Good afternoon Prof., 

I have questions regarding Andy Lanning last week on Malachi 3:7. Here is the link if you want to listen. https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/6621161055911

I have also attached a private transcription. 

This matter of us returning to God and God returning to us is explained by Andy in what I consider to be a very novel manner. 

My understanding of this passage has always been that as taught by Rev. R. Hanko: 

Of this same faithfulness He speaks when He tells them to return to Him and promises that, in their so doing, He would also return to them. That promise, like all God’s promises, is sure and was surely fulfilled in Christ. Never does God cast away His people whom He foreknew. 

That He would return to them when they returned to Him does not mean that His returning depended on theirs. In that case there could be no hope of His ever returning to them. Their returning to Him, though He does not say that here, would be, when it happened, an evidence that He had already returned to them! Nevertheless, it was only in the way of their returning that they would experience again His favor and blessing. As long as they continued hardhearted and impenitent, their experience would be that He was far off as a God of mercy and love, and near only in wrath and judgment. 

Of this relationship between our returning to God and our experience of His lovingkindness the Canons of Dordt speak beautifully. In explaining the sins of God’s people the Canons say: 

By such enormous sins, however, they very highly offend God, incur a deadly guilt, grieve the Holy Spirit, interrupt the exercise of faith, very grievously wound their own consciences, and sometimes lose the sense of God’s favor for a time, until, on their returning into the right way of serious repentance, the light of God’s fatherly countenance again shines upon them (V, 5). 

In showing that repentance is always a work of God the Canons say that He: 

…by His Word and Spirit, certainly and effectually renews them to repentance, to a sincere and godly sorrow for their sins, that they may seek and obtain remission in the blood of the Mediator, may again experience the favor of a reconciled God, through faith adore His mercies, and henceforward more diligently work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (V, 7). 

That is the great incentive to repentance—the knowledge that God receives and blesses those who are sorry for their sins. That He always forgives them and never turns away His face from the tears of those who weep for their sins assures us that “though we oft have sinned against him, yet his love and grace abide.” There is, however, no mercy for those who continue to say, “Wherein shall we return?” 

As you can read in the transcription, Andy’s interpretation is quite different. The way he explains it seems to me to be an entirely new theology and a redefining of terms. 

“ordinances” = “preaching of the gospel” 

“command of the gospel (repent)” = “law” 

response of faith to the command = do nothing, else you are justifying yourself by works 

I would appreciate your thoughts on this, if you would. 

In Christ, 

Terry Dykstra