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 is revealed in our actions.

We can try all we want to convince ourselves and others that being a follower of God, our Creator, doesn't mean 'living' a certain way, but all we are doing is lying to ourselves and others.

Men of God do behave differently then men of the world and they always have.

Right here in this verse we are told that a man of God will keep himself UNSPOTTED from the world. The only way to remain unspotted is to realize that you can live a spotted life. The world offers us a spotted life. And our Bible - the word of God- tells us what the various worldly spotting consists of.

Read this passage-

Tit 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober...

Be sober- not drunkards- being a drunkard is being spotted by the world.

Tit 2:2 ...grave,

Being serious- not being serious is being spotted by the world.

Tit 2:2 ...temperate,

Not being temperate means being unable to control your lusts, your passions. It also means not having a sound mind- this is being spotted by the world.

Tit 2:2 ...sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Those who are NOT sound in faith, those who have NO charity, those who possess no patience these are those who are spotted by the world.

Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers

We cannot be liars.

Tit 2:3...not given to much wine

We cannot be drunkards.

tTit 2:3 teachers of good things;

We must be teaching GOOD things, not evil things.

Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Tit 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Tit 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world

We must be UNSPOTTED from the world!

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

These are just a couple of chapters in the Bible where we can find a message on how we are to live our lives. No where are we told that we can live as we please filled with evil ways, deliberately committing ungodly acts over and over and over again and expect that we will be saved in those acts. Forever we have to give our lives to our Savior, constantly we have to give our lives to God and pray to overcome the evil that plagues us- never accepting the evil, never calling the evil good, never believing that our sin doesn't matter. Satan would have us give up, he pounds away at us wanting us to despair of ever being the godly person, the unspotted person we are to be. We cannot despair! We must live in hope of being transformed by our Savior into the person He desires us to be and we have to live constantly surrendering our lives to Him, constantly seeking forgiveness and grace.

Please Lord help us live unspotted from the world, help us to live with love in our hearts - loving others who have had misfortunes befall them. Please Lord live in us! Clean our hearts, our lives! Please Savior, save us - all through YOUR mercy, YOUR grace, YOUR amazing LOVE!

Amen.