The burden of religious tradition and laws is the doctrine by which, from the observance of it, people become wearied. This weariness causes them to have blurred vision spiritually so that they can not see truth clearly. Since many people base their actions on their religious attitudes, the consequence of this blurred vision is extremely detrimental to the society in which we live. It is not following man-made traditions and laws of religion that will teach an individual the knowledge of God.
Matthew 5:3-9 3aBut he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?6b..Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
The Word of God is not like an ordinary book. It is the Father, God, speaking to His children, and that makes God's Word singularly significant. God's Word speaks even more plainly than the word of any man, and certainly not any less plainly. His Word is impregnated with the very life of God Almighty Who created the heavens and the earth.
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
The Word of God will never be a rest to the people who do not belong to God. To the God-rejecters and to those who have no respect for God or for His Word it will never be a rest. But to the people of God who believe His Word, it is a rest from the burden of religious tradition.
Religion has become legalism: tradition and man-made laws which have shrouded the truth of God's Word. Instead of reaching down into the valley of human need, religion is a vehicle used to condemn people to make them feel less than what God has made them. All of the religious pomp and circumstance has put a cloud over the simplicity and accuracy of the Word of God—the only thing that will make people truly free.
John 8:31-32 31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The Pharisees were the legalists of Jesus" time. They had to do everything precisely according to the law. If someone did not keep the law they would get very vindictive.
Luke 15:1-2 1Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
The scribes were the interpreters of the Scriptures. They were supposed to be the scholars, the learned instructors of the Scriptures. In Luke 15 the publicans and sinners came to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes came to look on. They simply murmured, and the word "murmured" means "subdued threatening." It is to get the undercurrent rolling; "Get him! Let's get him, boys!" There are vicious undertones in this word "murmured." This is exactly the characteristic of religion today. There are thousands of people teaching God's Word; at least that's what they say. You can find them on street corners, in airports, behind pulpits, and for sure on television, and you can connect with any of them and hang your hat. But how can you differentiate between the one teaching the truth and the one following the traditions of men? Well, it is not a question of who says something, but rather what he says, and there must be a fixed standard of truth which is higher than man's vacillating opinion.
Jesus Christ, who is the Way (John 14:6), identified this standard:
John 17:17 Thy [God's] Word is truth.
Truth is truth no matter who believes it. Religion is defined by Jesus as the opposite of truth:
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,"..but their heart is far from me" (Matthew 15:8).
Thus, it is not surprising that "religious" people fight the hardest to stop the truth of God's Word by incorporating their traditions and laws into it. No one can really change the truth; we can only accept it or reject it.
As people hew out cisterns, their own religious systems and ideologies, what they are really doing is turning away from God —thus, the road to destruction!
Hosea 4:6a: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"
This lack of knowledge is not in science, philosophy, newspapers, or the latest movies. If people are being destroyed today, there is only one reason: a lack of knowledge of God's Word. This lack of knowledge of the integrity and accuracy of God's Word — that the revealed Word of God is the Will of God — is the reason for people being destroyed.
Tradition, as discussed in this study, comes in the form of fabricated, plastic words which shatter under pressure in people's lives because they are not true. Lives are ruined in many cases because of being based on the lies they believe. This has been true since the time of Adam and Eve. The first liar, the serpent (Satan), robbed them of what God had freely given them.
People today still listen to and believe his lies, and this ultimately is the bottom line of destruction.
We should not be ignorant of his devices which are exposed in God's Word. This is why the lack of knowledge of God's Word leads to destruction.
II Corinthians 11:14-15 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
God's will is that we are not ignorant of the ways in which the Devil will try to manipulate us in our thinking, according to tradition and not according to truth. If we let the Devil have his way, we will succumb to his methods and trickery. We are NOT to be blinded by his tricks.
II Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
If God's Word says here that we "are not ignorant", then there must be a way to be smart. If we are not ignorant of Satan's devices, then we must have been taught, or, God has provided a way to be taught about how to be smart in this area. This precious and more than valuable education comes only from the Word of God. God's Word is the truth whereby men and women are made free from the yoke and bondage of traditional error of religion.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Although religious traditions may give you a lovey, fuzzy feeling, they will never deliver the peace and freedom that are available from the integrity of God's Word. And for a final note, I must end with a quote from Dr. V. P. Weirwille, " Feelings come and feelings go, but the Word of God lives and abides forever."
Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation, NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.