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Open your Bibles this morning once again to Malachi chapter 3. We have two more sermons in this book, concluding next Sunday morning, Christmas morning, with a beautiful message.
Let’s ask for God’s blessing and help as we seek His Word. Father, thank you for your truth. We pray you’d call us to repentance where needed and magnify our hearts with praise for your glory. Work through your Spirit by your Word in each heart. In your name, amen.
In Malachi chapter 3, last week we saw God calling Israel to repentance once again. Despite their great apathy and rejection, God, in His mercy, promised that if they returned to Him, He would return to them. Yet, the people were living in denial, harshly accusing God and declaring serving Him to be empty and worthless.
Verse 13 captures one final accusation against Israel: their harsh words against God. They believed worship was vain, empty, and profitless, revealing their apathetic hearts. They continued religious practices outwardly but with no true passion, seeing worship as mere duty rather than delight. Their question, “What is the profit?” exposes their selfish motivation—they sought personal gain, viewing obedience to God as pointless. Their worship lacked genuine repentance, being entirely external rather than from a changed heart.
In verse 15, they complained that the arrogant and evildoers prospered without consequences, making their own religious efforts seem futile. This apathy blinded them, minimizing their own sin and envying the wicked.
However, verse 16 brings encouragement. Not all had abandoned God. A remnant still feared Him and gathered to honor His name. God took notice, recording their names in a “book of remembrance.” God always has a faithful remnant, a people whose names are written in His eternal book.
For those written in His book, verse 17 reveals they are God’s “treasured possession,” recipients of His mercy and grace, spared from His wrath. On the day of judgment, there will be a clear distinction between the righteous and the wicked.
In Malachi 4:1, God’s warning is clear: a day of judgment is coming for the wicked, described vividly as a blazing oven. But before judgment, today remains a day of grace. God, in His incredible mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live perfectly, die as our substitute, and rise again. Belief in Him alone saves us from God’s wrath, evidencing our names are written in the Book of Life.
This Christmas, reflect deeply on the gift of Christ—the one who spares us from judgment and grants eternal life. If you haven’t, trust fully in Jesus today. Repent and believe the Gospel. There’s nothing greater.
Let’s pray. God, thank you for your holy Word and grace. Convict, renew, and draw us near to you. May we rejoice in your mercy and proclaim your Gospel faithfully. In Jesus’ name, amen.