The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in James 1:27,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"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."
In his rebellious nature, man feels the freedom to define and promote "religion" as he sees fit. With a streak of arrogant pride, we often feel it our prerogative to determine what God should find acceptable in the way we live our lives, that is, our religion, and the manner in which we worship him. A cursory review of the differing religions of the world painfully illustrates just how true this is.
In his rebellious nature, man feels the freedom to define and promote "religion" as he sees fit. With a streak of arrogant pride, we often feel it our prerogative to determine what God should find acceptable in the way we live our lives, that is, our religion, and the manner in which we worship him. A cursory review of the differing religions of the world painfully illustrates just how true this is.
Even within the community of folks who call themselves "Christians", there are so many differences, and irreconcilable ones at that, it makes this point inescapable. How clear it is when the forces of evil influence our culture to accept abortion, homosexuality and gender denial and then so many churches dutifully follow suit.
James has a different perspective of God. God will not be dictated to. He will not be subjected to the whims of mankind. God determines what an acceptable lifestyle is. God determines which religious activity it is that is pure and faultless and informs us of it here. He determines how he will be worshipped acceptably.
God is the objective reality. He exists and we are merely his creation. It is simply foolish to invent our own perspectives of God, our own path to God, our definition of what pleases him and how a spiritual life is to be lived. As the writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
James has a different perspective of God. God will not be dictated to. He will not be subjected to the whims of mankind. God determines what an acceptable lifestyle is. God determines which religious activity it is that is pure and faultless and informs us of it here. He determines how he will be worshipped acceptably.
God is the objective reality. He exists and we are merely his creation. It is simply foolish to invent our own perspectives of God, our own path to God, our definition of what pleases him and how a spiritual life is to be lived. As the writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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