Mark 7:6-9 English Standard Version
6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
Our churches are ripe with traditions. Let me be clear on this issue, traditions are not a bad thing if we hold these two boundaries.
Traditions are not doctrine.
Traditions must not be allowed to replace God’s instructions.
Romans 14:21-23 English Standard Version
21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Traditions vary from denomination to denomination. We must take note that we are not to judge another’s performance of traditions. We can hold to traditions that we observe by faith. If anyone within fellowship abstains from participating in common traditions, we are not to insist they must participate. If it is a matter of faith, that is between them and God.
Proverbs 18:19 English Standard Version (ESV) A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
Freedom in fellowship is important. Insisting on matters of tradition can harden a heart and that is not good for anyone.
2 Corinthians 4:13 English Standard Version (ESV) Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,