The Religion of Self-Deception

GETTING STARTED

I can tell you who I am, but that doesn’t make it true. For instance, saying I’m an Olympic gold-medalist in the 400m hurdles doesn’t change the fact that I’m an average runner with no track and field experience. What we say doesn’t always match up with who we are. Who we are, on the other hand, has a lot to do with what we say and how we live. In today’s verses, James talks about the true nature of our hearts and our belief in God being validated by our actions toward those we are called to serve.   

  • What are some things you believe to be most true about yourself? Your relationship with God?

READ THE WORD: JAMES 1:26-27 (ESV)

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

(Today’s questions focus on verses 26-27.)

  1. In this context, “religious” denotes someone who fears or worships God through his or her actions. According to James, what actions of a person make his or her religion (fear or worship of God) worthless (vs. 26)?
  2. What are two characteristics of a pure and undefiled religion?
  3. How have you fallen short in the calling in these verses? How have you built your life and identity around it?
  4. How might we go about keeping ourselves “unstained” from the world (vs. 27)? What does moral purity look like in your daily life?
  5. In what ways do your outward actions reflect your inward fear or worship of God?

RESPOND TO GOD

If you’re like me, you want to see and embrace only the best in yourself. Self-deception is a much easier road to take than self-awareness. But if we call ourselves followers of Christ, our actions must reflect that identity. Otherwise, we are liars. Thankfully, as Christians we aren’t called to a complicated set of actions to earn God’s favor or grace. We are, however, called to the difficult life of serving others, tempering what we say, and remaining unstained from the world. That’s easier said than done, and it requires a massive, life-altering commitment to following Christ.

  • Ask God to shed his light on the nature of your religion. Confess any areas where your fear and worship of him are defiled.