We wake up early and go the church on Sunday mornings. We read our Bibles daily, checking off each box on our Read the Bible in a Year plan. We promise to pray for our friends in their times of great need. We donate ten percent of our paychecks as a tithe. And if our churches offer them, we attend Wednesday night services, volunteer on the weekends, and send our kids and youth to every event that’s made available for them.
None of these things—church attendance, daily Bible reading, donating or volunteering—are bad things. In fact, they are excellent ways for Christians to spend their time and resources. But they can become problematic when we start seeing these things as items to check off our spiritual to-do list, as things that all “good Christians” ought to do. When this happens, we begin just going through the motions, living the “good Christian” life without ever actually growing closer to God or maturing in our faith. We may even view ourselves as “superior” believers because we’re doing all the “right things,” when in reality those who are doing less may find themselves closer to God’s heart than we are.
The truth is that living the good Christian life is less about our actions and outward appearances and more about our hearts.
Any of us who have spent any length of time in church or reading our Bibles are likely familiar with the story of Hosea—the prophet who was commanded by God to take a wife who would prostitute herself to other men to serve as a visual for how Israel was turning to other idols rather than turning toward Yahweh. In Hosea 6, we find that God is practically lamenting over Israel’s lack of repentance. Like a husband who sees his wife defile herself by taking other lovers, God sees his chosen people committing horrible sins, and it grieves His heart. And His response to His people is this—
“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6, ESV
You see, despite the idolatry and utter villainy that Israel was getting involved in (v. 9), they were still making burnt offerings and sacrifices to God. Despite the sin that infected the hearts of the people and influenced their private actions, they publicly acted as if they were just as righteous as any other God-fearing Jew. This wasn’t the first time God rebuked His people for this kind of attitude, and it wouldn’t be the last. Throughout the Old Testament, we can find multiple examples of God telling His people that true obedience is better that pious sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1:11-17, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8). Even in the New Testament, we find Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocritical behavior (Matthew 9:10-13, 12:1-7).
Oftentimes, we look at the Old Testament Israelites or the New Testament Pharisees and wonder how they could be so foolish. How could they believe they were truly in right standing with God after a few sacrifices and righteous deeds when they wouldn’t even acknowledge, let alone repent of, the sins in their lives? But don’t we do the same thing? We show up to church with an “everything’s fine” smile after being unduly harsh with our children on the way there. We read our Bibles for fifteen minutes a day but only after we’ve wasted hours scrolling on social media and coveting what our friends and favorite influencers have. Sure, we tithe ten percent, but then we go spend most of the other ninety percent on things that are not exactly God-honoring. In reality, we are no different than the ancient Israelites.
What is the solution? How can we restore the fellowship between us and our Creator? The answer is actually quite simple—love. We must love Him. And we love Him through our obedience to Him. Jesus taught His disciples,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15
This truth was reiterated later in the New Testament, as well (1 John 2:5, 5:3). Those who love God will obey Him. Though this is a simple solution, it’s not necessarily easy. It’s not easy to loosen your hold on your pride and admit you’re not doing as well in your life as you’d like others to believe. It’s not easy to be content in the life circumstances the Lord has seen fit to place you in rather than lust after the life—the husband, the children, the career, the other material blessings—that someone else has been given. It’s not easy to spend our earthly resources on things that would honor Christ rather than just what would bring us pleasure in the moment. It’s not easy to admit that we’ve gotten so caught up in doing spiritual things that we’ve neglected other important things in our lives (Matthew 23:23). But it is only when we live in obedience, when we humble ourselves and commit ourselves fully to Christ, that we can truly love Him steadfastly.
Again, we do not obey God just for the sake of obedience. The Apostle Paul once wrote,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If we are being obedient out of duty or just because it’s the “right” thing to do, we are no better than the hypocritical Pharisees or the idolatrous Israelites. Our obedience must be fueled by a love for God, a desire to honor and glorify Him in everything we do. It’s less about our appearances and actions and more about our hearts. We must have hearts that love God and long to please Him. And only then will we be able live in harmony with our Creator and obey Him properly.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5
