Acts 15:1-11
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
15 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch
and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught
by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and
debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other
believers, to go up to Jerusalem to
see the apostles and elders about
this question. 3 The
church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the
Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they
reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the
believers who belonged to the party
of the Pharisees stood
up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of
Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders
met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed
them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that
the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God,
who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the
Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction
between us and them, for
he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try
to test God by
putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is
through the grace of
our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Is tradition bad? I have heard people say that we should not
have traditions in the church but really, is it bad? I have a pretty strong opinion on this matter
but am I correct? I would consider circumcision
as a practice done by the Jewish people a tradition, as would I consider their
practice of no eating specific foods. In
this case I would say the tradition is bad.
I would consider giving up something for lent as a tradition, is that a
bad thing? Potluck dinners are a
tradition as well as some of the foods that we serve at them, are these things
bad traditions? Remembering your
heritage, having revival services, participating in Wednesday night and Sunday
night programs, Sunday school, and the list goes on, can be considered
traditions but I would you consider them bad? Only
when those traditions are a means to eternal life with the Father would they be
considered bad. I was once told by
Ivan’s granddad that if I didn’t like a specific dish that was a tradition of
their household that I could not be a part of the family. He was of course only joking but luckily I
loved the dish and make it today. But in
the early church that is what the Jewish people were telling these new Gentile
converts. They were basically telling
the Gentiles to follow their traditions in order to be adopted into their faith.
The Jews felt that if the
Gentiles were to really know the Father, they would have to abide by traditions/rules
that were meant for them in a specific time of Jewish history. They believed the Gentiles were welcome to
come into the family of God but to do so they must practice circumcision as
adult men. They felt like they had to “do”
to become a Christian.
Today we seem to feel the same
way, why do you think we have so many churches.
If we feel that the only people who are Christians are those that attend
church three times a week in the church building, then the tradition is bad. However if we meet together because the Word
encourages us to” not forsake the assembly of the saints” (Hebrews 10:25) then
it is not a tradition but a way to encourage one another and grow in our
faith. If we give up things for lent
because it makes us a more righteous person, higher in the realms of Heaven,
and because it is “what we have always done” then we are being self-righteous
and that is not appealing to God.
However, if we give up something for lent and it is done in secret with
only God knowing and we depend fully on Him to see us through, then I think we
can grow closer to the Lord. Lent is not
anymore holy any other fast that you do any other time of year, when done with
the right attitude. The bottom line, it
is our motives that makes it a tradition or makes it holy. The attitude of the heart is what makes it
appealing to our Lord or repulsive in His eyes.
It is by grace that we are saved which means there is nothing that we
can do to save us other than confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and repenting
of our sins. Grace is a free gift given
by God. He wants all of us not just a
portion of us, He wants us to recognize that we are sinners and that the only
way to Him is through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Traditions, they can be a good
thing, but if they are the means to the Lord, then run from them because they
are not the traditions that He calls us to follow. He calls us to follow our Lord Jesus Christ
and we can do so by seeking Him and His ways with all of our hearts.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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