Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27 NIV
The dictionary defines religion as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” This involves two things. What I believe to be true concerning divinity and the spiritual realm. And what is done as a result of that belief, especially in worship.
But is that enough? Is God satisfied with us having correct beliefs about him? And being faithful in the rituals of our faith: attending worship services, giving, reading the Bible, and other “religious things?” Or is there more to religion than the dictionary definition? And what many people seem satisfied with?
Beyond Belief and Ritual
James says that the religion God wants goes beyond our beliefs and rituals. It involves our daily lives. It is “looking after orphans and widows in their distress.” People who, in that culture and time, had little, if any, support. They were dependent on other people for the necessities of life. James tells us that the religion God considers pure and faultless involves caring for those in need.
Pure and faultless religion also involves “keeping oneself from being polluted by the world.” It means not conforming to the world around us, but being transformed (Rom. 12:2). It is living a life that pleases God rather than ourselves and the people around us.
It is good to have correct beliefs about God and to worship him. But don’t be satisfied with that. What God is really interested in is how I live. In caring for others. And in living a holy life. That is the religion that God accepts and wants from us. And that is the religion that will make a difference in the world around us.
