"The Pharisees and scribes (religious leaders of the day) questioned Jesus: "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands." Jesus answered them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.' You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men." He went on to say, "You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever you would have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters." Mark 7:5-12
The religious leaders of today found in the institutionalized local church system around the world are trapped by their manmade doctrines and traditions. They honor Christ with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Today's religious hypocrites worship Christ in vain as the teach doctrines and precepts of men as they neatly set aside the teachings of Jesus to maintain their own traditions. Jesus told the religious people of that day, "You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life." John 5:39-40 Today's so-called bible believing Christians would do well to learn from what Jesus is telling them here. They dive into the bible because they presume that it possesses the power to bring one eternal life. Many believe that no one can find salvation outside of the bible.
However, it is Christ alone that gives eternal life through the gospel He gave to us; this is whether we have a bible or not. Thus, be careful to not place the bible on a pedestal as many are doing. Unknowingly, many have made a place for the bible in their hearts even above Christ Himself. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38. Placing more focus on the bible than ones spiritual walk with Christ is one of the greatest religious hypocrisies of today. Do you not realize that many people have come to know Christ without a bible? Moreover, the early Church never had a bible, and greater than this is the fact that Jesus never had a bible. The true followers of Christ must learn to lean on Jesus for the truth, and we do this by trusting His Spirit to teach us! "But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24
"As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him." 1 John 2:24-29
The religious leaders of today found in the institutionalized local church system around the world are trapped by their manmade doctrines and traditions. They honor Christ with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Today's religious hypocrites worship Christ in vain as the teach doctrines and precepts of men as they neatly set aside the teachings of Jesus to maintain their own traditions. Jesus told the religious people of that day, "You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life." John 5:39-40 Today's so-called bible believing Christians would do well to learn from what Jesus is telling them here. They dive into the bible because they presume that it possesses the power to bring one eternal life. Many believe that no one can find salvation outside of the bible.
However, it is Christ alone that gives eternal life through the gospel He gave to us; this is whether we have a bible or not. Thus, be careful to not place the bible on a pedestal as many are doing. Unknowingly, many have made a place for the bible in their hearts even above Christ Himself. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38. Placing more focus on the bible than ones spiritual walk with Christ is one of the greatest religious hypocrisies of today. Do you not realize that many people have come to know Christ without a bible? Moreover, the early Church never had a bible, and greater than this is the fact that Jesus never had a bible. The true followers of Christ must learn to lean on Jesus for the truth, and we do this by trusting His Spirit to teach us! "But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24
"As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught. And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him." 1 John 2:24-29
