09-29-2025 PART 1: Sun of Righteousness and the Furnace of Judgment

Section 1

Malachi 4 opens with an unflinching announcement: a specific, appointed Day of the Lord is coming, “burning like a furnace,” when the arrogant and wicked will be consumed. The teaching hammers home that biblical love includes discipline—God’s holiness necessitates justice—so the “God of love wouldn’t judge” idea is a distortion. Yet the gospel stands like a lifeboat: repent, believe in Jesus, and the judgment due to us is answered by His righteousness—the great exchange that moves our guilt onto Him and His righteousness onto us. Accountability is certain; grace is available now.

Section 2

For those who fear God’s name, the tone pivots from dread to delight: “the Sun of Righteousness” (understood Christologically) rises “with healing in His wings.” Freedom replaces bondage; joy replaces sorrow. The message traces the believer’s journey—justification (saved from sin’s penalty), sanctification (being saved from sin’s power), and the hope of glorification (saved from sin’s presence). The vivid image of calves leaping from the stall—and even the playful “dog-park” analogy—captures the explosive, uncontained joy awaiting God’s people when His restorative work is unveiled.

Section 3

Scripture’s through-line remains clear: God distinguishes between His people and those who reject Him. Different end-times views are acknowledged, but believers are urged not to weaponize eschatology; the center is Jesus—From the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. The proper response now is reverent fear, repentance, and eager hope. If you’ve boarded the lifeboat called Jesus, lift your eyes in anticipation; if not, the invitation still stands today—before that furnace-day arrives—to step into the healing light of the Sun of Righteousness.