Truth and "religion": remembering those in need.

"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) (emphasis supplied). "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed" (Proverbs 19:17) (emphasis supplied). "The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:11-12). "Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause" (Isaiah 1:17).

This blog entry has a very simple point: Christian "religion" is about looking after the poor and afflicted. It's about serving one another rather than seeking to be served. We believers are called to submit to one another in reverence for Christ (reference Ephesians 5:21-22). I encourage all of you to think on what it means to "submit." It means, primarily, to subject yourself, in deference, to the authority and judgment of another. We Christians are also called to have a servant's heart.

The stark reality is this: if you are not looking after the poor and afflicted, then you are not practicing true Christian religion. It is so popular in churches today to talk about the word "religion" as though it were a bad/negative thing. It's trendy for Christians to say, "I am not about being 'religious.'" That's a shame, though. If we were being religious as the Bible defines it, then we'd be doing a lot of good and fulfilling God's purpose. I realize that, today, we have allowed the word "religion" to come to mean other things: unbiblical ceremonies and rituals, mindless worship, and the practice of "going through the motions" in church.

I agree with the principal of choosing to practice genuine worship and faith rather than standing on ceremony and/or practicing mindless worship that is neither good for our spirit or concerned with truly praising/exalting the Lord, but true religion glorifies the Lord. The Church has allowed the word "religion" to become something other than what the Lord intended and defined.

Remember, this entire blog, and all its entries, are about God's truth applied to subjects of interest to me. Here is the truth applied: practice genuine religion, in the way Lord defines it. The Word defines religion in James 1:27, which I have quoted above in the ESV for all to read.

The Church, as of late, is doing a lot of what I call "selling out." We play the semantics game as an evangelical tactic. We find non-believers have a bad impression of the word "religion." In response, rather than attempting to explain what true religion is for Christians, we start preaching that "religion" IS, in fact, a bad thing and that Christians are not religious. A book called "unChristian" (http://www.unchristian.com/) reveals some startling facts about how non-believers views Christians, derived from a lot of painstaking statistical research. However well-intended, this book encourages the Church to "sell out" by encouraging Christians to focus less on the things that turn non-believers away (our views on politics, religion, and modern culture) in order to share the message of salvation. The Church as a whole is doing this: using word games and semantical points to shift the focus away from the parts of Christianity that turn non-believers off in order to share the gospel with them.

This will confuse most non-believers, and it is obviously not what the Bible teaches us to do, and the ends do not justify the means. I also do not believe that avoiding the truth will advance the great commission (for reasons, check out the "Truth Project" at http://www.thetruthproject.org/).

So, to the Church (which is comprised of people, not buildings), I urge you all to stop telling people you are not religious. Stop playing word games: when someone tells you that s/he hates religion or doesn't understand it, then be sure to tell them what true religion is! Who would say that helping the poor/afflicted and being a servant to others is a bad thing?

Our faith is in Christ and God the Father, and we ought to use the Holy Spirit the Lord has given us as power to practice our true religion: reaching out to the needy, impoverished, and afflicted. Not all afflictions are physical or financial, and many if not most are spiritual, and we must follow the great commission, bringing Christ to the world. That does not, however, end our obligation to help those who are physically and financially needy.

So often, I hear people give excuses for not giving to the needy/poor: "I can't afford it right now," and "I don't trust them to use the money for anything other than liquor," are two very common excuses.

To the first complaint, I say that I am still paying for law school and always seem to have a slew of bills to pay, but notice what the Lord said in Proverbs 19:12 (see above): the Lord considers helping the poor to be a loan, and He will reward you. I do not believe this to be a false promise. I am not a pusher of the so-called "health, wealth, and prosperity" doctrine so popular with Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar. However, I do believe that God is our provider who knows our needs. Matthew 6:25-34 teaches us that God knows all our needs, and we should not worry about them. Instead, we are to stop worrying, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and our needs will be met!

How do we seek God's righteousness? I think, to start, it would be a good idea to practice religion as He defines it. So, do not let your financial concerns prevent you from helping those less fortunate than you. Give what you feel led to give, share what you feel led to share, and tell the downtrodden about a Lord who meets needs. Did it ever occur to you, my many readers, that God meets needs by using His followers? Did it occur to you that, logically, this is why real religion is about serving others?

If money is so tight that there is nothing there for you to give, then give what you can: your time and service. Visit a nursing home and spend time with some widows. Ever think about how many people in this world have no family to share meals or even holidays with? How many of these people do not have a church family, or, worse still, have no faith?

To the second complaint about giving, that the needy may use what you give to buy alcohol or misuse it in some other way, I suggest that you research organizations like Compassion (see http://www.compassion.com/) and Food for the Poor (see http://www.foodforthepoor.org/). They won't buy alcohol for those they support. They use your donations to provide food and shelter.

Now, here's the hard part: don't let others see you do this. Matthew 6 is such a great chapter for those wanting to understand true religion. In Matthew 6:1-4, Christ teaches us the following:

"'Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.'"

True religion, if you understand nothing else about it, is all about being a true servant. This means that you must serve for the sake of serving, not to gain favor with the world or to profit from it. That does not mean you cannot expect God to reward you. It means that you need to practice true religion with a desire to receive your reward from the Lord rather than the world. If you seek you reward from men, then that is all the reward you will receive. Instead, as you are providing for the needs of others, train your eyes on the Lord who is your provider. I believe the Lord will reward us in Heaven, but I also believe, from the scriptures I have cited, that we will be rewarded here on earth. Debts will be paid, and bills will be met. The Lord knows your needs AND your desires. Trust Him with both, and stop worrying about what this world thinks of you. Focus on what the Lord thinks, and you will not be disappointed.

And please, please, stop telling people that "religion" is a bad thing. That is a distortion of God's truth, which serves Satan's purpose, not the Lord's. When people ask you about religion, show them what is really is and what it really means.

God bless you all as you are a blessing to others!