MORNING DEW: 21/02/2019
THEME: AVOID THE TRADITIONS OF MEN
TEXT: MATTHEW 15:1-9
“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 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? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth 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.”
TRADITIONS OF MEN
The Pharisees and the Scribes had their own beliefs different from God’s Word. They had their own system of beliefs based on traditions of their fathers. They would read God’s Word and fix in their tradition to explain their point. They carried these beliefs systems from their fathers.
The Greek word of tradition is “paradosis” which means giving up, giving over or surrender of cities over which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e. tradition by instruction, narrative, precept, etc. objectively, that which is delivered, the substance of a teaching of the body of precepts, especially ritual, which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written law, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence.
These traditions were carried from generations to generations, affecting the real truth – the Word of truth. These traditions have entered the church and making it difficult to making new changes using the Word of truth.
These traditions have become idol worship in the house of God. People now practice cult in the name of tradition in the house of God.
Statues have entered the church today as a medium of worship.
Incense have been added to our worship. Oil has become medium of worship. Water is being worshiped in our churches. Papers (stickers) are now medium of worship. These are all traditions of men not of the Truth.
Traditions of men are like spells, when you believe them, become difficult to free yourself.
Traditions of men can pollute your mind to thinking that you are doing the right thing. Such people have difficulty accepting the Word of truth.
Also, everybody believes in something. Before you became a Christian you believed in something. Even though you are in Christ you still have some tip of beliefs in the things you believed before coming to Him.
Such beliefs, one way or the other deform us. For instance, when you are visiting someone and you hit your left foot, it denotes bad luck. This and many more beliefs we carried to our new faith (Christianity). You will hear a Christian say; “this is bad luck”. It is not his/her new faith belief, it is carried from his/her old faith – tradition of men. These are all traditions of men, which make the Word of God ineffective in our lives.
Our new faith has new beliefs, new principles, new commandments which we knew as “taboos”. Let’s believe the beliefs of our new faith. Traditions of men can lead us to hell fire . That’s Satan’s way of stealing us. Beware Christian!
Our new faith leads to eternal freedom, our old faith (traditions of men) lead to eternal doom.
MEMORY VERSE
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8).
Prayer: Help me to be able to identify all traditions of men in the system, and to avoid them as well, in Jesus’ Name!
Amen!
Rev. John Wundengba
020 9 422 159
