Q&A: Hosea 14

Hosea 14 - Q&A

Here are some brief answers to our questions from our Sunday evening service.

1. Are we truly well while an earthly being or is true wellness awaiting us in heaven?

Ues we are truly well, but we don't experience it right now. We are forgiven and we are "in heaven" but this is not realised fully yet as we still live in a sinful world. We have a real hep that it will all be sorted.

2. Hosea 14 says God’s will heal Israel's waywardness and his anger is turned But not long later Israel is scattered. Why are the promises in Ephesians different

The promise in Hosea is to call out his people. Israel will suffer because of their rejection of God, despite his warnings. They did not turn to him, so they were scattered.

In Ephesians, and in the whole New Testament, it shows how God has made it possible for us to be his people and have our sins forgiven... not by a sacrificial system but through Jesus' death on the cross.

God will never let us go, but we can let God go and turn against him.

3. Run to Jesus is a good and true slogan. But what does that look like and how does that actually help??

Put him first, spend time with him each day. Repent of your sin. And run "with" Jesus. Choose to do things Jesus' way, instead of choosing to do things our own way, which is often counter-cultural. Israel ran to the other nations, and not to God. They went "somewhere else". Go to God. Run to Jesus. He is the one who can actually help!

4. When is self-care/self-love beneficial, and when do we need to be reminded we are fallen sinners, 'not enough'? Is there a place for both without contradiction?

We are broken people and we don't often need to be reminded that we are not enough. But there is a place for self-care because of our brokenness. It is important also so we can care for others. But it's also important not to wallow in our situation. Remember who you are - a precious child of God, loved by him. Jesus died for you!

Run to Jesus!

5. V2 ...that we may offer the fruit of our lips. The footnote says 'Offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls'. What does all this mean?

The fruit of our lips means to do what we say. Produce fruit according to what comes out of our mouths. Israel is offering impressive sacrifices, but they weren't DOING the same in their actual life. We are called to DO what those sacrifices (of bulls) were all about - commitment to God and repentance of sin.

6. Ephesians 2:10, For we ….to do ‘good works’… Can ‘good works’ be referred to the good nature/conscience? Is that part of us created by God?

The ability to "do good works" actually comes from God. The ability to turn to God and repent comes from God changing our hearts. So in a way, yes, the ability to have a conscience that is in line with God also comes from God and is part of his "good work" in us. But the good works we do are a display of that conscience and a display of our changed heart. Even with the best conscience, it means very little unless we act on it with those "good works" that Paul speaks of.

7. Continued from the last question about ‘good work’. If not, what is ‘good work’ meant for?

Good work is the display of our faith - our changed heart, our "God conscience", our new relationship with Him. Good works an an outward display of the change God has made in our lives.