The Way

Waco roads are confusing. My sister set out the other day, and was sure she turned on the correct road and soon began doubting herself…. Sure enough, the road she was so confident was such-and-such was a different road. Being built around the river, one can be confident that one is going in such a direction—and end up in the wrong place.

The Israelites in Hosea’s day were pretty confident as well. Yet, they were confident in a wrong path and ended up far from the Lord’s heart. They blithely declare, “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us;…After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us…” (Hos. 6:1-2). But the Lord responds, “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears….” (6:4). They are described as not acknowledging the Lord, as having a spirit of prostitution, and a deceitful heart (5:4; 10:2). But yet they persist in saying that they acknowledge God (Hos. 8:2). They are destroyed for lack of understanding (4:6) because they are blind. What a fearful thing—they are so sure they are right with the Lord, but in reality, they are far from him. They were proud, rich, and trusted in the visible rituals and in other men (Assyria and Egypt) when danger threatened.

It is a warning for us as well—“so if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:12). We do have to make sure we produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Mt. 3:8; Lk. 3:8; 1 Jn). Yet, when I look at Christ, I think the author of Hebrews reminds us that we are under a better covenant. In Christ, we have been given a new heart that seeks the Lord and his law is written on our hearts (Jer. 31:30; Ezek. 36:26-27; Ezek. 11:9). He has fulfilled the promise of God through Hosea, “I will heal their waywardness” (14:4). It is only through death in Christ and a new life in him as completely new creatures that we can be healed of our deceitful hearts. Christ has offered the final sacrifice and we can rest in his grace. Nothing can snatch us from his hand because he has redeemed us with his precious blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Rom. 8:38-39; 1 Pt. 1:18-19; Heb. 12:24). Knowing it is only grace should keep us from the sin of Israel: “But I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt…I cared for you in the desert…When I fed them, they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me” (Hos. 13:4-6). When we see it is pure grace, we recognize that our “fruitfulness comes from [the Lord]” (Hos. 14:8; cf. Is. 26:12). Recognizing pure grace, we can do nothing but worship him in humility and gratitude. As Hosea promises in the end, we repent and are forgiven and received by God (through the blood of Jesus) “that we may offer the fruit of our lips” (Hos. 14:2).

Christ’s death has done something radical, and it has made us completely new creatures with a heart, desire, and will to serve him. We are secure in his sacrifice that was completed once and for all and that has made us holy (Heb. 10:10). We are holy, we are new, we are seated in the heavens with Jesus because of his death (Heb. 10:10; 1 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:6). We are secure.

Yet, as Hosea reminds us and the apostle John reminds us in his first letter, we need to search for the heart of God and ask him to search us and see if there is any false way in us  (Ps. 139:23-24). Paul sums up the matter—we are secure in him when in him: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5; cf. 2 Cor. 8:8; Gal. 6:4). (Caveat: I realize this is a point of heavy theological discussion.)  

“I [the LORD] led them with ties of human kindness, with ties of love…” (Hos. 11:4a).

With the gift of the Holy Spirit to those in Christ Jesus, the Lord will lead us in the right way. He will guide us to himself. The road may be rocky, windy, with detours, but he will bring us to himself.

“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD” (Hos. 2:19-20).

Christ our bridegroom. Perfect sacrifice. Pure grace. Secure love. The WAY.