"He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths." Micah 4:2.

Here in a few words the prophet defines true worship of God...True obedience depends on faith, as faith depends on the Word. It is, therefore, especially worthy of note that the prophet here sets God’s Word in the center to show us that religion is founded on obedience in faith... When the Word is taken away, some form of worship of God remains, but there is no real religion which could please God...Men can, indeed, take God’s name boastfully on their lips; but before God, there is no religion except what is measured by the rule of the Word. It follows then that there is no church which is not subject to God’s Word and is not ruled by it. The prophet here defines both true religion and the way in which God gathers His church.

This is how we can distinguish true religion from superstition: when the Word of God directs us, there is true religion; but when each man follows his own opinion, or when men join together to follow an opinion they hold in common, the result is always concocted superstition.

…There follows: Let us walk in His ways. By this clause we are warned that God’s teaching is not theoretical, as they say, but full of energizing power. When God speaks, He does not only intend men to know that what is announced by Him is true; He also requires their obedience. We shall be truly taught by God only if we walk in His ways.

For it is silly for us to wag our ears like assess and confess God with mouth and lips only. Men truly progress in God’s school when they form their lives by His teaching, when they have their feet ready to walk, to follow wherever He calls.

~ John Calvin