notes

Main point summary

True religion says that we are to bridle our tongues and care for people, we should not deceive our hearts not be stained by the world.

Discourse**

editing

NT

James 1:26-27

esv

mine

If anyone thinks he is religious

If we think we are religious

q and does not bridle his tongue

Not curbing our tongue

but deceives his heart,

But deceiving ourselves

negativepositive

ground

this person’s r religion is worthless.

Then our religon is worthless and in vain.

conditional

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

This is true religion:

s to visit t orphans and widows in their affliction,

That is we visit orphans and widows

and u to keep oneself v unstained from the world.

And do not become like the world.

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Notes**

The first thing I saw in these verses were the pairs of propositions in the categories of true religion and false religion. False religion manifests itself in an unbridled tongue and a deceived heart--one which is external and the other is internal. True religion manifests itself in caring for people--in this case the most disenfranchised--while remaining unstained by the world. Once again, one is external and the other is internal. But we can turn this around to all being negative or positive: False religion manifests itself externally through an unbridled tongue and not caring for the least of people. Internally, it manifests itself through a deceived heart and being stained by the world. True religion, on the other hand, manifests itself externally by bridling the tongue and visiting the least among us. Internally, it manifests itself through a heart that is protected from deception and keeping oneself unstained from the world. In a time where the frog is in the pot on the fire and we have the world beating against our doors--when Netflix regularly presents worldly behavior to our eyes and ears, we need to be careful to protect our hearts from deception and stains.