Tuesday - Malachi 2 - Redefining Goodness

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E live in a world that is a long way down the road of redefining what it means to be good and righteous. The Bible warns us that these tactics will be used by the devil! In Isaiah 5:20 we find it written, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  Malachi dealt with the same issue in his day (Malachi 2:17). The Jews were excusing their own evil & condemning all who questioned them.

Today, Christians proclaim the old gospel; that Christ is the only way to heaven. And we are scorned by the world.  We are viewed as narrow minded, ignorant, unkind and unenlightened. We declare the obvious order of monogamous heterosexuality, as God designed and demands, and we are quickly dismissed as bigoted, self-righteous and dangerous instigators. With broken hearts, we cry out for the cessation of abortion in America; calling it what it is, murder. And the labels begin to fly chauvinists; haters; liars. We stand against drunkenness, tobacco abuse, divorce, psychobabble, laziness, pride, gossip or lust and even many who claim to know Christ begin to fold their arms in rejection of our message. Friends, in Malachi 2:8-9 we find that Israel had corrupted God's laws and had become partial in their obedience. Are we similarly guilty?

Do we fail to take God's edicts seriously (vs. 2)? Do we lift ourselves up in pride, considering ourselves to be of more value than others (based upon ethnicity, education, socioeconomic position or surname – see vs. 10)? Do our children marry unbelievers (vs. 11)? Do we exhibit great religiosity in public while exercising ourselves maliciously against our own family members (vs. 13-14)? Are Christians as guilty of dissolving marriages as are the unregenerate heathen all around us (vs. 15-16)? If we redefine God's laws so we can feel better about ourselves, we are no better than ancient Israel was (vs. 17).