February 18 – Religion in its Purest Form


Religion in its purest form

“If we love the world the way Jesus loved the world, we would never love the world the way we shouldn’t love the world.” –Vance Havner

I find it interesting that the Book from which our religion is established only used the word “religion” five times.  Four out of those five times it is used to describe the structure and system of Judaism.  Only in the book of James do we get a true, working definition of the word: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

True religion can be summed up in two words: compassion and consecration.  We are to go into the world to care and take care of others while at the same time we are to prevent the world from soiling our lives.  This is a unique balance of changing the world while not allowing the world to change us.  Vance Havner said it like this, “If we love the world the way Jesus loved the world, we would never love the world the way we shouldn’t love the world.”  Read that again slowly.

Believers who are saved by the grace of God should submit themselves to this brand of religion. We are to make a difference in the world while being different from the world.  This is religion in its purest form. Now, how religious are you?

http://iowabookgal.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-json-api-disable/wwdv.php DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Numbers 14-15

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