Key Verse: "I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon."
- Hosea 14:5 KJV
Sometimes the Lord, without applying his word with any very great and distinguishing power to the heart, makes his truth to drop with a measure of sweetness into the soul. This is as rain or dew, according to his own gracious declaration, "My teaching shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distill as the dew" (Deut. 32:2). The dropping, then, of his teaching as rain, and the distilling of his gracious speech as dew, kindle in the soul a love of the truth, and wherever this is felt there is salvation, for we read of those who perish that "they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10).
There is a receiving of the truth, and a receiving of the
love of the truth. These two things widely differ. To receive the truth will
not necessarily save; for many receive the truth who never receive the love
of the truth. Professors by thousands receive the truth into their judgment,
and adopt the plan of salvation as their creed; but are neither saved nor
sanctified thereby. But to receive the love of the truth by the truth as it
is in Jesus being made sweet and precious to the soul, is to receive
salvation itself. It is in this way that the gospel is made the power of God
unto salvation; and therefore the Apostle, speaking of "the preaching of the
cross," says that "it is to those who perish foolishness, but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God." Now it is impossible that this power
should be felt without its having an alluring effect upon the soul, whereby
it comes out from every evil thing and cleaves to the Lord with purpose of
heart.
Are you Saved?
