Pure and Undefiled Religion

It is always good to make things simple. Today, this afternoon, I'd like to speak about something that is very important, and yet we are going to also make it very simple. Let's turn over to James 1, verse 27, and we will see what we're talking about this afternoon. It shows how this one verse takes something that is very important and yet makes it very, very simple.

James 1, verse 27. Here in this verse, we read, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this.

All right, and notice how simple it is. Something very important, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father. That's very important. What is it? Just two simple things. To visit orphans and widows in their trouble. The King James has to visit fatherless and widows in their affliction. And number two, to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Doesn't that sound like a simple formula for pure and undefiled religion? And it's like A plus B plus equals C. It's like just visit the fatherless and the widows and keep yourself unspotted from the world, and that equals pure and genuine religion. Sounds pretty simple, but I'd like to discuss it further with you this afternoon, and we will see that it is not necessarily just easy to reach up to this pure and undefiled religion. Like all things, when we read a verse like this, this one verse, it is good to see the context in which it is written. Sometimes the context is a part of a chapter, sometimes even the whole chapter or the whole book. In this case, we're going to start back in verse 21 and build up to verse 27, the verse that we're going to be discussing about pure and undefiled religion. Verse 21, therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow, and the margin has abundance of wickedness. Well, that seems to relate right away to keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, doesn't it? Laying aside all filthiness and abundance of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls.

The you-doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. So this pure and undefiled religion is going to be a religion that we have to act on. It's going to require that we do some things. Verse 23, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this man will be blessed in what he does.

And so it does require action. We're going to say that pure and undefiled religion requires action on our part. There are things that we must be busy doing if we are to reach up to pure and undefiled religion. Verse 26 really sets the stage for verse 27, if anyone among you thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is useless. So, you know, just a religion of talking a good talk is not going to do it then. That's not going to be pure and undefiled religion. It's going to require action. It's going to require obedience to God's way of life. So then we have the verse in verse 27, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this. And James reduces it down to a very simple formula to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Okay, well, we're going to then consider, first of all, the pure and undefiled religion in verse 27. The word pure in the Greek is katharos and it means clean, pure, clean, cleansed religion. And undefiled, the Greek is amiantos, and it means undefiled. It means free from contamination. So in religion, the word religion, the Greek word means religious observance or acts of worship or religion. Not a bad translation. The New Testament modern speech translation for the first part of verse 27 says the religion which is pure and stainless.

And the Moffat translation says pure, unsoiled religion. That's what we're going to be talking about and James reduces it down to these two things. Let's take each one of them and look at them more closely now. First of all, visiting orphans and widows in their trouble, in their affliction. Visiting the fatherless and the widows. We might ask ourselves, why is this such an important thing? Why is it the first half of the equation? Well, you know, real religion we're going to discover is the type that God really accepts. It's one that exerts a very positive influence on one's life and it's going to drive him to do things that he otherwise would not do. It's a life-changing force. It's more than just something external. It must spring from the inner spiritual reality that expresses itself in such acts of love. And the proof of true religion actually is the action that goes behind it. Love is an action word and we must then do things in order to show that we have the love of God. James himself gets into that, that faith alone is not enough. In James chapter 2, he comes back to this idea that we have to more than just be a hearer of the word, we must be a doer of the word. James 2 and verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? So someone says, I'm just full of faith, but he doesn't do anything.

And he really doesn't get out then and demonstrate his faith by what he does, by his action. He's just a hearer of the word then. Can faith save him? Verse 15. And he gives an example then that we must have works. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food.

So here's someone that doesn't have proper clothing. And that'd be a very bad thing this time of the year and is destitute of daily food down to the last morsel of food. And one of you says to him, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things that are needed for the body. What does it profit? So he goes on to say, thus faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. So we're going to see that pure and undefiled religion requires action. And visiting the fatherless and the widows is at the heart and the core of some of that action. It expands much broader than just that. Let's go to 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16. No, the pure and undefiled religion is going to demonstrate the love of God toward fellow man. And this concept of visiting the fatherless and the widows in their trouble is a concept that shows us going outside of number one, just looking out for ourselves, but looking out for others, for fellow human beings, and rising to any need that we see, that we come across. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16. 2 John chapter 16. By this we know love. Oh, so this is important here. By this we know love. This is how we come to really know what love is all about. How? Because He laid down His life for us.

We recognize what Jesus Christ did in laying down His life. And you know Jesus didn't just die on the cross in laying down His life. He gave three and a half years to His disciples. No doubt, already as a young person growing up, He already had given so much. And during His ministry, He laid down His life. And you know, when you think about it, Jesus continues to lay down His life.

He's our high priest serving day and night. He's not on vacation. He's continually laying down His life for us. Interceding for us. Strengthening us. So Jesus laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. And it doesn't mean we go out and are killed, but it means that we are to give of ourselves. When we visit the widows and the orphans and we help the needy, we are giving of ourselves. If we give money, money represents time that we spent working. So that's also our lives. Money and time that we may give to help someone. And we're laying down our lives for the brethren. And He goes on to say, like James, verse 17, But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth. Again, not to be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word. So real love rises to meet the needs that come our way. Let's go to 1 John chapter 4. And why is this so important? I think these verses underscore just why it is so important that we have this kind of love, where we lay down our lives and we meet the needs of people that we see who have a need. 1 John 4 and verse 20. If someone says, I love God. Well, this person, you know, just praises God. I love God, and yet hates his brother.

And what does that mean? He doesn't really come to help his brother when there's a need. He doesn't have that outgoing concern to help someone that has a problem or situation. I love God, but he hates his brother. He is a liar, for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen. How can he love God, whom he has not seen? And the answer to that is, of course, we can't.

But you know, then this underscores or points out to us that it is by loving our brother who we can see that we demonstrate that we also love God. By doing the second great commandment, then we're able to realize also how to love God and keep the first great commandment, to love God with all of our heart and mind and soul and being.

So we see already that the first half of the equation of pure and undefiled religion, of visiting the fatherless and the widows, actually expands out to loving fellow man and taking care of the needs of fellow humans, as we see those needs, that we are there to help and to serve them. So by extension, visiting the orphans and the widows means to care for fellow humans in all situations where there is a need.

We see there's a need, and we're able to fulfill that need, and we do it. Jesus illustrates this in Matthew chapter 25. In Matthew chapter 25, and we'll begin in verse 34. Matthew 25 and verse 34, Then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

And notice just what we're talking about in pure and undefiled religion, and visiting the fatherless and the widows, rising to the needs of fellow humans as we see them. Verse 35. Four, I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger. You took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. In prison, and you came to me. Well, the righteous will say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you drink, or see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the king will answer and say to them, Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. I guess sometimes people in the world might kind of look upon the fatherless and the widows as being, you know, among the least. But, you know, Jesus said, if you rise to the occasion of helping anyone, even one that the world might perceive as the least, then it's like doing it to me. This is true religion, and this is an extension of that concept of visiting the fatherless and the widows.

You know, if we care for fatherless and widows in their trouble, then we will be the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan came along. He was happy and joyful in his journey, and going from one city to another to do business. And he just chanced upon this man that had just been robbed and seriously injured, and he took care of the problem. He took care of the need. You know, that's the concept behind visiting the fatherless and the widows, rising to the occasion, whatever it may be.

It may be an emergency situation or another need that we may discover. It's the widow that built the room for Elijah—or was it Elijah? I didn't look that one up, but it comes to my mind that the widow lady in the Old Testament saw Elijah or Elijah coming by often and built a room. It's like a motel room. Here's your room. When you come by, this is yours.

And she saw a need, and she rose to the occasion. It's like in our time, I've seen many, many brethren who have put this concept into practice. We've had wood cutting parties, and people show up to cut wood for brethren.

We've had roofing of houses. We have had house paintings. We've had house cleanings. We've had yard work. I remember one lady that we would rake her leaves every fall, and she had a lot of trees, a lot of trees, and we would come by every fall and rake her leaves for her. She was an elderly lady. So that is the concept here of pure religion, of helping when there is a need to help our fellow man.

It's visiting of the sick, maybe in the hospital at their home, or calling them on the telephone, visiting and encouraging the elderly, sending a card. It's someone that needs a ride to church, and we help to provide a ride for them, or maybe to the Feast of Tabernacles. There's a need, and someone will not get to go to the Feast unless we provide a ride for them. Maybe a place to even stay at the Feast.

I know a very enjoyable time my wife and I had at the Feast many years ago, when her mother was yet living, is that we rented a house in Jekyll Island. We had my mother-in-law, who was an elderly lady, and then we also had two or three other ladies, two other ladies who stayed. I was there with these three elderly ladies, and my wife, as the only man in the house, I had to behave myself. These ladies would put me back in line again. But that was very enjoyable.

So it's the concept, then, of helping when there's a need. It can be very small ways. What if you're driving down the road, and somebody seems to need to get into the lane of traffic where you are? What about backing up? There's a need there. Maybe he has to meet, maybe there's an exit just up ahead, and he has to get into the lane of traffic where you are. So it is that concept of helping fellow man when there is a need. Let's go to Matthew 22, verse 39, just back a few pages if you're still in Matthew 25. Matthew 22, verse 39. And after giving the first great commandment in verse 37, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And why did James then choose that pure and undefiled religion is to visit the fatherless and the widows? It's almost like pointing out those that are often neglected and making sure that they are taken care of. This is getting right to the heart and the core of the second great commandment to love our neighbor as ourself. And so, no wonder this is half of the equation for pure and undefiled religion. Let's get to the other half of the equation now because there's a lot of things we need to say about it. The other half is to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Oh, why is this the other half of the equation to pure and undefiled religion?

Sounds pretty simple, too, doesn't it? Just keep yourself unspotted from the world. That's all you have to do. That shouldn't be too hard to do. The word unspotted here in the Greek is as pilos, a-s-t-i-l-o-s. It means unstained, unspotted. The New International Bible, or the New English Bible, rather, translates this word as untarnished. Untarnished. We think about silver. You know, silver can be beautifully polished, and yet before too long, over time, it begins to get tarnished. You don't have the same beauty as tarnished. So this is saying that we should be careful then to not let the world tarnish us. We're to keep real shiny like that silver after it's just been polished, cleansed and polished. But apparently, we could become tarnished if we're not careful. We want to think about that more as we go along. The 20th century New Testament has uncontaminated. We know that just recently, up in West Virginia, a river was contaminated, and a lot of people had to not drink or bathe from this water for quite some time.

So uncontaminated, just like if you're thinking of water, just pure crystal clear, no contamination.

The Berkeley New Testament translation says, and I like this one. You think about all the pollution that is spewed up into the atmosphere and that maybe collects on buildings and gets into our lungs. The Berkeley New Testament says, free from the smut of the world.

I like that. This word then, unspotted, it means that we will be free from the smut of this world.

And the New International Version says, keep from being polluted by the world.

So this word, unspotted, then, already I think we can see that, hey, this may not be quite as simple as we at first thought it would be. The word for world in the Greek is cosmos, in this case.

Usually in the Greek, in the New Testament, the word for world either comes from cosmos or it comes from eon. Eon means age. Quite often the New King James Version of the Bible would translate it age. We'll see that in just a moment. But the word cosmos is most often translated into world. And the word is sometimes used in the positive way. It can even mean like earth or the human race. It's not always a negative meaning, but in many cases it does depict the present evil condition of human affairs. In other words, human society, the evil human society all around us. And so where James uses this expression to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, it is from the evil society that is all around us. Let's understand more about than this aspect of pure and undefiled religion. Let's go to John 17 and verse 14.

John 17 and in verse 14. On the night before he died, Jesus here was praying to the Father shortly before he would be betrayed and apprehended and then later tortured and then put to death on the cross. John 17 and verse 14. I have given them your word, and the world, the cosmos, has hated them because they're not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world. So God doesn't remove us. Sometimes we wouldn't mind that at all, would we? Just to get away from all the evils in this society.

I do not pray you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. And so we are not of the world. A true Christian, this is not his world.

We don't relate to all that is going on, all the killing and bombings and all the different things that people now are doing contrary to the Bible. It's getting worse all the time. It's not our world. We realize it is an evil time. Let's go to Galatians 1 and verse 4.

And here's why then we are not a part of the world, because it's an evil age that we live in.

Galatians chapter 1 and verse 4.

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age.

The word age in the Greek is eion. It means this evil time, this evil time period or age that we're living in. The King James version has world. But this is better in the new King James, because it's talking about this present evil time in which we are living. This time when Satan is the god of this age. We read that in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4. And where Satan has deceived the whole world in Revelation 12 and verse 9. And he is the ruler of this dark world that we live in today.

Okay. Let's read about that in Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2.

In which you once walked according to the course of this world, this cosmos. The word cosmos, then the basic meaning of it is an arrangement. This present arrangement of things. This present adorning. The word is used also as an adorning or decoration. This present society then, all of that can be boiled down to mean the society that mankind has arranged or has decorated the earth with.

And Satan the devil is behind it all. In which you once walked according to the course of this arrangement of things. This cosmos, this world. According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. And we read also in this book, chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood.

So when we are going to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, we need to realize, hey, it's more than just human beings that we are trying to be different from. But we're in a warfare, actually, with the God of this world. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. So there's a spiritual warfare that is going on. And Satan the devil has truly deceived the whole world during this time. And God has allowed it for the moment. Just look at all the evils that we see as we look around. Go back to Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 19. And doesn't this describe the cosmos around us, the arrangement of things today, the evil society all around? Galatians 5 and verse 19.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery. We ever see any of that in the world today? Oh, a lot of it. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry.

And the whole world is given over to idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath. We see a lot of that in our own country and other areas as well. Selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. There's more, much more. So this is the world that we are to keep ourselves unspotted from, untarnished, not contaminated or polluted. This is the world that's all around us, and we have to resist it. We have to come out of it. Let us in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14. So we have to actively put out effort to not be a part of this world. I think we'll make that more clearer in just a moment. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? So we're constantly having to then be different than the lawlessness and the unbelieving world that we live in. What communication has light with darkness?

What accord has Christ with Belial? What part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And what's the conclusion? Verse 17, Therefore, since we live in a world then that is walking a different way than us, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. And so we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, not touching the unclean thing, being separate and different from than this world. Chapter 7 and verse 1 goes on to wrap it all up. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And this is going to take some doing. In just a moment we're going to be a little bit more specific and just why that this keeping ourselves unspotted from the world is not just an easy thing and we're going to have to work at it. It's going to take some effort on our part.

Let's also read a couple of verses before we get to some of that. In 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2, a good passage about keeping ourselves unspotted from the world because it summarizes some of those things that we're going to have to be aware of.

In 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Well, that's really straight from the shoulder, isn't it?

You can't love the world and have the love of God in us at the same time. For all that is in the world in this present society, this arrangement, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.

Those three things kind of summarize human sin. It goes down back to the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes or the pride of life, all that's in the world. And the world is passing away in the lust of it, but he that does the will of God abides forever. And so we choose to do the will of God. We don't want to love this world and be a part of it. Let's do read one other passage in James now, James chapter 4, that we cannot be the friend of God and also the friend of the world as one or the other. We either come out of the world or we are a part of the world. In James chapter 4 and verse 1, where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for your desires for pleasure that war in your members? So it stems from our nature and as Satan might certainly be at work as well. You lost and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulters and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wants, therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So we cannot be a friend of God and also a friend of this world. We have to come out of the world. Brethren, this world is coming at us. Keeping ourselves unspotted from the world is not just going to be an easy thing.

It's going to require a battle on our part. Today in our own country we're becoming more and more like Sodom. We know that things like gay sex and homosexuality, which in the Bible certainly are forbidden, are coming on more and more. It's interesting that some countries like Russia stand more against these things now than our own country. And that is evident in recent news events.

I was just hearing this morning on the news going down up to Roanoke that below the Sahara Desert there are many, many countries. About three-quarters of these countries make a criminal act.

Homosexual acts are made a criminal act. And going over to the Feast of Tabernacles this year, I read the U.S. State Department on International Travel to Zambia. And there is this paragraph that you can read. It's still there. Special issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender travelers. Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Zambia, and the law provides penalties for 15 years to life imprisonment. A lesser charge of gross indecency carries penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment. Zambian authorities have arrested and prosecuted suspected persons of such activities. But it shows that in some countries they still do not accept this as being the way that humans should conduct themselves, and would actually be more in line with the scriptures than what our country is coming to have. Our values are then becoming more and more warped and twisted all the time. And we today do call, as Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 5 and verse 20, we do call good evil and evil good.

How about us? You know, we ourselves then must be sure that we're fighting the battle in order to stay unspotted from this world. We could ask ourselves, are we spiritually minded as we go through life? We live in a very materialistic world. Material and physical things are very important. Most people, and it may be one reason that we today don't see as many people responding to the truth it was seen as maybe in years gone by, many years ago. There are many distractions, and people are rushing around, and there are so many things coming at them that it makes it maybe more difficult for the truth to really really penetrate. Let's go to Luke chapter 21. We have to be careful then ourselves that all that is coming at us in this world doesn't cause us to lose our spiritual focus. To keep ourselves unspotted from the world then may not just be the simplest or easiest thing to do. In Luke chapter 21 and verse 34, take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life. And that day come on you unexpectedly, for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. This earth is not expecting the end-time events now. They don't realize about the great tribulation that lies ahead. And there's carousing, there's drunkenness, and people that are just out so busy with taking care of the cares of this life. And so we could be drawn into this ourselves. It's been called the rat race. And we could become more carnally minded than spiritually minded. Let's go to Romans chapter 8. That would be bad. That would be becoming spotted by the world if we become more carnally oriented instead of spiritually oriented. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 6, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So just to think about the cares of this life and the physical things, and thus our whole focus would be death.

But to be spiritually minded, think about God's kingdom. Seek God's kingdom in His righteousness first. That is life and peace. The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those that are in the flesh cannot please God. We're just taking care of the physical things. That's not going to be pleasing to God, and our life would not be unspotted from the world. Let's go to Colossians chapter 3. So we need to make sure that as far as being unspotted from the world, that we have the right focus, the right accent in our lives, that it's the right goal as a spiritual goal, as something that is eternal. You know, the physical things we may enjoy for a moment. You might enjoy watching a game. That's okay. You might enjoy a movie. That's okay if it's a good one. You know, some of the physical things we do are fine, but we realize they're temporary. They melt away. Your team wins, but you know a few days later, a week later, or a year later, you forgot all about it. But the spiritual things concerning God's kingdom never melt away. The physical things do, but not the spiritual. In Colossians 3 and verse 1, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things where? Which direction? Above. Which are above. Where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind, and the King James version has affection, set your affection, your mind, on things above, not on things on the earth. So we need to make sure that our focus is on God's kingdom if we are to stay unspotted from the world.

God's kingdom has to be far above everything else in our lives. But then we have to look at our standards and our values and the way we look at things, our practices. What about in our own families? What about, you know, in our country? I've read articles about this in many, many households in our country. The husband-wife relationship is not one that is structured according to the Bible. The Bible has the husband as the head of the family. And the wife is a helper and a servant in the family. And certainly, but the husband is the chief servant and giver. He used to love his wife and his family. He's not a dictator, not that type of head at all. But do we have in our families a biblically-based family based upon the laws of God? In so many homes and families in our country, it is not that way. And so we have to consider our own family relationships. If they have been stained a little bit, tarnished a little bit, or our viewpoint, or that of the Scriptures, we have to think about that as far as being unspotted from the world, even our family values. As far as being unspotted from the world, we have to think about all of the passions and the lusts that are in the world. We've had members of the church who have had to overcome the smoking habit. Well, smoking is wrong. We cannot picture Jesus Christ smoking. So if anyone has that problem, then you're spotted right now. You need to become unspotted from the world. You need to overcome. I heard news today that in our country, I believe it's 400,000 a year die from cigarette smoking. So cigarette smoking is still a problem, even though it's down some from its peak years ago. But a lot of people, a lot of sickness, and billions and billions of dollars of health costs because of cigarette smoking. Well, that's something that a Christian must not do in order to be unspotted from the world. What about drinking too much, even becoming tipsy, drinking that second, third serving of alcohol? You know, the Scriptures allow alcohol in moderation, but we have to draw the line. And drinking too much is then becoming spotted with the world in its ways. What about eating too much? The Bible also talks about gluttony. That is also wrong, and so there's moderation in eating as well. And if we eat too much, then many people in the world do, and that has become spotted with the world in its ways. We have to come out of that.

What about the wrong foods, even? The foods that can cause you to be sick? It is possible to improve your health in most cases, but it requires proper diet, exercise, sufficient rest, obedience to all of the principles and laws that regulate good health. And so the world, people seem to want to just live any way they want to. If they get sick, they'll take a medicine. Ultimately, there may have to be an operation. Why not prevent that? God's way would be to apply good principles of eating good food and health practices and striving to prevent sickness and disease. What about a hot temper? That could also be a spot that if you have a hot temper and lacking self-control, just fly off the handle, strike out at anybody that is nearby, then that's something you would have to change as well in order to be unspotted from the world. What about cursing, swearing, filthy language? I've heard of members who went to work for other members or with other members, and they were surprised at some of the language. What about you? Would people be surprised at the language that you use during the week? Well, again, that's not being unspotted from the world. As far as sexual sins, fornication, masturbation, internet sex. And today, there are quite a number of people that get involved in internet sex. What a thing that is to be sexually involved in sex over the internet.

That's the world. We have to come out of it. The wrong kind of music, the wrong kind of books, books that are indecent, or movies that are wrong and indecent, television programs, any internet sites.

You know, anything that reflects something contrary to God's law, we have to resist. If we don't, if we become a part of it, guess what? We become contaminated. We become polluted. We become tarnished. And we're not unspotted from the world. Carrying it just a bit further, you know, unspotted from the world even means the way that we dress. It means the way we speak. It means everything that we do and say and think. If it's contrary to the Scriptures, we're then not totally unspotted from the world. I would say that all of us are not perfect. We probably all have been affected in some way by this world. We still may have some work to do in getting rid of some of those spots and wrinkles. And coming out of this world in its ways, getting back to dress and grooming is very important. As far as grooming, the Scriptures clearly teach that a man should have shore hair. And I think that our men, you know, all do that. And our women should have long hair. And our ladies also understand and practice that as well. But many people in this world don't understand that. What about masculinity and femininity? Those are blurred in the world today.

Well, men, you know, don't be afraid to be a man. Don't be afraid to do manly things. And women, don't be afraid to be a woman. The Proverbs 31 woman is a good description of a femininity in the Bible. But, you know, if our view of masculinity and the roles that God has given to men in the Bible is blurred, guess where that came from? The world. Today the world is blurring the difference between masculinity and femininity. The roles of men and women. And it's a sad, sad thing. So don't let that happen to you. As far as dress, dress is very important, whether it's men or women. Certainly as far as the women, they need to be very sure. In men and women, of course, modesty is the principle. But certainly a lady, as far as a dress or a blouse, it must be adequate to cover her breast. And it should not be a dress, should not be so short that it comes way up above the knees. And you see that sometimes halfway up or more almost to the crotch area. And that's the world. And we have to resist that. Some many dresses today are not engineered to be worn, bought and worn by Christian women. That's the world. A lady should look at herself in the mirror when she goes to buy clothing and just ask herself if it meets biblical standards. Does it come adequately down? We feel around the knee would be certainly an area that it should come down to, around the knee area, as far as the length of a dress, and then certainly high enough to adequately cover her breast area. So, and not so tight in the dresses can be so tight, somebody is molded into it. And that too is not a standard that Christian women want to practice. So look at yourself if you go shopping. Also, unless you plan to stand perfectly upright, bend over when you buy a dress, and if too much is going to be seen when you bend over, the garment just kind of falls on down some, and you can see your breast exposed, then when you come to services or you go out anywhere, go to the place you work if you have a job or go shopping, it's going to happen whenever you bend over. Guess what? Everybody's going to see what you see. So, you know, a lady should be very careful that she has proper modesty. See, to come out of the world, then, and keep yourself unspotted from the world, involves everything that we do and say and think. It involves every attitude that we have, every word and every deed. So it's very, very important. It's an ongoing daily struggle, in fact, and it's going to require study and prayer and meditation and fasting and just drawing close to God to come out of the world and to be separate in everything that we do. Again, even the words that we speak, the attitude in which we speak them, the very attitude could be one of hatred, anger, thus of the world. If it's of love and kindness, dealing with a situation appropriately, that's of God. But if you're not careful, then you'll say something that is of the world and that you become tarnished and something that has to be changed and repented of. Again, it's an ongoing struggle. This thing of keeping oneself unspotted from the world, then, covers a lot of territory, doesn't it?

It's a constant struggle to live God's way of life and to have God's Spirit guiding us and to have Jesus Christ living in us. Let's go to a couple of verses in the book of Galatians 2 and verse 20. I tell you, if we are going to be unspotted from the world, it's going to require some help from above. We are not going to be able to do this on our own. We will not be able to stay unspotted from the world on our own power and strength. It will require God's Holy Spirit working in us. In Galatians 2 and verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I know live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It is going to require Christ through the Holy Spirit living in us to become unspotted from the world. So we cannot attain that pure and undefiled religion, that second part of the equation, without help from God. Let's go to Galatians 6 and verse 14. I like this verse as far as being unspotted from the world and what it will require. Galatians 6 and verse 14, but God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. And isn't that then how we are to be? We are to be unspotted from the world. The world is to be crucified. We're cut off from this world. We're dead to this world and its ways. And the world is dead to us. We're just not with the world in any shape or form. And so some good verses here in the book of Galatians on being unspotted from the world. Brethren, in conclusion, let's go back to James 1 and verse 27 and read that verse again. This little simple formula, then, is very simple, but there's a lot involved in doing it. This pure and undefiled religion is going to take some action. It's going to take some effort. It's going to take a lifetime of working at it, in fact, and growing and making progress. In James 1 and verse 27, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father, and that's what we've been talking about this afternoon, that pure and undefiled religion. God our Father is absolutely pure. He is holy. There's no fault. There's no blemish, no spot, and He wants His sons to become the same way. Pure and undefiled religion is this.

Number one, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, the fatherless and the widows to take care of their needs, by extension to take care of the needs of any human being that we encounter every day of our lives. So many ways that we can look out for the needs of fellow man and love our neighbor as ourselves. And then number two, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

A rather tall order when we think about it. I really describe that in quite a bit of detail today. A rather tall order to keep ourselves totally untarnished from the world. The world's coming at us. Constantly, Satan, the God of this world, is trying to get His values, His way of looking at things, His thoughts into our mind. He's got the world going along with Him, but we have to resist and not go along with the God of this world and remain unspotted from this evil world all around us. It's going to take a constant effort to do that. I would like to read very near the conclusion now from the Expositor's Bible commentary what it has to say about verse 27.

The kind of religion that God our Father accepts is the kind that exerts a positive influence on one's life. And certainly doing these two things will be very positive. Genuine religion is a life changing force. It will change our lives. If we live by these two things, it will be a different kind of life. It is more than external. It must sprang from an inner spiritual reality that expresses itself in love to others and holiness before God. James describes a specific example of love, the care of orphans and widows. This is faith expressing itself through love.

One whose religion is genuine will also avoid being polluted by the world. World describes the total system of evil that pervades every sphere of human existence and is set in opposition to God and to righteousness. A person's religion must consist of more than superficial acts.

It is not enough to listen to spiritual truth. The person whose religion experience is genuine will put spiritual truth into practice and his life will be marked by love for others and holiness before God. So brethren, this is simple, isn't it? It reduces life down. A plus B equals C.

Just very, very simple. Taking care of fellow man, especially those as needs come to our attention, and remaining keeping unspotted from the world is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God.

Are you taking care, then, of the fatherless, the orphans, looking out for fellow man every way that you can? Are you keeping yourself unspotted from the world? And you're on your way toward that pure and undefiled religion.