Turn in your Bibles to the book of Hosea. The book of Hosea, chapter 14. And our text today will be verse 4 for this message. And Hosea is a wonderful book. We'll look at this verse today, which proclaims a truth so wonderful to God's people that I think it'll fill our hearts with joy. It filled my heart with joy to put this together. The name of the message is love freely. Isn't it amazing that God loves us freely, based upon nothing in ourselves, but because he chooses to, according to his will and purpose? Isn't that wonderful? That's wonderful, isn't it? He loves us freely. Now, And we humans, being born dead in trespasses and sins, there's not cause in us at all that God would love us. There's no cause in us that God would love us. And we who are the elect of God are loved by God according to his free and sovereign grace. You don't hear that said much anymore, according to God's free and sovereign grace, according to his will and purpose. And as in God's grace, everything is free. Because all that God does for and with chosen men and women, who are called the elect, who are his people, is all in grace. It's he who makes us to differ. And marvel at this, it's he who loves us freely. How long has he loved us freely? From before the foundation of the world. Just let that sink in, beloved. This is a truth that can bring great comfort to our hearts. Look at this in Hosea chapter 14, verse 4. And take note how God loves his people. Look at this. I will heal their backsliding. I will love them, what? Freely. for mine anger is turned away from him. God loves us freely, and his anger has been turned away from us, his wrath, because Christ bore that wrath in the room and place of his people. And Christ manifests the fact that we're loved freely by him doing that for us. Beloved God, we cannot talk about grace and law in the same breath as the two are mutually exclusive. God's grace towards us is free. It doesn't cost us anything. We can't earn it. We can't buy it. There's nothing we can do to receive it. It's given to us as a gift. It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, right? Oh my. My. So the grace of God in us will cause us to serve him freely as well. Think of that. Why do we serve the Lord as God's people? Freely, of our own volition. Why? Because he loves us and because he died for us. And wherever you find grace in God or in a man, you will find it acting freely. Freely. Absolutely freely. We're not mercenaries, are we? No, we serve Christ freely, willingly, lovingly, because of what he's done in us and what he's done for us. And God's grace acts freely, without condition and without qualification, beloved, without constraint and without coercion. God's grace doesn't ask permission. God saves us according to his will and purpose because he chose us and loved us freely in Christ from before the foundation of the world. That's absolutely wonderful. In every place since the fall of Adam where the word freely is used in the word of God, it has direct connection with grace. Either the grace of God operating towards us or the grace of God operating in us. Here are some points for us to consider. Number one, God's love is free love. Let's read verse four again of Hosea chapter four. I will heal their backslide, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. Now, listen to this, listen to this promise from God to his people. We fell in Adam, didn't we? We fell in Adam, dead in trespasses and sins, far from God. As a matter of fact, in the last sermon, we saw that we were enemies in our minds, yet he loved us freely. This is remarkable. And hear God's promise to all who return to him by the grace of God, to all who trust his dear son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He proclaims to his people, I will heal their backsliding. My, we can backslide in our hearts, can't we? In our thoughts. The Lord says, I'll heal them. I will love them freely. God is saying to sinners, chosen sinners, He says, I'll love you freely. And He has, hasn't He? We've learned that. For mine anger is turned away from Him. Oh, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. My, marvel at the free love of God in Christ towards sinners. And marvel, beloved God, as in free love God chose us in Christ. Remember, unconditionally, with no qualifications, without constraint, without coercion, Because we weren't even around in eternity, were we? Listen to this in Jeremiah 31.3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Did you hear that? I've loved you with everlasting love. And then the Hosea says, I love you freely. That love then is an everlasting love. He's loved us freely with an everlasting love for maternity in Christ. And then 1 John, I love this, chapter three, verse one. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. Oh my, that we should be called the sons of God. Therewith the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not, that we should be called the sons of God. That's what we're called right now. Isn't that wonderful? because of God's, the fact that God has loved us freely for maternity. Number two, point number two. God's justification is free justification. Free justification. Without qualification. Right? Without coercion. Without constraint. without any conditions. God's justification is free justification, because we're saved by the grace of God in and through Christ. We're justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, through Christ shedding His blood to save us from our sins, beloved at Calvary's cross. For Christ living the perfect life in our room and place. For Christ rising again on the third day for our justification. It's all free. It all comes to us by the free grace of God. Isn't that wonderful? Praise His mighty name, beloved. Just give Him all the praise and honor and glory. This is wonderful. This is wonderful. Justification is being made righteous by God. How does He do that? In and through the Lord Jesus Christ. How does He make an unrighteous sinner righteous in His eyes? Through the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood and righteousness. Through the blood redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ, justification involves the forgiveness of all our sin, all of it, all of it, by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it involves perfect righteousness. How do sinners such as you and I, how are we able to stand in the presence of a holy and righteous God? Through the righteousness of Christ, being clothed in it. by God himself. Oh, my beloved, my. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. My. We're made partakers of the divine nature by God, given faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And that comes by the Holy Spirit of God. We're born again, and he gives us faith to look to Christ. Yeah. My. And faith is a gift of God, not a works, lest any man should boast. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that now yourselves is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Praise the mighty name of Jesus. My. And this justification, beloved, belongs to God's elect from eternity by virtue of our eternal union with the Lord Jesus Christ. This righteousness is imputed to us in regeneration, We are made partakers of the divine nature by God-given faith in Christ Jesus. And this justification is completely free. Completely free. We are justified by God's matchless grace, beloved. were justified by the grace of God through the redemptive accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who cried, "'It is finished.'" Salvation is accomplished. God's people are saved from their sins. We find out now, don't we? Oh, isn't that wonderful? My, 2,000 years ago, God the Son accomplished the work of salvation. Now it's freed us. but it costs Christ greatly. But he came here willingly, according to the Father's will, gave himself for sinners, chosen sinners. My, how? By the shedding of his precious blood. Third point I'd like to bring forth is this. Because we are loved freely by God and salvation is all the Lord, then salvation for God's people is free salvation. Free salvation. Because it's already accomplished 2,000 years ago by the Lord Jesus Christ. God incarnated in the flesh. He already completed the work. My I will give to him that is a thirst to the water of life freely Freely Christ gives salvation freely And invites you to take the salvation. He gives freely listen to these words revelation 21 verses 6 and in verse 17 And he said unto me, it is done. I am the alpha and the omega at the beginning and I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Are you thirsty for Christ? Run to him. God the Holy Spirit making you thirsty for Christ? Run to him, flee to him. Abandon all hope of salvation by any works you do and flee to the Christ who completed the work of salvation by himself. And in verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come, come to Christ. And let him that hear it say, come. And let him that is thirst come. And whosoever will, let him take in the water of life freely. Look at that. My, I'll read that again, Revelation 22, 17. And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that hears it say, come. There's the general call, right? And him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the will of their life freely. There's the general call. Oh my. I pray God will make it effectual and that you'll flee to Christ by His almighty power. Salvation's a gift. But a gift must be taken. Oh yeah, it must be received. And if you would have God's salvation, you must receive it from Christ. Listen to this. Listen to this. John chapter 1, verses 12 and 13. But as many as received Him, Christ, they believed on Him. How? By God-given faith. They received Him. They believed on Him. To them gave he power. See, look at that. To them gave he power. God's the one who gives us power to come to Christ. We have no power to come to Christ on our own, but God gives us power, gives his people power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. So if you believe on him, it's because God gave you the power to do that. Isn't that wonderful? So our prayer is that God would give hearers of this message power to flee to Christ. to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of their soul. And then look what it talks about in verse 13. It continues to tell us about those who received Christ, which were born not of blood. So they weren't born saved. Nor the will of the flesh. They didn't willingly come to Christ. They were made willing in the day of his power, and then they ran to Christ. nor the will of flesh. You can't do anything to earn salvation, and neither can I. It's already done 2,000 years ago. Nor of the will of man. Well, there goes man's will out the window. And it says, but of God. If we're saved, it's all according to God's will and purpose. So then, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, beloved. that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews chapter four, verse 16. Come freely to the throne of grace. Come freely to the throne of grace where mercy freely abounds. Mercy designed to meet your case and my case. Oh my, so pray and spread your wounds. Come heavy hearted, pour out your groans. your every burden to bring to him who loves to hear your groans. Hear, love, eternal springs. The spring of living water flows to thirsty, needy hearts. In every time of need, God knows what comforts to impart. Amen and amen.