Useless Religion

Recalling what we learned in the previous post about being a “doer” of the word, we turn now to James’ practical examples of what “doing” the word looks like in James 1:26-27:

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Immediately evident in these two verses is the occurrence of the word “religious” or “religion.”  It occurs three times.  This fact reminds us that the word “religion” is not a bad word, it is a Bible word. 

I mention this because many evangelicals resist using this word.  We are known for saying frequently that we are not interested in a “religion, but a relationship,” meaning of course, a relationship with Jesus.  What we mean, of course, is that Christianity is not a man-centered works-based self-improvement system of religious rules and regulations.  It is rather a relationship with Jesus Christ.  As someone has said, “the world has many religions, but only one gospel.”

Given James’ audience, however, we can appreciate his use of the word “religion.”  Recall that James is writing not so much about becoming a Christian as he is about behaving as a Christian.  So when James uses the terms “religion,” or “religious,” he is talking about a Christian faith that is lived-out through practical expression (cf James 2:1, 14).

If Christian faith is not lived-out through practical expression, through “doing” what we “hear,” then James concludes that our religion is “useless.”  If we wish to keep our religion from becoming useless, we would wisely heed three behaviors James addresses.

Godly Conversation 

Having already introduced the need for control over our tongues (James 1:19), James now provides another “appetizer” before laying down his “full course” presentation on the tongue (James 3:1-12).  He writes, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue,” then he is one who “deceives his own heart” and his religion is “useless.”

To “bridle” one’s tongue conjures up images of bridling a horse.  A bridle is a headgear placed on a horse in an effort to control the movement of the horse.  Similarly, Christians must bridle their tongues in an effort to control the movement of their words.

In fact, James asserts that if Christians choose not to bridle their tongues then they are “deceiving their own hearts” and their religion is useless.  Put another way: You can’t expect to be considered a true Christian if you don’t exercise control over the words you speak.  Christians are to be known for wholesome, helpful speech.  

The Apostle Paul agrees.  He writes, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29)” and, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one (Colossians 4:6).”

The call for “bridling our tongues” suggests that we have a natural, fallen tendency to allow our tongues to go “unbridled.”  Too often we fail to exercise restraint over our speech.  We speak before thinking and allow our tongues to get us into all kinds of trouble.

I love the little poem by an unknown author, the rhyme entitled, “Our Lips and Ears.”

If you your lips would keep from slips,

Five things observe with care:

Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,

And how and when and where.

If you your ears would save from jeers,

These things keep meekly hid:

Myself and I, and mine and my,

And how I do and did.

If we don’t take care to bridle our tongues we may find ourselves engaged in unhelpful and unhealthy conversations—boastings, gossip, and slander to name just a few.

Jesus teaches that a man’s speech is a reflection of what is in his heart.  He says, “Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:18-19).”

How careful we must be to “bridle our tongues!”  May the Lord grant us the grace of restraining our tongues that we may engage only in godly conversation.

Godly Concern 

James next calls upon Christians to show love and mercy toward those who were often overlooked in the church: orphans and widows.  He says true faith in Christ will result in visiting these dear people. 

James’ use of the word “visit” connotes more than just a physical visit or dropping by.  It means to “look after,” to “care for,” which would include, of course, visiting, but it suggests more the idea of showing practical concern and compassion for those who are less fortunate.

In New Testament times, widowed women were especially vulnerable to poverty and neglect.  In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul teaches that immediate family has the initial responsibility of caring for widowed mothers and grandmothers.  Where there is no immediate family, however, the church is instructed to make a list of those who are widows and ensure that they received adequate ministry (1 Timothy 5:3-16).

The New Testament office of deacon (“one who serves”), is a ministry that arose out of the need to care for neglected widows (Acts 6:1-7).    

Orphans were another example of those who were easily neglected in biblical times.  If the father of a family died, his wife and children were suddenly without financial resources, often indebted to lenders, with little opportunity to immediately rectify their situation. 

Widows and orphans face similar challenges today, especially in third world countries and similar places where poverty is common and opportunity is scarce.

While our country has a number of good public and private social programs to care for widows and orphans, the primary responsibility for their care rests with the local church, especially where those widows and orphans are connected to the congregation.

Of all people, Christians in particular must show a godly concern for others, promoting the sanctity of life and human flourishing.  In addition to intentional involvement in right-to-life ministries, many Christians recognize the benefit of adopting children, proving care and spiritual support those children would otherwise be unlikely to receive it.

If we are to keep our religion from becoming useless, we must have godly conversation and godly concern.  But there is something else here: James also provides a succinct statement regarding the Christian’s personal holiness.

Godly Conduct 

James says that Christians must keep themselves, “unspotted from the world.”

It’s a helpful visual: “To keep oneself unspotted from the world” pictures a man or woman with a spot on himself or herself; a man or woman who is corrupted by worldly influences.  

Later, in Chapter 4, James will speak more directly to this.  He will ask, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).”

Many professing Christians think far too little of their engaging in worldly behaviors such as gossip, impurity, looking at pornography, sharing salacious stories, watching filth on television, or joking about ungodly things.  

Whenever we engage in ungodly behavior, if even just for a moment, we are in jeopardy of losing our Christian influence.  People are not won over to our faith in Christ because we say one thing with our testimony and we say another thing altogether differently by our actions.

A few years ago there was a popular advertisement for a laundry detergent stick.  One of the TV commercials showed a guy with a spot on his shirt.  And the guy is interviewing for a job and he is trying to talk, but all the while the little spot on his shirt is drawing attention to itself.  Every time the guy tries to talk during the interview, the little stain on his shirt is talking at the same time.  It’s going, “Blah, blah, blah,” so that the interviewer can’t hear what the interviewee is saying.  The spot overpowers him!  The commercial ends with a picture of the detergent stick and the words: “Silence the stain instantly.”

The whole point of the commercial is that people can’t really hear what we’re saying if we have a spot that diverts their attention away from our message.  In the same way, you and I can never hope to point people to Jesus when we have allowed ourselves to be spotted by the world.  The spots of worldliness in our conduct speak louder than the words of our Christian testimony.  We must “silence the stain,” by confessing our sin, repenting from it, and endeavoring to walk in moral purity.  We must have godly conduct.

What About You?

• Given James’ uses of the term, how do you feel about using the word “religion” to describe your Christian faith?
• What does your church do to show concern for widows and orphans?
• Are there any behaviors in your life that may be silencing your verbal witness?  If so, what will you do this week to change your behavior?