Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 11:2
God desires every follower of Christ to be passionately pursuing our intimacy with Him and doing the same with His Word. We read in 1 Corinthians 11:2, “Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.” God had Paul speak a word of encouragement to the believers in Corinth. God had Paul tell them how much he praised and appreciated them because they remembered Paul and had firmly held to the traditions and instructions he had given them while he was with them. These traditions that God led Paul to teach were not man-centered traditions. God warns us against man-centered traditions in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” This shows that God is not interested in anyone hanging on to traditions that are man-centered. God wants us to follow His Word, for only through His Word and His Holy Spirit in us can we be transformed daily to honor our Lord through our lives. We must never set aside God’s Word to follow religious traditions that distract us from what God has commanded us to do. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders in Mark 7:1–13 for “neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men” (verse 8). We must guard against holding on to man-made traditions and we must be sure we are holding to the Truth in God’s Word.
Challenge & Application
What traditions do some believers seek to hold on to that are not biblical but instead man-centered?
How are you guarding against holding on to man-centered traditions but instead holding tightly to God’s Word?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!