GOD
ACCEPTED RELIGION
BY
SHELBY G. FLOYD
“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: 27
God Cares
for the Fatherless and Widow
The fatherless and the widows have always had a special place in the care and providence of God. God taught his people under the Old Testament era to look after and care for the needy. The Law of Moses declared,
“Do not take
advantage of a widow or an orphan. If
you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you
with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.”
(Exodus 22:22-24.)
When Moses made his
valedictory speech to the Jews, he repeated the injunction, of the law to
another generation of Jews saying, “He defends the cause of the fatherless
and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for
you yourselves were aliens in
The Wicked
Ignore the Needy
In the book of Job, we read of evil persons who turned the needy out of the way, taking their property away from them, causing the poor of the earth to hide themselves together (cf. Job 24: 3-4.) When Job was accused by his friends of being an evil person, and therefore the object of God’s wrath, he replied saying,
“If I have raised my hand against the
fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, then let my arm fall from
the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. (Job 31: 21-22.)
The wicked may afflict the fatherless and widows for a while, but they will not succeed in their evil designs (cf. Psalms 94:3-7.) In the Psalms of David, God is said to be the father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, as he looks down from his holy habitations. (Psalms 68:5.) Again it is said that,
“The LORD watches over
the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways
of the wicked.” (Psalms 146:9.)
Solomon also said,
“He who mocks the poor
shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go
unpunished.”(Proverbs 17:5.)
New
Testament Teaching On Caring For the Needy
Therefore from the very beginning of time, it
has been God’s plan for his people to look after and take care of the
fatherless and the widows; and those who do not will be punished. The New
Testament is just as emphatic as the 0ld Testament in regards to the doctrine
of visiting and relieving the distress of the fatherless and the widows. In the
letter to the Ephesian church, Paul emphasized that we are to work with our
hands in order to have something to give to the needy. “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to
share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28.) In speaking to the
elders of the same church, Paul said, “In
everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the
weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to
give than to receive.'” (Acts
Pure and
Undefiled Religion
James speaks of pure and. undefiled religion,
“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
Only the pure in heart shall see God, and those who do not practice pure and undefiled religion cannot see God because they are not pure in heart. Pure religion and undefiled religion involves visiting the fatherless and widows and keeping ourselves unspotted from the world. The word visit does not merely imply going to see someone in a difficult condition, but it means “to look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes and to look upon them in order to help or benefit them in their condition, to look after them, care for them, and provide for them.” A child of God cannot practice pure and undefiled religion without providing and benefiting the fatherless and the widows.
The
Religion of the Priests and Levites
The religion of Jesus Christ does not extend just to our own people, but to all people who are in need and worthy of our help. Paul said to the Galatians, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:10.) Just doing good to our own people is the Pharisees religion, it is a religion of the priests and the Levites, who in the parable of the Good Samaritan passed by on the other side. (cf. Luke 10: 25-37.)
Caring for the orphans and the widows is not just an individual responsibility alone. It is true that the members of a family who have a widow should learn first to show piety in their home and repay their parents, for God accepts this and it is good. (cf. 1 Timothy 5:4.) It is also true that an individual man or woman that believes and has a widow should relieve them. (cf. 1 Timothy 5:16.) Those who have the means, and are capable of doing this, and refuse to do so, are worse than an infidel, and they have denied the faith. (cf. 1 Timothy 5: 8.)
The Church
May Assist the Destitute
But Paul also emphasized that the church has the responsibility to assist, relieve and provide for widow and orphans. He said, “...let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.” (cf. 1 Tim. 5: 16.) The church is definitely authorized in this passage to contribute to the needy and destitute. May all who claim to follow Christ, be filled with an earnest desire to practice pure and. undefiled religion before God the Father. Certainly God will not forget your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope. (cf. Hebrews 6: 10; 1 Thessalonians 1: 3.) Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved