“5 Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ritually unclean hands?”
6 He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘These people honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
7 They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commands of men.’
8 Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.” 9 He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain your tradition!”
Mark 7:5-9
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It’s not just the Pharisees that did this. I wonder how many personal ‘traditions’ we keep, things that aren’t to be found in the Gospels anywhere, but we treat them like they ought to be. Maybe its an adaptation to culture, something comfortable. Maybe its a bit of bad theology that makes us feel good. Maybe its an actual tradition that has evolved over time, has nothing to do with grace or salvation, but people sure do get their hackles up if you mess with it…

Whatever it may be, there is to be nothing of human invention that comes between us and God, or that diverts our attention away from Him & His truth. We must take God at His Word first, building only on it and not on anything else. It’s just that simple, but also can be very difficult because it requires us keeping ourselves out of the way.

In order to do this, to live according to His will properly, we need to live with our hearts open and raw before Him & keep them under the scrutiny of His Word and Spirit. As we GoLove in His Name, this humility will speak volumes to others and let them see the hand of God at work in us. Pride and human tradition just work to do the opposite, muddying the waters.