BACKGROUND:
Malachi ends chapter three by declaring that those who fear the Lord (v. 16) will become His in the day He makes up His treasured possession. “The day” is the day of the Lord. It will be a day of judgment on the wicked and of deliverance for the righteous (God will spare them).
As a result Israel will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. In previous times Israel had seen God intervene decisively in judgment and deliverance (e.g., the Exodus, the Exile, and the return). Those events pointed up a distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The future day of the Lord, however, will bring about a much more extensive judgment on the wicked, and through physical deliverance and bodily resurrection, the righteous will be His “treasured possession” in the kingdom, fulfilling God’s original intention for Israel (Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps. 135:4). This hope renews the righteous and strengthens their fear of God.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
I find that there is much confusion concerning future Judgments. The future judgments that await both believers and non-believers are: the judgment seat of Christ- the judgment of believers’ works by Christ in heaven (1 Cor. 3:1-10; 2 Cor. 5:10); the judgment of the nations (Mt. 25:31-46; Joel 3:2); the judgment of Israel (Ez. 20:33-38); and, the great white throne of judgment – the time when Christ will judge all the unsaved. (Rev. 20:11-15).
How do you prepare for these judgements? You ADMIT your sin. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins He's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong."
You BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died to pay for your sins and that He rose on Easter and is alive today. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
You ACCEPT God's free gift of salvation. Don't try to earn it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "It is by grace you are saved through faith and it is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works so no one could boast."
You INVITE Jesus Christ to come into your life, to be the Lord of your life. John 1:12 says, "To all who receive Him, He gives the right to become the children of God. All we need to do is to trust Him to save us. All those who believe this are reborn. Not a physical rebirth but from the will of God." Notice the words "receive" and "believe". What does it mean to be a Christian? You must believe and receive.
Let's say you're without Jesus Christ headed for hell. Over here you're a child of God headed to heaven. How do you get from one to the other. You walk across a bridge. And who's the bridge over troubled waters? Jesus Christ. And how do you get across the bridge? You must believe and receive.
If I were to ask you today, "How far are you along that bridge?" Some of you would say, "I believe in Jesus Christ. I just don't know if I've ever received Him into my life." I'd say, Congratulations. You're halfway there! What you need to do is invite Him into your life. How do you do that? Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, "Listen! I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in."
You can take these steps by praying a simple prayer of commitment to God. If you've never settled this issue or if you've always had doubts, "Am I really a Christian? Do I know for sure I'm going to heaven?" You can know for sure today by doing what Christ has said to do, by praying this prayer and meaning it in your heart:
"Dear Jesus, Thank you for making me and loving me even when I've ignored You and gone my own way. I realize I need You in my life and I'm sorry for my sins. I ask You to forgive me. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Please help me to understand it more. As much as I know how, I want to follow You from now on. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept Your gift of salvation. Please help me to grow as a Christian. Amen."
The Bible says, "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." Did you call on the name of the Lord? God says if you call on the name of the Lord you'll be saved. Will God lie? (NO) Then are you saved? YES. If you meant that in your heart. It's not how you feel, it's what is real. And what is real is a commitment to Christ. You don't understand it all. The day you were born, did you understand everything about the world? When you are "spiritually reborn" you don't understand all about the Christian life. You can't expect a baby Christian to get up and be running a marathon or be a Billy Graham. You have to grow as a Christian. But the starting point is the commitment you've made.
Share these truths with those you love. Alan Lindberg, one of our Elders will be writing the blog this next week from Matthew 5. It is an important foundational passage for our faith. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.
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