​​Beware, those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. Jeremiah 10 1Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, 3for the customs of the peoples are vanity.a A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. 4They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. 5Their idolsb are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” 6There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. 7Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. 8They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! 9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. 10But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 11Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” Amos 5:21-23 21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,     and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,     I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,     I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;     to the melody of your harps I will not listen. Mark 7:8-9 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! Mark 7:6-9 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’ 8 Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.” 9 He also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition. Matthew 15:3 3 He answered them, “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? Matthew 15:6 You have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Matthew 23:4 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Colossians 2:8 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Galatians 1:14 4 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 1 Peter 1:18-19 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. Titus 1:14 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. In Gospel of Mark 7:8, the warning is clear, people can lay aside the commandment of God to hold onto tradition. That means something can be long standing, widely accepted, even meaningful, and still be out of alignment. 1. Tradition can replace truth People often follow what they were taught growing up without ever examining it. Over time, tradition feels equal to truth, even when it contradicts it. 2. Culture can normalize what is wrong When an entire group accepts something, it stops feeling questionable. But agreement doesn’t make it right, it just makes it common. 3. Identity gets tied into it This is where it becomes difficult. Letting go of certain practices can feel like rejecting family, background, or community. So instead of changing, people defend it. 4. Light forces a decision When truth exposes something within a tradition or culture, it creates a choice, hold onto what is familiar, or align with what is true. Coming into the Kingdom means nothing is above examination. Not tradition, not culture, not what has “always been done.” “Let God be true, but every man a liar…” This doesn’t mean every person is constantly lying in a literal sense. It means that human understanding, opinions, traditions, and claims are all fallible, but God’s word is not. What it’s saying: 1. God is the standard of truth Truth isn’t decided by majority, culture, or tradition. Even if something is widely accepted, it doesn’t make it right if it conflicts with what God has revealed. 2. Man can be wrong, even confidently People can sincerely believe something and still be in error. This includes teachers, leaders, traditions, and systems passed down over time. 3. Truth stands even when rejected Even if everyone disagrees, it doesn’t change what is true. Truth is not dependent on acceptance. 4. It cuts through tradition and culture This connects directly to what you’re building, if a tradition, belief, or practice contradicts God’s word, then it must be rejected, no matter how established it is.