Loved From the Start

What does it really mean when God says, “I have loved you”?

In the opening words of Malachi, God begins His final prophetic word to Israel—not with accusation, but with a declaration of covenant love. Yet the people respond with doubt, and their hearts reveal a deeper danger: not only questioning God’s love, but presuming upon it.

In this sermon, we explore how God’s love:

Comes before rebuke and repentance

Makes holy demands on His people

Is proven not by comfort, but by covenant faithfulness

Finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ

From Jacob and Esau to the cross and resurrection, Malachi shows us that God’s love is not sentimental or permissive, but covenantal, purifying, and transforming. This message calls us to reject both doubt and cheap grace, and instead live shaped by the weight and wonder of God’s redeeming love.