Malachi 3 Footnotes

3:16-18 In the era of “postmodernism,” the distinction between what is right and wrong is often minimized; what is wrong for one person, it is said, may be right for another, or what is right in one situation may be wrong in another. Such indifference to moral and ethical standards can even filter into the Christian community. Malachi spoke of a time when such indifference will no longer be the case; for those who “feared the LORD,” at least, it would be clear what was righteous and what was wicked, and it would be evident who was truly serving God. Jesus Christ laid down a firm test of righteousness, or standing with God: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). Whether or not a person is found “in Christ” (2Co 5:17) would not be a matter of indifference; it would be a test on the order of that which Malachi spoke.