"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men" (vv 17-18).
Isn't it wonderful to know that the blessings of Christ's kingdom do not consist of rites and ceremonies?! The Pharisees didn't get this. Outwardly they had all the "right" practices in place, but God was not pleased with them because their hearts were "far from him."
The Christian life with which God is pleased is not bound up in works alone, or "Law," as the Pharisees thought. God is pleased with the Christian life that proceeds from faith, from a heart that prefers the service of God to all other services.
Do you feel the freedom in that? Augustine once said, "Love God, and do as you please." Now, you have to fill up the word "love" with a lot of the Bible, but he's right. If our hearts are abiding in God and his word, and seeking to love him by serving him, we can be sure that what pleases us to do will also be pleasing to him.
Is there anything in your life right now that you do so that God will be pleased with you? I would challenge you to check your heart in that matter. The next time you're tempted to do something in order to gain God's favor, first ask God to give you a heart of faith with which to please him; then let whatever you do next flow out of that.
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