Do you have bad religion?

Bad religion?

The quotes about religion abound. Many are accurate, some are helpful, but most are rottenly out of context, shortsighted or fail to appreciate the complexity of normal life. I actually tire of those with bad religion commenting on bad religion. Most of that sort of commentary is clanging noise, and useful for very little.

A simple definition of "religion" could be "the way one habitually practices what they believe." In this way, we're all "religious." We all believe in something, someone or some things, and we all habitually live out our beliefs.

So, the problem is one of two things, that is, if there is a problem; we are either (1) unfaithful to what we say we believe and have habits that do not match our stated beliefs, or (2) we have unhealthy or untrue or dysfunctional beliefs which we are very faithful to living out, thus creating unhelpful life results.

Let me talk to those in "my" "religion". Let me talk to the folks who would call themselves "Christian" or "disciple of Jesus" or "redeemed of the Lord" or whatever language one might use to identify themselves as one who believes they walk with the living God through the power of the Holy Ghost and the finished work of Jesus, the Christ. Let me talk to those folks.

Now, let me say up front, there's all sorts of ways for we who believe to "examine ourselves and determine whether we are in the faith" (paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 13:5). What I am applying today is a fundamental test to help us determine whether our religion is functioning in accordance with our confession and stated values.

If you've hung on this far, you, like me, really want to walk well and are brave enough for God to take a look at your life without running away from what you may discover. Praise God!

Are you ready? Here goes. James said, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 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." (James 1:26-27 ESV)

If our religion is working --if it's "pure and undefiled"-- in the minimum --NOTE: minimum!-- it will:
(a) bridle our tongues -- in other words, God will take increasing control and constantly transform our speech. Can you say your speech life has changed since you began walking with Jesus? Is there less lewdness, gossip, slander, needless babbling, cutting put downs, verbal bullying, complaining, slander, scoffing, etc.? Is there more praise, encouragement, truth telling, etc.? Do you use your tongue to witness? If what we SAY we believe does not come out in conversation, we have bad religion.
(b) have compassion that moves us to action -- we will hurt for people. We will love the marginalized. We will grieve with the broken. We will serve the poor. We will help the weak. If emulating Jesus is a value, consider His behavior; He never excused sin, but He served the sinner and laid down His life for the morally corrupt (me!). James gives two great examples when he says good religion will lead us to "visit orphans and widows in their affliction." There are many other ways compassion acts, but, make no mistake, true compassion does indeed act! If what we SAY we believe does not affect how we respond to people in need, we have bad religion.
(c) push us toward holiness -- notice, James says to "keep oneself unstained from the world." Good religion looks in the mirror long before and much more often than it stares out the window. If we have no concern about holiness, what we SAY we believe is functioning as bad religion.

I'm looking in the mirror. The following question is me inviting you to share my mirror: is your religion bad?