There are four stags that God takes us through a process to become like Jesus, the first is Love. God's goal in our lives is not just to make us more like Jesus, but that we may experience the relationship that Jesus is apart of with the Father. God is rooting and establishing us in His unconditional grace, acceptance and belonging. Not just an idea or doctrine to be understood, but an experienced to be lived. Few of us experience the love of God as a reality. Ephesians 3:19, know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Experience surpasses knowledge. We need to live in His love and no longer live in fear; no longer is fear our master as we experience his love.
Hosea 11 is the best love chapter in the old testament; "I led them with cords of kindness and bands of love... But my people have turned around away from Me?... How can I give you up?... I will not execute my burning anger." When Israel was a child I loved him. We see grace in this half sentence. Reference Deuteronomy 7:7-9; Because the Lord loves you he has redeemed you out of Egypt; spoken to Moses to the people. He chooses to love you. Psalm 44:1-3, Your delighted in them, yet there was nothing in Israel that was deserving with grace. Kind of like loving a baby; there is nothing about a new born that is delightful, but we choose to love that child.
The book of Hosea is an allegory from the relationship of Hosea and Gomer, a prostitute; a representation of God's love for Israel. God Asked Hosea to exhibit grace to someone not deserving of grace, to take Gomer as your wife. Hosea chose to love her, have children with her. Like God chose Israel, even though there was not much about Israel that was deserving of grace. The point: There is nothing about us that is deserving of grace, and there is much about us that is undeserving of grace. Ephesians 2:4-4 two words "But God...made us alive with Christ by grace we have been saved." Heb 4:16; "May we come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need." We have chosen to be loved.
