Luke 11:33-35 – No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
1. Your eyes are never satisfied.
Proverbs 27:20 – Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Your eyes will never get to a point where they don’t want to see things. You hear a noise; you want to see what it is. You may find yourself constantly glancing around wherever you travel and watching everything in your surroundings. You like to see stuff.
Doctrine is considered an instruction or teaching that can be learned or developed through experience. Doctrine is associated with a person’s beliefs; the way they ‘see,’ perceive, or relate to the world around them. Each person has a countless number of doctrines on the issues, people, and situations they experience on a daily basis. The number of doctrines a person has is countless and continues to be shaped and expanded throughout a person’s lifetime.
Within Christianity, sound biblical doctrine is based on the biblical teachings, experiences, pastors, ministers, and interactions with fellow brothers and sisters in the local church community. Within the context of this message, doctrine will encompass God’s Word. God’s Word is the foundation of good sound doctrine:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
James 1:27 – Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The word religion above is translated from the Greek as religious worship; especially external, that which consists of ceremonies (religious discipline).1 When the word ‘religion’ comes up in much of our society today, it comes of thoughts of a rules-based life that does not lead one closer to God. At first glance, we would feel our initial thoughts were confirmed, but when we look at James’ writing, we discover something different.
A pure religion…AND undefiled before God and the Father.
There is a religious expression that is acceptable (undefiled) before God. The word undefiled is translated from the Greek as not defiled, unsoiled; free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed and debased, or its force and vigour impaired.2 That sounds a lot like pure and acceptable…
What is a pure religion that is undefiled before God and the Father?
Many people want to live a better life. They can visualize themselves as a loving parent, a faithful friend, and committed to serving the Lord with all their heart. However, what they see in reality is far from what they imagine in their mind.
What’s going wrong?! How can I get my life on the right track?!
There may be a number of things you must specifically accomplish to live the life the Lord desires for you to live. However, they cannot begin without a new way of thinking.
1. Superheroes have a hidden identity. As children, most of us watched superhero cartoons. We would witness people with superhuman strength and abilities entrusted to stop evil and create a safer environment for city. Many of the superheroes had a separate identity among the public. (I never understood why the animators would do this because it would be a lot easier to for the superhero to remain ‘super’ all day, but I guess superheroes have to make a living too.) They could easier conceal their identity and no one could figure out who they were.
As Christians, we should not live in this manner. Jesus is calling us to be a light in the world (Matthew 5:14-16). We must allow our light to shine so that others may see our good works and praise our Father in Heaven.
Unfortunately, many of us hide our identity as Children of the Most High. We hide behind other characteristics that conceal our true identity. We display characteristics of anger, malice, sexual sins, robbery, lying, etc. No one would ever believe you were a Christian – even if you told them!
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