ATTAIN
Hosea 3:1-5
What does it mean to attain something? It simply means that you have achieved at what you have done. For example, when a person goes to college what are they trying to attain? They are trying to attain or receive their degree.
God wanted the Nation of Israel to be faithful to Him just as Hosea wanted his wife Gomer to be faithful to him. Neither happened. We have seen how Gomer was unfaithful, how she was punished for being unfaithful, and how she was given a second chance. What was Gomer trying to attain? She was trying to attain purity as Hosea’s wife and yet she kept going back to her old ways even after she was given chance after chance. The Nation of Israel was too trying to remain faithful to God but they kept running back to their old ways. There are many Christians today who have attained eternal life and yet they keep running back to their old ways.
The first 3 chapters of Hosea are about Hosea’s marriage to Gomer and its correlation with God’s marriage to the Nation of Israel. It has also been a great example of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Church. After this study the next several chapters are most likely a compilation of the many different sermons that Hosea preached to the people concerning the theme of being unfaithful or faithful to God.
As we look at this very short chapter in God’s Word, we want to notice that God continues to give us chance after chance to attain redemption. God has offered salvation through Jesus Christ and any who will receive this free gift will attain eternal life. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you have your salvation, but what are you trying to attain here on this earth? Are you trying to attain power, prestige, popularity, wealth, etc…? The most important thing that we can attain in our life is salvation. From this 5 verses hidden away from many in the Old Testament we find the way to salvation which will give hope, peace, joy, etc… that many are seeking to attain. Salvation is as easy to attain as knowing you’re A,B,C’s.
Hosea 3:1-5
Admit
This chapter starts out with the first important aspect of attaining salvation. God points out that Gomer was a dirty prostitute who kept going to back to her sins. God shows us that Gomer had always relied upon her body as her means of support and that on her own she was bound for total destruction and separation from God. God was convicting Gomer of her sin.
In God’s time, the Holy Spirit shows us the fact that we are a sinner. We come to the realization that on our own we are dirty and no matter what we try to do we are never going to find happiness. Sin separates us from God. The problem is often times when we are convicted by the Holy Spirit we just try to ignore Him. In order for someone to be saved, they first must admit that they are a sinner. Until a person admits that they are dirty and they need help they cannot attain salvation.
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
After there is admittance of being a sinner and knowing that help is needed then the person must next…
Believe
Our text shows us that Gomer was shown her sinfulness and was then shown who her redeemer would be.
Notice God tells Hosea, “Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.” God’s love is an unconditional love. His love is not dependent upon what the people did against Him.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
After God reveals to us that He loves us so much that He is going to take us back, He shows us how He can do that. “I did it. I paid good money to get her back. It cost me the price of a slave.” God told Hosea to buy Gomer out of prostitution just as He bought Israel out of sin. This is called redemption. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:17-21
So what is it that we must believe in order to be saved?
Romans 10:9-10
After we admit that we are a sinner and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on a cross for the sins of the world, and was raised on the third day, then we are to…
Confess
What are we to confess? Simply what you believed in your heart about Jesus Christ being the Son of God, crucified, and raised from the dead for the sins of the world.
Results Of Salvation
Again, we must notice what happened with Gomer.
God tells Hosea to tell Gomer that now she has been redeemed. Therefore she will no longer live like she did before. Once we are saved, we too are no longer to live like we used to. See, we are no longer the same we have been bought from the slavery of sin and have been given a brand new life.
We have studied the attainment of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Let me finish with showing you the location of your eternal life as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:1-4
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
Series: Faithful Or Unfaithful (Study In Hosea) #4
June 4, 2003
Bel Aire Baptist Church
Pastor Shawn Drake
