Evidences of True Religion | Compassion Sunday
James 1:26-2:13
“Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace. When a doctrine is clear and the culture is beautiful, that church will be powerful.” ~ Ray Ortlund
Main Idea: True religion is evidenced by caring for the needy, while refusing to show partiality like the world.
I. True Religion & Compassion for the Needy (1:26-27)
James compares and contrasts “worthless” religion (lit. ‘empty’) with “pure” & “undefiled” religion. True religion is evidenced by caring for orphans & widows, the most vulnerable & needy of society in the 1st century.
This is “pure” and “true” religion because:
1. It imitates the character & nature of God Himself
Psalm 68:5: Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
Deuteronomy 10:17–18: For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
2. It reflects the very heart of the gospel
Ephesians 2:4–5: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
II. True Religion & Love for Neighbor (2:1-13)
“James’ point is a simple one: favoritism (or partiality) is profoundly un-Christian. It says, in effect, that someone who is worth more to the world is worth more to the church, and, correspondingly, that someone who is worth less to the world is worth less to the church. Favoritism ends up judging one person’s soul as being of greater value than another’s, and it does all this on the basis of superficial, worldly criteria. James will have none of it.” ~ Sam Allberry
Partiality (2:1) is a sin because it contradicts:
1. God’s Choice (2:2-7)
1 Corinthians 1:26–27: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
2. God’s Law (2:8-11)
3. God’s Mercy (2:12-13)
“The very heart of what Christ has come to do is showing mercy. We demonstrate that we have received mercy from Christ when we show it to others. Mercy defines the gospel. Christ loved us even when we were unlovely in his sight; he gave promises to us that we did not deserve; and he showered us with blessings we could never have earned. Having been treated in this way, we will instinctively start to treat others in the same way. There is no other way to make a human being merciful than for them to be gripped and defined by the mercy of God toward them.” ~ Sam Allberry
2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
