Traditions are similar to habits

Acts 15:1-5

Traditions are similar to habits in that they are things we do repeatedly without much thought, that is until someone tries to change some part of the ritual, and then all hell breaks out.  We watched it happen in almost all denominations and what may be very meaningful to a person like myself who visits other Christian churches that are non-Baptist, and they do the apostles creed, and each time that it is recited by the congregation I am moved by its meaning.  I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth.   I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended to the dead. On the third day, He rose again.  He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.  I am not sure why we do not recite this in the Baptist church, but I do wonder if it were done each and every Sunday, would it have the excitement and meaning that it brings me when I visit a non-Baptist church?
Many a Baptist likes to think that they are not steeped in traditions, but most are and one of the statements you often hear is; “We have never done that before” and it is like telling your wife about the new recipe she tried on you, “Honey, that was ok, but lets not have it again.”  I remember a large Baptist church that stopped passing the offering plate, and put boxes at the exits for the people to place their offerings, it almost caused a church fight; we all have our rituals.
Dr. Luke is giving an account of some traditionalist who came to Antioch from Judea and this was their teaching: “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1 ESV)  If you have any knowledge of the Jewish faith then you understand the setting apart of the Jewish man to God by an outward act called circumcision.  So the Jewish Christian came down to these Gentiles and made it clear that to be a follower of Christ it requires more than grace and faith, it requires an outward act of compliance to the laws of Moses.  Not that much different than telling someone that to be a Christian they must be baptized or any other of the add-ons of man. 
So a debate took place between those requiring faith plus and action of man like being circumcised, and grace through faith that Paul and Barnabas were teaching.  So they appointed Paul and Barnabas and a few others to go to Jerusalem.  The church, the apostles and the elders welcomed them, and they shared all that God had done with the Gentiles through their ministry.  It was at this point that some Pharisees in the church ask the question, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the Law of Moses.” (Acts 14:5b)
After some time of debate Peter stood and said; “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15:7b-11 ESV)
For the Jesus plus group, Romans 10:9-10, makes it very clear, it is faith in God’s grace and faith in His Son to do what He has said, plus nothing. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  Jesus makes it clear, it is not what you can do for Him it is what He has done for you, this is seen in Romans 10:13, “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice