Matthew 23:23,24—Woe to you , teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a creed as "1. A formal statement of religious belief; a confession of faith. 2. A system of belief, principles, or opinions." It is not the first definition that causes us trouble—we need to know and stand true to what we believe. It is the second definition that invites trouble.
Jesus blasted the religious leaders of His day. They were more concerned with their beliefs, principles and opinions than in leading people to God. Don’t be a swallower of camels! True joy comes in worshiping Jesus, not one’s religious views. By following Jesus we become runway lights marking for seekers the way to a safe landing. By following creeds we become bug lights—instruments not of grace but of zapping.
Inspiration
A Christian is to be consistent only to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to hard and fast creeds. Men pour themselves into creeds, and God Almighty has to blast them out of their prejudices before they become devoted to Jesus Christ.—Oswald Chambers in Studies on the Sermon on the Mount.
