10:31 James Devotional #10

Good morning!  Ever wonder how your tongue and your worship go together?  Most of us would consider ourselves to be religious.  However, the way we use our words truly tells the world around us if that religion is true or worthless.  But, mere words are not enough according to James.  Actions that please the Lord must follow!

As you read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: religious, tongue, religion, and visit orphans and widows.

Passage for the day:  James 1:26-27 (NASB)

26   If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

27   Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Questions for thought:  Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.

What makes a person’s religion worthless?

What does it mean to bridle your tongue?  Take a look at your life for a moment and evaluate whether this is true about you or not.

What is true religion when it is lived out before God (v. 27)?  Are you doing these things in your life?

 What are two ways that you can remain unstained from the world?

Meditate on this:

In these verses, James talks to us about “worthless religion.” One of the chief characteristics of self-deception in the Christian life is that believers can make an empty show of religious devotion. “Religion” is a way of life that either demonstrates hypocrisy or true faith. The problem then is that you can seem to be religious, that is, rightly related to God, and yet in the most basic way be failing to be so.  You can be a person who talks a lot about your religion and how much you love God, but your speech will reveal if that is real or not (Luke 6:45 – “out of the heart the mouth speaks”). The tongue, then, becomes the test case for true religion.

The tongue must be bridled, or controlled. The image used here involves the harnessing of a horse at the mouth. It is not that the tongue or speech is at all bad; James would later affirm it as an instrument of blessing. Unfortunately, an unrestrained tongue is a highly destructive force and an instrument of deception. By drawing attention to the tongue, James takes our attention away from just doing good things for people.  Control of the tongue stands for control of the whole self against temptation to give into evil desire.  James called the religion that goes with an uncontrolled tongue “worthless.” Worthless religion is then merely external, with no value.

Genuine religion is that which is “pure and undefiled before our God and Father.”  Genuine religion means that everything in the believer’s life is to bear the mark of service to God. We bring this service before God our Father as a pure and genuine form of religion that has eternal value; not a fake form of outward religion that is worthless!  And, when we are practicing this “true religion”, we will look after orphans and widows, the most vulnerable members of our church and society.  Orphans and widows may be outcasts to the world, but they must be embraced into the relationships of believers!  This is simply living as Christ lived.  He went to where these people lived and ministered to their needs in love.

But James does not stop here!  Along with genuine service to orphans and widows, we are to avoid whatever will pollute or stain our lives in the world.  In other words, the world must have no hold on the believer. Instead, believers hold themselves apart from the ways of the world. Having received the life-giving Word, we are able to live out these truths through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s be people who are living out true religion that will show itself in a controlled tongue and a consecrated life of service to others!

Praying for that you would Love Christ PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ FULLY!!!




Pastor Stephen