Traditions
Bible Matters 574: Tradition
Deuteronomy 19:15 – One witness shall not rise
up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth:
at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the
matter be established.
By now, you should have read or realized that
all eight New Testament witnesses, the apostle Thomas, Muhammad and the Hindu
doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita all spoke of the Supreme or God’s gospel of Love.
The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming.
For anyone to sit back and say that message was not sent by God is
evidence of people being blinded by their religious traditions!
The will of God expressed in the six-point
salvation message, sent by God:
1) Believe
in the One True God, creator of heaven and earth.
2) Repent
and turn from your sin.
3) Judge
no one.
4) Love
God.
5) Love
your neighbor.
6) Live
a life unto righteousness, enduring to the end for the gift of everlasting life
with God in heaven.
Decide today, that God (i.e. God, Allah,
Brahman) is real and you will believe in God’s gospel. God wants you to turn from sin and follow
God’s gospel of Love.
Pretty simple but……don’t let your traditions
prevail.
I was at a golf outing on Saturday and I had a
man come up to me and say, “I heard you converted to Islam?” I responded with the fact that Allah and God
are one and God sent Muhammad with the same gospel of Love that Jesus delivered
that believers are to follow. I follow
God. He then responded, “I bet you believe that Jesus is a prophet?” I
responded with the fact that Jesus never told his followers to worship him, but
worship only God the Father, the one true God.
The man said he worships Jesus as God because of this one verse, “Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.” – John 14:6” I told the
man that belief in one verse does not establish the truth in God’s word.
Man has been blinded by one verse traditions
and they hold dear to the traditions of their religions. Their ignorance to the truth in God’s word
out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, reigns supreme. This is no different than the reactions of
the Old Testament believers, during the time when Jesus walked this earth and
he delivered God’s gospel of Love. It is
no mystery that Jesus did not pick religious leaders originally to follow
him. He picked the common folk,
fishermen, tax collectors and sinners.
Telling those period specific religious leaders that God does not want
your money and you are to show your love of God and love of neighbor to get to
heaven would not have gone over well. Those
pompous religious leaders believed they alone held the judgement of God to get
people to heaven.
God destroyed the temple veil when
Jesus died on the cross. Behind that
veil, the religious leaders talked to God.
That veil was ripped in two.
There is no barrier between you and God.
God wants you to talk directly to him, seven days a week! (See Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45)
Mark 15:38 – And the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
Finally, God sealed the deal with a
seven day worship week serving him by raising Jesus from the dead over the
Sabbath. God’s gifts are sent by God
alone. No man is in the way of your
relationship with God.
Peter tells you not to be fooled by the
traditions of your fathers:
1 Peter 1:17-18 – And if ye call on the
Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work,
pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers;
God is not looking for lip service. Don’t be mis-lead by the traditions of
man. Follow the truth in God’s word out
of the mouth of two or three witnesses.
Washing of the hands before you eat means nothing. God wants you to love from the heart.
Following the commandments of man, means nothing.
Mark 7:3,4,6-8,13 – For the Pharisees, and all
the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of
the elders. And when they come from the
market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which
they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brass vessels,
and of tables. He answered and said unto
them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This
people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men.
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men,
as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Making the word of God of none effect through
your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Matthew 15:2-3,6,8-9 – Why do thy disciples
transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they
eat bread. But he answered and said unto
them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? And honors not his father or his mother, he
shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your
tradition. This people draweth nigh unto
me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from
me. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Paul knew that he was called by the grace of
God to preach among the heathen or lost, God’s gospel of Love.
Galatians 1:14-16 – And profited in the Jews’
religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me,
that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with
flesh and blood:
Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
With belief, God is looking for your good
works.
2 Thessalonians 2:14-17 – Whereunto he called
you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been
taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and
God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through grace,
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Yes, God raised Jesus from the dead, because
Jesus did God’s will hear on earth. God
is telling you to believe in him and to live his gospel of Love here on
earth. Let God raise you from the dead
and live a life, giving God the glory and serving your neighbor that your faith
and hope might be in God. Let today be
the day when you decide on a new direction in your life, away from past traditions
and to live God’s gospel of Love.
1 Peter 1:21 – Who by him do believe in God,
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope
might be in God.
With great faith, believe that God has plans and
a great place for you in his kingdom.
Not by judging your works against others or by following the religious
traditions man. Your walk begins by
doing the will of God. You recognize
that only God can change your life by serving him and performing good
works. Serving him by living his gospel
of Love. God’s message is clear. If you love him, then do God’s will and
bring forth good fruit, winning souls for the Lord!
Matthew 7:18-21 – A good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit
is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is
a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.