Por: Alexandre Chaves / @pr_alexchaves
09/05/2010
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding
on to the traditions of men. Mark 7:8.
When we look at the scriptures carefully, as well as to the
history of the church, or the revival moves, we can see a recurrent dynamism. It
is the fact about the detachment of the original goal proposed by the moves,
which damages the ideas destroying almost everything.
Most of the times, what came out as a determined intention, as
years pass by, transforms itself in something which is the opposite. Experts say
that the prophetic move tends to be sacerdotal as times goes by.
As an historical example, we can highlight the Protestantism,
which is born in order to restore biblical truth, after many centuries it has
been substituted by human doctrine, after a naïve intention to reform the Roman
catholic church.
In the Gospel perspective, the great revival moves of the
history, such as, the Moravio Revival of Earl Zinzendorf in the century XVIII,
which was base for revival afterwards as well as the Protestant Reform, doesn’t
have as fundament to discover a new idea about the gospel, the gospel by itself
is new.
Its beauty lays in the rediscovering the same immutable freedom
truth of the word of God, the one which comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the Moraviano Revival, what made difference was the dedication to practice
and prayer, reading the scriptures and the relationship of helping one
another.
There is nothing new on that, by the way, nothing is more basic
for Christian faith than praying and having communion with the word and with one
another, as we can check in the book of Acts. They devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer. (Acts 2:42)
In the reformation, despite the 95 thesis of Luttero, we can
state what is known as the 5 poles of the reform, which were 1º Sola Scriptura,
2º Sola Gratia, 3º Sola Fide, 4º Solo Christi, 5º Soli Deo Glória. The reform
comes out in a moment where the encyclical from the Pope had more authority than
the scriptures. At that time, people could not read the Bible, even if the Bible
would say to us: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may
be thoroughly equipped for every good work. IITh 3:16-17.
At that time, there was no Grace because it was being
substituted by paying indulgences and faith was faked in the fireplace even
though if the word of God taught us "…For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by
works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9)
Christ intermediation was not enough, as was not his cross.
They needed some other mediators between God and men, even knowing about the
word of God which says: "For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Th 2:5). The glory of God was
substituted by the glory of men, fact which was against the word of God.
What makes this happen is the association of time plus men
obstinacy of connecting to the wisdom of this world, "Has not God made
foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1Cor 2;20c), men who love the rules
they invented instead of the freedom promoted by gospel. This association
produces one of the most terrible fort named traditionalism, so these people
stand themselves in human tradition not in the word of God.
A good example of this is when the actual church, before a
woman, whose adultery was discovered, condemns her according to the religious
traditionalism, while in the true gospel, Christ Jesus says: "Then
neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of
sin." (John 8:11b) Even not being possible to stone her, we do that
with our eyes of condemnation, even it’s not possible to kill her, we do it
socially, not living or talking to her.
Doing so, we act against the Christ we say we believe and
according to the traditional religion of Pharisees, scribes and priests that
crucified Jesus. Brennan Manning writes in his book "The ragamuffin Gospel":
"Jesus used to sit at the table with anyone that wished to be present, including
those who were banned of their homes. Sharing meals, they used to receive
consideration instead of condemnation. A merciful forgiveness instead of a
guilty verdict. Admirable grace instead of universal disgrace. That is a very
good demosntration of practicing the Law of Grace, which is a new chance in
life."
In order to make this reform exist, it was needed to search the
source of sincerity, the truly essence of the gospel, setting it apart of every
trash, the ones men in the course of life, willing for the wisdom, interests and
human glory of this world added to the gospel of God. This fact made Gospel lose
its true character, denying its effectiveness. That’s what Paul calls as another
gospel. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who
called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different
gospel" (Galatians 1:6)
Beyond this search, what was the most important fact for this
reform to happen, was God by His spirit, rising men, those who had nothing but
Jesus, dead men for people’s reputation, for themselves, but alive for God. This
condition gave them the daring to break up with all the religious tradition
during the centuries.
Nowdays, after 493 years after the protestant reform, we face
the same problem Luttero faced, religious tradition speaks up than the word of
God, grace has been looked down, faith is believing in anything, since the
person will not to compromise with anything. Christ is not enough and God is
there only if He can take with Him human glory, recognizing the faithful
distinction of certain men. It happens even inside the churches that where fruit
of the reform.
We can’t be shocked, this tension will always exist, what we
should do is to open ourselves to the news of the gospel, rejecting the
worldwide structures which slave us, as we can see in Romans: Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Human tradition will always make use of enemy’s weapon in our
soul, to captive us in the sin, because obedience of traditionalism will never
make man free from his sin. Only the obedience to the gospel and to the grace of
God in Christ Jesus can save man, freeing him of himself and his sin before his
death and resurrection with Christ.
Yes, the gospel, the good news of God, the news brought in the
incarnation of Christ, as John says : For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) and not
the traditionalism of the law, that was withdrawn in Christ, and Paul states:
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains
when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ
is it taken away. (2Corinthians 3:14)
But the new wine that breaks the old bottle, which is a shame
for the religious traditionalism, a scandal should be always a reason of
happiness as it’s written: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is
the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew,
then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a
righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written:
"The righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)
When Jesus was interrogated by the Pharisees and scribes about
the reason his disciples were not following the tradition of the oldest, he
answered in Mark 7:6-9: He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied
about you hypocrites; as it is written: " ‘These people honor me with their
lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their
teachings are but rules taught by men.’[b] 8You have let go of the commands of
God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9And he said to them: "You
have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your
own traditions! (Mark 7:6-9)
May God make us live free of this, and may He also give us
daring to live, not only with his word but also trusting only in his grace, by
faith, and in the sufficiency of Christ so that God can be the only one we will
glorify. Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solo Christi, Soli Deo
glória.
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