Actually, Jesus went out of his way to profane the formulas of righteousness. He worked on the Sabbath, touched the unclean, forgave sins, and claimed to be God. The religious establishment had God in a box. But Jesus said, 'These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. For one thing, God is personal.
Formulas work with chemistry and cooking.
God is not a life-force to be tapped into, not a state of being to be attained, not even a wise sage dispensing proverbs and prescriptions. God is rational. Relationships with living people are dynamic and alive. Relationship with the living God is even more so. Another reason why God doesn't work with formulas is that God is sovereign, free to do what he pleases.