True Religion 真正的敬虔

James 1

27 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.

雅各书 1 章

在神我们的父面前，那清洁没有玷污的虔诚，就是看顾在患难中的孤儿寡妇，并且保守自己不沾染世俗。

True Religion

真正的敬虔

What is true religion?

什么是真正的敬虔？

Chapter 2:14-26 of James causes so many Christians problems, they think that it means you can be saved by works, but works are not the root of faith, they are the fruit of faith.

雅各书第 2 章 14 至 26 节让很多基督徒感到困惑，他们认为这表明人可以靠行为得救，但行为并非虔诚之根，而是虔诚之果。

What is God looking for in his church and in each individual believer?

上帝在自己的教会以及在每一位信徒身上寻求的是什么呢？

It is two things, firstly, it is a caring approach to the lowest people in society, the widows and the orphans.

这主要有两层含义，其一，这是一种对社会底层人群——即寡妇和孤儿——的关爱态度。

All through the OT, the children of Israel, were told to care for the widows and orphans, these were not to be ignored.

在整个《旧约》中，以色列的子民都被要求要照顾那些寡妇和孤儿，这些人都不能被忽视。

In 1 Timothy 5, the church is told to look after widows, this is boots on the ground Christianity, getting involved with the lowest members of society is practical service, remember Acts 6, the church there served widows, they gave food, in acts 2:42-47, they provided for each other.

在《提摩太前书》第五章中，教会被要求照顾寡妇。这体现了实实在在的基督教实践，即与社会中最底层的成员建立联系，这是一种实际的服务方式。请记住，《使徒行传》第六章中，那里的教会就为寡妇提供了帮助，他们提供了食物。而在《使徒行传》第二章第 42 至 47 节中，他们彼此之间也相互照顾。

We have the practical examples of George Mueller with his orphanages and also that great Preacher Charles Spurgeon had children’s homes and ministry to widows, they cared not just for the soul but for the body.

我们有乔治·穆勒创办孤儿院的实例，还有那位伟大的传教士查尔斯·斯普林格也设有儿童收容所，并为寡妇提供服务，他们不仅关心灵魂，还关心身体。

Our Christianity not only has to be practical, it must be personal, we need to live a life that is separate from the world, we must live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, although we live in the world, we are not of it, we must not love the world 1 John 2:15-17.

我们的基督教信仰不仅要切实可行，还必须具有个人色彩。我们需要过一种与世隔绝的生活，必须像陌生人和朝圣者一样在这世上生活。尽管我们生活在世上，但我们并不属于这个世界，我们不能热爱这个世界。《约翰一书》2：15-17。

Our lives must be characterized by practical service and personal holiness, these are the two things God is looking for in each one of us.

我们的生活应当以实际行动服务他人以及保持个人的圣洁为特征，这是上帝对我们每个人所期望的两件事。

Are you serving the lowest people in your church?

你是否在教会中为最底层的信徒提供服务呢？

Which was the last widow you visited in your church?

在你的教堂里，你最后拜访的那位寡妇是谁？

Time to get our hands dirty with true and practical service and time to get our hands and heads out of the world and live holy lives before God.

是时候投身于真实而实用的服务之中了，也是时候抛开尘世的纷扰，将身心交托给上帝，过上圣洁的生活了。

That is pure religion which God likes.

这是神说喜悦纯洁的虔诚

Amen