notes

Main point summary

The kind of religion God the Father is looking for is based on care for the needy and care for your own righteousness. Anything else that we come up with is worthless.

Discourse**

editing

NT

James 1:26-27

esv

mine

If anyone

Anyone

thinks he is religious

who considers himself a believer

q and does not bridle his tongue

but whose tongue is out of control

progression

but deceives his heart,

is deceived

alternative

ideaexplanation

this person’s r religion is worthless.

This kind of religion has no value!

conditional

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:

On the other hand, what God the Father considers pure religion is

s to visit t orphans and widows in their affliction,

to care for those in need

and u to keep oneself v unstained from the world.

and to avoid being polluted by the world

negativepositive

discourse

Notes**

In this chapter James contrasts the hearer who forgets with the person who acts. In the next chapter James argues repeatedly that faith without works is dead. This is not the place for a Luther vs James argument! Indeed, "works" is not referred to in the first chapter. The focus is on "doing". Or is it? Let's see what James says in these last two verses and how they fit with the rest of the opening chapter. Firstly, the problem identified is not mere hearing but THINKING. The solution is to care for widows and orphans. That is certainly DOING but James also adds the need to keep oneself unstained from the world. That sounds like a very different kind of acting! It's doing things internally. Keeping oneself unstained from the world has to begin with out thoughts! So, thinking is not necessarily bad! No, James talks about thinking that deceives as the wrong kind of deception. Three times in this chapter James brings out the idea of deception (1:16, 22, 26). Positive mental activity that is commended by James is: Being joyful in trials (2) Asking God for wisdom (5) Boasting in being lowly (9) Being steadfast under trial (12) Welcoming the perfect gift of the word (17-18; 21) Being slow to speak, and slow to anger (19) Putting off sinful habits (21) So, the only place where "doing" is specifically described as "good works" is in v27 (caring for widows and orphans). My conclusion is that the major focus in this chapter is growing in righteousness and the list above demonstrates the multiple ways we are to engage in that. It does involve DOING but it is about renovating ourselves rather than fixing the world!