Reference: Mark 7:6-9
According to what Jesus said in the abovescriptures, there were many people in his day who were confessing to worshipGod, but yet we find that Jesus was telling them that they worshiped him onlyin vain. Jesus said this simply because they were holding to their owntraditions rather than obeying what the word of God had to say. The same is yetvery true today. There are millions of people who confess to be born againchristians and attend some church in their community every Sunday and manytimes during the week.
As the people in Christ's day honored Godwith their lips, they yet were not truly worshipping God in accord with whathis word said. Jesus said that they obeyed their own tradition rather thanobeying the commandments of God. The traditions of men are man-made rules tofollow instead of following the rules set up by Almighty God as found in his word.The tradition of the elders, as Jesus referred to, was doing what the religiousleaders commanded to do. To follow the tradition simply means that people willdo exactly what man says to do without going to the Bible to make sure thatwhat they are obeying is God's word of truth or not.
There are many teachingsin the religious world today that absolutely does not line up with what theword of God teaches. Many of the teachings in the churches today are man's owninterpretation without the Spirit's guidence. It's one thing to divide thescriptures wrong, but when it comes to teaching something that the Bible doesnot teach, this is an entirely different thing altogether.
Why do you suppose that many preachers areteaching things today that the Bible does not teach and reveal? If the Bibledoes not teach a certain doctrine, why then will feeble man attempt to teach itsaying that God is pleased with it? Let us look at the teaching that man ispropagating today on the subject of the the birth date of Christ as being onthe twenty-fifth day of the month of December. This day is set aside as beingChrist's birthday and people everywhere will celebrate this day and give giftsone to another.
Nowhere in the entire word of God can youfind it telling us to celebrate the birth date of the Lord Jesus, but yet wefind this being done just about everywhere in the world today. Would it not bea fact that if a person says that Christ was born on the twenty-fifth day ofDecemeber and that we are to celebrate this day when actually the Bible doesnot teach this, then that person would be teaching a traditional lie instead ofthe truth of God's holy and infallible word? Why is it that we can't find thescriptures telling us to celebrate Christ's birthday? Since the word of Godabsolutely does not teach of the doctrine of Christmas, why then will a personaccept it as being a divine institution of God?
The Bible does not give the birth date ofthe Lord Jesus, but yet man today is saying he was born in December and theyare calling this day Christmas Day. Did you know friend that the word Christmasis actually pronounced as being Christ-mass, which is a traditional teachingborn in the Catholic Church? Did you know that you will have to check theEncyclopedia of Bratanica to find the teaching about Christmas? You sure won'tfind it in the Bible. Since the Bible does not teach it, then can't you seethat this teaching is nothing more than what Jesus calls tradition of theelders? If you attempt to prove that the Lord Jesus was not born on what iscalled Christmas Day most people will call you an unbeliever and you don'tbelieve in Christ.
When Jesus said that the people was layingaside the commandments of God and obeying the commandments of men, he simplymeant that they were being taught things that the word of God does not. Allowme to tell you what the word of God says in the book of Jeremiah 10:1-4which says, "Hear ye theword which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord,Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven;for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: forone cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of a workman, withthe axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails andwith hammers, that it move not."
Now friend, if this does not refer to theso-called christmas tree, then please tell me what it does refer to. Pleasenotice that God's word tells us not to learn of the ways of the heathen. Theheathen are those who worship idol gods. An idol is anything that is made bythe hands of men or something made up in his mind. If you will get you a goodEncyclopedia you will find the origin of everything that is connected with whatis called Christmas.
You may think that there is no harm beingdone by celebrating Christmas, but friend, let me tell you that if you say thatChrist was born on December 25th then you are saying something that the word ofGod absolutely does not say and teach. Are you aware of the fact that the wordof God says that "all liarsshall have their part in the lake of fire?" (read Revelations 21:8) Is it not a fact that to say and teach your children of aSanta Claus is teaching them of an idol? If you will check the spirit beingrevealed at the so-called Christmas time you will find out that it is not theSpirit of Christ, but rather a spirit of Christ-Mass... The Christmas theorywas introduced in christianity through and by the Catholic church.
Friend, if God's word doesn't teach acertain doctrine, then it's nothing more than tradition. To obey the traditionof men will in no wise justify you in the sight of God no matter how much itmay sound to be a good thing. Jesus said all your worship is vain. If you can'tsee all the harm being done during the so-called Christmas season then friendyou are blind and can't see the truth.
There are other celebrated days that manis setting aside that are man-made and they also are connected with idolworship. Halloween is a day being celebrated by millions which is nothing morethan a form of devil worship. Where in the Bible are we told to celebrateEaster Day? Why are millions of confessing christians telling their childrenthat bunny rabbits lay Easter eggs? What has a lop-eared rabbit got to do withGod's eternal salvation? Why don't you begin to check the Bible about the daysbeing set aside as being Christ oriented and see for yourself if God's wordteaches it or if man is teaching it?
Are you aware of the fact my friend, thatthe day called Good Friday is not the day that Christ was crucified and buried?Did not Jesus say that he would be in the heart of the earth for three days andthree nights? See if you can get three days and three nights from Fridayevening to Sunday morning. Christ is no liar my friend, but allow me to tellyou that man is. Are we not told to let God be true and every man a liar???