ESOCS Devotional 6 November 2023 – Making the Word of God of No Effect
MEMORY VERSE: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” Mark 7:13
TEXT: MARK 7:1-13 (KJV)
Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
The Word of God is quick and powerful. It has the power we need for every situation of life. The power of God’s word is evident in creation; for every that we can see today came into being by the word of God. The word of God is so powerful that it can never return void but must accomplish that which it is purposed. By faith in the word of God men of old wrought wonders in their days. The salvation we enjoy today is a product of the word of God. The Apostles did mighty works by the word of God. The world as we see today is being sustained by the word of God. The word of God has enormous power that when we tap into it today by faith will see great results.
So, one would ask why we are not seeing same result as our predecessors did. Why does it seem that the word of God has lost its power in our time? Many of us have done what we were told should be done still no result. So, what is the problem?
In our study text, our Lord Jesus explained that the word of God though powerful can be made of no effect by our actions or inactions. As powerful as God’s word is, its potency can only be experienced through faith and by retaining its purity. The word of God without being mixed with faith cannot profit the hearers. And when mixed with human tradition, the word of God is robbed of its power. The power of the word of God lies on its purity. The moment we try to dilute God’s word, we rob it of its potency. When we place the words and traditions of man above the message of God, we make God’s word of no effect.
This was the error of the Pharisees; they mixed the word of God with man-made tradition and in some instances elevated their traditions above the word of God. By this they made faith and obedience impossible because once the word of God is distorted it can no longer produce true faith. They laid emphasis on traditions that had no real impact on the spiritual state of the people.
If there is anything that voids the effect of God’s word today, it is the same act of elevating man-made traditions above the word of God. Man-made traditions only focus on outward religious ceremonies which have no real power to transform the heart. This is why there seems to be lack of transformative power of God in the lives of believers today. It is simply because we have left the pure word of God and are now holding on to man-made dogmas. There are so many of such traditions today; empty and vain ceremonial observances which rob God’s word of its power.
When we dilute the purity of God’s word through wrong teachings, we rob it of its power. When we mix the word of God with man-made traditions, cultures and others we make it of no effect.
The power in God’s word is in its purity.
Any tradition that runs contrary to God’s word must be thrown away. And man-made traditions should never be seen as God’s commandment.
FURTHER READINGS: Isaiah 55:10-11, Hebrews 4:2 & 12, Colossians 2:8
ESOCS Devotional 6 November 2023
