Is God's Love 'Reckless'? (Having a high and right view of God and His Word.)

Is God's Love 'Reckless'?
(Having a high and right view of God and His Word.)

As a followers of Christ, worshiping The Lord through how we live our lives as well as through song is an important aspect of our relationship with Him. He is worthy of our praise!

In everything we do it's vital that we have a right Biblically accurate view of God. It's important that we think and communicate about Him in an honoring way in all we do. 

In other words, we need to have a high and right view of God and His Word. 

An example of an inaccurate description of God: 

There is a very popular song by Cory Asbury titled 'Reckless Love' that has become a staple on many Christian radio stations and sung in many cars, homes, and churches. 

I'm not one who "throws the baby out with bath water" as the old saying goes because I'm not completely throwing this song out as there are some good qualities to it as well. However,  I'm compelled to share a caution in relationship to this song and as a general warning as we seek to have a right and high view of God and His Word. 

At first I really began to like the song until I listened more closely and there was a concern The Holy Spirit raised within me. 

The song does have many solid verses reminding us of how God knows us, He loves us, sacrificed for us, breathed life into us, sought us when we were still His enemy, goes to great lengths to provide for us, is kind to us, and more. These are all good and accurate things. 

So, while a lot of the lyrical content is good, accurate, and enjoyable to sing unto The Lord, the song ultimately has a huge gap in how it describes God's Love. 

That gap is the use of the word, 'reckless'.

What is the definition of 'Reckless'?

Some of the common dictionaries define the word reckless as follows:

1 : marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences
2 : IRRESPONSIBLE
 (Webster's Dictionary) 

1. utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless (usually followed by of): to be reckless of danger.
2. characterized by or proceeding from such carelessness 
(Dictionary.com)

Based on these definitions and in conjunction with the song lyrics, are we to then think that God is somehow careless of consequences or that He irresponsible? Absolutely Not! 

Wouldn't any followers of Christ who actually read and study their Bibles, actively walks with Christ, and are under good teaching, actually say or believe that God or His love is in any way “careless”, "reckless", or that somehow God doesn’t “care about consequences?” 

No way! That would be crazy!* 

To be totally clear, there is absolutely nowhere in God's Word that states or represents God in this way because it's completely inaccurate. 

Furthermore, God knows the entire future and He always operates knowing the entire story and situation at all times and He always has. He is intentional in every way. 

Take Everything Back To God's Word:

We need to be like the Berean's (Acts 17:11) and take everything back to God's Word. 

Whether we hear a sermon preached, a praise song lyric shared, read a "Christian book", listen to a "Christian Podcast", and anything else deemed Christian or not, we have to ask, "Does this line-up with God's Word?" 

My friend, God's Word is the lens through which we see and know truth and we need to listen to The Holy Spirit Who will help us know facts from fiction. 

Having a high and right view of God and His Word:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. -2 Timothy 2:15 

It's important to have a right view and high view of God and His Word. With this, we need to be accurate in what we communicate about Him otherwise we may paint a very wrong picture of Who God says He is. 

• We need to study God's Word accurately including in context. 
• We need to accurately interpret God's Word. 
• We need to use a sound study method. 
• We need to use an accurately translated Bible. 
• We need to be involved with a God Honoring, Jesus Honoring, Holy Spirit Honoring, and Word of God honoring home church. 
• We need to listen to teachers and preachers that accurately interpret and communicate God's Word. 
• We need to think about Him accurately. 
• We need to worship Biblically. 
• We need to live Biblically.

All these things and more matter and speak volumes regarding whether or not we exalt Him and His Word. 

We have to be careful what we intake or we may be led astray and this includes the music we listen to and sing, the teachers and preachers we listen to, as well as the devotionals we choose to study as many do not honor God and His Word. 

Related to this, we need to worship Him in spirit and truth as well with our lives and in song as well. When worship Him through song our songs should be as accurate as possible when we describe Who He is, all He has done, and all He continues to do. 

The songs we sing in worshiping our Creator should be centered on Him, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and The Word. They should not be man-centered, self-centered, or self-worship songs. If you listen to The Holy Spirit's leading, you will know the difference. 

Everything should clearly line-up with the truth of God's Word or it will not honor God and it won't stimulate right thinking about Him. 

Is God's Love 'Reckless'?

Back to the song as an example of seeking to have a high and right view of God and His Word. 

There are many other more accurate words that the song writer could have used other than the word, 'Reckless'.  

For example, Is God's Love: 

• Righteous? Yes!
• Redemptive? Yes!
• Sacrificial? Yes!
• Perfect? Yes!
• Relentless? As in He pursues us with His love. Yes!
• Eternal? Yes!

Are there other fitting Biblical descriptions and aspects of God's love? Yes there are and all of the before mentioned words you could find Biblical merit in utilizing.

So, Is God's love Reckless? NO...Absolutely Not!  

In His Great Love did He choose to pay the ultimate cost through sacrificing His Son for you and I? Yes, but, while it was at high cost for him, that wasn't reckless, rather, it was an ultimate example of true love in that He gave it all so that we might have life.  This isn't reckless but it is intentional. He intentionally provided a way that we could be saved through Jesus' sacrifice! 

The Choice Is Yours:

While I may sing the song in the future in personal worship, I will personally omit the word 'reckless' as its not a fitting description of God's love. Instead I will choose another more Biblically accurate word in place of 'reckless' in praising God in spirit and truth. 

Some will say that this is all no big deal but in response I will ask, doesn't God and His Word deserve to be accurately represented, honored, studied, communicated, and worshiped? Yes, they do and if you're a follower of Christ who reads and studies the Word then it is a big deal, and one that you need to get right. 

While I've used this song as an example, the topic isn't just about one word, rather, it all comes down to whether or not we really want to accurately honor God and His Word. 
In a day and age where those who are supposedly followers of Christ that are becoming more Biblically illiterate and drifting further way from Biblical living, we need to be different as we seek to live life on purpose for His Kingdom and Glorying which includes having a high and right view of God's Word. 

Will you choose to have a high and right view of God and His Word or will you to waiver, compromise, and follow the crowd? The choice is up to you. I pray you choose wisely. 

Let's pray for each other that we'd have a right and high view of God and His Word.

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

*P.S. I want to be clear that I'm not implying with what I shared here that the author of the song intentionally set out to inaccurately represent God's Love as I don't know his heart or intentions. However, the truth is that the end result did not represent God's love in a Biblically accurate way. My hope is that this example will serve as warming for all of us.