I'm Religious, Right?

 I’m Religious, Right?

James 1:26-27

Question: Are you faking it, until you make it?

Intro: I remember a lot of sayings from my Grandpa King. “If we aren’t having fun then why are we doing it?” “Don’t get caught sleeping.” “You don’t have the sense God gave a goose.” “For you as smart as you are, you aren’t very bright.” There were many. Still, one I remember frequently was him saying “at times, life is about faking it until you make it.” What in the world does that even mean? Won’t people see through that and know that I am not real? Today, I realize that sometimes you may have to act like you know what you are doing until it comes time to humble yourself and admit you need help.

James 1:26-27: 26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Here is where the help comes in with regards to our faith and activation of our faith. We must learn that playing church, speaking “Christianese,” and giving lip-service are not signs that we are Christians. No, the Word of God tells us that even demons will recognize that Jesus is who He says He is and they are nowhere close to being “Christians.” What this passage tells us is that our actions mean more than our words. We cannot fake active and true religion in the sight of God.

1. Words Mean Something

While we need action to our faith, how we speak matters as well. Our actions can showcase our faith and commitment to living like Jesus, but how we choose to speak and communicate about and to others reflects this life as well. James writes later in chapter 3 that people are both blessing and cursing others from the same mouth. Romans tells us to not curse, but bless those who wrong us.

We can look throughout Scripture where God speaks about the power and influence of our mouths, or specifically our tongues. Our tongues have the power to give life, or the power to destroy. James references the tongue as the rudder of the ship. It is small but has the ability to move a large ship.

The importance of our mouth in our faith is not found in its ability to proclaim great things or proclaim Jesus as Lord. Our mouths must be sources of encouragement, blessing, praise, hope, forgiveness, gentleness, and so many things that edify those around us. It is not merely enough to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but we must be the mouth as well.

2. Actions Mean Everything

A common phrase for so many talented individuals in the athletic world is for coaches and spectators to call them “the real deal.” Another is for an athlete to be called pure in their mannerisms and movements. “He is so fluid and pure in what he does.” “Her swing is pure and clean.” When an athlete is pure and genuine in his or her talent, there is no denying that they are truly talented in what they can accomplish on the court or field.

Our faith is similar in that we must take on a pure and genuine form of action. I have heard before that you can tell a lot about a person in how they treat those who can do nothing for them. Jesus told the disciples to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and comfort those in angst. When we do this, we are doing it as if we are serving Jesus himself. Too many times, we can get caught up in the right worship songs, sermon notes, and programs. God has not called us to any of that, but He has called us to love others.

We cannot just be a set of believers that attend church, lead a prayer group, and do our daily devotions. We are called to serve the least of these, to provide aid to the hopeless, to support the widows, and to embrace the fatherless.

During this time of year, do not settle for being “charitable” for the sake of charity. Look to actively serve others in an effort to serve God well. We reflect Christ best not in our religious activities, but in our willingness to act and do unto others.

Blessings.

Nick Engleman

If you have any questions about Jesus or this devotional, please feel free to reach out to me at 417-808-1049 or nengleman902@gmail.com