什麼是蒙上帝喜悅的崇拜？
上帝吩咐的是：聽從我！就是相信我是你們的上帝。相信上帝希望被人認識的形象，即：上帝關愛你，幫助你。
21 萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：「你們將燔祭加在平安祭上，吃肉吧！22 因為我將你們列祖從埃及地領出來的那日，燔祭平安祭的事我並沒有提說，也沒有吩咐他們。23 我只吩咐他們這一件說：『你們當聽從我的話，我就作你們的上帝，你們也作我的子民。你們行我所吩咐的一切道，就可以得福。』
上帝誠然明確地命令祖輩：如何獻燔祭和犧牲。但是耶利米指控說：「燔祭平安祭的事我並沒有提說，也沒有吩咐他們」。這公然與摩西的教導相矛盾。猶太人怎麼可以接受這指控呢？
耶利米譴責的是：「外在的崇拜行為可以取悅上帝」的觀念。【譯者注：這是因功生效：「以為自己作功，可以取悅上帝」的律法主義。】這不是上帝命令的崇拜！
上帝吩咐的是：聽從我！就是相信我是你們的上帝。相信上帝希望被人認識的形象，即：上帝關愛你，幫助你。上帝不需要人的祭物。上帝需要人「相信」：相信上帝願意作那位使人稱義和拯救人的上帝，但不是因為人的善工，而是因為上帝的道和承諾。從心裏，真誠地尋求，並期盼從上帝而來的幫助。
也譴責這種因功生效的獻祭觀念。經文棄絕了祭物，並要求禱告。詩人證明：真崇拜和真敬重上帝就是：我們從心裏求告上帝。
就是說：上帝你已經把你的道給了我。我應當聽道。上帝你實在是要求我相信你的道和你的承諾。你誠然想要關愛我，幫助我。
上帝命令我們盼望，並說：這是公義的祭，就是說：另有其他的祭不是真正的、公義的祭。
聖經充滿類似的經文教導：外在的崇拜行為（以為因功生效的崇拜）並不能與上帝和睦。因為利未式的崇拜已經被廢除了。
新約教導：新的、單純的崇拜是：內在的信心、禱告、感謝、認罪、和福音的宣講、因福音的緣故受苦，等等類似的事情。——墨蘭頓（馬丁路德的同工）（《為《奧斯堡信條》的辯護》之第24條《論崇拜》）
如果把崇拜當成自己的好行為，就以為可以取悅上帝，這豈不就如馬丁路德在《大問答》中所譴責的修道院中的偶像崇拜一樣！
还有一种虚假的敬拜，在当今所有假神中最坏的，并且继续流行于世的偶像崇拜。它是一切修道院的基础！它只关心在自己的善行（曾有几次捐助、禁食、举行弥撒等）上寻求帮助、安慰、拯救的信心。它臆想靠着自己的行为，从上帝那里掠夺祝福。他们依靠善行，借此夸耀不愿从上帝那里领受任何恩典。他们要靠自己的功德赚得，或以人之剩余的功德获得一切。如同上帝要因为我们的功德报答我们，好像欠我们的债一般。我们仿佛是祂的主，祂是我们好行为的油灯中召唤出来小精灵。我们岂不是将上帝当作偶像，而我们自己倒成了上帝吗？不过这道理稍显微妙，不是年轻学生所易了解的。——馬丁路德（《大問答》之第一誡,22）
28 So, even in the Old Testament, the prophets condemn the opinion of the people about the outward act (opus operatum) and teach the righteousness and sacrifices of the Spirit. 「I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God,’ 」 and so on (Jeremiah 7:22–23). How do we suppose that the Jews received this charge, which seems to conflict openly with Moses? God clearly gave the fathers commands about burnt offerings and victims. But Jeremiah condemns the opinion about sacrifices that God had not delivered, namely, that these services please Him by the outward act. Concerning faith, he adds that God had commanded this: 「Hear Me,」 that is, 「believe Me that I am your God, and that I wish to be known when I care for you and help you. I do not need your sacrificial victims. Believe that I want to be God the Justifier and Savior, not because of works, but because of My Word and promise. Truly seek and expect help from Me from the heart.」
29 Psalm 50:13–15, which rejects sacrificial victims and requires prayer, also condemns the opinion about the outward act (opus operatum): 「Do I eat the flesh of bulls …?」 「Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.」 The psalmist testifies that this is true service and true honor if we call upon Him from the heart.
Likewise, 「Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but You have given me an open ear」 (Psalm 40:6), that is, 「You have offered me Your Word that I may hear it, and You do require that I believe Your Word and Your promises. You truly desire to care for me and to help,」 and so on. Likewise, 「You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise」 (Psalm 51:16–17). 「Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord」 (Psalm 4:5). He asks us to hope, and says that this is a righteous sacrifice, meaning that other sacrifices are not true and righteous sacrifices. And, 「I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord」 (Psalm 116:17).
30 Scripture is full of such references that teach that sacrifices by the outward act (ex opere operato) do not reconcile God. Since Levitical services have been repealed, the New Testament teaches that new and pure sacrifices will be made: faith, prayer, thanksgiving, confession, the preaching of the Gospel, troubles on account of the Gospel, and the like. (Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Edited by McCain, P. T. (2005) p. 225–226 St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.)
If we believe that worship is one of the good works we do to please God, then this is exact what Martin Luther talked as “extreme idolatry”, already happened in his time.
22 Beside this, there is also a false worship and extreme idolatry, which we have practiced up to now. This is also still common in the world. All churchly orders are founded on it. It concerns the conscience alone, which seeks help, consolation, and salvation in its own works. This conscience imagines it can wrestle heaven away from God and thinks about how many requests it has made, how often it has fasted, celebrated Mass, and so on. Upon such things it depends and boasts, as though unwilling to receive anything from God as a gift. For it wants to earn or merit heaven with abundant works. The conscience acts as though God must serve us and is our debtor, and we are His liege lords. 23 What is this but reducing God to an idol—indeed, an apple-god—and elevating and regarding ourselves as God? But this point is a little too clever and is not for young pupils.
——Martin Luther (Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Edited by McCain, P. T. (2005) p. 360–361 St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.)
