16 Bible Verses about Formality

Therefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people sacrifice unto me and honour me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me, and their worship with which they honour me was taught by the commandment of men:

Watch thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and draw near with more willingness to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do what God wants.

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

With what shall I present myself before the LORD, and how shall I worship the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my rebellion, the fruit of my bowels for the sin of my soul?

Bring no more vain oblations; the incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot stand them; iniquity and the solemn meeting.

When the priests enter therein, then they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments in which they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and in this manner shall approach unto that which is of the people.

I hate, I despise your solemnities, and I will not savour your assemblies. Though ye offer me your burnt offerings and your presents, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy instruments.

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

And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes 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 raiment? Behold, those that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

Then certain scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem came unto Jesus, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted that which is more important of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith; these were expedient for ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

But now, having known God, or rather being known of God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, in which ye desire again to be in slavery? Ye observe days and months and times and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed labour upon you in vain.

For if ye are dead with the Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though living unto the world, do ye decree rites,

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For there shall be men who are lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, evil speakers, disobedient to their parents, unthankful, impure, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without temperance, without meekness, without goodness,read more.
traitors, rash, puffed up, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Behold, thou doth call thyself a Jew and art supported by the law and doth glory in God and dost know his will and approve the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of those who are in darkness,read more.
an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of children, who hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou, therefore, who teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that dost abhor idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, with rebellion to the law doth thou dishonour God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profits if thou keep the law, but if thou art a rebel to the law, thy circumcision is made into a foreskin. Therefore if the uncircumcised keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his foreskin be counted for circumcision? And that which is by nature foreskin, but keeps the law perfectly, shall judge thee who with the letter and with the circumcision art rebellious to the law. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is done outwardly in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Though I might also have reason to confide in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the lineage of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, a persecutor of the congregation ; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.read more.
But those things which were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ.