To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

​King Saul did not obey God but sought to appease Him by offering sacrifices to Him (1 Samuel 15:22-23). God did not and does not accept such offerings from those who are disobedient (Micah 6:6-8). In fact, He abhors such hypocritical worship and service. God wants us to obey Him from our hearts.
 
When David sinned with Bathsheba, God did not want more offerings from David (Psalms 51:16-17). He wanted David to realize, acknowledge, confess, mourn over and repent of his sin. God accepts us when we bring to Him a broken and contrite heart; a humble heart ready to listen and obey Him in everything.

---

Nothing we offer God could ever pay for our sins; only the offering of the obedient One (Hebrews 10:5-10). We all have our sins (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8), but Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). It is the offering of the sinless One that makes us right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He learned obedience and thus became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).
 
It was in our obedience to the gospel in baptism that we were set free from sin to become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). We are deceived if we think that we can live as we choose without any regard for the commandments of God and still be acceptable in His sight (Matthew 7:21). Our prayers will not pass the ceiling; all our works will be of no use; until we surrender our hearts to Him as Lord (Luke 6:46).
 
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).