James 1:27 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

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.

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 among you seem to...", 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.