Well, please do turn in your copies of God's Word to the letter of James. If you have a pew Bible, that's found on page 1011. James chapter one, verses 26 and 27. Hear now God's word through the Apostle James. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. So ends the reading of God's word. Let us once again go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to bless his word to us. our holy triune God, as we have already prayed and sung to you, we do ask once again that you would open our eyes, open the eyes of the blind. Let us see your holy law, let us see our sin, and let us see Christ, our Savior, who cleanses us from all sin. Help us, Lord, to be those who not only hear the word, but are doers also. And we know that in ourselves this is impossible, but we have your spirit in us who works within us that we might work for your good pleasure. I pray you would do this in Jesus' name, amen. Well, I'm sure you're all familiar with the English children's author Roald Dahl. He wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and many other books. But he also wrote an autobiography called the boy in which he writes of his own childhood. As a boy, Roald Dahl was sent away to a boarding school, and this was a very unpleasant time for him. In particular, he recalls how a bishop would come to the school, and he would preach. He would preach about Christ, the Lamb of God, and of forgiveness, and of his mercy. But according to Dal, this bishop himself showed no mercy. He had no forgiveness in him. Apparently, at the slightest infraction, he would beat the boys with terrible cruelty. And it was then that Dal says that he first began to question religion. It was then that Dal decided in his own heart and his own mind that he would have nothing to do with religion. And we know that Dal is not alone in his experience. I'm sure many of us know those who have turned away from the faith, have turned away from Christianity because of this very thing. They've seen things, they've been burned by others, and so they leave because of what they perceive to be a worthless religion, a religion that does not do what it claims to be. How do we understand Dahl's experience? How do we understand the experiences of our friends who leave the church for similar reasons? How do we understand this bishop? I mean, after all, he had all the trappings of religion. He was a bishop. He probably had the robes. He seemed to have preached the right message, and yet his actions were completely inconsistent. Well, this is the kind of thing the Apostle James is helping us to understand. You see, whereas Dow would look at this bishop and say, religion is worthless, James would look and say, no, no, no, this man's religion is worthless. And I hope you catch the nuance there. James says in verse 26, If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. You see, it's possible to think you are religious, but if your actions are completely inconsistent, you're deceiving yourselves and you're not completely or you're not truly religious. Now, some Christians don't like this term, religious. You hear some people say that Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship. Of course, that's a false dichotomy because it's both. Yes, Christianity is a relationship with the true and living God, but it's also a religion involving many religious rituals. The Lord's Supper is a ritual. What we're doing now, sitting down week after week while listening to a man speak from an ancient text, that's a ritual. So the distinction here is not between relationship and religion, rather the distinction is between true religion and false religion. And James is concerned that we have true religion. Now it's important also to note that James is not giving an exhaustive definition of what Christianity is here. He's not giving an exhaustive definition of what's contained in religion. James is simply making the point that true religion evidences itself in concrete ways. If you have been truly born of God, if you've been born again by God's spirit to be his first fruits, then you will bear the fruit of righteousness. And if a person fails to bear any fruit, if there's no fruit on the branches, it isn't because Christianity is worthless, it's because that person's profession of faith is worthless and he is self-deceived. This is the concern of the whole letter, that one's professional faith must evidence itself in bearing fruit. If we are truly religious, then we must be those who first, control our speech, secondly, care for the needy, and thirdly, keep ourselves from being stained by the world. And so let us consider, then, James's words. Let us examine our own hearts, seeking grace from the Spirit to help. Well, the first mark of true religion is seen in how we control our speech. Look at verse 26. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. You'll notice again how James is bringing up this theme of deception and self-deception. In verse eight, he spoke of the double-souled man who is inconsistent in his very soul. He's deceived and he's tossed about like a wave. In verse 16, he warned us not to be deceived regarding our own sin. Your sin is your own. You can't blame it on others. You can't blame it on God. Verse 22, he warned that if we only hear the word without practicing the word, we deceive ourselves. And now he writes, if anyone thinks he is religious, So it's possible that what we think we are, and what we actually are, are two different things. That's quite scary, isn't it? How does that happen? Well, as James has already been saying all along, it happens when we hear the word, but we fail to do it. It happens as we hear the word, but we quickly forget. What's the solution? Again, he's also said that. Verse 25, it's looking into the perfect law, the law of liberty, examining ourselves, letting the law show us where we need to repent, and in what ways we might be deceived, and then making those changes. And that's exactly what James is doing for us now. He's once again holding up the mirror of God's perfect law so that we examine ourselves to see if we have true religion. And so, therefore, let us receive this word and not shy away from the spirit's working. James writes that the first mark that one's religion is worthless is if he does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart. Here, James is using the imagery of a bridle. Well, if you want to control a horse, you put a, a bridle, you put a harness on the horse's head, and there's a bit that goes into the horse's mouth, and you're then able to control the horse. You see, naturally, a horse isn't going to want to do what you tell him to do. Naturally, he's just going to want to eat some food or walk and do his own thing. He's not going to go where you want him to go, so you need to control the horse. The point then is that our tongues, and really our speech, must be under our control. Just as the rider controls the horse and guides it where he wants the horse to go, so we must exercise self-control over the speech of our mouths. A person whose religion is genuine will be careful in what they say. Why is this the case? Why do we need to exercise control over the speech of our mouths? Well, we know, don't we? It's because our speech can be so deadly. Our speech can be like poison. Speech is a theme that comes up again and again in this letter. Listen to what James says in chapter three about our speech. I'm gonna read several verses. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird and reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no human can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." What vivid, what shocking imagery he uses to describe the tongue. Is there anything more shocking than to invoke images of hell itself, than to describe the damage a tongue can do. And we know this, because we can do awful things with our tongues. Just after my recent sermon on being slow to speak, I had several people come up to me and recount some of the ways they've been hurt in the past by speech. And even years after, they remember the cruel words of others that continue to haunt them and hurt them and hound them. Some words don't have a shelf life. Forget that nonsense about sticks and stones. Words do hurt. As a child, I know that I was pushed around on the playground now and then and given a few punches, but I don't remember them, to be honest. But I can remember the times that teachers or classmates used cruel words and harsh words and made up nicknames. And I'm sure it's the same for you. Words can be cruel and words can stick. But people make up all kinds of excuses for their failure to control their tongue. Well, I just tell it like it is. Or I just speak my mind. Some act as if having an unbridled tongue is a wise thing. Well, I just say what needs to be said without all that fluff. Well, okay, there's a place for honest discussion, there's a place for open and frank discourse, but there is no place for the Christian to speak foolishly with an unbridled tongue. Because while you may believe what you're doing is wise, dear brother, dear sister, be careful that you are not self-deceived. If you are not in control of your tongue, someone is. If you are not in control of your tongue, then your tongue is in control of you. And as James says, such religion is worthless. And so consider, how do you use your tongue? How do you use your tongue in the workplace? How do you use your tongue at home? How do you use your tongue towards your parents' children? How do you use your tongues towards your brothers and your sisters, your classmates? Be careful of the things you say. Do you use your tongue to encourage others and to build others up, speaking the truth in love? Or is the tongue for you a weapon that you pull out and you can beat your spouse in an argument? Or you can beat your neighbor in an argument? And that's the sole use of the tongue. Is your tongue unbridled on social media? Do you always say everything that comes to mind? Do you say things online that you just would never say in person? True religion bridles the tongue. Let's take that seriously. Now, at the same time, while allowing the law to hit us and show us our sin. We also remember from verse 25 that James is not calling us to perfectionism. It isn't that, well, you're only a Christian if you've never sinned with your tongue. Well, that would rule all of us out. We all sin with our tongue. But that's where James is telling us that as we're convicted by God's law, we're being called to repent of our sin. We're being called to confess sin. We're being called to find that forgiveness in Christ. In the very next verses, he'll talk about how we hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so practically speaking, if you feel convicted right now, don't just be a hearer of the word who hears and does not do, but confess your sins to God and repent of your sins. Is there someone you need to apologize to for a word said? because that is what it means to be one who not only hears the word, but also does it. Well, the second mark of true religion James mentions is a care for the needy. Look at verse 27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. It's very simple, isn't it? If you claim to be a Christian, then you must be concerned for the poor, for the needy, for the orphan and the widow. And we need to set some context for this. In the ancient world, orphans and widows were especially weak, especially helpless and defenseless. An orphan doesn't only refer to someone who's lost both parents. It also refers to one who has lost their father. In the ancient world, to lose your father meant you had no protection. You had no provision. It was very difficult for a family to survive in such cases. You would be completely at the mercy of others. And sadly, often others would prey upon you if you were in that situation. Remember the story of the widow in 2 Kings chapter 4, the widow who cries to Elisha, your servant, my husband, is dead. And you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take away my two children to be his slaves. This kind of thing really happened in the ancient world. Fallen man takes advantage of the vulnerable. He did then and he does today. But God cares for the widow. God cares for the orphan. A mark of Israel's obedience was that they were to have this special concern for the poor and the needy. The Lord commands in Exodus 22, 22, do not take advantage of the widow or the orphan. We read earlier how the law specified that fields were not to be completely gleaned, but there was to be edges left for the poor and for the outsider. Under the old covenant, God typically gauged Israel's spiritual health, not by their amount of sacrifices, but by how they cared for and provided for the weakest among them. And James is saying that this is no less true under the new covenant. And we see that, don't we? Even in the book of Acts, we see that very early on there was a large number of widows and the church was concerned with widows. Acts chapter six, we see that this was a task delegated primarily to the deacons to oversee that work and that ministry. And let's notice that more than just feeling pity for them, James wants us more than to go, oh, isn't that a shame. More than that, James says pure religion visits the orphan and the widows in their affliction. What does it mean to visit? Well, as I'm sure you'd guess, this word means more than to just make a social call. The word in the Greek means to go see a person with helpful intent. So it has the focus of going with the intention of helping them in some way, seeing what they need, finding out their needs, their interests. And he says visiting in their affliction. Affliction is a very general term. It could refer to a socioeconomic trial. It could refer to a trial of health. So it has broad application. But before we apply this, I want you to notice one other thing. Notice how James speaks in verse 27 about religion that is before God the Father. This reference to God as the father is deliberate. In the Old Testament, we read several passages already how God describes himself as a father, a father to the fatherless and a protector of widows. And James has already incorporated this theme of fatherhood in saying that God generously gives us all things, verse five. Verse 18, how he has brought us forth, he has birthed us. Verse 17, that he is the father of lights. So what's he saying? Well, he's saying that God is like a father who takes special interest in the poor, in the needy, in the orphan, and in the widow. And God is saying, my dear children, you are to imitate me in showing that concern. And as you imitate me, you show that you are born of God. Just like our children. We see children and you can tell, well, You know who their parent is. They imitate their parents. They look like them. So also we are to imitate our Father in heaven by showing this concern for the needy. This is true religion. Religion that is pure is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. As we think about our own church and as we try to apply this to ourselves, who does this apply to? Well, for starters, it applies to the orphans and the widows among us, and we do have many widows in our church. And we ought also to remember that children can be orphaned not only through the death of a father, but also through abandonment. And so we need to be sensitive to the variety of ways this might apply. But this term really does go further as well, it is broader. The term orphan and widow really represents that broader category of those who are suffering. So it applies to those who maybe are suffering unemployment through no fault of their own. For those who are sick, for those who are going through difficult trials. And so consider, who are those among us? Let's not just stop there. Let's also ask the question, and how can I help them? How can I be a visitor to the poor and the needy in their distress? Because you need to consider this question if you're going to be more than just a hearer of the word. One way to help others in their distress is by providing meals. The ladies of our church are great at making meals for people who are sick or when a family has a new baby. Most of you know that back in October, my family was hit with several trials all at once and they were all compounding at once and it was a difficult month for us. But as I look back on that month, I don't primarily remember my trials. What I remember is how so many of you, our beloved brothers and sisters, came to our house, offered help, dropped off meals, cared for us, and through that, Megan and I and our family felt your love. That's what I remember. That's one of the great benefits of being part of this ministry of caring for those in need and those who need help. And so as your pastor, I want to encourage you to do this, to press on in loving one another in this way, because this is what James is calling us to. This is what it is to be one who does the word. And obviously, meals are just one thing. There are so many ways we can bless and help one another. Now all of us are not in the same place to do these things, and so we recognize that. But for those of us who are, we must, because this is true and pure religion. And so if you're not involved in helping others in this kind of way, then ask the deacons. Find out, are there needs I can help with? Is there someone that maybe I can provide childcare to? Is there someone who needs that help? Maybe you have a particular skill set. Maybe there's a widow in the church who that would be a great blessing to. There are certainly plenty of our folks who are shut-ins who need encouragement and who themselves can encourage you as you have those conversations. So pick up the phone. If you don't know them, get to know them. and be blessed and be a blessing. You see, there's no excuse for us because there is so much opportunity for us to express religion that is genuine, that is pure. Let us remember the words of our Lord from John 13, 35. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. And so, beloved, let us show we are Christ's disciples, not by our our lawn signs, or our bumper stickers, or our social media posts, not that those are wrong in themselves, but let us show the whole world that we are Christ's disciples by loving one another in this way. True religion is marked by controlling the tongue, caring for the needy, and now thirdly, keeping yourself unstained from the world. That's what James writes at the end of verse 27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to keep oneself unstained from the world. What does this mean? Well the world is the typical way that the Bible speaks of the ungodly worldview and lifestyle that characterizes society around us. The world refers to that system of thought and values that runs contrary to the biblical worldview. And because it is a value system that is not founded on the perfect law of God, it is opposed to the perfect law of God. This is why James cautions us later. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Now, James, of course, is not telling us that we can't have friends who are unbelievers. No, that's not what he's saying. He's not saying we can't embrace unbelieving friends. What he's saying is Christians should not embrace unbelieving worldviews and mindsets. The language of staining refers to the influence the world can have upon us. The world's influence can stain us with its filth. You know, sometimes the influence of the world is not at all subtle. Sometimes we know very well the world is trying to shove its mindset and its worldview down our throats and it's forcing itself upon us. But often it is subtle. Often it is silent. Often it is, to use James's word, deceptive. At the moment, I'm reading a book about the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. It's the greatest nuclear disaster in history. During a test, a number of things went wrong, leading to the explosion of reactor number four. And this reactor has exploded. Excuse me. And all of this radiation is seeping out into the environment. But while this is happening, the engineers working there have no idea that this has happened. They keep working on, even denying that it's actually happened. And all the time, they're receiving the effects of the radiation upon them. They'll only realize it later on as they die a very slow and painful, gruesome death. And the influence of the world is like that. Yes, at times we see its effects. But more often than not, it's more like radiation. It's invisible. We don't see it. It's not in the big and obvious external things. It's subtle. It's silent. And it's all around us. It's in the air we breathe, and we don't even notice it. We're just ingesting it. Every single time you turn on a movie, every single time you stream some show, every time you read a book, every time you spend time with someone, you are being influenced by that thing or by that person. You may not realize it's happening, you may not think you are, but you are. Interestingly, one of the tactics of the LGBTQ plus agenda is to so saturate our culture with images and with messages so that we just get so used to seeing these things on TV and in books and in society. so that eventually we become so desensitized that it becomes normal. That's the new normal. Things that would have disgusted society even when I was a child, now is just commonplace. It's embraced as a good thing. And all of this is designed to conform us to the value system of the world. But we need to be careful as Christians not to be stained by the influence of the world. That's hard sometimes. It can be hard to come away unstained by the world's filth. So how do we avoid being stained by the world's influence? One answer in the history of Christianity has been fundamentalism, the fundamentalist response to abandoned culture. If the world goes to the movie theater, Christians won't. If the world drinks alcohol, none of us will. If the world dresses this way, we'll dress the opposite. They wear jeans, we wear suits and skirts. And that's the problem with fundamentalism. Fundamentalism only deals with the externals. It fails to deal with sin at the level of the heart. You see, for James, this war of worlds, this war of ideas and values takes place at the level of the soul. As James has said in verse 14, But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin. You see, the world desires much more than how you dress and the kinds of things you do. The spirit of this age desires to capture your soul, to entice you, to lure you, to win you over. And so, if you were to avoid being marked and stained by the world, You need to exercise self-control at the level of the heart. This means it's not enough to target external things. And there are times we should do that. We should say no to certain TV programs, say no to books, at times say no to alcohol, all of these things. But to only deal with sin on an external level is really not to deal with sin at all, because sin is rooted in the heart. That is the heart of the problem. So how do we wage this battle for our hearts? How do we keep ourselves unstained by the influence of the world? Well, the answer is twofold. First, we must guard our hearts by filling them with truth. Paul says this very thing in Romans 12. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God and what is good and acceptable and perfect. Excuse me. So we must be filling our mind with the truth of scripture. This is what James has already told us to do. Several times, verse 19, be quick to hear the word. Verse 21, receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And God sanctifies us by his word. As we receive his truth, his truth changes us. But secondly, as James has been saying all along, it's not enough to hear the Word. We must also do the Word. We must practice the Word. And in this case, we must keep ourselves from the filth of the world by practicing self-control. And the good news is that the Spirit helps you, dear believer, as you do this. Because self-control is one of the fruits that the Spirit gives. It's one of the things he works in us. And as he works, as he works this fruit in our lives, in our souls, we're able to say no to sin. We're able to engage and live in our world and in our culture without being stained by that world. The fruit of self-control allows us to eat and even feast as we have this week without being gluttonous. Self-control allows us to drink and to enjoy the benefits of alcohol without getting drunk. Self-control allows us to enjoy entertainment in movies without becoming a lover of pleasure. Self-control allows us to enjoy nice things without having our hearts captivated by greed and covetousness. In short, self-control allows you to do all things whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, to the glory of God. This is the salvation that God is working in you by his word that is able to save your souls. Well, finally, dear Christian, God has called you to pursue religion that is pure, that is true and undefiled, one that expresses itself in controlling your speech, in caring for the needy, and in keeping yourself from the influence of the world. And remember why you can do this. All that you are called to do is based upon what Christ has already done for you and in you. You can control the words of your mouth because God has already brought you forth by his word. His word of truth. He has placed this word within you, this word that is able to save your soul. You can freely give of your time and resources to the fatherless and the widow. because God has already adopted you as his son, as his daughter, and he is your heavenly father who has given you all things that you need for life and godliness. And you are able to keep yourself from the stains of this world because Christ has prayed for you and he continues to pray for you and to intercede at the right hand of God the Father. praying. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your perfect law, that law of liberty, that both shows us our sin, but also points us to Christ. Help us now as we go to be those who have not only heard the word, but also practice it in our lives. Cause us to be those who repent of sin. We thank you for Christ, who even now is on our side. He is the man on our side. We have the Holy Spirit on our side, working within us. And you, Father, are our heavenly Father, who has given us all things. Therefore, sin stands no chance. We thank you that you have already won that victory. Please now bring us to completion. In Jesus' name, amen.