True Blue Through and Through
110%
Pure
True Blue thru and thru
First Baptist Church Gantt
Gantt, Alabama
July 20,2005
James 1:27
James 1:27
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.
In the old days ponies and mules were used to bring coal and various other minerals out of the mines.
One day a man who was visiting a mining camp ask a little boy why was there so many ponies in the field only on Sundays
The little boy said that the miners bring the mules and ponies out of the mine on Sunday so that they will not go blind.
I wonder if this is why most so called Christians only come to church on Sundays. To keep them from going blind
Why do we want to just barely see?
I wear contacts and wish that I had perfect sight.
James tells us here that pure religion is being able to have perfect sight.
He also tells us here that if a person considers himself to be religious but still refuses to be obedient to God his religious is unacceptable to God.
Rituals are pretty and nice and even may touch some. These rituals are unacceptable to God if it is not done in obedience to him
We try to rationalize what is righteous in our minds this is only satisfies us. When we need to be holding it up against the word of God.
Does our religion or our service truly satify God and become pure and undefiled?
What if I asked Mrs Glenda to only pass out blank bulletins Sunday?
We would all know exactly when to sing.
Do we become so routine that our worship is only on Sunday mornings.
We are told here to take care of those less fortunate than we are
This is what James means when he tells us to take care of the widows and orphans.
You worship by taking care of God’s people.
1 Timothy 5 tells us to take care of the widows.
The latter part of this verse
An keep oneself unspotted from the world
New Revise Standard version says
To Keep oneself unstained from the world.
I like this translation.
When we get something on ourselves we immediately clean it up and not let it set in.
When you allow a stain to remain on a garment it will eventually set in and not be able to be removed.
When we allow the stain of sin to remain it is much harder for us to repent and remove that stain.
John 17:15 Says
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one
Jesus prayed this for you and me.
The question is will you allow Jesus prayer to be answered?