The old testament is full of scriptures that outline what God wants from man, to have a humble heart before God, to love God and follow Him in a relationship of faith, doing what is right.
Micah 6:8
[8] He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)
Now post Christ we have faith in Jesus Christ and His substitutionary atonement on the cross which imputes righteousness to the believer, but it was always faith that made one right with God, looking forward to Christ’s sacrifice. There are some that decry Lordship Theology that by adding repentance and doing what is right, these are works added to the cross and a heresy, but miss that you can’t come to the cross without repentance, turning from sin and recognizing your low estate before a Holy God, and doing what is right as fruit of your faith. God always wanted a relationship with the believer who would conform his life to God’s standards to the best of his ability, and asking for forgiveness when he falls short. Moreover, salvation is the grace of God and a free gift, but if your faith has no works or you show no significant change in how you live are you truly saved? I’ve known and worked with many people that call themselves “Christian”, but lived like atheists, never read their Bible, and just didn’t show any fruit of the spirit, and to the contrary showed bad fruit. You can’t have a relationship with God and bear fruit if you never take the time to know Him and renew your mind with His truth which translates into a changed life which will bear fruit and perform works for God, as proof of faith.
James 2:18–26
[18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. [24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV)
Micah 6:8–16
[8] He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Destruction of the Wicked
[9] The voice of the LORD cries to the city—
and it is sound wisdom to fear your name:
“Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!
[10] Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
[11] Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales
and with a bag of deceitful weights?
[12] Your rich men are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
[13] Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow,
making you desolate because of your sins.
[14] You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not preserve,
and what you preserve I will give to the sword.
[15] You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
[16] For you have kept the statutes of Omri,
and all the works of the house of Ahab;
and you have walked in their counsels,
that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.” (ESV)