Saving Faith

Mark 7:5-8
(5) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"
(6) And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
(7) in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
(8) You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

I think it's easy for us to read this passage and look down on the Pharisees. After all, we're on this side of the cross and much more enlightened than them, right? We don't keep all those crazy laws which have no power to save, do we?

Or do we? Do we count on our abstinence from alcohol to save us? Do we count on not smoking to save us? Do we count on not watching the wrong movies to save us? Do we count on regular church attendance to save us? Do we count on sacrament-keeping to save us?

On the other hand, do we count on our abandonment of tradition to save us? Do we count on our enlightened attitude about what is allowed to save us?

I've been guilty on both sides of this. I certainly am today in some way or another. This is why I count on Christ to save me. I can't count on anything I do or don't do, but I can count on what He did. I hope that you do the same.