The traditions of men produce lives lived in vain. According to scripture, the word conversation means much more than merely words being spoken from one person to another. The context shows that the word refers to the way in which a person lives his life (2 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Peter 3:1). As such, those who build their lives upon the traditions of men may work very hard and be even deemed faithful. Yet, this life is all for naught because their lives are built upon vanity. Sadly, some of the most faithful followers of religion are those who are promoting the traditions of men from which they will gain no eternal benefits. The only conversation that proves fruitful in eternity is the one built upon the commandments of God.
One of the most important issues that every believer must face involves the question of ultimate authority. The Pharisees abused their God-given authority by “laying aside the commandment of God” and replacing it with “the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). They simply transgressed “the commandment of God” in order to obey and follow their tradition (Matthew 15:3). Through these unwise actions, they plainly declared that the traditions of men were their ultimate authority rather than God and His word. As a result, the Lord Jesus said they made the word of God of none effect. This same truth applies today. When a man accepts men’s traditions as superior to the scripture, he makes scripture ineffective for God’s intended purposes. The Bible must be believed in order for it to be effectual (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
The book of Ruth tells the story of a family torn apart by death and how God miraculously worked behind the scenes. Ruth, a Moabite, married a Jew who was the son of Elimelech and Naomi. Over time while Naomi lived in Moab, her husband and both of her sons died. After their deaths, Naomi determined to return to the land of Judah. Naomi discouraged both Ruth and Orpah (her daughters-in-law) from returning with her. Each had to decide whether to go with Naomi or stay with their families in the land of Moab. Orpah decided to stay, while Ruth chose to go with Naomi. At the time, Ruth’s decision seemed foolish. Yet, all those who read the book of Ruth know the blessings associated with this one wise decision. Ruth came to Bethlehem at the right time (Ruth 1:22), married a great man named Boaz (Ruth 4:13), and God allowed her to become part of the lineage of King David and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:17; Matthew 1:5).
Every choice in life can yield eternal consequences, some vastly significant, some of lesser importance. No clearer demonstration exists than the many decisions surrounding Christ’s crucifixion. The Jews had unjustly delivered Jesus to the governor. As a gesture to the people at the Roman feast, Pilate frequently released to them a prisoner. In this instance, he gave the Jews a choice between two prisoners—a vile man or the innocent Son of God. Barabbas was justly imprisoned as a robber (John 18:40) and murderer (Mark 15:7). This simple decision turned quite complex for the Jews. The people rejected the sinless Son of God and chose to release a guilty man. With evil hearts and wicked intentions, they cried out for the release of Barabbas. Making matters worse, they demanded that Jesus be crucified though He had done nothing worthy of death. The people became pawns of Satan though they were unaware that Jesus was born to die. He was brought to this point to bear the very sin they just committed, along with the sins of the whole world.
