Malachi 1:11-14 ESV
“For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”
Profaned His Name
How is today’s church in America, overall, profaning the
name of God? They are profaning him and his name by treating him and his divine
character and will for our lives as though he/it is unimportant, or as though he/it
is even to be disregarded and/or to be discarded, in actuality.
Even though Scripture is quite clear on the purpose of Jesus’
death and resurrection, that it is so that we might die with him to sin and live
to him and to his righteousness, many are saying we don’t have to do this. We
don’t have to forsake our sins and follow our Lord in obedience. We don’t have
to submit to the Lordship of Christ. Thus, they profane God’s name.
They are teaching literally that, as Christians, we can despise
the cross of Christ and Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, and that we can ignore
the bulk of teaching in the New Testament regarding why Jesus died for us, and regarding
our responsibility, in light of what he did for us on that cross.
And, they are being encouraged to grumble against (snort at)
the true gospel of our salvation, to call it “works-based salvation,” or “judgmental,”
or “self-righteous,” etc. And, they are being led to believe that faith in
Jesus Christ means that they can continue living in sin while being promised
heaven as their eternal destiny.
The Resulting Effect
Many people are professing faith in Jesus Christ on the
promise of heaven when they die, but also on the guarantee that they can
continue living in sin and that it won’t impact their eternal salvation one
bit.
Now, some people will be rather blatant about the whole
thing, outwardly proclaiming that God’s grace covers all their sins, so they don’t
have to repent, obey the Lord, or submit to his Lordship. They call the true
gospel “works-based salvation,” and so they feel they have an “out.”
Others outwardly will act as though they believe the true
gospel, and they may even proclaim the true gospel with their lips, but it is
lip service only, for by their lifestyles they deny him.
But, they want people to believe they are living
righteously, so they will put on an act, a performance, so that they appear as
though they are following the Lord, while secretly they are living in
immorality, hiding their addiction, hoping no one will know about it. And then
they cover it up with many lies, which keep piling on, one on top of the other
on top of the other.
They think no one sees, but God always sees. Even though
many are teaching that God no longer sees when you sin against him, once you
are “saved,” that doesn’t alter the truth that he does. Clearly, he does see,
which is evidenced by all the epistles in the New Testament which are directed
at the church, some words encouraging, while others correcting error and
calling for repentance.
Because they are living a lie, hiding their sins and their
lies, and piling them high to the heavens, and because they are not repenting,
and not obeying the Lord, they are in the process of moving totally away from
the Lord. They are in the process of departing from him for good, renouncing
him fully so that they can live how they want, doing what their flesh desires.
They want to live in self-indulgence, living by their
feelings, satisfying their flesh with what is of this world and with what is
sinful. They want to live lives which are out-of-control, for they refuse to
submit their lives to the control of God. But they want, right now, to cover it
up with outward performances of righteousness which are all a pretense.
They will not bow to God as Lord, and they will not walk in
obedience to his commands, and they will not forsake their idols, their
addictions, their sins, because they prefer them to God – to a pure
relationship with Jesus Christ. So, they will sacrifice to God only what they
are willing to sacrifice while withholding from him what he wants from them.
So, they cheat him.
And, this is a whole lot like a man or a woman cheating on
his/her spouse with “another lover,” which could be porn, masturbation, sexual
idolatry, and/or romantic or sexual affairs, etc.
But then he/she would try to prove his/her “love” to his/her
spouse by doing dishes, taking out the trash, cooking a meal, and/or buying
him/her something special, like flowers or candy, etc. And this would be done, expecting
that his/her spouse should see it as “love.”
But it isn’t love. It is cheap substitute for love which has
nothing at all to do with love but everything to do with utter selfishness and
with the lust of the flesh, idolatry, and with hate. And, this is the same with
the cheap grace gospel which also has nothing to do with love for God, but with
idolatry.
What God Requires
But God has a standard he has set down for us, which he
expects us to abide by. He is not going to be satisfied with what we are
willing to “give” him. He wants our all on the altar of sacrifice laid with our
hearts under the control of the Holy Spirit of God. He accepts nothing less.
Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die with him
to sin and live to him and to his righteousness; that we might no longer live
for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died that we might
forsake our former lives of living in sin, that we might be transformed of the
Spirit of God in heart and mind, and that we might now follow him in obedience
(Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Lu.
9:23-26).
If we continue living in sin, his word teaches, we don’t
have eternal life with God guaranteed us. We have eternal death in hell awaiting
us, instead (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; 2
Co. 5:10).
So, if you are believing the lie that you can live in sin
and still have eternal life with God, I pray today that you will repent of your
sins and turn to the Lord in submission, and follow Jesus in obedience from
this moment forward. Then, you will have the hope of heaven and eternal life
with God.
To
Be Like Him
An
Original Work / March 16, 2014
Based
off Scripture
Crucified you are with Jesus.
To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,
Because He died at Calv’ry,
So from sin you’d be free.
Oh, what joy He brings into your life,
Giving life with Him endlessly.
Oh, what plans He has for your life.
Share the gospel faithfully.
Show the people He loves them.
Now His witness you’ll be.
Tell the world of sin about Jesus,
How He died for them on a tree.
Purifying hearts, He saves them,
Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.
Turning now from their idols,
New lives they have begun.
Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.
Over sin, the vict’ry He won!
When He comes again to take us
To be with Him evermore,
There will be no more crying.
Gladness will be in store.
Heavens joys will now overtake us:
We’ll be with our Lord evermore.
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