Title: True Godliness (James 01:26-27)
A person who is more pitiful than a person who deceives others is a person who lives in his own deception. A more pitiful person than the one who lives in his deception is the one who lives in his deception and does not even know that he is living in his deception. Moreover, the self-deception associated with the cult of a religion in which eternal salvation and destruction is at stake is tragic.
2. vain piety
James, the brother of the Lord, said, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is in vain."
The pious trescos (θρσ-κο) of “considering oneself to be pious” means ‘religious’ or ‘religious’. And the latter piety is trescheia (θρσκεα), meaning observance of religious ceremonies such as prayer, fasting, or offering or worship.
The point of James, therefore, is that anyone who considers himself religious or pious, zealously observes all religious rites, but all these observances may be in vain. In that case, religious people who consider themselves to be pious are, in the end, falling into self-deception.
Even now, there are church members who consider themselves to be deeply religious while diligently observing all Christian rites, such as praying hard, giving a lot of offerings, and fasting. However, when such members of the church stumble over the following two things, God considers them all in vain.
First, don't gag your tongue. No matter how good your faith is and how zealous you are in all your religious ceremonies, it is of no use unless you bridle your tongue. If you use your tongue a lot, mistakes are bound to follow. We have seen too many people accusing and condemning others in the name of religion rather than refraining from speaking out, but rather using the Word of God. Also, there are some people who blame God for their doctrine.
After all his wealth was taken away, he lost his ten siblings he loved in an instant, and it was difficult to tell whether he was alive or dead due to the tremendous pain, Job had a sore throat, and he had to sit on ashes and scrape with tiles nonstop . Even his wife said, “Do you still keep your integrity? Curse God and die.” Three friends who seemed to comfort such a job and who were proud of their faith came to him. They had the idea that no one knew the will and providence of God better than they did. So they made very lengthy comments on Job, who was in that terrible agony. The gist is that Job's misfortune is the price of sin, whether seen as a traditional religious doctrine, as an experience, or as an attribute of God. They further aggravated the suffering of Job, who was already in heartbreak, by accusing him of accusing him of paying for the sins of Job's children if it was not Job's sin.
Jonah, who was captivated by the doctrine that God only saves Israel, the chosen people, and will surely destroy the Gentiles, once complained to God that he did not destroy the city of Nineveh.
In fact, there are many believers who complain to God that He does not do them according to their will or their wishes.
The more you use your tongue, the more mistakes it will make, so it is wise to save it as much as you can.
“I have the power and skill to inflict lethal blows,” Blake said. I can win without killing. I can destroy homes, churches, and nations. I have destroyed the lives of countless people. I travel on the wings of the wind. No matter how innocent a person is, they are powerless to me. I despise truth, justice and love. I have my victims throughout history and all over the world. I have more slaves than the sand of the sea. I never forget and I never forgive. My name is slander.” wrote about the tremendous destructive power of the tongue.
The second factor that makes our godliness in vain is to deceive our own hearts. Self-deception is closely related to not bridging the tongue. Calvin said, "Self-deception is the basis of the hypocrisy's savagery." Wesley said, "To criticize and criticize others is to deceive one's own heart."
To accuse God and others, to accuse God and to condemn others is a self-deceit to regard oneself as a righteous person, and furthermore, to acknowledge that one is like a god. Therefore, all the piety of the church members who do not bridle their tongues and deceive themselves while observing religious rites and rites is in vain.
3. True piety
Then, what is true godliness that God accepts? The godliness of us Christians should be pure and undefiled before God the Father, not according to any doctrine or ethical norm.
This true godliness is, first, to look after orphans and widows in their affliction. In other words, giving love to those who need our love and mercy. I hope you guys believe that the highest religious rites and liturgies offered to God are pure love for the poor.
Jesus taught in parables that the practice of love is more important than a religious ceremony. In other words, when all the people who were hit by the robber died, the priests and Levites, or religious leaders, who pretended not to see him and passed by were the Samaritans who took care of him. In the end, Jesus' parable is intended to show that true religion is the practice of love, and that is the way to become a neighbor. The Apostle Paul also declared in Galatians 5:6, “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any effect, but faith that works through love.”
The second element of true godliness is to keep oneself unstained by the world. Here, “secular” or “world” refers to human life that has nothing to do with God’s will. In other words, it refers to a lifestyle dominated by Satan that prevents people from believing in God by all means. “The whole world around us is full of evil. Almost all the principles of life, actual actions, and fantasizing reason are contrary to the will of God. The moment of obedience to them, the innocent soul is paralyzed and stained with sin.” In order to keep the purity of our faith untainted by the world of sin, we must always abide in Christ.
4. Conclusion
The tongue is the most difficult part of the human body to control. All the piety of the man who does not bridle his tongue or who indulges in self-deception is in vain. We must show the Lord's love anytime, anywhere and in any situation, and be careful not to be stained by the world of sin. We earnestly pray for all of us to live a pure, undefiled, and godly life before our Heavenly Father.