What is pure religion? Do I have it?

1. THE DEMANDS OF
PURE RELIGION
James 1:27
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.

2. PURE

Greek word – Thayer - “free from corrupt
desire, from sin and guilt; free from every
admixture of what is false, sincere, genuine;
blameless, innocent, unstained with the guilt of
anything

30 times in NT – translated – pure, clean, clear

John 15:3 – You are clean through the Word I
spoke to you.

WE MUST BE CLEAN, PURE, WITHOUT ANY
CORRUPT THING IN OUR LIFE.

3. RELIGION

Greek word – Thayer – religious worship, especially
external, that which consists of ceremonies

4 times in NT – translated – religion, worshiping

Colossians 2:18 – Let no one cheat you of your
reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of
angels, intruding into those things which he has not
seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Religion is more than external ceremonies of worship

WE MUST LIVE OUR RELIGION, NOT JUST GO
THROUGH THE MOTIONS.

4. VISIT

Greek word – Thayer – to look upon or after, to
inspect, examine with the eyes, to see how he
is, to look upon in order to help or benefit

11 times in NT – translated – visit, see

From the same word as bishop, overseer

Acts 7:23 – Now when he was forty years old,
it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the
children of Israel

WE MUST VISIT, MORE THAN SOCIALIZE.

5. ORPHANS

Greek word – Thayer – those bereft of a
teacher, guide, guardian

2 times in NT – translated – fatherless,
comfortless (KJV), orphans (NKJV)

There are many orphans with a living parent.

John 14:18 – I will not leave you orphans; I will
come to you.

THERE ARE MORE ORPHANS THAN WE
REALIZE.

6. UNSPOTTED

Greek word – Thayer – spotless,
metaphorically; free from censure,
irreproachable; free from vice, unsullied

8 times in NT – translated – without, spot,
unspotted

Ivory soap – 99.44% pure.

We must be better than 99.44%. We must be
100% pure.

7. UNSPOTTED

Ephesians 5:25-27 25 Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ also loved the church and
gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify
and cleanse her with the washing of water by
the word, 27 that He might present her to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should
be holy and without blemish.

WE MUST BE UNSPOTTED AND FREE
FROM STAIN.

8. FROM THE WORLD

Greek word – Thayer – the whole circle of
earthly goods, endowments, riches,
advantages, pleasures, etc., which although
hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce
from God and are obstacles to the cause of
Christ.

188 times in NT – translated – world, adorning

The root word = orderly, arranged, planned,
designed

9. FROM THE WORLD

1 Peter 3:3 Do not let your adornment be
merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing
gold, or putting on fine apparel--

1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all
that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the
Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is
passing away, and the lust of it; but he who
does the will of God abides forever.

10. FROM THE WORLD

It is clear – there must be a separation from the
world

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 17 Therefore "Come out
from among them And be separate, says the
Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will
receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, And
you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the
Lord Almighty."

WE MUST SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD.

11. Summary

WE MUST BE CLEAN, PURE, WITHOUT ANY
CORRUPT THING IN OUR LIFE.

WE MUST LIVE OUR RELIGION, NOT JUST
GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.

WE MUST VISIT, MORE THAN SOCIALIZE.

THERE ARE MORE ORPHANS THAN WE
REALIZE.

WE MUST BE UNSPOTTED AND FREE
FROM STAIN.

WE MUST SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD.

12. CONCLUSION
James 1:27
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.