, but the heart of it. It's the force that infuses life into religious practices, making them meaningful and effective. Spirituality enables us to live out our religious beliefs in practical, impactful ways—caring for those in need and maintaining moral purity, as James instructs.
Therefore, in the light of James's teachings, being religious and being spiritual are not contradictory, but complementary. Religion provides the structure, the shared beliefs, and communal practices. Spirituality, on the other hand, offers the personal, transformative experience of these beliefs, leading to a life lived in harmony with them.
As we embark on our journey through the Epistle of James, let's embrace this integrated vision of religion and spirituality. Let's strive to live a faith that is both deeply personal and communally expressed—a faith that transforms us and, through us, the world around us.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Jesus didn’t die so we could perform religions traditions. Men and women were doing that for centuries before he came. He wanted to reform religion. He wanted it to be true and spiritual.
Let our religion not be a mere label or a set of rituals but a reflection of a heart transformed by the love of God. And may our spirituality not be an abstract, disconnected experience, but deeply rooted in the teachings of Christ, lived out in practical, loving service to others.
So, let us reflect, and let us act. For as James himself says later in his letter, "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17, NIV). Brothers and sisters, let our faith be alive, vibrant, and impactful. Let it be a beacon of hope, love, and transformation. In this way, our religion becomes worthwhile, our spirituality becomes tangible, and our faith becomes a living testament to the love of God.