The Traditions of Men and the Word of God - Mark 6:53-7:13
Let's not be nitpickers and fault finders! Some good marriage advice: don't major in the minors. Satan likes to take those little irksome things and amplify them.
We are to genuinely love one another, not just give them our words but give them our hearts.
Don't follow the commandments of men over the holy scriptures! When man's teaching disagrees with the Word of God, we go with the ultimate authority: God.
Traditions can become so ingrained that they take on the appearance and weight of Scripture itself. We must not let that happen! The moment a tradition of man becomes "law" in this way, it becomes divisive. Pharisees think doing this makes them holier than everyone else... Jesus calls them hypocrites! He says in Romans 14 that this is the behavior of the spiritually weak, not the mature!
If you're willing to stone your brother over something God says is a minor issue, you are missing the heart of God! And you are weak in faith. We must have a spirit of generosity toward each other, not a spirit of criticism.
Two final thoughts:
1. Majoring in the minors...
Keep the plain things the main things; don't deviate from the core issues of Scripture. Stay grounded in the Word and you won't fall prey to these silly divisions!
Satan wants us wrapped up in traditions, because he loves division. We must stay tethered to the gospel, or we'll find ourselves warring over minor issues.
2. The danger of telling the truth...
Jesus did a very dangerous thing by telling the truth to the people in power. He told "the best of the best" they were nothing but blind guides! And they began plotting his murder.
- We must tell the truth, and if we tell the truth, it may cost us our lives.
- Satan hates Christ, and he hates people who act like Christ... people who tell the truth. The first to be thrown into the lake of fire at the judgment will be the cowards!
- We must choose between boldly speaking the truth, and protecting our own interests.
Let's not argue about politics or denominational differences. Go to the scriptures and follow Christ! The darkness hates the light. We don't need people to speak well of us. The only opinion that matters is that of Jesus Christ himself!