Mark, I know the bonds of your church. I prefer the bonds of Christ. They really take no effort at all! All He requires is faith. All else follows!
Matthew 11: 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ... -with love, Jesus
Romans 4: 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. -with love, Paul
He is risen!
***Mark, I know the bonds of your church. I prefer the bonds of Christ.***
Actually, they are one and the same. A difference which makes no difference, is no difference.
***They really take no effort at all!***
The verse that you quote comes upon us in the context of the current Jewish rules and regulations. The NAB gives the following commentary:
16 [28] Who labor and are burdened: burdened by the law as expounded by the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:4).
17 [29] In place of the yoke of the law, complicated by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of obedience to his word, under which they will find rest; cf Jeremiah 6:16.
In this, Jesus promises that adherence to the Jewish law is burdonsome compared to what He is preaching. It is not that the laws or lack therefore of the Reformation and its spawn are less burdonsome; it is of His teaching and His Church.
Your Pauline verses testify to the power of faith and belief. They do not address the other aspects of Christian teaching, much of which is addressed in Pauline verses such as 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear 7 before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
and 1 Corinthians 9:23
All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
24
8 Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.
25
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
26
Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
27
No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Paul is saying in your quote that it is by faith that we are saved and that is true to a point. One must have faith or one does not attain salvation; yet there are other points as well. For example, to journey by car, one must have the ignition key. Therefore one might say that the key is the prerequisite. Yet, one must also have gasoline. And a road map.
Grace may be said to be the key that starts the car, yet one must keep the car fuelled (by the Sacraments) and one must also keep on the Via (road) with the map provided by the Church of Jesus Christ on earth.