A Book of Remembrance (Mal 3:13-4:6)

“Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name (vs16).”

First, envying sinners comes from thinking that God’s way is worthless, which is the temptation of the Garden - Your words have been stout against me, said the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken so much against you? You have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yes, they that work wickedness are set up; yes, they that tempt God are even delivered (vs13-15).” We BELIEVE that sin is better than God, so we eat what hinders and hurts us, and we are deceived. God TEACHES us differently and brings in the light. He shines knowledge to deliver us FROM sin, cleansing us in righteousness. He has the RIGHT to deal with us lovingly because Jesus paid the sin debt of believers. All that Christ earned by blood must BE PAID by God to those He died for, for He atoned our sins (I John 2:2). Now, faith grabs hold of mysteries and glorifies God for salvation so strong that it can’t be stopped. Now, God saves His people by DELIVERING us, rather than PUNISHING us, because He punished us in Christ, and He is Father now.

He corrects, but He makes us see the GOODNESS of Christ, for godly sorrow works repentance. Bless Him for His love, because He spared not His Son to be good to you.

Secondly, our victory now is hindered, but soon it shall be complete, and we shall rest from our sins – “And you shall tread down the wicked; for t6hey shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.” Sin shall be destroyed, peace shall be enjoyed, and every blessing imaginably earned by Christ’s blood shall be granted us FOREVER.

To show off His love, He chose the means to be the price of His Son’s blood and to die for SINNERS. This is God’s glory, that we are saved by power that is His own. But, the REWARD shall show the GREATNESS of salvation, so that what we receive, both positive (heaven) and above hell, shall be so great as to honor God.

I’m mindful of the man whom the king delights to honor. Scripture says, “Let the royal apparel be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delights to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the kin delights to honor”, so that the King’s glory is to array those that believe on Him with the glory of being as the King Himself (Esther 6:8-9). We are pure & shall experience it, for we, like He, are the sons of God. He is the cause of salvation and the unique essence of God, but we’ve taken upon ourselves His human nature, & this nature shall be glorified with spiritual body fit for communion in holiness (I Cor 15:49). We shall be all that God can ever desire us to be, pure, holy, and without blame before Him. Consciences & deeds will be clean. There will be no checking at the door, no need to fear, for all those things… all that could offend… has been barred from entrance forever. Hell reveals her fury, while the smoke ascends the furnace, but liberty & love shall envelop God’s people. We shall be in paradise unknown to Adam.

Thirdly, He shall work salvation, lest God come and destroy us all, because without repentance and faith, salvation doesn’t exist – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Mal 4:5-6).” The blood has been shed and regeneration/turning to God is mandatory as well. The Lord says, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified”, made holy and clean, “by faith that is in me”, so as Jesus Christ is preached in truth, God opens eyes, so that people can be spared and not cursed (Acts 26:18). He causes us to see His law and to walk with Him in Christ, knowing the holiness of God. We are not under the law, but the believer lives in harmony with the law, which is love.

Let the inheritance guide you. Labor on for now. Fight the fight by faith, know your acceptance in the Beloved, and receive your instruction for the wicked shall be damned and you rewarded (Mal 3:18-4:1). He has a “book of remembrance”, and He promises that all who obey God now, though forsaken of men, hateful of self, and seemingly alone and forgotten, shall all be remembered, “as a man spares his own son that serves him (Mal 3:16).” Walk in the light of His love, yielding to His will by the power of God.

Save His People From Their Sins (Matt 1:18-21)

“And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall saves his people from their sins (vs21).”

Salvation is by the Son of God’s blood and power alone. He saves, not because we help Him, but according to His love. Everything in salvation honors the Son for His love, rather than men.

His genealogy says, “He saves sinners”, for out of bad stock came the Son of God to redeem people who could only be saved by grace miraculous (Matt 1:1-17).

He saves by His Spirit revealing salvation to us, even as the Spirit instructed Joseph, the just. He justifies us, makes us holy, and gives us love. He made Joseph just, which is merciful and willing to help, even as He helped us by taking away our sins, so He could marry us in love. He did it without help, and now He gives the inheritance to us.

First, the Spirit produces Christianity in full, even as He brought the miracle of Jesus into the world – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:18). He declares who God is and forms God in us by power unknown. He creates what was not before, and He helps us all the way through, guiding and protecting us, even as He cared for Mary, marrying her to Joseph. He has His glory, which includes our good. But, our life is not our own. We are His to dwell in and rule in love, and we, by revelation, delight in His will, which is salvation.

Secondly, just men are merciful – “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily (Matt 1:19).” We honor God by being like Him who is Just and the Justifier of believers, whose sins are washed in blood. God is holy and plots grace, and so do we. We ask Him for grace to love, grow, and transform into His character. Forgiving is a joy, kindness is no burden, and love is peace to us.

Thirdly, God reveals His Son to us, or we’d never know the glory of His love, “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20).” Just as Joseph could not believe, by revelation, he will.

All instruction comes to us from God who assures that we learn, so all knowledge redounds to glorify the Lord who gave. Our debt is love (Rom 1:14).