God's Proposal to You
God proposes an everlasting covenant engagement with you, offering forgiveness and a new life, but requires you to turn to Him with a whole heart and prepare yourself for Christ.
Erlo Stegen emphasizes God's unwavering proposal of love and commitment to His people, despite their spiritual infidelity and pursuit of worldly pleasures. He draws parallels between ancient Israel's idolatry and the modern-day church's tendency to prioritize materialism over a genuine relationship with God. Stegen warns that living in such a way invites God's judgment, yet he highlights the hope found in God's mercy and the invitation to enter into an everlasting covenant with Him. He urges listeners to respond to Christ's gracious call for repentance and renewal, preparing themselves as His bride through the cleansing power of His sacrifice.
Text
Hos 2:19-20
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
Israel had many lovers with whom she was immoral against the Lord God. The people of Israel were physically and spiritually adulterous. They forsook God and ran after the gods of the nations about them. They burned incense to Baal and were in love with all the perversions that Baal worship led them into.
They cared only about their temporal comforts, well-being and pleasures. God's Word and commandments meant little to them, and they were busy with their silver, gold, purfumes and sensual clothing. Today, many who call themselves Christians are living such a life. They are carnal, sensual and care only about material things and they lose sight of the One who truly loves them and has called them into a relationship with Him.
If your life is like the Israelites of that time, God will be your adversary (see James 4:4). Even if you clothe yourself in hypocrisy, sooner or later He will reveal you for what your are and judge you as He judged Israel.
However, in the midst of the judgement God pronounces, He still shows mercy. He proposes to make an everlasting covenant engagement with you (3:19, 20), if only you will turn to Him with all your heart. Only a fool would reject His mercy and continue in sin. Receive this gracious invitation from Christ Himself who wants to be eternally covenanted to you, despite your sinful past. Through His forgiveness He makes all things new.
Christ's bride must prepare herself for Him, by cleansing her garments and washing them in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev 19:7).
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Proposal to You
- A. God's judgment on those who reject Him
- B. God's mercy and proposal of an everlasting covenant
- C. The importance of turning to God with a whole heart
- II. The Problem of Adultery
- A. Physical and spiritual adultery
- B. The consequences of rejecting God's Word and commandments
- III. The Invitation to Christ
- A. God's gracious invitation to receive His mercy
- B. The importance of preparing oneself for Christ
Key Quotes
“Only a fool would reject His mercy and continue in sin.” — Erlo Stegen
“Christ's bride must prepare herself for Him, by cleansing her garments and washing them in the Blood of the Lamb.” — Erlo Stegen
Application Points
- You must turn to God with a whole heart and receive His mercy, rather than rejecting it and continuing in sin.
- You must prepare yourself for Christ by cleansing your garments and washing them in the Blood of the Lamb.
- Faithfulness is essential to knowing the Lord and receiving His mercy.