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. (KJV)

religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation -- unspotted to keep himself from the world. (YLT)

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (NIV)

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. (AMP)

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This is one of the prinicpal verses we are building our new church on.

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Christopher Wright

You have picked a good verse for a very solid foundation. Live that verse and see what God will do in your individual life and as a church collectively.

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Mike Androne

A very sought after but scarly quoted verse that is a foundation of Christianity. Very nice choice. All souls are not saved by words, but rather our actions :)

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Sean Hobson

Dear Tacklebox, what a name for a fisher of men, charity and love are powerful weapons against our flesh.

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David Michael Paul

hi, whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Me. jimp examine context...

Grafted,
While I don't disagree with any of your statements, I do think you read too much into my post. Of course Christ is the foundation: "...upoon this rock I will build MY church." It's His church, not mine, so of course I will build it upon Him, but part of that implies that I build it the way He instructed.
Part of that instruction is found in James 1:27, which speaks out against false religion which doesn't minister (serve) anyone but the one practicing it.
The modern American church is frantically busy with helping people, but it's so selective about who it helps. It doesn't help the "widows and orphans" - we leave that to the government. And we certainly don't have down that last part - keeping ourselves unspotted from the world!
If the church Christ has entrusted me with will follow me boldly into this level of service to Christ, I think it will bring a fresh wind of glory and honor to Him, and that fragrant offering will not only reach His nostrils but all those around.
Thank you, brother, though for keeping me accountable to make Christ be the foundation. And thank you, Jimp, for bringing balance to the discussion.

-Chris

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Christopher Wright

I believe if I felt the Lord were calling me to establish a church, I would take the book of Ephesians and read through it at least 30 times till I knew every chapter and it's contents.

Then I would pray through each verse asking God to open my eyes to gain His view on the nature and the reality of the Church.

Paul was a "wise master builder" (archetecton) He saw God's building. He saw God's eternal Purpose. And He established and built up local churches, and built Christ into them to build up God's building, His habitation. He had the revelation of the church as the Body of Christ, the manifestation of God in the flesh.

He also saw the materials for the building which were the Gold of the Divine Nature, the Silver of Christ's redemption and the precious stones of the Spirit's work transforming them into Christ's image.

Paul's view of the church was not just a "gathering of believers" but God's building. Ephesains 2 says, "you are being built up into a holy temple, the dwellling place of God in spirit."

Not only God's building but Christ's bride, built out of Himself with His Life and nature as Eve was built out of Adams substance.

I would want to be fully constituted with these truths and build God's building according to His design and with His materials.

Surely most churches in Christianty are built on the one foundation of Christ. But what is built on it? Is is Gold, silver, and precious stones? Or is it wood, hay, and stubble.

If the Church is the body of Christ, then the only materials for the building are Christ Himself. I believe until we by the Spirit have a full revelation and grasp of these realities, we will be building with other things.

At the judgement seat of Christ our work will be tried by fire conserning what materials our work is made of. It it is wood, hay and stubble, it will be burned, If Gold, Silver, and precious stones, it will pass through the fire.

Graftedbranch