Paul knew religious talk can be cheap. He said, “Keeping God’s commands is what counts” (1 Cor. 7:19), and “What counts is a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). James agrees. What impresses him is devotion to God that manifests itself in concrete acts of love and righteousness. He mentions three tokens of true spirituality in James 1:26-27, one in negative terms, two in positive. True religion is “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

This threefold test of true religion fits James perfectly. It suits his emphasis on doing God’s will. It can also appeal to his activist readers. It is grimly stirring to read, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (4:17). There is something in many of us that longs to say, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” This is one reason why some people love James: his commands are so clear, so graphic, so actionable.

James knows that religious claims may be vain – empty professions that fail to meet the standards of true faith. But “religion” can be a positive term for James too, if religious claims prove genuine (1:26-27). If we join the negative and the positive statements of James 1:26-27, we see that James sets out three tests of true religion. True religion (1) controls the tongue, (2) looks after widows and orphans in distress, and (3) remains unpolluted by the world.

To this day, religious people may profess orthodox doctrines and faithfully attend their churches. But the proof of their religion lies in behavior, James says. He unfolds the meaning of these marks of true religion – controlling the tongue, caring for the needy, and shunning the world’s pollution – throughout chapters 2-4.

First, true religion bridles the tongue. Angry talk, gossip, and deception are leading failures of speech, but James develops quite a litany of verbal sins. The tongue, James says, boasts and curses and speaks conflicts that prove that it is set on fire by hell itself. Yet heirs of true religion will rein in these sins.

Second, true religion visits orphans and widows in their distress. Orphans and widows represent the poor, defenseless members of society. They suffer poverty and exploitation. Care for orphans and widows is essential to true religion for several reasons. Above all, kindness to them is pure kindness. It is mercy for the sake of mercy, because those who help widows and orphans cannot expect to receive anything tangible in return. Widows and orphans are likely to be poor for a long time. Furthermore, kindness to the needy is God-like. We sustain aliens, widows, and orphans because He sustains aliens, widows, and orphans (Ps. 146:9).

Third, true religion is unstained by the world. James advocates separation in the world, not from the world. From one perspective, the world is simply God’s creation. But the world is also a system of thought, a system of values. Those values so often contradict God’s values (James 4:4). James expects his people to remain pure while staying in this world. We do not stay pure by abandoning society. We do not gain purity by giving away our radio, television and smart devises, though we should avoid entertainments that promote and glorify sin. Physically, we dwell in the world, but morally, we keep our distance. We test things and hold fast to what is good (1 Thess. 5:21).

James 1:26-27 both concludes James 1 and introduces James 2. These two verses offer a final word on genuine faith. Earlier paragraphs said genuine faith perseveres through trials and receives the Word, as a means of persevering. Now James specifies the behavior that genuine faith will manifest. These marks of real faith become themes that James explores throughout his letter. Good deeds to the poor and needy dominate 2:14-26, control of the tongue is the theme of 3:1-12, and staying unstained by the world governs 3:13-5:6.

Yet instead of launching into these topics at once, James begins with the apparently trivial problem of favoritism. James states: those who believe in Christ should show no partiality. James suggests that faith and favoritism are incompatible. To translate literally, “Do not hold faith in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ with favoritism” (James 2:1). Believers should not prefer one person over another because of their appearance – their face, their clothes, or any other aspect of their outward appearance. Humans play favorites. We judge by appearances, but God does not. Scripture says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). In James 2:2-4, James sketches a vivid scene to illustrate his point.

Someone may reply: “Yes, favoritism is wrong, but why begin a discussion of true religion with such a trivial issue? Recall, first, that true religion helps the poor. Favoritism insults and dishonors them though God loved them and chose them for himself (James 2:5-6). The poor are forever told to sit on the floor and stand in a corner. But if there is one community in this world where all should get equal treatment, it is the church.

Second, true religion is unstained by the world, but favoritism is utterly worldly. It continues the world’s inclination to prefer the rich over the poor. Favoritism rejects God’s decision to grant equal honor to the poor and the rich. Favoritism forgets God’s will and seeks the favor of the rich by giving them special attention. And favoritism is foolish, since the rich often use their power to exploit the poor, taking them to court and slandering God’s name (2:6-7).

Third, true religion controls the tongue. But favoritism uses the tongue to hurt the poor. It may be unintentional, but verbal snubs can wound. So, then favoritism fails every test of true religion: it abuses the tongue, is stained by the world, and insults the poor. Favoritism is common, but James calls it false judgment (2:4). It contradicts God’s values. It also contradicts the gospel, for God chose the poor to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom (1:9).

Morally speaking, favoritism is a social sin. Theologically, favoritism implicitly denies that God has chosen the poor. In the ancient world, the poor were despised or ignored. They were exploited through slavery and controlled through handouts. We still have ways of despising the poor today, although some things have changed. For one thing, we differentiate between the poor. Our society is a meritocracy, so people of each generation earn their place afresh.

In short, we should honor poor students who bristle with potential, and we should honor unskilled laborers who will probably stay poor. In the gospel, God honors every son and daughter who believes in Him. The church is a family, not a club, and favoritism has no place in a family. When we love and receive all kinds of people, it shows that God’s ways are becoming our ways, for God loves the poor. We emulate God’s character and obey His will when we refuse to play favorites.

James 1:26-2:7 Study Questions:

According to James’s words in 1:26-27, there are at least three tests of true religion. What are they? Are you surprised by any of these tests that James chooses to identify here? If so, why?

Why might James count care for widows and orphans as a key test of true religion? In what ways would those who fit that description have been vulnerable – especially in James’s historical context?

In your own words, what does James mean by his call to remain “unstained from the world”? From what you know of other parts of Scripture, what do biblical writers mean by “the world”?

Why might showing favoritism, or “partiality,” in the context of the local church be a strongly negative indication of one’s true faith in God (2:1)? How does favoritism, especially on the basis of wealth or influence, do damage to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

How is James’s illustration of a rich man and poor man wearing very different clothing (2:2-4) particularly effective in making his point?

How does James, in 2:5, explain why favoritism on the basis of wealth and appearance violate the heart of true religion? What does he remind his audience of about God and about God’s way of working His salvation in the world? What does he remind them of about the ways that the rich and powerful in our world often act?