I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. (Hosea 14:4)As the devotional writer says, the key word in this verse is “freely” and the reason God can do this is that all anger against sin and apostasy has been poured out on Christ. Jesus died for the sins of every person. That includes every sin, including the sin of backsliding away from Him. How can He love like this? The Bible says that He loved the world and gave His Son to die for us. Not only that, He continues to love the world because His Son died for our sin and self-centeredness that makes us so incredibly unlovable.
God’s love has no conditions attached, no demands to be better people first. Instead, He says that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). We cannot earn His love nor do anything to deserve it. Those who are trying to “stay on the good side of God” have, in a sense, rejected His freely offered love for a position that focuses on their worthiness (which is nonexistent) instead of on His amazing grace.
Some also measure the love of God by their personal comfort and success in life, not realizing that His love isn’t about baubles and short-term trinkets. His love is eternal and about the issues that really matter. He offers us sinners eternal life — freely! He offers His people the power of His Spirit to rise above all that challenges us.
God’s people in the days of Hosea had sinned in turning from Him, yet God called them back and offered healing. In all of their disobedience and unbelief, He still loves them (and us) freely.
Later, Jesus came. He is the love of God personified. His life and death not only demonstrate the love offer made, but He is the offer. What more can God do to demonstrate His love? Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all thing?”
Why do so many insist on creeds and rules and doing things certain ways lest they anger God? Why do so many think that if they are not following the dogma of their religious system they will be lost? Jesus says it is due to blindness in their heart. He told His disciples . . .
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12–15)This is the rub. The human heart is corrupted by sin to the point that it cannot accept or even understand the totality of God’s offer. Even those who follow Jesus can be oblivious to many spiritual realities because they are not ready to hear them. God knows our hearts. He can show anyone truth — when we are ready to hear it.
On my prayer list are dozens of people who have heard the Gospel and know at least the words of John 3:16. They are either not interested or busy trying to deserve the love of God by their religious activities. I’ve learned that even though I have many things I would like to say to them, they cannot bear, sustain, or receive them, at least not now. To their ears, the freely offered love of God is a foggy puzzle, a jumble of words.
These verses remind me that the Holy Spirit guides those who cannot hear (me included) into all truth. I need to speak of the freely offered love of God, but also act in ways that show His love is unconditional and does not have to be earned. However, only the Holy Spirit can drive this reality home by taking what is of Jesus and declaring it to those who need to hear it.
I cannot explain why everyone is not hearing about this freely offered love except that Jesus says some are not ready to hear it. This is love too. Just as we lovingly wait for maturity before we tell our children about many realities of life, God also lovingly waits until we are ready.
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Father, it is with bittersweet emotions that I think of these things. I’m glad that You open hearts and that You know when people are ready to know truth. But I ache and deeply desire that Your freely poured out love means something to so many people who are oblivious to it right now. Give me wisdom. Help me know how and when to share this amazing love with others. Yet I also realize only You can open their eyes and ears and hearts to Your incredible grace.
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