“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
— James 1:27
“Pure” means it’s free from the contaminating influences of sin. Undefiled means not stained by sins. A person can only be free from the influence of sins and cleaned of sin if he or she has believed in Jesus and been made clean by Him, by the salvation He gives to those who believe in Him.
Only this person—the cleansed one whose life shows the influence of the Spirit through being grafted into the Vine—can worship God without defilement. Only the person cleansed by Jesus’ blood and not under the influence of sin can genuinely worship (offer pure and undefiled religion/worship) God.
This type of worship extends from the walls of the church into the believer’s everyday life. It includes visiting and looking after (taking care of) orphans and widows in distress (emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually).
Pure, undefiled worship also includes keeping oneself unstained by the sinful world. Every action, thought, word, and attitude should come from a heart of worship, guided by the Spirit, and flowing as fruit from the Vine.
Worship does not end when we step outside the church walls. It includes living the life into which you’ve been engrafted. Live affecting other people’s lives with Jesus’ love and care. Live letting the Spirit grow you by worshiping God daily by the changing of your mind, attitude, heart, words, and actions so all these things become pure and undefiled religious worship of God. From this, others will be affected by Jesus by being saved, being grafted into the Vine, and being continual worshipers of God, too.
“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
James 1:21-22, 25-27
