People have many different thoughts about the word religion. Here, James uses it to describe our active relationship with God. It is not just what we think we believe or what we say we believe. It moves from our heart to our tongues and actions. It is not hard to say the words, "Jesus is my Lord and Savior." It is not hard to get emotional about the things of God. God’s Word wants us to consider if our religion is more than just words or feelings. Is it a reality? True faith, true religion is not a matter of externals, but of the heart. Yet, as Jeremiah says, the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things, who can know it?

We can know our hearts by what comes out of our mouths. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (v 19). This is good advice, but it is hard to do. God does not leave us to try to do it on our own. The next verse urges us to put off all of the immorality that ensnares us and humbly accept the Word, which was planted in us.

How do we humbly accept the implanted Word? Our catechism says that we must attend to the word with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. Attending with diligence means that we come to it regularly, both in the public worship and in our private study. We pray to receive from the Word that which God has for us that day. We receive the Word with faith and love when we listen for God to speak to us through his Word. We expect God to use the Word as an effective means to convince and convert us sinners and to build us up in comfort and righteousness. We lay the Word on our hearts when we memorize it, when we soak it up.

The last part of the catechism answer on to how receive the Word of God so it can be effective in our hearts is to practice it in our lives. This is what we read in James 1:22. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

But that is harder to pull off than it sounds. It is so easy to hear the Word and fall into old patterns of living. It is so easy to hear the gospel and not let it root in you and root out the things that are sinful. So we continue to do what we have always done and continue to get what we have always got.

James gives us a reality check in v 26ff. First, if we consider ourselves religious and don’t guard our tongue, we are deceiving ourselves. Be careful little tongue what you say. The mind is the expression of our hearts. We can try to mask it, but it will come out. Like Jesus said, it is not what goes into your mouth that defiles you (that is, what you eat). It is what comes out of your mouth (that is what you say).

In verse 27, James describes what true religion is: to look after orphans and widows and to keep from being polluted by the world. The first part of that is to look with compassion on those in need. Orphans and widows is shorthand for those who are powerless. There is no one to stand up for them. There is no one to protect them from those who only think about their own bottom line. As individuals we share with others as an expression of love. We also work together as a body in such ministries as Samaritan’s Purse, Love INC, Christian Mission, the Soup Kitchen, etc. All of these spring from the love we have in Christ.

The second part has to do with our personal life. Are we keeping ourselves unpolluted from the World? Do we fall right into the immorality of the World? Or is there a difference in our lives? Do we have different priorities with our time and money?

I used to work in an oil refinery. The smell of petroleum products can be very strong. When I went to work, I would be very aware of the smell, but as time wore on, I got used to it and could no longer smell it. While working there all day, the smell would permeate my clothes hair. I would carry the smell of the refinery home with me.

The pollution of worldly sin is all round us. It is easy to get it on you and even in you because it is all around. First we grow insensitive to it. Then we grow comfortable with it. Then it affects us without us realizing it. But if the Word is at work in us, we will notice that pollution for what it is. We will find out by the prompting of the Holy Spirit how to get it off of us so we can be in the world but not of it.

Is your religion close to what God describes as pure and faultless? Do you want it to be closer? God’s Spirit is here. God’s Word is here. God’s transforming power is here for you and me.