Traditional Christianity
Religious 'tradition' is defined as: The "Knowledge, doctrines, customs, practices, etc., transmitted (by word of mouth or written creed) from generation to generation."
When we speak of "Traditional Christianity" we are referring to that form of Christianity which has been practiced, without change or any indication of spiritual maturity beyond what they started out with, originally. In spite of the ever-increasing Light on the Word which God has revealed through the ages, traditional Christianity refuses to change their creed or doctrines to conform to the "greater Light" which is revealed. They continue to hold on to that which over the years had become a "tradition" to a particular church or group.
Each Church or group usually end up writing a "creed" around what they profess to believe. One serious flaw in ALL their creeds is the "Period" (.) at the end. The creed might be alright if they ended with a comma (,) stating that the adherents would believe the creed PLUS whatever else God would do. But more often than not the creed blinds the heart and mind to anything else that God would reveal; and ties the tongue, preventing the adherents from confessing anything else. Therefore, we can assuredly conclude that such creeds are not of God.
Concerning The "Traditions of man-made religion versus The Word of God" the Bible has this to say:
"Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread."
"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
".....Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matthew 15:2-3, 6
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men"." Matthew 15:9
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8
Traditional Christianity encompasses "that knowledge, those doctrines, customs, practices, etc.", which we all assume to be based on a Biblical foundation, and accepted by most mainstream "Christian" churches" (denominational and non-denominational). SOME of what we call "Traditional Christianity" has it's roots in sound Bible teaching. But what most people don't realize [or don't care to learn] is that MUCH of what Christians hold sacred today has it's roots in Paganism and man-made Theology - man's interpretation of the Scriptures, incorporated into various 'church creeds'.
To many professing Christians, even those things [in Christianity] which have their roots in paganism is now 'sacrosanct'. They have believed and practiced it for so long that it is in-grained in the people, and for someone to challenge ANY of these cherished doctrines or customs is considered by most professing Christians to be 'sacrilegious'. One time, to challenge "Traditional Christianity" was to be branded a "heretic"; Today, they're branded as being "false" or a "Cult".
Most pulpits today are filled by preachers (false prophets), preaching "Traditional Christianity" instead of the FULLNESS of the Revealed Word for this Age. No Church (denominational or non-denominational) has progressed beyond the original Revelation that they started out with. After the initial excitement of "new revelation or Light in the Word" died down, they made a denomination, formulated a creed (written or unwritten) and put a period behind it - and no matter what anybody would do or say (even God), they are not going to move from the teaching and way that has now become a tradition to them. It is the fulfillment of Scripture - "the blind are leading the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14).
The Bible goes farther in describing those who are blinded by "religious tradition" or the tradition of a church. Jesus said:
"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew 13:14-15
It's a sad state to be in. The Bible tells us that the church in the last days would be so "insanely" steeped in their tradition that they would fail to see their "true condition" in the Presence of God. Speaking of the condition of this end time Church, Jesus said, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:17). They are so wretched and blind that they are not aware that Jesus Christ is on the outside of the church - forced out by their traditions (Revelation 3:20). They are stupefied (by their traditions) into thinking all is right, when in reality all is wrong.
There was a remedy but they refused the remedy. Our Lord Jesus, through the Elijah Messenger (Malachi 4:5-6) to this end time church exhorted the church with these words:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of Thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:18.
The Messenger directed them to the eye-salve and gave them the white raiment of the "Revealed Word" but the church turned it down and God "spit the whole ecclesiastical system out of His mouth" (Revelation 3:16). Now, his call is, NOT to the organized church but to the individual: "...if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). In every Age, when the church settled down into "traditions and forms of godliness" God sent His Messenger with a Message to shake them back to the Original Word. And each Age will be judged by the Message God sent to them in their respective Ages. Some will be judged according to the Message God sent them in the days of Martin Luther. Others will be judged by what God sent them in the days of John Wesley and William Booth; Still others will be judged by what God did through the Pentecostals around the turn of the century. But, presently, we are not living in the age of Luther, Wesley, Booth or the Pentecostals - according to Bible Prophecy we have move beyond those ages And this is that end time generation which will be judged by what God has done and the Truth He has revealed in this Age, through the ministry of the Prophet of Malachi 4:5-6 and Rev. 10:7.
The enemy of Truth has always been the "Traditional Religious ideas" of that Age. Jesus said in Mark 7:9, ".....Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." That is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING - they rejected the commandment of God, just so that they could keep their 'traditional' ideas and ways. As it was then so is it NOW. The "strong delusion" of 2nd. Thess. 2:11-12 grips the "Traditional" Christian world. It is written: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." What is unrighteousness? It is iniquity - unbelief. Paul said, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).
Traditional Judaism REJECTED Jesus Christ and accused Him of "teaching contrary" to the Law of Moses, when in reality, He was fulfilling the Law - making it manifest in flesh. In fact, Jesus was the ONLY ONE that could keep the Law - both the Spirit and the Letter. That's why that our ONLY HOPE is "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
Traditional Christianity through the Church Ages, REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of Martin Luther. It was Traditional Christianity REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of John Wesley. again, during the early 1900's Traditional Christianity REJECTED the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of the Pentecostal Revival. NOW, Traditional Christianity (churches and individuals alike) are REJECTING the Revelation of Jesus Christ through the Ministry and Message of the Malachi 4:5-6 and the VOICE of Rev. 10:7 which 'finishes' the Mystery of God in this Age. Each Messenger, and especially the last one was/is accused of "teaching things contrary" to "Traditional Christianity", when in reality, their Messages were fulfilling Scripture for the Age in which they lived.
History is repeating itself: "I thought Elijah was to come first - Elijah has come already and you knew it not, but have done unto him whatsoever you determined to do." The Elijah of the First Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was REJECTED by "Traditional Judaism" and the Elijah of the Second Coming of Christ is REJECTED by "Traditional Christianity".
Please, take a serious look at the things you see and read in The William Branham Home Page and The Bride Message Home Page of Spiritual Food In Due Season. We're not just presenting an "Evangelist" with a 'signs and wonders' ministry - praying for the sick and healing - There were many such ministries around the world during the 1940's, '50's and 60's. BUT the Ministry and Message unfolding in these pages is that of a PROPHET with the WORD of the LORD for this Age. ALL the others had the gift of healing in their ministries, BUT "this Ministry" was different - the 'signs' given to him 'set him apart' from all the others. This ministry was "More Than Spiritual Gifts". It was Prophetic in every way. William Branham's life and ministry perfectly matches that of the Bible Prophets.
The following quotes on "Tradition and traditional Christianity" are from the sermons of Bro. William M. Branham - God's Prophet to this end time Age.
The Works That I Do Bear Witness Of Me - 04/13/50a
A seminary preacher always reminds me of an incubator chicken. A little old incubator chicken, just chirp, chirp, and ain't got no mammy to go to. And that's just about the way this reading, writing, and arithmetic, and gets them great big swell words. Why, you go over the top of the common people anyhow. So what of it. You look way out there, and leave out judgment, and mercy, and so forth, which you should know. And the love of God, that's shed upon our hearts by the Holy Ghost, that tears down traditions and builds us up in Christ Jesus, new creatures in His love and power. That's the things that we ought to have. Amen. We go over the top of that, and go out there and some great big Greek words.
Demonology - Physical Realm - 06/08/53a
I don't hear it around here, but you hear it a lot across the country. One of the greatest things in the Pentecostal groups is the mix-up in that one simple thing. And I've had their heads right together and prove to them they both believe the same thing. It's the devil between them; that's all. If that great Pentecostal church would throw down them little old traditions and unite themselves together in one blessed church of God, the rapture would come.
The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints - 11/29/53a
He said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. In My Name they shall out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things, lay hands on the sick. They shall recover." Oh, we say, "The believer today is a man who goes to church and pays his tithes. He has his pew. He puts a window in the church. He's a good fellow." The Bible don't say one thing about that being a believer. See how we've taken our own traditions and made the law of God of none effect?
The Seal Of God - 05/14/54
Get ready. The only safe place there is today is in Christ Jesus. God bless you. If you're not in, press till you get in. "Those that are in Christ Jesus will God bring with Him in the second coming." Without the Seal of God, which is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, [the] confederation of apostasy is the mark of the beast. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. See what I mean? But these religious teachers are trying to put it on communism, when they don't realize it's working right in their own midst. He [Jesus] said, "They'll be blind leaders of the blind," He [Jesus] said, "will have eyes, and can't see." Said, "You do in your traditions, speaks the doctrine of men, make commandments of men, making the commandments of God of non effect."
Ques. And Ans. - The Image Of The Beast - 05/15/54
And now, the Catholic church brought out catechism. Luther had it; the Methodist church has it; Episcopalians have it; many of the other ones have it: catechism. Many of the traditions of the Catholic church still hangs onto the Protestant church; which forms her right in with it according to the Bible.
The Second Coming - 02/22/55
I believe that we're living in one the most marvelous days that we ever lived, and the most greatest of time that any persons has ever lived in on earth; .....This time it ends up all life of mortality, going into immortality now. All the sin of all ages is settling down into this generations of people that are living now. All the weaknesses from our fathers of inbred traditions is fell, and sicknesses, and diseases breaking out like has never been knowed in all the world.
Proof Of His Resurrection - 04/10/55m
Now, man, in his carnal condition and his mental conceptions, he always pulls hisself away from God. It's been since the beginning, that man longs to see the other side, but he's been bound in a prison house. Sometimes tradition of man puts him there, that they teach traditions of different forms and motives of how to worship. And he puts man under bondage, in his tradition. And that has been since the world began.
Proof Of His Resurrection - 04/10/55m
And then, people, through traditions, has blinded men from the great fundamental truths of the Scripture. Now, Jesus spoke the same thing when He was here on earth. He said, "Ye are blind leaders of the blind." He said, "If the blind leads the blind, won't they all fall in the ditch?" .....God has a way of revealing Himself to the people and making Himself known to the people, but many times tradition shuts off the people before God can get a chance to get into them to reveal Himself. You get it? Traditions, oh, what that is today.
The Roman Nobleman - 06/21/55
See? You miss it. You forget, friends. I want you to get this, 'cause you grieve the Spirit of God. Look this a way, and be alert. Forget your traditions. The Lord Jesus is here. Can't you recognize that? You'll be spiritually dead. I'm not speaking harsh to you, but I'm trying to get that spirit of unbelief away from you.
Jesus Christ, The Same... - 03/23/58
Oh, can't you see the attitude of the world hasn't changed? The one who desired a murderer in the stead of Jesus, in their hearts they're the same tonight. The world said what it was. It expressed itself when they accepted a murderer in the stead of the lovely Lord just because of religious traditions.
TO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT POST. . .
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