The question of whether God’s love is reckless is an important one for Christians to consider. At first glance, the idea of a reckless love from God may seem counterintuitive. After all, God is perfectly holy, righteous, and just. However, a deeper examination of Scripture reveals that there is indeed a radical, extravagant, and even reckless dimension to God’s love for humanity.
In the Bible, the central demonstration of God’s love is seen in the giving of His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world (John 3:16). This seems foolish and reckless to the world, but it flows out of God’s deep, boundless love. As 1 John 4:10 declares, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The propitiation refers to the sacrifice that absorbs God’s wrath and judgment against sin. Rather than letting humanity perish in their sin, God sent His very own Son to bear the penalty and make atonement. This is a reckless, radical kind of love.
There are several other ways in which we can see the recklessness of God’s love revealed in Scripture:
- God continues to love His people despite their repeated sins, failures, and rejections of Him. His love remains steadfast even when spurned (Hosea 11:8-9).
- God’s grace and mercy extend even to those who don’t seem to deserve it. He allows His sun to rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45).
- Jesus was ridiculed for spending time with and showing love to society’s outcasts – the prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, etc. His reckless grace touched the untouchable (Luke 15:2).
- The parable of the Prodigal Son depicts a father who recklessly loves his son – taking him back with joy and restoring him even after the son scorned his father and wasted his inheritance (Luke 15:20-24)
- God loves people from every tribe, tongue and nation. His love crosses human divisions and boundaries (Revelation 5:9).
The theme of reckless, boundless love is seen in several key passages:
- Hosea 11 – God describes his anguish over his beloved but wayward people Israel. He cannot bear to fully punish them due to the tenderness and compassion of his heart.
- Luke 15 – The parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Prodigal Son all depict God’s joy in seeking after the lost.
- Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.” This describes his love lavished upon us even in our wretched state.
- 1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” By adopting us as his children, God demonstrates reckless love.
At the same time, it’s important to understand God’s love in light of His other attributes. God’s love expresses His mercy while upholding His justice and holiness. His love is not a sappy sentimentality that tolerates sin. It is not casual or careless. But it is still lavish, unwarranted, unmerited, and unrestrained. As Dr. D.A. Carson has said, “There is nothing we human beings can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” This speaks to the reckless scandal of grace.
Furthermore, God’s love always seeks to bring about the highest good in the objects of His love, namely to make them holy as He is holy (Hebrews 12:6-7). He disciplines those He loves. So God’s love has purpose even in wrath against sin.
At times, the costliness of God’s love for humanity seems downright reckless:
- He subjected His Son to humiliation, betrayal, torture, and death on the cross.
- He patiently endures the rebellion and evil of mankind day after day.
- He lavishes his favor upon sinners who will never fully requite it.
- He continues reaching out in love toward those who scoff at, ignore, or reject Him.
- He allows himself to be misunderstood, misrepresented, and abused without fully unleashing his judgment.
Certainly God does not need humanity’s love in return. So in that sense, the one-way nature of His love seems radically reckless. Yet God’s love is also reciprocal – in that He seeks intimate relationship with us and desires that we would love Him in return (Deuteronomy 6:5).
The seeming recklessness of God’s love is a testimony to His infinitely self-sufficient, perfect nature. Unlike human love, God’s love does not depend on the desirability of the object. Rather, His love flows out of who He is. As John writes, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It emanates from His intrinsic being. God does not merely possess love; He exists as love itself.
Moreover, the recklessness of divine love generates awe and praise when rightly perceived. It breaks the power of sins and melts hard hearts. Understanding the true nature of God’s love humbles us and inspires grateful worship.
At the same time, we must avoid distorting God’s love into something that suits our own desires or fits our preconceived notions. His love does not compromise His righteousness. It does not affirm or validate what is evil. It does not obligate God to grant all our selfish requests. We must define His love based on what Scripture reveals, not creating a false god based on our imagination. God’s love is only properly understood in light of His full nature and character.
In summary, is God’s love reckless? In a word, yes. When perceived rightly, the radical extent of God’s love seems excessive, unwarranted, unconstrained, and immoderate. His love is not cautious, but lavish and extravagant. Like the father receiving back his prodigal son, God’s love celebrates over the sinner’s return. However, His love is not directionless, sloppy, or indifferent to sin. God’s love makes the greatest sacrifice to redeem fallen humanity while securing justice against evil. It is a holy love. A relentless love. A redeeming love. Only a love rooted in an infinite, perfect, self-sufficient God is capable of such loving recklessness toward obstinate and undeserving sinners. By beholding the recklessness of divine love, may our hard hearts melt, may we fall to our knees in worship, and may our lives overflow with praise.