Spurgeon: October AM
* 10/22/AM
"I will love them freely."
--Hosea 14:4
This sentence is a body of divinity in miniature. He who
understands its meaning is a theologian, and he who can dive
into its fulness is a true master in Israel. It is a
condensation of the glorious message of salvation which was
delivered to us in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. The sense hinges
upon the word "freely." This is the glorious, the suitable, the
divine way by which love streams from heaven to earth, a
spontaneous love flowing forth to those who neither deserved it,
purchased it, nor sought after it. It is, indeed, the only way
in which God can love such as we are. The text is a death-blow
to all sorts of fitness: "I will love them freely ." Now, if
there were any fitness necessary in us, then He would not love
us freely, at least, this would be a mitigation and a drawback
to the freeness of it. But it stands, "I will love you
freely."We complain, "Lord, my heart is so hard." "I will love
you freely ." "But I do not feel my need of Christ as I could
wish." "I will not love you because you feel your need; I will
love you freely." "But I do not feel that softening of spirit
which I could desire." Remember, the softening of spirit is not
a condition, for there are no conditions; the covenant of grace
has no conditionality whatever; so that we without any fitness
may venture upon the promise of God which was made to us in
Christ Jesus, when He said, "He that believeth on Him is not
condemned." It is blessed to know that the grace of God is free
to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness,
without money, and without price! "I will love them freely."
These words invite backsliders to return : indeed, the text was
specially written for such--"I will heal their backsliding; I
will love them freely." Backslider! surely the generosity of the
promise will at once break your heart, and you will return, and
seek your injured Father's face.