Always Faithful

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” Malachi 2:1-9

Always Faithful
It cannot be ignored that the Lord God is a jealous God. He will not share his glory with anyone, and he calls us to faithfulness to him alone. He makes a covenant that we have broken time and time again. He knows that we are sinful, and he knows that we cannot save ourselves. He sends the rescue. He pays the debt for us. He makes us new by the blood of his Son, Jesus. He plants faith in our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Small Catechism says, “…he calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with his gifts, sanctifies and keeps us in the true faith.” It is his work to create faith and to sustain us in that faith. However, we are very good at ruining things. We destroy what God has made perfect. We reject his Word and his work as we go after other gods and create for ourselves idols. We can turn aside from the way. That does not stop him from his true instruction. He sends his Word, preached, and taught to our hearts again and again. He sends his Word by way of the lips of pastors. He forgives sins by the sacraments celebrated in our midst. He gathers us back from our sinful ways and restores us by his work on the cross. Thanks be to God that his Son has become for us our death and has given us his life eternal. We receive the gifts of heaven because Jesus is always faithful.