Man's Religion

 James 1:26

If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 

To be religious implies that someone follows a belief system. In our culture, it indicates that that person believes something or someone. I often hear, “I’m not a religious person, but…” In the days of Jesus, most people in Israel followed the Jewish religion. James is saying that following the ritual of the Jewish faith or Christian faith is not enough. Words that come from your mouth are an indication of what is in your heart. You are deceiving yourself if you think that your faith will save you if you speak unkindly, lash out with hurtful words, spread gossip about other people, use words of profanity or vulgarity. You may believe that God is real and Jesus is the Son of God, but it is all in vain if you don’t speak from a heart of love and compassion.