I never start my messages like this, but since Brother Tim cannot be here, I’m going to start off with a joke, one that sounds like how he would tell it.

A priest, a Baptist Preacher and a Jewish Rabbi were at the bar debating over which of their religions was best.

The priest suggested a competition. He said that the best way to figure out whose religion was best was to see who could convert an atheist to his own religion. “No that’s too easy,” said the Rabbi. Suddenly, a bear walked by and the Baptist preacher said, “the true religious man would be able to convert this bear.” So, one at a time, each religious head tried to convert the Bear to their respective religions. A few weeks later, they met up at the bar and the Baptist preacher, with a few missing fingers, said, “Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to baptize the bear.” The priest, who had two broken arms, said, “Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to put the bear in the confessional.” The priest and the pastor turn to look at the rabbi, who is in a full body cast, and the rabbi says, “You know what, looking back, maybe I shouldn’t have started with a circumcision.”

Now, the joke kind of has an actual intended purpose. What religion we follow matters.

“A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” -Martin Luther

Read James 1:26-2:13

Signs of true, acceptable religion

I don’t have a problem saying I believe in religion. Religion is what differentiates one way from another way. It sets up parameters of belief, ones that when I say I follow the religion of Christianity, I believe in what that religion states. God created all things. Jesus, who is God, took on human flesh. He died a sacrificial death. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. He’s coming back again and making all things new for all eternity.I believe in that religion.Now, believing that religion and following that religion are two different things.The people who say I don’t follow religion, I have a relationship, they are trying to say this…even though they do follow a religion.What they’re saying is, it takes more than intellectually believing a set structure of ideas. What matters is living out those ideas.This is what James says in this book. Real faith is one that follows. It has action.But it’s real faith in what? In the religion of Christianity.

(James gives us, in the passage we are studying today, some signs or marks of what is acceptable religion. What are some things you will see if someone is really and truly following this Christian religion? What will it look like if someone has “Real Faith?” You will see that there are outward marks and there are inward marks.)

Outward Marks of True Religion

Controlled speech (1:26)When you speak, you tell the truth about your heart.Matt. 12:34 – You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matt. 15:18 – But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.Luke 6:45 – The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.The way we use our words shows what’s at the center of our universeThe way I talk or don’t talk to my wife – The way I treat my kids – often shows that I am at the center of my universeGossip, Slander, Cursing, Making fun, rude, or just consumed with trivial thingsWhat you talk about and how you talk shows what’s at the center of your universeAlso, what we don’t talk about shows what’s not at the center of our universe.I don’t have hour long conversations about barbies. (I will hold them for my daughter though.)I don’t talk to anyone on the street about this cool new mathematical equation I came across. (Math is dumb.)What does it show about our heart when we never speak of God? The things of God? What we’re learning about God? How good and faithful G