Finding Balance

SCRIPTURE: Malachi 2:17
¹⁷ You have wearied the LORD with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

OBSERVATION: There are two distinct things that the Israelites are saying that weary God. First, they are communicating to each other that it doesn't really matter if you live a holy life because God is pleased with you no matter what you do. This is blatantly false. Second, some are questioning the justice of God. It reminds me of questions I hear today from some who query, "If God is love then how could he let these earthquakes and tsunamis happen?" or, "If God is real how could he let this guy come into a business and mow down people with a gun?". Apparently, God is none too pleased with anyone questioning his justice. I think in most cases that people with such questions are not asking them sincerely. Most of the time these type of questions are posed by non-believers to justify their unbelief to themselves. I have always found God to be very open to genuine questioning that springs from a desire to increase one's understanding.

APPLICATION: I am most concerned with the first statement that God says wearies him. When I read it this morning it immediately arrested my attention because I believe it is a statement of sentiment that is taught from many pulpits today. I don't think any pastor that I know would say that he is telling people who do evil that they are good in the eyes of the Lord? But isn't that the effect of telling people that it doesn't matter how much they sin because God's love and mercy always extend to them automatically? We seem to be reticent to preach anymore about holiness because we are under the New Covenant of grace. As an example, why do "Christian" singles move in with someone they are dating and still attend church as if God is ok with their decision? And how can their pastors not confront this? I have seen that situation a lot. Pastors seem to be more afraid of losing congregants for telling the truth than they are of displeasing the Lord. I believe this is one of the reasons our society is failing morally and why the Church in America is spiritually anemic. How do we balance the truth of God's marvelous grace and forgiveness with the truth that he gives us grace to be holy? Romans 6-8 deals with this question in depth. Paul makes it clear that God gives us power to be holy. I believe we need to re-examine our message to each other. There is a balance of truth that is not always easy to find, especially since our sin nature is prone to extremes. Our sin nature actually works against us finding balance in spiritual truth. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory!

PRAYER: Father, help me to wrestle with questions of faith and holiness so that I may be a workman approved by how I handle the Word. Give me insight and wisdom and balance in all areas of my understanding. And I also pray for the Church for whom you died and rose victorious. Keep us on the right path. Help us to commit ourselves to holy living. Let us not compromise any truth but to contend for transformation from glory to glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen