James 1:22-27

Living Bible

²² And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So don’t fool yourselves. ²³ For if a person just listens and doesn’t obey, he is like a man looking at his face in a mirror; ²⁴ as soon as he walks away, he can’t see himself anymore or remember what he looks like. ²⁵ But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God’s law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does.

²⁶ Anyone who says he is a Christian but doesn’t control his sharp tongue is just fooling himself, and his religion isn’t worth much. ²⁷ The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans and widows, and who remains true to the Lord—not soiled and dirtied by his contacts with the world.