In the Sermon On The Mount, Jesus addressed the gap between obedience and performance. The line between the two is sometimes a blurry one. But one that we need to be aware of because obedience leads to life and performance leads to death. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Obedience springs from our love and fear of God, while performance springs from our fear of failure and what others will think of us. There is no doubt that in our culture, we are driven to performance. We see this in the business world, in school, in politics and in our religion.

The Scribes, Pharisees and teachers of the Law were into performance. They taught performance. They maintained that if religious duties were performed, then that was enough, they were justified. Jesus addressed this kind of thinking and religious practice in His sermon.

• Do not kill becomes, do not be angry with a brother.

• Do not commit adultery becomes, do not lust.

• Love your neighbor and hate your enemies becomes,

love all mankind and pray for them.

• An eye for an eye becomes, turn the other cheek.

In Matthew six, Jesus teaches that performance is doing our righteousness so others can see that performance, such as giving to the poor, prayer and fasting.

Genuine religion, obedience, occurs when these things are done in the closet, anonymously. Performance is when they are done for show and tell. Obedience is our being concerned with the spirit of the law, as well as with the letter of the Law.

Consider these statements:

• Obedience is a heart condition. Performance is hypocrisy.

• Obedience is seeking God's will in all things. Performance is commandment keeping, out of a sense of duty.

• Obedience is a response to God's love. Performance is an attempt to earn His love, to place God in our debt.

• Obedience is our response to God's grace. Performance is trying to merit our salvation.

• Obedience is allowing God to have His way with us. Performance is having God our way.

• Obedience is doing our best. Performance is wanting to be the best.

• Obedience is becoming a living sacrifice. Performance is religious ritual.

• Obedience results in joy, peace and a clean conscience. Performance creates stress, anxiety and burdens us with guilt.

God, help us to be obedient in our faith and to stop performing our religion. Amen? Amen!

—RANDALL CASELMAN