Date: Saturday, 7th June, 2025
Text: James 1:26-27
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
Today’s text reads, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:26-27
Three other factors are crucial in our walk with God if he must restore the original glory of the church. From the above text, the first factor is the ability to bridle the tongue- James 1:26a. The one who is able to control his tongue is a perfect man- James 3:2.
Every member of today’s church must get rid of every sin especially those associated with the tongue- lies, exaggeration, slander, backbiting, flattery, boasting, gossiping,idle talk, harsh and unkind comments, revealing confidential information without permission etc. Like prophet Isaiah we need to ask God to purge our mouths with the fire of the Holy Spirit- Isaiah 6:1-6.
The second factor every member of today’s church must take very seriously is the welfare of the orphans and the widows. God takes so much special interests in these vulnerable groups of people that he is called the Father of the fatherless and the Defender of the widow- Psalm 68:5. Any maltreatment of these groups is taken personal by God, their defender- Exodus 22:22-27.
The third requirement the Father expect from every member of today’s church is to keep himself from the pollution of the world- James 1:27b. The whole world is contaminated with all forms of perversions and we are called to separate ourselves from every act of contamination.We are called to come out from the pollution of the world and be separate, and to touch no unclean thing.
Prayer Nugget: Ask for the grace to do the will of God in the area of tongue control, welfare of the vulnerable and abstinence from the pollution of the world.
Bible in One Year: Psalm 9-17