Morning, October 22
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Hosea 14:4
"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.