What Is Religion That God Considers Pure and Genuine?
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (NIV).
In Jesus’ day, activities at the Temple were supposed to center on worship to God. Instead, the Temple had become commercial where merchants sold sacrificial animals to pilgrims and foreigners at inflated prices to make a profit. When Jesus entered the Temple area, He drove out all who were buying and selling. He reminded the crowd that the Temple was for true worship to God and helping the real needs of people, such as the lame, the blind, widows, orphans and the powerless (see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47.
In the first century worlds, people such as the sick, orphans and widows had very little means of economic support. These people were often helpless and dependent upon the care from others. Unless a family member was willing to care for them, these people were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves, or starving. By caring for these people, Jesus reminded the crowd of putting God's Word into practice by serving others. The Holy Scriptures are clear that people are called to take care of the helpless and powerless (see 1 Timothy 5:3-16).
Even more, Jesus also wants everyone to keep themselves from becoming polluted by the world and to remain faithful to God. We keep ourselves clean by obeying and following Jesus Christ, the perfect God-Man. Jesus Christ taught us a new value system starting with His Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:1-7:29) that does not focus on money, power, and pleasure. Jesus taught that true religions means worshiping God, caring for the weak, powerless, and helpless in their sorrow and refusing to let the world corrupt you with sin ((Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:34-30).
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (NIV).
In Jesus’ day, activities at the Temple were supposed to center on worship to God. Instead, the Temple had become commercial where merchants sold sacrificial animals to pilgrims and foreigners at inflated prices to make a profit. When Jesus entered the Temple area, He drove out all who were buying and selling. He reminded the crowd that the Temple was for true worship to God and helping the real needs of people, such as the lame, the blind, widows, orphans and the powerless (see Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47.
In the first century worlds, people such as the sick, orphans and widows had very little means of economic support. These people were often helpless and dependent upon the care from others. Unless a family member was willing to care for them, these people were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves, or starving. By caring for these people, Jesus reminded the crowd of putting God's Word into practice by serving others. The Holy Scriptures are clear that people are called to take care of the helpless and powerless (see 1 Timothy 5:3-16).
Even more, Jesus also wants everyone to keep themselves from becoming polluted by the world and to remain faithful to God. We keep ourselves clean by obeying and following Jesus Christ, the perfect God-Man. Jesus Christ taught us a new value system starting with His Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:1-7:29) that does not focus on money, power, and pleasure. Jesus taught that true religions means worshiping God, caring for the weak, powerless, and helpless in their sorrow and refusing to let the world corrupt you with sin ((Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:34-30).
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God bless you! You are loved by God (Romans 5:5).