“I will Love them freely.”
(Hosea 14:4)

Do you understand “freely?” This is the message of salvation in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. Love flows from heaven in this way. If God did not love us “freely” then He would not love us at all. We did not deserve His love, we did not purchase His love, and we did not even seek after His love.

What does “freely” mean? We use it for that which is given without money and without price. There is no bargaining in it. A man gives “freely” when he gives hoping for nothing in return. This is how God gave. He said, “I will not accept their works in exchange for my love; I will not receive their love as recompense for mine; I will love them all unworthy and sinful though they be.”

Men give, but no man ever gives freely. There is always some return or honour or recognition attached to men’s giving. But God gives to those who can confer no honour and have no position to cause the giving. They are destitute paupers with nothing in their pockets and no pockets to put anything in.

The LORD gives that which is unsought. He does not give grace to those who seek it, because none ever seek grace until grace has already come. Sovereign grace does not wait for man. Religion says that man is running after God. We say that man is running after all manner of sin and evil, and they do not seek God until His love comes upon them. As the effect of God’s love, men begin to seek Him. His love comes “freely.”

Have you ever asked the sun to shine? No, the sun shines its rays on the earth “freely.” It comes on the blasphemer as well as the child of God. It falls on the farm of the wicked as well as the righteous. The rain falls upon the rock as well as upon the field. Such is the grace of God. It does not come because we ask it, much less because we deserve it. His love is always first. He does not love because Christ died, but Christ died because the Father loved. It comes from His own infinite heart of goodness, simply because He chose to do so. Thank God, He loves me “freely”.

D. Bell