“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them” (Hosea 11:4). 

Here is a definitive statement as to God’s power to draw men through love.  The context of this verse addresses the Lord’s care over Israel from Egypt until the present.  The problem with Ephraim is “they knew not that I healed them” (Hosea 11:3).  Humanity today is the recipient of God’s love and should appreciate all that such entails.  Consider three aspects of God’s drawing power of love.

1.  Love and Being.  The starting point of all life is with God.  Paul stated, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25).  John wrote of the worship of God by the twenty-four elders in heaven, where they said, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11).  It was the choice of God to bring all things created, including humanity, into being.  Such love should make one thankful for the Creator.

2.  Love and Benevolence.  The sustaining point of all life is with God.  David wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who health all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:2-5).  Paul wrote concerning redemption, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).  John wrote in like manner, “In this is manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this love and man’s response to it, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

3.  Love and Belonging.  The sweetest point of all life is with God.  John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1).  When one is baptized into Christ, he is placed into the relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (cf. Matt. 28:19).  The Lord does not merely desire to save a person “from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10) but also desires to have the saved as family.  Paul wrote, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17-18).  God’s love is such that to the saved “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Heb. 1:16).

Jimmy Clark

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4). 

God, the Savior of mankind, desires for all to be saved.  Clearly, the Bible is given for the very purpose of revealing God’s salvation for man.  James wrote, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).  Paul stated of the gospel of Christ, “for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16).  Consider three fundamentals concerning this salvation.

1.  Christ-centered.  Apart from the Messiah (Christ), one cannot be saved.  Peter stated as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  The name, Jesus, means Savior, as Matthew wrote, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).  Any attempt to gain salvation apart from Christ is certain to fail.  John wrote to the brethren concerning eternal life in Christ, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).  While some may live a kind, moral life before his fellow man or even contribute great sums to benevolent causes, such does not save if Christ is not applied to life (cf. John 14:6).

2.  Conditional.  While God desires for all to be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4), it is clear from the Bible that not all will be saved (cf. Matt. 7:13-14).  Salvation in Christ is appropriated through the conditions set by the Lord to apply the blood of Christ and the grace of God.  Meeting these conditions by no means earns one his salvation (cf. Eph. 2:9).  However, faith must be joined to obedience to be saving faith (cf. James 2:14-26).  This is why Paul wrote in the book of Romans concerning “the obedience of faith” (cf. Rom. 1:5; 16:26).  One must have the truth of God’s word in order to have acceptable faith (cf. Rom. 10:17).  That faith is expressed in repentance (cf. Rom. 2:4; 6:6), confession (cf. Rom. 10:9-10) and then baptism (cf. Rom. 6:3-5; 17-18).  Thus being saved, one lives life not conforming to the world (cf. Rom. 12:2) but living unto God (cf. Rom. 6:10).  Faithfulness is then the mainstay concept of life for the saved (cf. Rev. 2:10; 1 Cor. 4:2).

3.  Conversion producing.  The basic product of being saved is to be converted from a life of sin unto the Lord.  Peter stated to certain Jews in Jerusalem, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  While the blotting out of sins is essential to being saved, that salvation would not come without being converted.  The “new birth” of John 3:3, 5 is essential to entrance into heaven and such demands a change in the inner man.  A study of those who obeyed the gospel would clearly show the conversion from a sinful lifestyle to a righteous one (cf. Saul of Tarsus; Acts 26:9; Gal. 2:20).  Gratitude would exemplify it (cf. 1 Tim. 1:12).                                                                        

Jimmy Clark