Traditions versus TRUTH

By E. Lobinowich

While on earth as a man, the Lord Jesus declared that the religious leaders of that day were guilty of serious infractions, namely: - Transgressing a commandment of God by their tradition (Matthew 15:3, Mark 7:8) - Rejecting God's Word and making His commandment of none effect by clinging to their tradition (Matthew 15:6, Mark 7:9, Mark 7:13) - Worshiping Him in vain by teaching commandments of men as doctrines (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7) In the almost two thousand years since that time, numerous religious traditions have developed which are unscriptural and very dangerous to spiritual welfare. Several of these traditions are identified and examined in the light of what the Word of God actually says. It is absolutely essential to correctly understand and appropriate God's truth, because the Lord Jesus himself confirmed that mankind shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642589436

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Traditions versus TRUTH

E. M. Lobinowich

ISBN 978-1-64258-942-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64258-943-6 (Digital)

Copyright © 2018 by E. M. Lobinowich

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

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Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Foreword

In The World Book Dictionary , tradition is defined as the handing down of beliefs, opinions, customs, and stories, such as from parents to children, especially by word of mouth or by practice. Traditions invariably develop because people like to follow patterns. It’s easier to follow a previous plan than to chart your own course and, perhaps, appear to be a rebel. Many would insist they are following the leader, but in reality, they are only following the followers.

Certain traditions are good. Others are bad. And some good traditions can become bad when they displace the objective that gave rise to them in the first place. After sending fiery serpents in judgment upon wayward Israel, God instructed Moses to fashion a serpent of brass and place it on a pole in plain view of the people.

Those who looked upon the brazen serpent recovered from the effects of snake venom, and the brazen serpent came to be revered instead of God Almighty. A tradition had developed denying that the grace of God had caused Israel to be spared and which flagrantly broke the first two commandments. We do well to remember that deviate traditions must not be taken lightly, since they may become firmly entrenched and long-lasting. For over nine hundred years, the brazen serpent had been preserved and was being venerated, so drastic corrective action became necessary under the reign of King Hezekiah: He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4).

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus declared that the Pharisees and the scribes were making the Word of God of none effect by their tradition (Mark 7:13).

Today, many vain traditions must be recognized and rejected. For example, even if it’s ever located, the wood of the cross on which Christ was crucified has no spiritual merit or healing properties. The same applies to the shroud in which the body of Christ was wrapped for burial. It doesn’t matter whatsoever to our salvation in which exact building the Lord was born nor into which sepulchre His body was laid. He is not the babe in the manger nor the wretched figure portrayed on a crucifix. Our Saviour is risen and alive forevermore, having conquered sin, death, and the grave and is not subject to mortal limitations.

The Word of God is Truth (John 17:17) and is forever settled in heaven, having been magnified even above all the redemptive names of God (Psalm 138:2). We must lay aside traditionalistic thinking and allow the light of the Word to shine into our hearts before the Word of Truth may be rightly divided and obeyed.

To be sure, the letter kills, whereas the Spirit makes alive, but the Holy Spirit imparts life to the Word, not to private traditional interpretations thereof. The apostle Peter was an eye witness to Christ’s majesty but declared that the written Word is a more sure word of prophecy than the audible voice of God, which he heard on the Mountain of Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16–21).

Many religious traditions are to be shunned as much as spiritualists and fortune-tellers. God’s people can easily determine the value or danger of any idea or philosophy by seeing how it measures up to the Word of God (Isaiah 8:19–20). The apostle Paul warned Timothy that the time would come when some would not endure sound doctrine but would turn away their ears from the truth (2 Timothy 4:3–4). This is not a day for compromise. We must continually measure our inclinations and ways against the standard of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit always leads the people of God in harmony with the Word of Truth, because He is the Spirit of Truth.

The value of meditation on certain thoughts and philosophies depends mainly on whether or not truth is the basis of these ideas and conclusions. It is significant that in the wilderness temptation of Christ, He countered the devil exclusively by declaring what is written—what God says.

In the first instance, He did not defend Himself as being the Son of God. Despite the insolent suggestion by a created being to the Creator, the Lord Jesus made no mention of His preincarnate fellowship with the Father. He simply declared what the Word of God says: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

In the second instance, the devil, again, impudently said, If thou be the Son of God . . . and tried to parry by himself quoting scripture, telling the Lord to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The Lord simply replied, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matthew 4:7).

We must likewise know what is written again, that is, what is also written, or has also been said by God. It is always in the mouth of two or three witnesses that every word of God must be established (Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1).

Despite being fed with manna and having the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, Israel made the serious error of questioning whether or not the Lord was among them, thus tempting God, instead of believing His Word to them through Moses (Exodus 17:7). Hebrews 1:1 tells us that God now speaks to us through His Son (the Word of God) rather than through prophets as in time past.

New Testament believers are to be led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14), and it is the Holy Spirit Who guides us into all truth (John 16:13). He wrote the Word by moving on holy men of old (2 Peter 1:20–21) and is best qualified to teach us and lead us from the Word. Ordinarily therefore, direction to believers today is not to come from those who have the office of a prophet. Prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3), not for direction.

Spirit-filled believers should not fall into the same trap as Israel by questioning whether or not the Lord is in their midst. The just shall live by faith in the inerrant Word of God, not by feelings, past experience, impressions, suggestions, carnal comments, or traditions. Sadly, too often many Christians doubt or try to explain away the plain teachings of the Bible. It is little wonder that Isaiah boldly declared, Who hath believed our report? (Isaiah 53:1).

We must, therefore, believe the Word of God and not be swayed or turned aside from the truth. When searching the scriptures, we find that they, indeed, do testify of Christ (John 5:39).

Let us examine some traditions common in evangelical circles, to see how they measure up to the Word of Truth.

1

Traditional Thinking and Philosophy

Tarrying Before Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The idea that tarrying is necessary is based on the Lord ’s instructions to His followers before He ascended into heaven ( Acts 1:4 ) .

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the truth of the Holy Spirit infilling dawned upon believers, and many did receive the Spirit baptism. Following glorious events such as the Azusa Street Revival, tarrying meetings were established. Although many were filled, it became fashionable to believe that tarrying was a necessary prerequisite to Spirit infilling.

While we understand the need for people to be in earnest about receiving the Holy Spirit or any of God’s gifts, tarrying is not necessary:

If a waiting period was required, to be scripturally correct, it should only be in Jerusalem that believers tarried, to comply with the Lord’s instructions to His disciples: And being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts 1:4–5).

The Holy Spirit was given in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, and He remains in the world unto this day, so there is no need to wait for Him to be poured out.

In chapters 8, 10, and 19 of Acts, we read how the Spirit was received in Samaria, at the house of Cornelius and in Ephesus, respectively. There is no suggestion that any of these persons tarried. At the house of Cornelius, the believers received the Holy Spirit before having been baptized in water and even before conclusion of preaching: While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word (Acts 10:44). Hearing these people speak with tongues and magnify God, Peter then answered: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:47).

Many present day pastors are able to testify concerning Spirit baptism without a waiting period. I personally remember attending a church service where several people accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, at least two of which were filled with the Spirit moments thereafter.

The Initial Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

If asked what the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is, virtually all charismatic believers will quickly reply, Speaking in other tongues.

Glossolalia, or speaking an unknown language, is not the initial evidence of the Spirit baptism, but rather, the initial physical evidence of Spirit infilling. To some, this may seem to be an insignificant distinction, but actually, it points to a very vital spiritual issue and explains why many Christians fail to receive very much of anything from the hand of the Lord.

The initial evidence of salvation is not some feeling or emotion and not even a change in the person’s behaviour. Certainly the person who is genuinely born again becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), but this is not the initial evidence of salvation; although, it may be the initial outward evidence.

The initial evidence of divine healing is not the ability of those who were blind to see, those who were deaf to hear, or those who were lame to walk. These wonderful manifestations are often the initial physical evidence, however.

In all these instances, the initial evidence is faith. The Lord Jesus compared the giving of good gifts by earthly parents to God bestowing the Holy Spirit infilling, saying the Holy Spirit would be given to those who ask the Father (Luke 11:13).

Those who come to the Lord to confess their sins, to ask forgiveness, and to repent, will be saved. God graciously gives them the faith necessary to believe (Ephesians 2:8). God deals to every believer the, not a, measure of faith necessary for that believer’s calling (Romans 12:3). Abraham has often been referred to as the Father of the Faithful. He believed God, and it was counted (credited) unto him for righteousness (Romans 4:3), and God gave him a sign that he had been justified. The sign was circumcision, but while uncircumcised, he was justified when he released his faith and believed God. Likewise, water baptism is an outward sign of salvation, but to qualify as a participant in the sign, one must first place their faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith is the initial evidence of salvation.

With respect to healing and miracles, faith is also the initial evidence that the work is done. In Mark 11:24, we are told to believe (exercise or release faith) that we are receiving the things when we pray, and we shall have them.

For those who have received a measure of wisdom from the Lord, the initial evidence of this wisdom is not the first time it is used in making an important decision or resolving a difficult situation. Such may be the initial outward evidence, but the initial evidence of such wisdom is the faith that effected its delivery from the hand of God at the time of prayer.

Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith, it is impossible to please God, so let us examine faith more closely and determine how we may properly and consistently put it to use, thereby pleasing our heavenly Father. For too long, faith has seemed to be a vague amorphous commodity for the most part, unattainable to any