2. The term "free" is used in the text. We must learn its usage around men. It means without money or price among men. It is against all bargaining. A man gives freely when a charity is concerned. He gives freely, asking nothing again. It is more blessed to give than to receive. God's love is free and unbought. God's love is without merit that we deserve, or money to obtain it. God loves us freely without our works for His love. God does not receive our works for His love. He loves though we were unworthy and sinful.
3. Men give "freely" only when there is inducement. The freeness of God's love is to the unworthy. We have no spiritual honor or spiritual commendation. The good Lord loves them freely. If there are blood relatives it can hardly be said it is truly free. God's love is that He loved His enemies and in due time Christ died for us. The term "freely" is used exceeding broad. God chooses them that do not have a claim for Him and choose them as the apple of His eye and His very heart.
4. The term "freely" is without it being sought. God gives grace without people looking for it. Some sinner does not come and purchase our freedom from God. Someone did not come to induce Him to be free. He was merciful and kind because of His free grace. He gave it to us without us seeking it. God's grace was totally unsought. God does give grace to those who seek it. However, that is the very reason why people come to Him. The love of God comes to men where we have no regard for Him. We hasten to all manner of sin and uncleanness. God loves them freely. As a result of grace, His people seek His face. He loves most freely. We come to entreat and beseech His favor.
5. Grace comes without any exertion on our part. It comes to us "freely." Grace is free, free, free. No prayer or labor of man procures it. We are accepted freely. I suggest to you that a sinner's prayer truly meant in the heart is from grace. God chooses men before they choose Him. No effort of man can add to God's grace. God is good by nature. It is His essence to love. He gives His grace to undeserving, ill-deserving and hell-deserving objects of wrath. He has mercy on whom He wills and likewise He has compassion on whom He wills. It is not anything in man that makes God choose him or her but solely because of His mercy.
6. The sun shines its light most “freely.” We ought to pray for the sun’s light. The sun comes at the appointed time. But the sun shines on the blasphemer and the
obedient. The sun shines on whoever and
wherever it goes. This is like the free
grace of God. Grace does not come
because its sought or deserved. It comes from free goodness of God’s
heart. God does not wait until someone
is good but comes when He pleases. It is
much like the wind, it goes where it pleases.
The rain from heaven also comes freely on whatever ground it
descends. This is like the grace of
God. Rain does not come because we ask
for it or deserve it. This is like the
grace of God. It does not matter how
vile we may be God will show mercy on whim He wills. Grace is free, rich and overflowing goodness
or generosity. He chooses the least
deserving. There are small and great
sinners alike. All of us should look at ourselves like Paul did; that is, he thought himself the greatest sinner of all. We ought to truly think from the heart that we are the greatest sinner to add to our contrite repentance.
7. God says “I will love them freely.” This is so important to Him. It is not because of our prayers, tears, good
works, alms giving, thoughts, words or actions that God loves us but through
nothing in ourselves or anywhere else or the pain of the Son of God. This is the result of His love, not the cause
of it. He does not love us due to the
Savior’s death but because of the Father’s love. This love is because of the Father’s own
gracious, eternal heart of His awesome goodness. He loves because He chooses to not because of
anything exterior.
8. There is nothing in man to attract the love of God to
him. Man is dead in transgresses and
sins. Man has a radically corrupt
nature. He is unable to choose the good
of the gospel because of his nature. He
can choose other things based on his free choice but not the goodness of the
gospel. The goodness of the gospel
requires a monergsitic, spiritual awakening.
9. We ought to study the origin of love. Love existed before man. God loved before creation. He ordained them to eternal life. The love of God existed before anything good
in man. Virtue in man is because of
God’s grace alone. It is necessary but
also all-sufficient. God’s love existed
before man’s goodness. Man is good in
his own eyes and in light of other men, but his goodness cannot compare with
God’s goodness. God’s choice is not
because of any good or bad in man, but because of His free mercy. It was because of the sovereignty of His free
holy goodness.
10. Divine goodness is opposed to the covenant of
works. If it’s of grace, it cannot be of
works. If it’s of works, it cannot be of
grace. Ancient Israel
broke the covenant of works. God does
not love you because of something in you.
The commandments are broad. We
have greatly sinned. Grace is free and
not according to personal strength or merit.
The covenant of grace looks at guilty sinners that have no way to save
themselves. The covenant of grace is a
continual blessing and He blesses us no matter our transgressions; however,
God chastens us to conform us to Jesus’ image.
There is nothing in man that makes God love him.
11. God sent His Son to die in a way that God the Father
crushed God the Son touching His humanity.
It was His agony to cry for us, “Why have You forsaken Me?” The death of Christ is a gift of love from
the Father to us. Not even the angels
could deserve such a gift. Let us not be
arrogant because we ought to cry, “Oh Savior forgive me, a sinner!” If we cry this, the Spirit of grace is already at work in our hearts.
12. We ought to remember the objects of God’s love. It’s not anything in us that compels God to
love us. Does God love the devoted
Pharisees or the dedicated moralist? No,
no! The publican and harlots enter
heaven before them. Who are chosen? Those who wash themselves in the Lamb’s blood
by His Spirit of grace are forgiven and chosen.
Its not because God foresaw us to believe that He chose us but because of His free choice to save. People ponder mankind's freedom but what about God's freedom? We cannot from our own strength or goodness in ourselves attain eternal
life. There are thousands of reasons why
God should destroy us because we merit hell by sinning. We sin all the time because of our
nature. Our faith is mixed with unbelief
and our best devotion is inferior to Him.
Some of the truest slaves of God now were the worst followers of Satan
before conversion. We do not merit
heaven but hell. Again, there are great
and small sinners but we are all full of sin and merit wrath. Heaven is for those God chooses to save by
His free goodness and mercy. If someone
repents, it’s because of the Spirit of God and the Word of God.
This concludes this Puritan sermon, but I hope to add part 2 next week. I hope God used this to bless you and assist you in your studies. May all glory, honor, veneration and worship be to Him forevermore! Amen.
