Salt Guide to Practical Holiness

Malachi

    1:8  AND IF YE OFFER THE  BLIND  FOR 

    SACRIFICE,  IS IT NOT EVIL?   AND IF 

    YE  OFFER THE LAME AND SICK,  IS  IT 

    NOT  EVIL?   OFFER  IT NOW UNTO  THY 

    GOVERNOR;  WILL  HE BE PLEASED  WITH 

    THEE,  OR ACCEPT THY PERSON?   SAITH 

    THE LORD OF HOST.



The   purity  of  the  sacrifice   is   still 

important  to  God.   Praise without  purity, 

prosperity apart from piety is to offer God a 

cancerous,   sick   lamb   and  call   it   a 

"sacrifice."  Luke 6:46



    1:13 YE SAID ALSO,  BEHOLD,  WHAT  A 

    WEARINESS   IS  IT!    AND  YE  HAVE 

    SNUFFED  AT IT,  SAITH THE  LORD  OF 

    HOSTS; AND YE BROUGHT THAT WHICH WAS 

    TORN,  AND  THE LAME,  AND THE SICK; 

    THUS YE BROUGHT AN OFFERING:  SHOULD 

    I ACCEPT THIS OF YOUR  HAND?   SAITH 

    THE  LORD.   14.  BUT CURSED BE  THE 

    DECEIVER,  WHICH HATH IN HIS FLOCK A 

    MALE,  AND  VOWETH,  AND SACRIFICETH 

    UNTO THE LORD A CORRUPT THING:   FOR 

    I AM A GREAT KING, SAITH THE LORD OF 

    HOSTS, AND MY NAME IS DREADFUL AMONG 

    THE HEATHEN.



The greatest sacrifice we offer to God is the 

life we have!   However, we may have the pre-

rogative to offer ourselves or not,  but once 

we offer ourselves it must be on God's terms.  

See Leviticus 3:1.



    2:5 MY COVENANT WAS WITH HIM OF LIFE 

    AND  PEACE;  AND I GAVE THEM TO  HIM 

    FOR THE FEAR WHEREWITH HE FEARED ME, 

    AND  WAS AFRAID BEFORE MY NAME.   6. 

    THE  LAW OF TRUTH WAS IN HIS  MOUTH, 

    AND  INIQUITY WAS NOT FOUND  IN  HIS 

    LIPS:   HE  WALKED WITH ME IN  PEACE 

    AND  EQUITY,  AND DID TURN MANY AWAY 

    FROM INIQUITY.   7. FOR THE PRIEST'S 

    LIPS SHOULD KEEP KNOWLEDGE, AND THEY 

MALACHI                     SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS
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    SHOULD  SEEK THE LAW AT  HIS  MOUTH:  

    FOR  HE IS THE MESSENGER OF THE LORD 

    OF HOSTS.



One of the most powerful and explicit  verses 

of   the   Bible  to  describe  those   moral 

qualities  God Himself outlines as  essential 

elements  of  the holy life  desired  in  His 

priests (ministers).



    3:3  AND  HE SHALL SIT AS A  REFINER 

    AND  PURIFIER  OF  SILVER:   AND  HE 

    SHALL PURIFY THE SONS OF  LEVI,  AND 

    PURGE THEM AS GOLD AND SILVER,  THAT 

    THEY  MAY  OFFER  UNTO THE  LORD  AN 

    OFFERING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.



Like  priest,  like people.   It is  a  fact, 

hardly  with exception,  that no people  will 

rise   above   the  righteousness  of   their 

leaders.  God concentrates His purge upon the 

priests - once purified they will convey that 

purity to the people.



    3:5  AND I WILL COME NEAR TO YOU  TO 

    JUDGMENT;  AND  I  WILL BE  A  SWIFT 

    WITNESS AGAINST THE  SORCERERS,  AND 

    AGAINST  THE ADULTERERS, AND AGAINST 

    FALSE  SWEARERS,  AND AGAINST  THOSE 

    THAT  OPPRESS  THE HIRELING  IN  HIS 

    WAGES,  THE WIDOW,  AND THE  FATHER-

    LESS,   AND   THAT  TURN  ASIDE  THE 

    STRANGER  FROM HIS RIGHT,  AND  FEAR 

    NOT ME, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.



God   classifies  those  that   oppress   the           Compassion

"hireling,"   the  "widow,"  the  "fatherless           Ethics

(orphans)"  and the stranger with  sorcerers, 

adulterers   and  liars.    God   continually           Poor, The

throughout   scripture  warns  us   that   He 

takes into account those who violate or  take 

advantage  of  the poor and  the  unfortunate 

(and  includes  not parking spaces set  aside 

for the handicapped).


               
    3:13  YOUR  WORDS  HAVE  BEEN  STOUT 

    AGAINST ME,  SAITH THE LORD.  YET YE 

    SAY,  WHAT  HAVE WE SPOKEN  SO  MUCH 

    AGAINST THEE?





SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS                     MALACHI
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Those   who   speak  against   holiness   and 

embarrass   holiness  people  and  lash   out 

against  separation  from the world  may  not 

realize   that  such  reproach  of  righteous 

practice is equivalent to being stout (2388),           Stout, Hebrew
                                                 
CHAZAQ,  obstinate,  or  to take  a  position 

against.  Apostates  see  no wrong  in  their 

worldliness  and if something is pointed  out 

to them they act the same as guilty children; 

"What have we spoken ... against thee?"



Love is exclusionary.  To love God He demands 

I exclude any love for the world.   The world 

hates the holy and the worldly hate holiness.  

John 15:19.



A singing group called a pastor and asked  to 

have  a service with them.   Not knowing them 

he asked, "Do you believe in holiness?"  "Oh, 

yes!" replied the brother.   "Do your  ladies 

wear jewelry, pants, or make-up?  Do you have 

a  television  or practice  public  bathing?"  

"Oh,  brother  ..." the voice  quietly  said, 

"those   things  have  nothing  to  do   with 

holiness."  



1. We  seem to not attach moral values to our 

   behavior anymore.

2. Some Christians do not know that  holiness 

   includes both the heart and the body.

3. In the pastor's questions, scriptural (and 

   moral)  behavior was definitely  involved, 

   i.e.  modesty,  conformity  to the  world, 

   vanity,  adornment,  the  viewing of  evil 

   created by the evil.  Psalm 101:1-3.

4. "Every    conscious    act    has    moral 

   implications."  (C.  B.  Eavey).  To rele-

   gate  holiness  to  the  abstractness   of 

   "love"  and  "faith"  only is  a  cop-out.  

   Holiness  of life implicates the  concrete 

   visible behavior of the body.   My conduct 

   in its many forms is either discharging  a 

   positive  moral influence on the  environ-

   ment,  or  a  negative amoral  or  immoral 

   influence  on the environment.   To not be 

   cognizant of this moral reality  indicates 

   an absence of Holy Spirit presence.



Let  us  not  feign innocence when  guilt  is           Righteousness
                                                 
literally  smeared  all over  our  faces  and           Feigned

hanging   all  over  our  body.    Pretending      

MALACHI                     SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS
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innocence doesn't impress God,  fool the holy 

or stay judgment.



    3:14  YE  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?



God accommodates them.   He tells  them  what 

they  said.   They have found fault with  the           Liberal Philosophy
                                                 
way of life they were taught, they complained 

of  three  things.   1) "What profit."   They 

found no benefits in obedience.   2) "That we 

kept    His    ordinance."     They    became 

uncomfortable and incompatible with the moral 

laws of God.   3) "That we have walked mourn-

fully."    "Let's  have  a  happy,   position 

religion.  This serious life of holy precepts           Charismatic Lightness
                                                
and  separation  was wrongly  taught  by  our 

praying  fathers.   Let's  live      'before' 

ourselves and drop this 'fear' religion."



    3:15  AND  NOW  WE  CALL  THE  PROUD 

    HAPPY;  YEA,  THEY THAT WORK WICKED-

    NESS  ARE  SET UP;  YEA,  THEY  THAT 

    TEMPT GOD ARE EVEN DELIVERED.

 

"Personality plus" qualifies too many of  the           Liberal Philosophy
                                                 
modern  church leaders.   This qualifying and 

selecting  leaders  on  the  basis  of  "what 

they've got on the ball," or because they are 

capable,  "they've got a lot going for them," 

is   corruption  of   divine   qualification.  

Character  and anointing,  not education  and 

looks reflect good judgment.  You end up with 

twisted   values,    shallow   doctrine   and 

immorality.



Note three errors God cites:



1. They  confuse pride with happiness.   They 

   equated  success  and  riches  with  God's 

   approval  and blessing.   They were elated 

   with  their  security while  displaying  a 

   worldly lifestyle.   God announces He  has 

   nothing  to  do  with  this  false  fleshy 

   "happiness."



2. Those who have no standard of holiness, no           Prosperity

   evidence  of the divine nature,  obedience 

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS                     MALACHI
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   to  the Word,  or no moral resemblance  to 

   Bible  holiness are made leaders and  "set 

   up" (seem to prosper) in the church.   God 

   announces  He is not responsible for  such 

   appointments!

                                                        Judgment
                                                                        
3. They tempt God and nothing happens!   They           Delayed

   violate the commandment and prosper?  They 

   live  worldly  and  seem to  be  blessed!?  

   They disregard the truth of the Word with-

   out  consequence.   They hold in  contempt 

   the holy and enjoy security?   They  break 

   God's rules without flinching!  They teach 

   false  doctrine and people listen to them.  

   These  were believers and  religious,  but 

   impious.  See Psalm 50:21.