A Word from James: Religion

by Marilynn Chadwick

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27 NLT)

“I got religion” was the folksy expression I sometimes heard growing up in the deep South when someone accepted Jesus. As for me, I spent most of my high school years running away from religion. And from God. But the Lord lovingly pursued me and, in time, I surrendered to his free gift of grace. I came to understand that following Jesus was about a relationship—not a religion. Salvation was made possible only through the costly blood of God’s Son. No wonder they call it “Amazing Grace.”

James prods us to practice true religion. He’s not talking here about religion as a quick ticket to heaven. Rather, “religion,” in this context, refers to the practical expression of our devotion to the Lord: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27).

The Greek word translated “religion” is threskos—seldom used in the New Testament. It describes outward service rather than inward piety. It’s all about our actions. True religion, according to James, must involve acts of mercy, love, and holiness.

Let’s look at this same verse in the Amplified Bible: “External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world” (James 1:27 AMPC).

We are saved only by grace through faith. We must never stray from grace as the foundation for all our works. Good works cannot earn our salvation. But if we truly want to please the Lord, we’ll be intentional to pour our life out in service to the hurting ones around us. Especially the widows and orphans.

But James also reminds us we must never forget the purity of our own life. We are called to holiness. That’s the kind of religion that pleases the Lord.

So, let’s ask God to show us who is on his heart. May we be sensitive to his Spirit, alert to practical ways we can serve those in need. And while we’re at it, let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to correct us in areas we need to clean up—it’s far too easy to slide into the ways of the world. Today, as we step out into our world, let’s dare to pray the prayer God always answers: Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours.

A Word from James: Execute

by Marilynn Chadwick

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22 NIV)

To execute is to translate ideas into actions. For any business, the ability to execute is critical to the bottom line. In spiritual matters, we execute when we live out the truths we’ve learned in Scripture—we put feet on our faith.

The book of James exhorts believers to execute—to be doers as well as hearers of God’s Word. "Faith without works is dead,” he challenges (James 2:26 NKJV). His words can make us squirm. Sometimes a single word may be just the inspiration that moves us to action.

As we continue our journey through James, let’s pause and reflect. James calls us in these verses to dig deep. Do we really believe our beliefs, or do we merely hold an intellectual assent to the faith? “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:22-25).

Some believe James treads dangerously close to a works-based theology. Reformation champion, Martin Luther is said to have called James an "epistle of straw" and thought it shouldn't even be included in the New Testament.

I disagree. In fact, the book of James has been one of my strongest faith-builders in the entire New Testament. James has a way of putting me into hard places that grow my trust in God. Do I truly believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection covered my sin? If so, that belief should propel me into a life of action and good deeds. Have I found practical ways to be both a hearer and a doer of God’s commands and his calling?

Mother eagles are known to be quite nurturing. Yet their method for teaching their young ones to fly is a swift push out of the nest! They swoop down and catch the baby eaglets as they falter, repeating the flight lesson again and again until the little ones are soaring like...eagles! Just like a mama eagle, James pushes us out of our cozy nest of faith with a call to action. We may hear the Holy Spirit whisper, “Go there, to that one who needs the Father’s love. Serve this broken one over here. Share your living water with this thirsty one.”

Our heart begins to beat faster in response to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. We step out…take a risk…and find that our faith takes wings. Our trust grows big, and before you know it, we will be soaring like an eagle!

A Word from James: Confession

by Marilynn Chadwick

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16 NIV)

Confession. It's good for the soul. And according to James, it's good for the body, too. He shows a link between the confessing of our sins and the healing of our sickness. Another form of prayer, confession, is simply admitting our sins to God and to our fellow believers.

It’s been said that our secrets make us sick. Confession brings our sin into the light. Look what happens next. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (James 5:15 NIV). James uses an interesting word here for sickness. In addition to illness, it can mean "weary, fatigued, mentally drained, exhausted." Sin not only separates us from God, it's downright exhausting.  

Confession of our sins is the first step toward healing—bringing our sins “out” in front of others. I don't think it matters whether we confess our shortfalls to one, two, or ten friends. The idea is to acknowledge our failure before God and others. This takes the stinger out of our soul and opens ourselves to healing. James reminds us that the prayer of faith is powerful enough to heal both our body and our soul.

Do you have someone to whom you can freely confess your sins? I encourage you to pause and think about your relationships. We all need accountability. Without it, we can't grow as God intended and we sure can't experience freedom from sin. Following Christ was never meant to be a solo journey.

A courageous young friend once took James' admonition seriously. Eager to grow in her faith walk, she emailed a few of her close friends and family these words:

I am reflecting on areas of growth and want to understand some of my hang ups. You've been an integral part of my life and have seen my good, bad, and ugly. Would you speak into my life about anything you see that hinders the future God has called me to? Thanks for helping me in my journey toward holiness. 

Might we be courageous today to not only confess our known sins to each other but to seek feedback from those who know and love us? Through confession, let's take the stinger out of our soul and open the door to God's provision of freedom, health, and holiness.