In Matthew 15 (listed above), Jesus corrected the Scribes and Pharisees.  They had an alleged devotion to God, but their efforts were declared inadequate of fulfilling the commandments.  They used their claim of serving God as an excuse not to bestow proper reverence / benevolence to their loved ones. 

The Spirit leads us to goodness / benevolence.  When we are governed by Him, we will forsake our traditions, and become vessels of mercy for the Kingdom, serving in love.

“The Spirit, on the other hand, brings a harvest of love, joy, peace; patience towards others, kindness, benevolence; good faith, meekness, self-restraint. Against such things as these there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their lower nature with its passions and appetites.  If we are living by the Spirit's power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit's power.”   (Galatians 5:22-25 [Weymouth New Testament])

“Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 [Weymouth New Testament])

In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, Saul was commanded to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites.  He was specifically instructed not to spare men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.  Though instructed to destroy everything, they spared King Agag, sheep, oxen, and other things that were good.

In 1 Samuel 15:20-21, Saul claimed he had obeyed the Lord's commandments.  He mentioned the best things were saved to be sacrificed to the LORD.  As in the manner of the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 15:5-6, King Saul circumvented God’s Word by attempting to consecrate something, which nullified the Lord’s original command.

Samuel informed him that because he rejected the word of the LORD, the Lord rejected him from being king.  (See 1 Samuel 15:22-23 below)

Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.   "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23 [NASB])

Still today, there are those that claim to serve the Lord (wholeheartedly / with all their heart, et al.), and alleging devotion to God, have rationalized (devised self-satisfying reasons) why they can’t / won’t / don’t need to give him rest / honor on the day He forever set aside for such a purpose.  (See Genesis 2:3, Exodus 31:16-17 & Romans 4:11-18 [We are our forefather Abraham’s seed).

so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations." (Romans 4:17 [Weymouth New Testament])

In resemblance to the Scribes and Pharisees, what people are in effect saying is: “because I and the congregation consecrate ourselves on the first-day of the week to commemorate the Lord’s resurrection, we are relieved of any requirement to honor our Heavenly Father with respect to the seventh-day of the week.”

“For I assure you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will certainly not find entrance into the Kingdom of the Heavens.”  (Matthew 5:20 [Weymouth New Testament])

 Our righteousness does not come by the Law (See Galatians 2:21 & Galatians 3:11), but depends on faith in the Lord Jesus (See Hebrews 11:7 & Hebrews 10:9-10). 

“For those who are led by God's Spirit are, all of them, God's sons.” (Romans 8:14 [Weymouth New Testament])

 God has called us to love and righteous conduct (See Hebrews 10:24 and 1 John 3:23).  If we abide in His Word, we will not walk in unrighteousness (See 1 John 3:6-7 & 10).  We are not free to walk in unrighteousness (unrighteousness is sin).   One can not walk in peace and holiness / sanctity while guilty of being impious / half-hearted toward the Lord’s Sanctified Day (Also see Ezekiel 36:27).  Sanctity does not desecrate sanctity.

 When one attempts to superimpose their will over the Lord's, superseding His intentions with their own, it is reminiscent of the one that said "I will make myself like the Most High" and said "I will raise my throne above the stars of God".

“But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God,  And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.” (Isaiah 14:13 [NASB])

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming upon the disobedient.   Therefore do not become sharers with them.  There was a time when you were nothing but darkness. Now, as Christians, you are Light itself.   Live and act as sons of Light--for the effect of the Light is seen in every kind of goodness, uprightness and truth--”  (Ephesians 5:6-9 [Weymouth New Testament])

“But the spiritual man judges of everything, although he is himself judged by no one.  For who has penetrated the mind of the Lord, and will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 2:15-16 [Weymouth New Testament])

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."  (Ezekiel 36:27 [NASB])

“No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.  Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously is righteous, just as He is righteous.”  (1 John 3:6-7 [Weymouth New Testament])

“By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.”  (1 John 3:10 [Weymouth New Testament])

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing in front of the throne. And books were opened; and so was another book--namely, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged by the things recorded in the books in accordance with what their conduct had been.”  (Revelation 20:12 [Weymouth New Testament])

“I do not nullify the grace of God; for if acquittal from guilt is obtainable through the Law, then Christ has died in vain."  (Galatians 2:21 [Weymouth New Testament])

He then adds, "I have come to do Thy will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.  It is through that divine will that we have been set free from sin, through the offering of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10 [Weymouth New Testament])

‘It is evident, too, that no one can find acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live by faith,"’ (Galatians 3:11 [Weymouth New Testament])

 revised:  12/24/03

http://seventhdayapostolic.org/ChooseLORD/