James 1

Religious Without Jesus

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And the Lord said unto him, “Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”
Luke 11:39-44

Religious folks always present a good outward appearance, mostly by using religious terminology of their own making; but on the inside are full of wickedness, and all kinds of evil.

God made both the outside and the insides of every one of us. Both are important. The Pharisees were really strict  on outward matters, working on appearances, maybe trying to change the heart and mind from the outside to the inside. Religion wants to be seen by men. That is certainly the way of most Pharisees. Those words spoken by Jesus in verses 39-44 began after host, who was a Pharisee, questioned Jesus about why He did not wash before eating. It was more a ceremonial thing. They had their traditions to keep. May God help you if you do not keep them, was the Pharisee mindset.

Jesus is the only One who can change the heart and mind. There are many who are religious, but without Jesus. Many of these people go to church worship services faithfully, and say they are alright with God, yet there has been no changing in their hearts and minds. They know about Jesus, but they know not Jesus.

Jesus recognized the Pharisees principles of tithing, but they did not practice the godly acts of a fair, just, and equitable judgment, and the love of God. It is written,  ” If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  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. ”  James 1:26-27

Religion without Jesus is bondage to rules, laws, and traditions. Those who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, are free from sin, death, and hell; we are free to worship God as much as we choose, we have the freedom to live a righteous life to glorify the name of our great God and Savior. We have freedom to live for Him, and to share Him with others who need Him.

He died on the cross for our sins, becoming sin for us, smitten by the Father in His wrath, dying and buried, and rising from the grave the third day, conquering sin, death, and the grave. You can call on His name and be saved unto eternal life.

Gimme’ That Ole Time Religion

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The following is a post I shared in September of 2007, and we need to realize; even more so today; that there is only one way to God, and that is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

What I am writing here today is something which has been on my heart. There are hoards and hoards of religious people and religion. I have been told that I am religious. I take offense to that, unless someone is using it to correct me in my attitude and/or heart.

A hundred years ago, and not so long ago, we heard the term, “Give me that ole time religion”, and we know what is meant by that; at least, most Christians of 40 and above do. That “Ole time religion” was speaking of faith in Jesus Christ, and nothing more. That meant a life that had been changed by the power of the death, burial, and resurrection, with future promise of Jesus returning. Faith in Jesus is what was meant by that “Ole time religion”.

Now religion means anything. Anything you want to believe is okay to hear many tell it. We even have some professing Christians telling us that it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe something. Can religion in the meaning of our day really mean anything?

Religion, in the vernacular of the day can be believing in trees, saving the earth from global warming, politics, finances, and thus we have conflict. Here is what religion does for us. Look back to the era of the “Crusades” when English kings were trying to take Jerusalem from the Muslims. They were doing it in the supposed name of “Christ”. It wasn’t in the name of Christ. It was in the name of king Richard or whatever king happened to be leading the charge. It was in the name of power grabbing. That was religion at work; not the name of Christ.

Now, there is another war going on, and it too is a war on religion. Terrorism in the name of Mohammad would cease if all became Muslim. We know that will not happen. No true follower of Christ is going to give up Jesus for Islam or any other religion. A Christian would die for Christ, but refuse to take a life in His name or for His name.

Religion has been the cause of many a war. Christ came to give us peace. The only way to peace is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not through the “Jesus” of the crusades. It is through the Jesus of the cross of Calvary. The Jesus Christ who gave His life that all who would believe might be saved. The life of the Christian is life giving, not life taking. Life taking is the work of dead religion.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” James 1:27 (ESV).

Sin and Temptation

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“Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted of God:’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:13-15 (KJB)

From F. B. Meyer…

“The word temptation may stand for trial and testing, without implying that there is any necessary impulse toward evil; or it may stand for the direct impulse of the evil one. Here, however, it is used in this latter sense. But of whatever kind the temptation is, whether upward or downward, whether of pain and sorrow at the permission of God, or of direct solicitation to evil at the suggestion of Satan, those who refuse to swerve from their high quest of nobility attain to higher levels of life. In the words of this paragraph, they receive the crown of life “here” and hereafter.

Notice the genealogy of sin, Jas_1:15. Lust is the parent of sin, and sin when matured is the parent of death. How different to the blackness of this dark picture is the light and glory of our Father’s home and realm! All the good things of our lives are from His good hand. He is not fickle and changeable. Even our sin cannot make Him turn away. His sun still shines on the evil and the good, and His rain descends on the just and the unjust. See Mat_5:45. We are His children; let us be sweet to the taste as the grapes of Eschol!”  Through the Bible Day by Day by F. B. Meyer

There are many accusing Holy God of tempting  us, and even of sin. Let God be true and every one else a liar. God does not tempt anyone, neither is He tempted.

When you think about it it is like the clay calling the potter ‘Evil’ (Jeremiah18).

The race of Adam is evil at heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and needs a Redeemer. That Redeemer was sent unto us by our loving Father, and that Redeemer is Jesus Christ.  He died a horrendous  death on a cruel cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and in three days He rose again; and He forever lives and is seated at the right hand of power in glory. He will hear you when you call on His name.

Faith Living

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“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into different temptations; knowing that the trying of your faith works patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:  but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
Blessed, the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted of God:’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and overflowing of evil, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But who ever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, ‘To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world.'”  James 1:1-27

REFERENCES: 4:8; Deuteronomy 32:26; Acts 2:5; 13:26; 1 Kings 3:9; Mark 11:24;  Job 5:17; 14:2; Numbers 23:19; Jeremiah 2:3; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 15:2; Matthew 7:21; Romans 2:13; Luke 6:47; Isaiah 1:16; John 8:31-32