Pure doctrine and pure morality are equally important

There are two extreme ends of religion. On the one hand, you have those who are so dedicated to the doctrines of their religion that they neglect essential moral aspects of it. On the other hand, you have those who think as long as you're a "good" person, the rest doesn't even matter.

In the eyes of the Lord, we need both. It's one thing being obviously Christian, yet that being all you are. Christianity isn't just about the doctrines, but about practical applications. As Paul said, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2). Think about it; imagine you're an employer. Let's say you own a building company, and you have this one employee whose CV reaches the heavens. He's been to university, he's got his doctorates, he practically wrote the book on your field, but he's just not pulling his weight. Do you keep him employed?

On the other hand, sure, it's great to help the poor, but James adds another layer: Keep unstained from the world. This means in both sin and in doctrine. If you're preaching false doctrine, it doesn't matter how many empty stomachs you're filling, you're filling Hell's stomach as well. And if you act on those bad doctrines, what are you doing to your own relationship with God? Remember, the Pharisees fed the poor, but they did so with the wrong motives.

I've personally seen the latter happen many times. Obviously, this particular ministry is not set up with charity in mind. Don't get me wrong, we promote it, and if there's any way I can use the ministry to benefit a charity, I'll do it, but the ministry has a different purpose. Namely, the edification of believers, and the salvation of unbelieving souls. All too often, someone will disagree with my firm stance on a specific issue, and they'll brag about how they help the poor. To those people, I like to say "congratulations, you just received your reward in full", pointing them to Matthew 6:2.

Ultimately, the Pharisee is the best example of a bad example. They were so dedicated to their religion that they did more to oppress the poor than actually help them. When it came to actually help the poor, they set the Lord aside and made charity about their own glory. As Christians, we need to avoid both. May we neither neglect our worldly duties, nor neglect the Lord. Doctrine and morality are very important. The loss of either one of them will result in a weaker faith that ultimately may not even be real.