Pure and Faultless

Pure and Faultless

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” –James 1:27

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes has the ever-cheap George purchasing a white cashmere sweater for pennies on the dollar, fully knowing that it has a small, red spot on the front. He tries to give the sweater to several different women, from friends to a girlfriend. All are thrilled at first, but then turn angry when they see the spot. George’s sweater may have been made of the finest material, but it was neither pure nor faultless.

I’m certainly glad that we don’t have to live with quite that much scrutiny when people look at us. But trying to stay pure and spotless in our world is about like standing in the rain and trying to keep from getting wet. It seems impossible.

There are a couple of things we must remember as we try to keep ourselves from being polluted. One is that God is not asking for moral perfection. While we are certainly trying to avoid sin, we must understand that God desires transformation of the heart. It starts inwardly and works outward.

A second thought to comprehend is that we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. He gives us wisdom and discernment to be able to see temptation. When we combine the power of the Holy Spirit with God’s Word, we can truly grow in our faith and purity. How do you currently see the work of the Spirit and God’s Word in your life?