James 1:27 (ASV)

Passage

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Nearby Context

James 1:25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and [so] continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

James 1:26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man`s religion is vain.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "pure", "religion", "undefiled", "before", "father", "visit", and "fatherless". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "pure", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "If any man thinketh himself to be...", giving immediate footing for "world" and "pure". In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "pure" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.