THERE IS OFTEN A VERY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT A LAW SAYS OR REQUIRES AND WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE OR HOW PEOPLE ACT.

a) For a while on Sunday mornings we want to explore and apply this single fact.
b) The Bible will be our “law” and we will contrast the scriptures with many popular beliefs.
c) Today’s information is designed to introduce this topic.

2) We want to establish that people often want to be a “law unto themselves.”
a) Suppose a driver does a “slow and go” and a stop sign and was seen by a police offer.
b) The officer pulls over the driver and the policeman immediately hears some excuses.
3) The driver might say, “I was late for an appointment and I didn’t have time to stop.”
4) Some might even say, “This is just the way I always drive and it has been working out fine.”
5) Let’s apply this to the spiritual realm.
a) There are people in the realm of religion who treat God’s law like a stop sign.
b) Some will obey it and this is the right choice.
c) Others will violate God’s law because they prefer to do things their way.
6) Someone might justify their refusal to abide by the scriptures by appealing to tradition.
a) A person might say, “My family has always worshipped in this way.”
b) For many, custom is the way to decide things when it comes to religious matters.
7) The Bible has some things to say about “custom” and “traditions.”
a) In 1 Cor. 11:2 Paul said he had delivered some “traditions” to the Corinthians.
b) Paul told the Corinthians to “hold fast” to these traditions.
c) In another letter (2 Thess. 2:15) we find this point being made once again.
8) The word translated “tradition” in 1 Cor. 11:2 ad 2 Thess. 2:15 is used elsewhere.
a) One of the other places where this term is found is Col. 2:8.
b) In many cases what people believe about religious matters is incorrect.
c) In Mt. 15:3 Jesus used the word translated “tradition” in 1 Cor. 11:2 and 2 Thess. 2:15.
d) He said manmade religious traditions (beliefs) cause people to “break God’s laws.”
e) The Bible is a bit like a driver’s license manual.
f) God has given us the rules and God has said we cannot try to re-writer His instruction book.
9) Human religious traditions will hurt and destroy people.
10) “I don’t see anything wrong with the way I am doing things.”
11) Acts 17:30
a) Ignorance is no longer an excuse.
b) A person may truly not see anything wrong with their religious choices.
c) God says that is not enough. We have received a book on how to live.
12) If tradition and ignorance are not used to set aside God’s will, there is the “I like it” argument.
a) Some of us have heard people say they worship in a certain way because that is their preference.
13) Col. 2:23 refers to “will-worship.” This is the type of worship that is based on what people want.
a) God has warned us that this argument carries no weight with Him.
14) A final argument is, “It is found in the Old Testament it must be okay.”
15) We are under the current laws, not the past.
a) This is also true in the area of religion – we are under a “new law.”
b) This law is the New Testament.