Charles Haddon Spurgeon whom I often quote has a sentence with which he begins one of his studies on the 14th chapter of Hosea that I’d like to use as a kind of theme text. Mr. Spurgeon says, “This sentence, I will love them freely, is a body of divinity in miniature. He who understands its meaning is a theologian, and he who can dive into its fullness is a true master in divinity.” Now, after over 35 years of teaching in theological institutions, that text that Mr. Spurgeon has begun his study with, I can say is true to the facts of theological life. This sentence is a body of divinity in miniature, and in fact, if you could come to an understanding of it, if you’re not already in understanding of it, you would have a body of theology in miniature. If you would understand its meaning, you would be a theologian. And if you could dive into its fullness, you would be worthy of a master of theology degree.
The reason I say that is for 35 years I have taught literally hundreds of theological students, and have had them in my classroom for many hours, and many of them have left the institutions with degrees in theology who do not understand, “I will love them freely.” How sad, but how true. I have students today in the institution in which I teach, who will finish three years of study and be given a master of divinity degree, who are confused about “I will love them freely.” And there are some who attend schools and attend for four or five or six years and get other degrees, and still do not understand, I will love them freely. It is a body of divinity in miniature, and if you understand it, you are a theologian, and if you can really understand all of the implications of it, you should have master of theology degree.
Now some of you may be sitting in this audience smugly and saying, Isn’t it nice to have that knowledge, because we’re in Believers Chapel? Tell it not in Gath , publish it not in Ashkelon , lest the uncircumcised Philistines from other churches in the vicinity and elsewhere hear, but the vast majority of people who attend Believers Chapel do not have a sound knowledge of that simple sentence, “I will love them freely.” I confess that very sadly. It’s often been the subject of prayers on my part.
But in the final analysis, truth is understood by divine illumination. And we expound the truth, we seek to make it plain and clear, but there is a limit beyond with a man cannot go. So, if by God’s grace you come to understand, “I will love them freely,” then you’re a theologian, proper theologian.
And furthermore, Mr. Spurgeon could have added this. If you come to understand this, your life will be transformed. Cannot help but be. So may God lead us into the truth of that simple line, “I will love them freely.”
From sermon, "God's Free Love"
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