A Day of Division

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 4:1–3

These verses talk about the Day of the Lord. What is that? It’s the day of God’s judgment. Now, the Day of the Lord can refer to moments of judgment within human history, such as the Exodus or the Babylonian exile, but the ultimate fulfillment of the Day of the Lord will come on that great and final judgment day at the end of human history.

And I want to draw your attention to the great contrast that is presented in these verses between the expectation of the wicked and the righteous on that day. For the wicked, that day “will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire… Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”

Notice the dominant image here is a furnace or an oven. God’s judgment doesn’t burn out of control, but it does burn hot. And the wicked are ripe for His judgment. They are described as dry stubble or straw, which always lights easily and burns quickly. Though the wicked seem to have deep roots in our world, though they seem to branch out in every direction and prosper, God says that not a root or branch will be left to them. They will be utterly destroyed and removed from our world on that final day.

By contrast, for those who revere God’s name, that day will not burn like an oven but will soothe like the warmth of the rising sun that causes stiff limbs to loosen and work again. Whereas the wicked might run in terror on that day, the righteous are described as frolicking and celebrating. It says that they will go out skipping like calves that have been pent up in their stalls all winter now set free in a green meadow. And the wicked will be trampled under their feet on that day of victory.

What we dare not miss here is that there will be a great division. A distinction will be made between the wicked and the righteous when God’s judgment finally comes. Jesus affirms this. He says the wicked and the righteous will be separated one from the other like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And the experience of the two will differ greatly. For God’s sheep, the Day of the Lord will be a day of deliverance and celebration. But for the wicked, it will be their doom... a great and terrible day of judgment.

Which side will you be on, when God draws that final line of separation? Are you ready for that Day? Do you look forward to it? Or do you tremble at the thought of it? If you tremble, it isn’t too late to make ready. If you aren't sure how, then keep reading below. 

***

The Gospel in a nutshell: We are all sinners. Every one of us has rejected God's way and gone our own way. We have all rebelled against the one true King. Our sin deserves punishment. In fact, so great a sin against so great a God deserves Hell. But God, because of His great love for us, has offered us His forgiving grace. For God to be just, our sin had to be punished though. So, God, in His wisdom, took the punishment for our sin on Himself in Jesus. Jesus died to pay the price for your sins and then rose from the dead beating the power of sin over you. He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for those who believe in Him. So that now those who place their faith in Him can be forgiven and spend eternity in Heaven with their Savior. If you would like to do that today, here is what you need to do.

• A- Admit that you are a sinner and in need of God's grace (Romans 3:10 and 3:23).
• B- Believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 6:23 and 5:8).
• C- Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. Turn from sin (from living life your way) and commit to live your life for God (Romans 10:9).

It's as easy as ABC. Follow these steps and find a Bible preaching church to plug into and grow in your faith.