Focus: How He Loves Us!

Text: Hos.14:4

"I will love them freely."

Ephraim is wayward, but God says, "I will love him freely." Ephraim is a cake half-baked, but God says, "I will love him freely." Ephraim has gone a whoring, but God says, "I will love him freely." Ephraim has gone after other gods and joined himself to idols, but God says, "I will love him freely." Ephraim had prepared for war, but when it was time to fight, he turned tail and ran; and yet, God says, "I will love him freely." Ephraim abandoned the Lord, His fountain, and constructed for himself broken cisterns that held no water; and yet, God says, "I will love him freely." God is so loving that even His anger is a form of love.

Ephraim is the second son of Joseph adopted by Jacob as his own son and given a tribal position in Israel. But here in the book of Hosea, Ephraim is the name for the whole northern kingdom of Israel. The word 'freely' clearly tells us how God loves. God loves us freely and fully. 

'Freely' here implies unrestricted, unrestrained, unhindered, unhinged, uncoerced and unconditional love.

'Freely' also implies that the love of God is both immense and intense. The Hebrew word is nedâbâh. God loves us immensely and intensely. God loves us freely, verily, and really. It flows in all directions, nothing stopping it. It is spontaneous, immense, intense and intentional love.

The fearful thing about the love of God is that God will keep loving us until whoever wants to go to hell will end up there. No one will ever go to hell for not being loved by God. John writes, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life." 

Going to hell is by choice, not by force or by being hated by God.

Paul says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8). God doesn't stop loving us because of our sins. Hosea declares, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him" (Hos.14:4). Because of His love we are freely justified by His grace and freely given all things. Christ says, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY" (Rev.21:6). Also, He says, "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life FREELY" (Rev.22:17). 

Love freely gives and freely forgives. Divine love loves beyond reason. True love is free of charge. It's not for sale. It's precious, priceless, pure and perfect.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter