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Orphans, Widows, the Poor and Oppressed (2) - Derek Prince Ministries

What does it mean to practice pure and undefiled religion? According to James 1:27, it means two things: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Let’s explore what these two aspects of true religion entail and how we can apply them in our lives.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:27

  1. To visit orphans and widows in their distress means to show compassion and mercy to those who are vulnerable and in need. Orphans and widows were among the most marginalized and oppressed groups in the ancient world, and they still are today in many places. They often lack the protection, provision, and support of a family or a community. They are exposed to exploitation, abuse, and injustice.
  2. To visit them means not only to pay them a courtesy call, but to actively care for them, to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and to advocate for their rights and dignity. It means to love them as God loves them, and to reflect His heart for the fatherless and the widow.
  3. To keep oneself unstained by the world means to resist the influence and corruption of the sinful system that opposes God and His will. The world here refers not to the physical creation or the people that God loves, but to the values, attitudes, and behaviors that are contrary to His character and commands. The world tries to lure us away from God with its temptations, lies, and distractions. It tries to conform us to its mold and make us compromise our faith and obedience. To keep oneself unstained means to remain pure and holy in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. It means to be set apart for God and His purposes, and not to love the things that are in the world.

These two aspects of pure and undefiled religion are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. They reflect the two greatest commandments: to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. They also demonstrate the balance between faith and works, between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, between devotion and service. We cannot claim to love God if we do not love our neighbor, especially the least of these. We cannot claim to be holy if we do not care about justice and mercy. We cannot claim to have true religion if we do not practice it in word and deed.

Let us strive to practice pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father. Let us visit orphans and widows in their distress and keep ourselves unstained by the world. Let us show the world what true religion looks like and glorify our God who is pure and undefiled.

  • Zechariah 7:9–10 — 9 “Thus has the Master of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’
  • James 1:27 — 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.