Malachi 3 v 13 – 18
13“Your words have been hard against Me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’ 14You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'”
16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His Name.
17“They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up My treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. (ESV)
The text falls into two parts. The first part comes from verses 13 to 15, the second part from verses 16 to 18. And those two points make up the title of my message to you this evening. And we’re going to see in those two parts:
- The LORD’s accusation against the wicked
a. They declared serving God to be useless
b. They declared mourning before the LORD to be useless
c. They declared arrogant evildoers blessed - The LORD’s acceptance of the righteous
a. The LORD pays attention to them
b. The LORD shows His pleasure to them
c. The LORD’s promises to them
Serving God is not useless in this harsh world. Mourning before the Lord is not useless, and the evildoers are not blessed. They will be revealed for who they are. And you and I, we will be among His treasured possession in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take heart in these things beloved.