Well, last week we spent time. reviewing six principles that will help us rest daily in Christ's arms in His righteousness. And we mentioned last week that, the law cannot take us on down the football field, so to speak, to righteousness, and neither can our own good works, and neither will our own self-will left to ourselves, but it's really only faith in the fullest message of the cross preached and Christ crucified and raised from the dead. That gives us righteousness.
And that righteousness is given to us by a God who loves unlovely creatures who had once hated him. The love of God that is poured into our hearts is a love, that is for sinners and evil people and fools and weaklings like us. Rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good. We sinners in this room are becoming attractive because we are loved.
We are not loved because we are attractive. And in contrast to man's nature who avoids sinners and avoids evil people, Christ came to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous. This is the love of, of God on the cross, born of the cross, which turns in the direction. Where it does not find good which it may enjoy, but where it can confer good upon bad and needy people, bad and needy people like Gomer that we're gonna find in our text today, bad and needy people like those in Israel.
And bad and needy people like you and me. The title of this morning's sermon is the Lord's faithful vows to his unfaithful wife. when you make vows at your wedding, you're making promises you intend to keep, hopefully, right? And you're making promises to a person you love and you assume that they will be faithful to the vows that they are making....
