Notes**

James 1:26-27 Main Point: Pure religion is serving your neighbors in affliction and pursuing personal practical holiness, rather than worthless, externally religious deeds with unhinged speech. Applications: 1. People were already deceived in their hearts; thus the need for James to specifically address the situation or state of a believer's heart. 2. Religion cannot be pure [as God intended] if there is not a change in a person's speech. 3. There are outward manifestations of the inward religious beliefs [beliefs about who God is and does in relation to ourselves, i.e. Jesus and His work on the Cross and gift of the Holy Spirit]. 4. If you truly take religion of Jesus Christ seriously [i.e. Gospel], then that faith / belief will be worked out by loving God [pursuing holiness] and loving your neighbors [most vulnerable being orphans and widows].

notes

Main point summary

Pure religion is serving your neighbors in affliction and pursuing personal practical holiness, rather than worthless, externally religious deeds with unhinged speech.

Discourse**

editing

NT

James 1:26-27

esv

mine

If anyone thinks he is religious

If you think that you are religious

q and does not bridle his tongue

and likewise do not keep your words

but deceives his heart,

and then deceives himself with his heart or true loves,

progression

this person’s r religion is worthless.

then this person with these qualities and character have worthless outward devotion and religion.

conditional

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

But now I [James] will tell you truly what real authentic religion is before God, the Father:

s to visit t orphans and widows in their affliction,

namely 1) acknowledge and help via practical love and hospitality those most marginalized without protectors i.e. widows and orphans.

and u to keep oneself v unstained from the world.

and also 2) pursue personal set-apartness from the wickedness of the world's pleasures and pursuits (i.e. unstained holiness before God).

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