Introduction: When Sincerity Isn’t Enough
Many of us were raised with traditions that felt sacred. Truth vs Tradition? That is the question. Church rituals, family beliefs, and generational teachings shaped our view of God and salvation. But what happens when those well-meaning traditions don’t align with the Word of God?
Jesus made it plain in Mark 7:8–9:
“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
Truth and tradition often appear side by side, but only one has the power to save—and that’s truth. The Word of God is the standard by which all things must be measured (John 17:17).
What Is Tradition?
The battle of truth vs. tradition is often waged silently in the background of our faith journeys. Tradition is powerful. It forms the foundation of how we relate to the world. It’s the rhythm of our upbringing, the comfort of consistency, and the framework for belonging. It teaches us how to pray, how to gather, how to believe. But tradition also has a shadow side. It can become so ingrained in us that we stop questioning whether it aligns with God’s Word. And we often don’t realize how deeply tradition has shaped our beliefs until Scripture challenges them.
Some believe they follow Jesus—but are actually following their grandmother’s version of Him. Others place unshakable trust in the preacher who baptized them, never questioning their words because they “must be right.” But have we ever stopped to ask: Is what I believe truly from God—or is it just what I’ve always been told?
Paul’s words in Colossians 2:8 come like a wake-up call:
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition… and not according to Christ.”
When tradition feels more reliable than the Bible, it has become an idol. And idols—no matter how well-decorated—cannot lead us to truth.
What Is Truth?
Truth is not simply an idea or a doctrine—it is a person. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He didn’t say He knows the truth or that He teaches the truth. He is truth.
And if He is truth, then anything that contradicts His Word must be examined. It doesn’t matter how long a tradition has been practiced, how emotionally attached we are to it, or how many generations have passed it down. If it doesn’t agree with Jesus, it doesn’t qualify as truth.
Psalm 119:160 says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” This means we cannot isolate a verse or pull from a devotional quote and call it truth. We must look at the entirety of God’s Word. Truth isn’t piecemeal. It’s consistent, unchanging, and confirmed by Scripture from beginning to end.
Truth convicts. It doesn’t cater to our comfort zones. Instead, it calls us out of inherited beliefs and into spiritual maturity. It strips us of every excuse, every inherited defense. It’s not filtered through denominational lines or cultural biases—it simply is.
When Tradition Replaces God’s Commands
The question of truth vs. tradition also shows up in how we respond to correction. In Matthew 15, Jesus confronts the Pharisees, not because they didn’t love God—but because they loved their traditions more. They had memorized the Law, taught in the synagogues, dressed in garments of holiness. Yet Jesus said to them:
“…You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites!…” (Matthew 15:6-7 NIV)
That word “nullify” means to cancel out or make void. Imagine that—man’s tradition actually canceling out God’s command. It didn’t matter how devout they appeared; their devotion wasn’t directed toward God’s truth but their own system.
We see the same today. People are faithful to church calendars, yet unfaithful to Scripture. They defend doctrines they can’t biblically explain. They participate in rituals they don’t understand. The danger is subtle but devastating: tradition can give us a false sense of righteousness.
We might ask, “But what’s the harm in honoring tradition?” The harm lies in the assumption that sincerity equals salvation. But sincerity without truth is simply misplaced trust. The Pharisees were zealous. They were not lazy. They were wrong.
How to Test Every Teaching: Navigating Truth vs. Tradition
Too often, people base their beliefs on what “feels right,” what their pastor says, or what their family has always done. But feelings fluctuate. Pastors are human. And family, no matter how well-meaning, can be sincerely mistaken.
The early believers in Berea were different. Acts 17:11 tells us they didn’t just accept Paul’s message—they examined the Scriptures daily to see if it was true. They didn’t say, “We’ve never heard that before,” and dismiss it. They said, “Let us check the Word.”
That same Berean mindset is critical today. It means that even if your entire church believes something—if it’s not clearly supported in Scripture, it needs to be re-examined.
In everyday life, this plays out when we ask hard questions: Why do we worship this way? Why do we practice that ceremony? Why do we teach this doctrine? If the answer begins with “Because we’ve always…”—it’s time to pause.
Jesus didn’t die for tradition. He died for truth. It is here that we come face to face with the true weight of the truth vs. tradition.
Let Go of What Cannot Save
Tradition often whispers comfort: “Stay where it’s safe. Don’t rock the boat. Just do what’s always been done.” But Jesus doesn’t call us to safe obedience. He calls us to cross-bearing faith.
John 8:32 promises, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” But that freedom only comes after we confront the lies we’ve believed, even the ones passed down by those we love.
This isn’t about dishonoring your family or discarding everything you were taught. It’s about honoring God above all, even if it means walking a path that others misunderstand. Letting go of tradition is painful—but carrying dead weight is far worse.
Freedom in Christ is not found in repetition. It’s found in revelation.
Final Thought: Return to the Word
You don’t need a seminary degree to discover truth. You need a Bible, a seeking heart, and the courage to believe what God says—even if it’s different from everything you’ve heard.
If you’ve sensed a tension between what you’ve been taught and what you’re reading—don’t ignore it. Lean into it. That tension may be the Spirit of God drawing you closer.
Because at the end of it all, the only thing that will remain is the Word.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
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Read how Scripture reshaped my own faith → My Story of Finding Biblical Truth
All Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV), unless otherwise not
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