“Only acknowledge your guilt,

that you have rebelled against the LORD your God.

You have scattered your favors to foreign gods

under every green tree

and have not obeyed My voice,’”

declares the LORD. vs13

We have the most gracious invitation ever. “Only acknowledge your guilt,” that you “have not obeyed My voice, says the Lord.” This is as gracious as it gets. How can it be? God is full of grace and rich in mercy.

First, no human being acts like this [vs1]. “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,’ says the Lord.” God will TAKE US BACK, even though we’ve whored after every idol, spat in His face, and sinned with eyes wide open. It is a horrible shame what we have done, but He’s rich in mercy and greater than all our sins.

Secondly, His blood is triumphant! In the agony of the cross, the Son of God died for sins - the Just for the unjust to bring believers back to God. He accomplished eternal redemption, entering the holy place once for all with an ACCEPTABLE sacrifice and final atonement! God was pleased and resurrected the Lord Jesus to proclaim to us the work was perfect and sinners can be forgiven freely.

Thirdly, we have nothing to pay: Ours is to come back to Him dead in our sins and weary in our way. “Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you [Eph 5:14].” Ours is to awake from our slumber through repentance.

Come back, not because you are good enough or will do better, but because He’s merciful to receive you and grace will work the change. We aren’t coming to live a compromised life - repenting of a few sins while keeping others - but we’re coming to be married to the Lord Jesus and devoted to His glory [Rom 7:4-6].

Come, and He’ll give you grace to live uprightly. Do you fear making the same mess? Have you tried SO MANY TIMES only to fall in your shame? Are you convinced that you cannot live godly? You are the prime candidate for mercy! Your harlotries are written:

“The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.” vs6-10

You have sinned with other gods! You have wandered far away, and He will receive you, not because you have changed, but because He will change you and get the glory! He’ll be praised for what He’s going to do in your life - the joy and peace... the forgiveness and cleansing... the change of direction and heaven to come. Do not despair of your inability, but cast all your faith on Him. He will not let you down: He saves the chief of sinners and everyone who calls on His name [Rom 10:13].