Sunday, February 10th 2008
Pastor Lee Copeland
Download sermon here
Dear friends,
This Sunday we will study Malachi 2:17-3:5 which examines righteousness and justice. How do we know the difference between right and wrong? What if we get them mixed up? Could we weary God with constant complaining as these people did? How would you define justice?
Do you see God as this passage describes Him? God is love, but He is also holy. We must keep these attributes of God, His holiness and love, in balance, lest we fall into error. Plainly God will punish people who teach that He does not distinguish between good and evil.
We have discovered that God hates sin, takes vengeance on His enemies, and disciplines people that they may be refined as gold and purified as silver. Think over Hebrews 12: 3-11 regarding the blessing of the Lord’s discipline. This is a great comfort when going through hard times.
Think through the list of activities the Lord judges as evil in 3:5. Surely the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Note how the Lord will judge those who take advantage of the most vulnerable people in our society.
We must think about God according to the Scriptures and not the traditions of men. He is more directed by His holy character than any other of His attributes. The punishment of sin is basic to a moral universe. Read over the fascinating description of Abraham’s encounter with the living God by the Oaks of Mamre in Genesis 18. There we have that famous question of Abraham: “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
See you Sunday,
Lee