Sermon Video: Pure and Faultless Religion - James 1:26-27

The modern trend toward labeling oneself "spiritual, but not religious" is in many ways a rebuttal of the failures of organized religion.  If the practice of our collective faith in Jesus, i.e. the Church, was pleasing to God, as James calls it, "pure and faultless", it would certainly be worthy of joining.  What do we need to do, as a church locally and as a Church universally to earn God's favor?  The answer is simple, although it requires much work.  The way in which a church (or The Church) can be judged for its effectiveness is by how it treats the least among us.  James refers to "widows and orphans", the most vulnerable segments of his society, in ours those in need may be different, but our imperative to help those in need remains the same.  As individual Christians, as a local church, as a denomination, and as a universal Church, we must be seriously about the business of helping those in need.  This is not an optional part of Christianity, it is the heart of the fruit that the Gospel produces in us.  It is not simply what we do, it must be who we are.
The second indicator of genuine religion offered by James is for us to keep from being polluted by the world.  Moral filth exists in every society, for all mankind is in rebellion against God.  How do we, as Christians, avoid this pollution?  It isn't by avoiding society, how can we be helping those in need if we're hiding from the world?  That method is of limited value anyway, for temptation comes from within, we take it with us wherever we go.  The only effective means of avoiding moral pollution is to fill one's life with acts of righteousness, which will become righteous habits, and not allow sin the opportunity for a foothold.
When we as a church, locally or universally, are truly living our lives together in service to those in need and free from the pollution of immorality, we will not only attract those who need God's grace to us to hear the Gospel, we will by God's power at work in us, change our world.

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