When Following God’s Commands Isn’t “Right”

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!

Your incense is detestable to me.

New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—

I cannot bear your worthless assemblies….

Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:13, 17

Stop bringing offerings? God can’t stand the worship assemblies of his people? How can that be? Didn’t God himself command those offerings, Sabbaths, and religious festivals? (He certainly did!)

So what was wrong?

The problem wasn’t that the people were avoiding worship. It was what they were doing outside of worship. They faithfully observed religious rituals while practicing . . . . injustice, oppressing others, and neglecting those in need.

Later, Isaiah summarized the problem: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13).

Could the same be true of us? God commands us to worship. We attend church, sing hymns, and pray. But then we walk out the door and sometimes lie, cheat, act selfishly, or ignore a neighbor’s suffering. God doesn’t want our Christianity to be only an outward religious routine. He wants hearts of repentance and faith in Christ that produce lives of love.

Thankfully, Isaiah’s message doesn’t end with condemnation. God also promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).

That’s why we worship! In Christ, God has washed away our sins. We come before him as forgiven sinners, grateful for his mercy. And we leave worship eager to share the Lord’s mercy with others, practicing justice and showing love to our neighbors.