THE ILLS OF TRADITION

Matthew 15:9 

But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.

There is a difference between tradition and the teaching of scriptures. Most times they do not go together, they actually most times contradict. 

Let us look at that verse again:

Matthew 15:9

Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Yes, for if it is not scriptures we have no business making it a doctrine. So many things infiltrated into the church when the world powers took over the church from the times the Romans were the world powers, and it continues up till today. 

An area where the word of God comes as it is pure and spiritual, when the powers of that area infiltrate the church they begin to enforce or legalize traditions and men ideology as scriptures. 

Listen:

Colossians 2:16-18,20-23

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,

“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?

Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.

These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

So they came to Jesus about His disciples not following a custom of washing the outside...  It very much relates to what many practice today in form of ablution, use of beads, symbols, incense, killing of animals, worship of the dead, worship of angels or other so called saints, praying with salt and water. ..  and other mundane things extracted from traditions of heathen worship that people bring into christianity. Some of them may just be one rare occurrence where a prophet of old did it, or have no reference at all in scriptures. Things Christ never practiced, neither did His disciples. So who do we worship when we practice these things? Selah

Listen to Christ's reply:

Matthew 15:10-11

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

What people do not understand is what Christ explained to the Samaritan woman:

John 4:24

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

What do we speak? What we say comes from our spirit and it is what can defile us, not the outside shows we do. It is a spirit affair. 

Luke 6:45

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Thus we must understand that God is Spirit and we relate to Him by our Spirit and that is where our heart comes in. All these things people do to appease the flesh to make them seem religious, ends with a show off to man, God considers the heart. 

Matthew 15:7-8

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Listen to what God told Samuel:

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

We must get it right, our heart must be right with the Heavenly Father. It all begins with Faith. 

Hebrews 11:6

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We are renewed when we receive the salvation God offered through His Word, Christ Jesus, let us not go into bondage again, being pinned down by traditions and practices that have no basis in Christ. In the same vain let us avoid all things that will contaminate us or label us to be for someone else. 

We have been bought with a price, we show forth the praises of Him who saved us. Glory to God. 

He calls us blessed. 

Love

@the watcher.