THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 343

If one were to ask the question "who said that" and the reply was JESUS did, "Would you replace what is written and recorded by eye witnesses with tradition?" Surely not! For without eye witnesses one would find it difficult to substantiate that an event had even occurred. There is another reason as well. That is, eye witness reports bear witness to an event. What the judicial system might refer to solid rock testimony! Or, as John the epistle declares concerning JESUS, "Our hands have handled of the WORD of LIFE. For the WORD of LIFE was manifested and we have seen Him with our eyes and our hands have handled Him."

The man JESUS then is God and likewise God is the man - the man named JESUS! In this context, JESUS the man being the embodiment of God's spiritual Word of Life. The Word spoken through the mouth of the man Jesus. Jesus is the Word of God. Yes, God's own Word.

Just like we find when we read Genesis, "In the beginning was God's Word" or in John that takes this message further by stating " .. and the Word was with God and the Word was God." In other words, JESUS is that very same word - now veiled in the flesh. Therefore, Jesus is God Himself. Manifest in the flesh. As a Son. As a man. And in this man JESUS dwells all the fullness of the Spirit of God bodily. And this man Jesus when He had by Himself purged all of our sin sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

From henceforth expecting that all His enemies would be made His footstool. Still, this man JESUS has an unchangeable ministry. JESUS being the WORD OF GOD is unchangeable. For the WORD OF GOD JESUS is the same JESUS today as He was yesterday, and JESUS will be to morrow even as it is today.

But the tradition of which we have alluded is like throwing out the baby and keeping the bathwater. By following the traditions that began in 300/400 AD - and started by the so called church fathers - you are doing no better than those people spoken of in Acts chapter 8. This is the scriptural reference that introduces readers to a man named Simon, a sorcerer. Simon bewitched people, making out that he was some great one. As a consequence, to him did all the people from the least to the greatest give heed with the people saying that this man is the great power of God. However, the good news is that around the same time Phillip arrived in Samaria preaching JESUS. Upon hearing the gospel, the people believed and forsook the erroneous falsities of Simon’s sorcery. Instead, the people believed and were baptized into the name of JESUS, later receiving the Holy Spirit of JESUS!

Tradition then is foreign to the Word’s spoken by the chosen eye witnesses of the Lord JESUS, Indeed, traditions appear to be nothing more than that which was advanced by Simon the sorcerer, being totally estranged from the doctrinal teaching of the Holy Spirit. This is why it is important for us to recognize that the gospel has stated repeatedly that there is only one door into the Kingdom of God -- and fortunately for us, that door is not the Church.