Audio By Carbonatix

Malachi 2:10-12, NLT:
Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?

Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. May the LORD cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Many people believe that because of Jesus, sin is no longer an issue. However, there's more to understand about sin. Jesus's perfect blood sacrifice was not a pass to live against God and still be saved. God, being so patient, loving, and gracious, made a way for our sins to be forgiven, which allows us to be made right with Him. Every person must decide if they want God's gift of salvation and live accordingly. God must punish sin, and He will. This is the time to ask yourself, "Does my heart truly belong to God?"

The men of God defiled the Lord's sanctuary because they married women who didn't love God. If these men loved God, they would do their best to honor Him and not choose to defy Him. This is the same for us. If we consider ourselves men/women of God, we should do our best to honor Him. We should not choose to do things that directly disobey and disrespect Him. God has clearly stated what He considers disrespect in this book of Malachi and throughout the rest of the Bible. We need to read it.

God's gift of Salvation must be received and not rejected, though. We reject it by living on our own terms. We submit to our desires instead of submitting to God. "But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 'Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword'" (Matthew 10:33-34, NLT).

Believing in Christ does not just mean we believe in His existence. It can't mean that. 

In Greek, the word believe translates to all of me for all of you. It means commitment and surrender. In English, we use the word believe differently. This could be why many don't understand that our belief in Jesus is more than words.

When you think about it, what good is our belief if we don't let it transform us?

Another problem we have with understanding sin is that entire churches preach and teach that extending God's love means affirming the sins of others so that they feel welcome. This is not God's love, and it does not please Him. It angers Him. Changing God's law and/or redefining love to make ourselves comfortable does not please God. 

God has shown us from the beginning that sin leads to death and destruction. For example, Adam and Eve were cursed to toil in the land. The flood wiped out the wicked people of Noah's time. The Pharaoh and the Egyptians were drowned in the sea. In each of these stories, it was sin that led to their destruction.

To extend God's love, we need to model Christ. Jesus lovingly pointed people to the truth and told them to go that way. Jesus had many people get upset with Him for offending them, but He stayed on message. For reference, consult any of the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to see how Jesus interacted with the Pharisees and the people. You'll see that no matter what issues they had with His Word, He didn't change it.

Accepting others into the family of God is not about dismissing sin and shortcomings. It's about being mindful of God's law. When we learn what God loves and what He hates, we can then be cautious about how our actions and decisions affect the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. When we belong to God, He guides our hearts to think of others more than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). 

Dismissing sin is dangerous because it only leads to destruction. As children of God, we are called to live in the truth. "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything" (1 John 3:18-20, NLT).

Prayer:
Dear God, help me to know you more. You are the Creator of the universe and all living things. God, I love you and desire to worship you. Please help me remain faithful to your Holy Word, so that I may live in truth. Lord, help me not to dismiss sin, as I know it only leads to destruction. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's devotional was a small excerpt from my book Return to Me. A devotional through the book of Malachi—written for those who are ready to stop drifting and start returning to the God who never left.

Available now on Amazon. https://a.co/d/hqXuekE

Photo credit:Return to Me by Vanessa Luu

Vanessa Luu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to believers to encourage them to live authentically with God.

Audio By Carbonatix

Malachi 2:10-12, NLT:
Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God? Then why do we betray each other, violating the covenant of our ancestors?

Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the LORD's beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols. May the LORD cut off from the nation of Israel every last man who has done this and yet brings an offering to the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Many people believe that because of Jesus, sin is no longer an issue. However, there's more to understand about sin. Jesus's perfect blood sacrifice was not a pass to live against God and still be saved. God, being so patient, loving, and gracious, made a way for our sins to be forgiven, which allows us to be made right with Him. Every person must decide if they want God's gift of salvation and live accordingly. God must punish sin, and He will. This is the time to ask yourself, "Does my heart truly belong to God?"

The men of God defiled the Lord's sanctuary because they married women who didn't love God. If these men loved God, they would do their best to honor Him and not choose to defy Him. This is the same for us. If we consider ourselves men/women of God, we should do our best to honor Him. We should not choose to do things that directly disobey and disrespect Him. God has clearly stated what He considers disrespect in this book of Malachi and throughout the rest of the Bible. We need to read it.

God's gift of Salvation must be received and not rejected, though. We reject it by living on our own terms. We submit to our desires instead of submitting to God. "But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 'Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword'" (Matthew 10:33-34, NLT).

Believing in Christ does not just mean we believe in His existence. It can't mean that. 

In Greek, the word believe translates to all of me for all of you. It means commitment and surrender. In English, we use the word believe differently. This could be why many don't understand that our belief in Jesus is more than words.

When you think about it, what good is our belief if we don't let it transform us?

Another problem we have with understanding sin is that entire churches preach and teach that extending God's love means affirming the sins of others so that they feel welcome. This is not God's love, and it does not please Him. It angers Him. Changing God's law and/or redefining love to make ourselves comfortable does not please God. 

God has shown us from the beginning that sin leads to death and destruction. For example, Adam and Eve were cursed to toil in the land. The flood wiped out the wicked people of Noah's time. The Pharaoh and the Egyptians were drowned in the sea. In each of these stories, it was sin that led to their destruction.

To extend God's love, we need to model Christ. Jesus lovingly pointed people to the truth and told them to go that way. Jesus had many people get upset with Him for offending them, but He stayed on message. For reference, consult any of the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to see how Jesus interacted with the Pharisees and the people. You'll see that no matter what issues they had with His Word, He didn't change it.

Accepting others into the family of God is not about dismissing sin and shortcomings. It's about being mindful of God's law. When we learn what God loves and what He hates, we can then be cautious about how our actions and decisions affect the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. When we belong to God, He guides our hearts to think of others more than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). 

Dismissing sin is dangerous because it only leads to destruction. As children of God, we are called to live in the truth. "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything" (1 John 3:18-20, NLT).

Prayer:
Dear God, help me to know you more. You are the Creator of the universe and all living things. God, I love you and desire to worship you. Please help me remain faithful to your Holy Word, so that I may live in truth. Lord, help me not to dismiss sin, as I know it only leads to destruction. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Today's devotional was a small excerpt from my book Return to Me. A devotional through the book of Malachi—written for those who are ready to stop drifting and start returning to the God who never left.

Available now on Amazon. https://a.co/d/hqXuekE

Photo credit:Return to Me by Vanessa Luu

Vanessa Luu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to believers to encourage them to live authentically with God.