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Last week, Pastor David focused on the Old Testament passage Malachi 2:17 – 3:5, with the intent of allowing the Old Testament to inform us how to worship Christ and to prepare us for his second coming. This passage teaches that Christ has come to save us from sin and will come again to judge. God is speaking through Malachi to Israel, who has learned very little from captivity. On the outside they have changed but their hearts still stray from God.  

They have continued to do evil, and when they find they have no consequences for their actions they start to think “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” (verse 17). God takes his reputation very seriously, and he lets the Israelites know that justice will be served – but not in the way they might think. There was a need for a Messiah’s intervention! Now our position before God has changed because of Jesus – God looks at us and sees his perfect Son.  

David poses a question: “Do you work hard to project a well-ordered life in order to hide the chaos within?” I think this is something we all do and is in fact something I myself struggle with, because I want people to think well of me. I like to appear as if I have all my ducks in a row while in reality I’m lost and confused and in desperate need of Christ’s constant saving grace. Instead of working to perfect an outward image, we should work to change our inmost hearts to reflect Christ’s love so that the fruit in our lives will be a glorious reflection of Him. In Jeremiah 31:31-34 God promises to write his law on our hearts so that we might know him fully. He will take what is outside of us and put it inside! Verse 34b, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  
Praise God!  

--Caroline Carlson - C3 Member