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done the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21-23). Obedience is the key
concept providing the difference.
This may be understood as minimizing the importance of
religious ritual or of superficial religiosity. Dutifully and
deferentially intoning the Lord‘s name or participating in
appropriate religious ceremonies has no benefit unless it is
anchored in genuine faith that expresses itself in joyful and willing
obedience. This is congruent with Old Testament examples such
as Samuel‘s stern rebuke of Saul as he returned victoriously from
defeating the Amalekites: ―Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice‖ (1 Sam. 15:22). 30 Jesus
says the one who does the will of the Father is accepted—that it is
by their fruit you recognize who the true believers really are (Matt.
7:20).
The Christian who is being conformed to the righteousness
of God, therefore, must try to bring his or her life into conformity
with God‘s law as revealed in the Bible. That alignment includes
one‘s thoughts and feelings as well as actions. Christians who love
God also love his law. His commandments are no longer
burdensome but a source of joy and satisfaction (1 Jn. 5:2-3). If
you love God, then nothing makes you happier than doing what
delights him. If you really want to obey God and keep his
commandments, you must go beyond superficial compliance to a
genuine understanding of the intent of each commandment. Once
you understand that intent, you may begin to bring your life into
alignment with it. The Pharisees‘ problem was that, while they
appeared to be enthusiastic and sincere about obeying the law, they
used words to construct their own code of conduct, a code that
often missed the true intent of God‘s law. Rather than being the
most zealous keepers and perpetuators of the law, they were
30 Cf. also Leviticus 10:1-3; Isaiah 1:10-17; Jeremiah 6:19-20, 7:21-26; Hosea
6:6.