James is interested in separating fact from fiction...as faith without works is dead! He is concerned with the EVIDENCE of faith and so does the same with the concept of religion. It is one thing to be religious, but another thing to be a Christian. James wants to drive the point home personally. Vain, pretense, or is the essence there?! He is talking about doers of the Word of God. Not on in name only as a Christian.

There is such a thing as vain religion. A sham. A shell. The point is personal. Is there anyone that thinks they are religious? We usually do this from our own standards...but it stands against what religion is to God. We can have standards that mark us as a Christian, but the standard is that we SUBMIT ourselves to the Word of God. "Quick to hear, slow to speak." That Word of God as the law of liberty that sets us free to obey God from the heart. Set free to serve God by submitting our life to the law of God in loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as our self as we submit to that Word. Some things we MUST do in that regard:

Bridal our tongue. It has to be UNDER the yoke of God instead of talking about me, myself, and I and being quick to wrath, to damage others. The heart and soul of obedience (love) is not there. It becomes vanity and attains nothing. If we talk about religion but the aspects are not in our lives it IS vanity before God our Father! God dictates in His Word our obligations in this regard. Submit yourselves to MY LAW! The two things (visit the fatherless and widow and keep yourselves unspotted from the world) are examples of TRUE religion. After bridling the tongue and listening to the Word of God there is the profound calling to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. There is no greater example of those who need compassion and love! Matthew 25:34ff. Genuine Christians who from the inside our showed that mercy that issued out of them from their Christianity by discharging their Christian virtues without wanting notoriety. If religion issues from the HEART (zeal and part of the love of Christ) then it IS TRUE! How often are we to show the love of God to others? That the Word of God has gripped us and that the love and compassion of God that has begotten us comes forth to others. Also, keep yourselves unspotted from the world. we operate in this world in the love of God BUT are NOT of this world! That Word guides our lives and keeps us unspotted from the world whose religion is in their heart!

There is a blessing, but don't expect the blessing in this world. They will mock and scorn, but it will also give testimony of them in the day of days. They will see that we are not only hearers of that Word, but DOERS of that Word.....And....in that doing of the Word we will find blessing. Not only here, but in the life to come!!!