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ACCEPTABLE RELIGION

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. – James 1:27 (NLT)

            Most Christians place some level of importance on the possession of theological and biblical knowledge. The people in church that are the most conversant in these areas are often viewed as the most spiritually mature. While perhaps this should be the case, often it is not. The type of religion that God accepts is not one trapped in our heads, but the one that is demonstrated by living out the instruction of the Bible in our everyday experience.

            The ultimate goal of every believer should be to become like our Savior, Jesus Christ. That process includes living out the compassion of Christ that He showed to the down and out of His culture. To know that we are called to be generous is one thing – to actually give to those in need is another. The knowledge in our heads must be matched by the action of our hearts. To take care of the widows, orphans, and others in need is to live out what we claim to believe. This is what God accepts and expects from each one of us. When our focus is on doing and not just knowing, we find that we have pushed the worldly value system aside and are living by the principles given to us by God Himself.