Pure and Undefiled Love

Pure and Undefiled Love 

Introduction and Overview

In Titus 1:15 we read “Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

 In First Peter 1:22 we read “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.”

In James 1:27 we read “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.”

Too many people get comfortable living lives that are less than pure.  We should always strive to keep our minds pure and free from any unrighteous thoughts or concepts. 

In Philippians 4:8 we read “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

A.      Love for the fatherless and widows

I.                    Show love by visiting, we are told that pure and undefiled religion is this that we are to visit the widows and orphans.  Many teach that when the word visit is used it means to take care of their physical needs.  Other people believe that it simply means to visit with widows and orphans.  That is to say that they feel that they are to socialize with widows and orphans.  I believe that they are trying to negate any responsibility that they may have to take care of physical needs of others.  They are trying to go with the premise that they only have the responsibility to be sociable to widows and orphans.  After all the scriptures do not say anything beyond visiting the widows and orphans.  The problem with this way of thinking is that if you socialize with anyone and recognize a need that you can help alleviate and refuse to do so you can be held accountable.  For in James 4:17 we read “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin.”   If we try to escape our responsibilities of helping others by technicalities we become as those in the time of Christ that said they could not give to the needs of their own relatives because they had obligated themselves to the Church.

II.                  Demonstrate love by being involved with their lives and circumstances.  We, by all means should socialize with widows and orphans, and in so doing we should become involved with their lives and circumstances at least to the point that we are aware of their needs, both physical and spiritual.

III.                Let your love be manifest by taking care of their needs.  Once we become aware of the needs of others we should demonstrate our willingness to help them if we are capable.  The Lord does not require anyone to put themselves in a bind trying to help others.   

B.      Love for brethren

I.                    Show love by communicating, if you are willing to spend time getting to know your brothers and sisters in Christ you will edify them and you will also become stronger in the Faith.

II.                  Show love by showing your support of their spiritual needs and concerns.  Sometimes our brethren need confirmation that their spirituality is where it needs to be.  This can be a good opportunity to correct any misconceptions that they may have in how to live a pure and undefiled life before Christ.

III.                Show love by being genuinely interested in their welfare, we need to respect the privacy of our fellow Christians, but at the same time communicate with them that we are genuinely interested with any problems that they may be enduring.  This can be either physical or spiritual.

C.      Love for our fellow man

I.                    Show love by sharing the love of Christ, when we become acquainted with people that are not Christians we should let them become aware of the great love that Christ has for us all.  You can do this be relating the love and caring you have seen in other Christians toward others.

II.                  Show love by taking care of their needs (spiritual & physical).  It is not enough to become aware of a person’s spiritual needs; we also need to find a way to be a positive  influence on them.  Likewise if they have physical needs and we are not capable of helping them, we should let them know of our genuine concern and refer them to someone that can help them, if we know of such.

III.                One of the greatest ways that you can show love to others is to teach them the fundamentals of living for Christ.  One such fundamental is that they are to live pure & undefiled lives before Christ.