Weekend, November 13, 2021
God Is Looking for Cooperation
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27 NKJV).
Have you ever been wearing something that you didn’t want to spill anything on, but you still managed to mess it up? I can wear jeans and a T-shirt and never spill anything. But when I’m in a nice suit, I always seem to spill on myself, no matter how careful I am.
Children have an amazing ability to acquire all of the filth they come into contact with throughout the day. They collect all sorts of amazing stains. It takes a conscious effort to keep them clean.
It’s that way with our spiritual lives too. The Bible tells us, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27 NKJV).
Maybe you’re thinking, “Wait a minute. I thought God would take care of us in that way. Doesn’t the Bible say that we ‘are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time’?”
Yes, it does. But the Bible also says we are to keep ourselves pure, keep ourselves in the love of God, and keep ourselves from idols (see 1 Timothy 5:22; Jude 21; and 1 John 5:21).
Is this a contradiction? No. It simply shows there is God’s part, and there is our part. God will keep us. But the question is do we want to be kept? God is looking for cooperation.
Have you ever tried to hold the hand of a child who wants to pull away? It isn’t really holding hands. God wants to hold hands with you in the sense that you’re joined together willingly. You’re moving at the same pace. You’re keeping hold of Him, and He’s keeping hold of you.
God will keep you. Do you want to be kept?
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