Unspotted From the World

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.


Pure religion.
Undefiled before God and the Father.


Pure. We all know what pure is, it's being untainted, spotless, clean perfectly. Pure is something we like to hear, it has a positive note it doesn't it?


100% Pure.


It sounds authentic, it sounds desirable because we know that 100% pure means there are no additives, no contaminants.


Pure.


A pure religion is a religion undefiled. A religion untainted. There is nothing corrupt in something pure. When something is defiled it is no longer pure. You defile something by contaminating it with other things. Defilement is something no one wants. Who would willingly desire to be defiled? Only those who are corrupted already. Those who are impure, those who do not long to be God's. Yes, there are a lot of people who are impure and defiled and because of Satan and his urgings they often desire to spread their impurities, to defile others as they are defiled.


The pure and undefiled will know it is their duty to visit the fatherless. Children who no longer have a father need a guiding hand, they need a friend to help fill the void the father being gone has left. The widow who has lost her husband likewise needs to be visited by those among God's people so that they aren't suffering alone.


Godly people know they have a duty to their fellow man, to their neighbors.


Remember--

'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Mat 22:39


Just as you would want people to be there for you, help you out in your time of need, others too who are your neighbors (in a worldwide sense not just your next door neighbors or those across the street from you) need people to care for them.


Pure religion an undefiled before God and the Father -- are to keep UNSPOTTED from the world.


Unspotted. If you are spotted by the world what does that mean? Tainted, defiled, impure-- the world has corrupted you.


To be unspotted from the world means to remain pure in God.


We have all sinned and that sin marks us. When we pray for forgiveness and repent of our sins then Jesus' blood covers the stains of our sins. We know we must... 'resist unto blood, striving against sin.' Heb 12:4


Trusting in God, placing all our hopes and our lives in His hands, we can be unspotted from the world. Only in Jesus Christ, covered by His blood, clothed in His righteousness, in His purity are we saved.


May God keep us pure and undefiled. May our hearts yearn to love our neighbors and out of that love act accordingly. By the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ now and forever may we stand before Him unspotted from the world.


In His Love.


Amen.