Religion: False and True

James 1:26–27 speaks about false and true religion. There is false religion and true religion; false spirituality and authentic piety; there is the religion of human opinion, that is, the religion of self-delusion, which is of the devil; and there is the true religion of the divine revelation given to us in the holy Scriptures.

In false religion, people do acts of piety only to be seen by men. Jesus said, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the [Lord].” He also explained, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:22, 24). Those who, by divine election, are born of God by the word of truth will repent truly of their sins, believe the truth of God’s word, confess God’s word, and diligently do God’s word.

A good tree always produces good fruit. John tells us in his first epistle that those who have been born of God will do what is right. They do not continue to sin, because the seed of God’s word abides in them. They will love one another and believe the true doctrine, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. They will overcome the world and the devil. They will enjoy the security, the safety, that Jesus Christ provides. And they will persevere to the end and enjoy eternal life.

So in this text we learn of false Christianity and true Christianity. True Christian piety has a correct confession of faith that is demonstrated by loving service to those in affliction in the community and by living a holy life in a dirty world.

False Religion of Self-Delusion

In this country we appreciate the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. I particularly appreciate the first amendment, which tells us, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and so on.

But we must understand that not all religions and cults lead to the true and living God. Many of them may give some temporary emotional comfort to an ignorant worshiper. But none of them, outside of true Christianity, can save a person from the wrath of God. A Christless Christianity—one that rejects the absolute authority of the Bible—cannot save anyone, nor can a sacerdotalist Christianity save anyone through its priests. Only Jesus Christ can save us and reconcile us to God the Father. Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Concerning Christ, Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This tells us that all other religions are demonic. Outside of Jesus Christ, there is no salvation.

So in James 1:26 we read, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James is warning, “Beware of the ‘spirituality’ of human opinion. Beware of the confessions of unruly tongues.” There are some who make wrong confessions, like the Samaritans. Their confessions and prayers could not save them (John 4). Likewise, the Pharisee’s confession did not save him, for he relied on his own self-righteousness (Luke 18). We can go further and say that even the correct confession, “Jesus is Lord,” cannot save anyone unless that person serves Christ in faith and love. We read in 1 Peter that God chose us and gave us new birth, sanctifying us by the Spirit unto the obedience of Jesus Christ. If people do not obey Jesus Christ, they are not Christians; the religion of such people is false.

We must confess truth in love. Paul writes, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. . . . Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Eph. 4:15, 25). That means we must speak scripturally. We must learn to control our speech and speak truth by the Holy Spirit. The psalmist says, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence” (Ps. 39:1). He also prays, “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3). It is our responsibility to control our speech, speaking words that glorify God and edify his people. We must pray that God will help us to do that.

Yet James writes, “No man can control his tongue” (Jas. 3:8). It is humanly impossible. Either the devil will control our speech, or the Holy Spirit will. Pray that the Holy Spirit will control your speech. Jesus said, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt. 10:19–20). Of the first disciples we read, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). “Filled with the Spirit” means being controlled by the Spirit.

Many people may claim to be religious, yet there is no reality to their claim. Such people claim, “We believe in Christ,” but they are not truly regenerate. John writes about such claims: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. . . . If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. . . . If we claim we have not sinned, we make [God] out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. . . . Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness” (1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:9). Paul says such people have “a form of godliness but [deny] its power.” Then he adds, “Have nothing to do with them” (2 Tim. 3:5).

True confession without holy conduct is worthless, says James. Yet many false confessors making false confessions are in the visible church. This has been true throughout the history of God’s people. In the book of Deuteronomy we read, “Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, ‘I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law” (Deut. 29:18–21).

Esau was such a root of poison among the people of God (Heb. 12:15–17). He could not repent, and the Hebrews writer says he was immoral and graceless. Such people may even confess correctly to impress others. Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see” (Matt. 23:5). They would say, “See how spiritual I am! See how godly I am!” But their religious acts are only for show. They are not born of God. Achan also was such a root of poison, as was Judas and Ananias and Sapphira. Demas was another, about whom Paul said, “Demas has abandoned me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10, author’s wording). Such people do not worship the true God; they worship money, fame, and the devil. They are without grace, immoral, and unrepentant.

In due time, such people will leave a true church (1 John 2:19). They may have confessed, “Jesus is Lord,” and joined the church, agreeing with its covenant and rules. Yet in due time they will violate their covenant. They are like Judas, who was a son of perdition. They are a root of poison that shall not persevere. James says their religion is worthless. They deceive their own hearts, he says. On the last day, Christ will tell these self-deceivers to depart; he never knew them. Their religion is worthless, not worthy of entry into the kingdom of God. Their religion is heartless; they worship only with their lips. They may say, “The singing is so wonderful,” or “That was a pretty good confession,” or “What a great prayer!” It is all for show. Jesus said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”” (Matt. 15:8). Their religious life is self-deception and a waste.

True Religion of Divine Revelation

Then James writes, “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” (v. 27). True religion is authentic Christianity. The bad tree (the sinner) is made good tree (a saint) by the miracle of regeneration. He is declared righteous by God himself. He is given a new heart, and now he can think God’s thoughts, will God’s will, and feel about all things the way God feels.

Saints are made clean by the word of God. Peter says, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Pet. 1:22). And Jesus himself said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).

By pure and undefiled piety in the sight of our heavenly Father, we are to please God, not people. That is the Christian life that God approves; James is telling us what Christianity is in God’s estimation, not in ours. The essence of Christianity is love that sacrifices oneself for the sake of others. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). That means we are to sacrifice ourselves for others, not to use people for our benefit.

Faith in “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ” ( James 2:1) will do good works. Love serves one another, and abounding grace results in abundance of good works. So Paul writes, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10). The psalmist says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (Ps. 68:5). He also says, “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked” (Ps. 146:9). And we read, “[God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deut. 10:18). God does all these things through us, his people.

The church of God consists of all born-of-God children of God. We are all of one family; we are all brothers and sisters. So Paul says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). We are all members of the one body of Christ. And the psalmist declares, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! . . . For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore” (Ps. 133:1, 3b).

We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord. We are one in doctrine and one in life. Paul speaks about the seven-fold unity of the church: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4–6).

We are born of the heavenly Father. We believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. We worship God in spirit and in truth. We therefore love one another. Christianity without deeds of sacrificial love is a sham. Christianity is God-centered and therefore self-denying, not self-preserving. The church must take care of its brothers and sisters who suffer affliction, and those who are in prison for their faith. It must also take care of orphans, widows, the poor, the aliens, and the sick. (PGM) In the history of the world, Christianity has been the major motivation behind the building of hospitals, orphanages, universities, and schools. Wherever the gospel is preached, those who embrace it and practice it will work to better the condition of the poor and needy around them.

Zacchaeus was a rich publican, and God saved him. He said, “I will give half of my possessions to the poor.” And Paul tells us, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. . . . If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:4, 8). In Acts 2 we read, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44–45). No one told them to do this; they did so as they were led by the Holy Spirit.

The apostle John says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” Note the words “we ought.” It is not even an option. John continues, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. . . . If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 3:16–18; 4:20–21).

Jesus himself said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). What is new about this command Jesus gave us? We should love one another as Christ loved us by laying down his life for us.

The Hebrews writer told his congregation: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. . . . Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. . . . Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb. 6:10; 13:1–3, 15–16).

Look at what Jesus said elsewhere: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” (Matt. 25:37–40).

So charity (self-sacrificing love) is an essential aspect of the pure and undefiled authentic Christianity. But beyond that, purity of life is another aspect of the Christian life as we live in the midst of this present evil age.

This world is evil. By divine permission, the devil is in control of this world. John says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). There is no autonomy. Either God rules a person or the devil does. This world is characterized by corruption and moral decay. Peter tells us, “[God] has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Pet. 1:4). And we read, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isa. 5:20).

The church is called out of this corrupt world. Paul writes, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9–11).

This world is moral darkness, but we are the light of the world. Paul declares, “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). We are in the world, yet we are not of the world. We are pilgrims journeying to the city of God, the city with foundations whose builder and maker is God, our heavenly Jerusalem, where there is no sin or sorrow.

So as we live in this world, we live transformed lives. Paul exhorts, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). James declares, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). We must live carefully, because fellowship with the world is fellowship with the devil. John writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15–17). And Peter says, “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud’” (2 Pet. 2:20–22).

As we live in this world, we must live carefully. We must watch where we are walking; there are puddles of filth all around us. We must live a separated life, for “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). We must beware of false Christianity that separates trust from obedience and confession from holy conduct. Such Christianity is worthless and dangerous, and those who practice it shall never see God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Pay heed to what Paul said: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? . . . Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Cor. 6:14; 7:1).

We are the bride of Christ; as such, we cannot afford to dirty our wedding garments. The bride of Christ must be radiant, without stain or wrinkle, but holy and blameless. This is the work of Christ, our glorious Bridegroom. So John writes, “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” (Rev. 19:6–8).

May God help us all to abandon the religion of self, the religion of delusion, the religion of the devil! May God help us all to control our tongues, confess the true confession, and practice the essence of Christianity by loving one another and caring for the suffering, and by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.