Verse 27

Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their adversity and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 1:16-17 : 16 Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning! 17 Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!
  • 1 John 3:17-19 : 17 But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence,
  • Matt 25:34-46 : 34 Then the king will say to those on his right,‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him,‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the king will answer them,‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left,‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they too will answer,‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 45 Then he will answer them,‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
  • 1 John 2:15-17 : 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world(the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
  • Rom 12:2 : 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God– what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
  • Gal 6:9-9 : 9 So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
  • Jas 4:4 : 4 Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.
  • 1 Tim 5:4 : 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. For this is what pleases God.
  • Jas 3:17 : 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.
  • Col 3:1-3 : 1 Exhortations to Seek the Things Above Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
  • 1 Tim 1:5 : 5 But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
  • Luke 1:6 : 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
  • Isa 58:6-7 : 6 No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!
  • Ps 119:1 : 1 א(Alef) How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, who obey the law of the LORD.
  • Job 31:15-20 : 15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us in the womb? 16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself, and did not share any of it with orphans– 18 but from my youth I raised the orphan like a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow! 19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing, or a poor man without a coat, 20 whose heart did not bless me as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,
  • Ps 68:5 : 5 He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy dwelling place.
  • Matt 5:8 : 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  • Isa 1:23 : 23 Your officials are rebels, they associate with thieves. All of them love bribery, and look for payoffs. They do not take up the cause of the orphan, or defend the rights of the widow.
  • 1 John 5:4-5 : 4 because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. Testimony About the SonThis is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
  • 1 John 5:18 : 18 We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.
  • Gal 5:6 : 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight– the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
  • Job 29:12-13 : 12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him; 13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;
  • John 17:14-15 : 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.
  • Gal 1:4 : 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father,
  • Gal 6:14 : 14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.