16 Bible Verses about Formality

And Jehovah said, Because this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the command of men;

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they do not know that they are doing evil.

For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

With what shall I come before Jehovah, to bow myself before God the Most High? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Bring no more vain sacrifice; incense is an abomination to Me; the new moon and sabbath, the going to meeting; I cannot endure evil and the assembly!

When the priests enter, then they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but they shall lay their clothes there by which they minister in them, for they are holy. And they shall put on other clothes, and shall approach that which is for the people.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not delight in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your food offerings, I will not be pleased. Nor will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals. Take the noise of your songs away from Me; for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

For You do not desire sacrifice; or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, they who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and one more excellent than a prophet.

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and you have left undone the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith. You ought to have done these and not to leave the other undone.

But now, knowing God, but rather are known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you again desire to slave anew? You observe days and months and times and years. I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored among you in vain.

If then you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to its ordinances:

Know this also, that in the last days grievous times will be at hand. For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good,read more.
traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.

Behold, you are called a Jew, and rest in the Law, and boast in God; and know His will and approve the things excelling, being instructed out of the Law; and persuading yourselves to be a guide of the blind, a light to those in darkness;read more.
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, who have the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law. Therefore the one teaching another, do you not teach yourself? The one preaching not to steal, do you steal? The one saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one detesting idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in Law, do you dishonor God through breaking the Law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations because of you, as it is written. For circumcision truly profits if you keep the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, circumcision becomes uncircumcision. If then the uncircumcision keeps the ordinances of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the Law, shall it not judge you, who through letter and circumcision become transgressors of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that outwardly in flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart; in spirit and not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I more. I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As regards the Law, I was a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness in the Law, blameless.read more.
But whatever things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.