Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–
October 22– Morning
by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff
“I will love them freely.”
—Hosea 14:4
This statement is a whole body of divine instruction in miniature. The person who understands its meaning is a theologian, and the one who can dive into its fullness is a true master in Israel. It is a condensation of the glorious message of salvation that came to us in Christ Jesus our Redeemer.
Take special note of 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 attempts to explain salvation in terms of human fitness: God says, “I will love them freely.” If we had to be fit in any way to earn his love, then he would not love us freely; at least, this would be a mitigation and a drawback to the freeness of it. But he says, “I will love you freely.”
We complain, “Lord, my heart is so hard.” But he says, “I will love you freely.” We mumble, “But I don’t feel my need of Christ as I should.” He says, “I will not love you because you feel your need; I will love you freely.”
You think, “But I don’t feel that softening of spirit that I want to feel.” Remember, the softening of spirit is not a condition for his love, for there are no conditions; the covenant of grace has no conditions of any kind. Without any fitness in ourselves we simply come to Christ Jesus who promised, “The one who believes on me is not condemned.” It’s great 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 those who have fallen away from him to return; indeed, this passage was specially written for people like that. God says, “I will heal their sins, and I will love them freely.” If you have fallen away from God, then surely the generosity of this promise will break your heart. Return today and seek your injured Father’s face. [M&E]
