Thinking Biblically about "Reckless Love"
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2018
- Rather than offer a blanket endorsement or rejection of the song "Reckless" this video goes into a thoughtful study of the meaning of "Reckless". We'll look at some great lyrics as well as some concerning ones and we'll allow Cory Asbury to explain why he used the word "reckless" to describe the love of God. I'll also be really honest about my concerns
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"The worship songs we sing become our theology in our hearts and minds." I totally agree Mike.
This is so true!
Mike is a non spirit filled pompous arrogant pharisee. His theology is completely Anti-biblical on many subjects. But far more spiritually minded people ignore him because they are too busy being effective for the Kingdom while he is attacking the Kingdom.
@@i-primeproductions1517 care to explain pls?
@@francoisssangma996 Which part would you like me to explain? Which part would you like me to explain? He fits perfectly the pharisee examples we have in scripture. He denies any ministry that operates with Christ which literally means anointed. He denies all of the gifts of the spirit in operation in the church and does everything he can to malign and discount any ministry that operates in the supernatural power of Holy Spirit to cover up for his own spiritual impotence. He judges by outward appearances. He judges by outward appearances and tries to malign things that are only spiritually discerned. He doesn't even believe in the FOUNDATIONAL principles of the gospel as specifically listed in Hebrews 6. Whereas these other preachers that he arrogantly in pompously tries to bring down, Pay no attention to him nor attack him even though their doctrine does not Agree, Because as Jesus commanded "let the blind lead the blind." He goes completely against scripture trying to pass judgement on those that are not under his authority in his church which is a condition in the New Testament. I could go on for an hour Of his grotesque version of Christianity.
@@i-primeproductions1517
Lol. Your mumbling rant is the farthest thing from the truth. Mike is not a cessationist, and the guy’s doctrine is biblically sound. Your ignorance of his theology and Scripture speaks to your arrogance. Furthermore, your pugnacious response exemplifies fruit that is consistent with the very thing you accuse him of being (a pharisee).
You might try not allowing your feelings to dictate how you perceive truth.
I have always wished they would have written the lyrics: "the overwhelming, never-ending, selfless love of God." Great word! Thank you for sharing!
Mike says it, but I'm not sure if that makes it much better.
I don't know if the Bible states that god or his love was selfless. Instead, he says: "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.".
It also teaches that god treats everyone alike ("For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust"). And it teaches us to love everyone equally without condition.
But does that also mean to love everyone selflessly? From my understanding, selfless means to love others MORE than you love yourself. Instead, the second great commandment says "You shall love your neighbor AS yourself".
I might be wrong, because I'm not a native English speaker. Please correct me.
That would have been perfect!
@@Quisl Selfless generally means willing to, or actually, sacrificing something. Jesus died for us, and that is a selfless act. Jesus did not "need" to suffer and die, but He did so we may live. Of course, it would have been a loss for God if we were not saved as well, but we are reliant on Him, and not the other way around.
@@Quisl Selflessness is the opposite of selfishness. God's love is absolutely not selfish, so it must be selfless!! 😁👍👍
That's how I sing it
"We shouldn't be so in love with the music side of a song that we make compromises with the lyrics..."
'Zackly!
The very first time I heard the song, I immediately had a “wrong” feeling about reckless being used to describe Gods love. It’s called discernment. God gives us discernment for a reason. Gods love isn’t reckless at all. Thanks for breaking this down for us!
Me too!!!
Same here!!! I even brought it up to the worship leader at the church I was going to and they tried to explain it away but I still felt off about it.
Yess I was listening to Cory Asburys album a while ago and just never listened to the song because of it! I had just started listening to worship music and was not very religious, yet God’s discernment I think wanted to protect me from it... I’m sure there are amazing Christians that like the song tho
Same!
Same!
reckless: without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action. It cannot apply to God.
Its not that you didn't think about or dont care about the consequences. You can simply ignore your thoughts and cares of the consequences! I suppose thats like not caring, so were not far from the definition. Another overriding motivation or other consequences of inaction can cause anyone to act recklessly with respect to self safety. We see it even in human expression as people will jump back into a burning building to save a loved one, even a pet. To do so is reckless with respect to their own safety. Even if the consequences are carefully considered, if those consequences are ignored, id be calling it reckless in my vocabulary. And it's "definitions" that seem to be whats being argued here.
Anyways back to God! We have to remember the lyrics is not "reckless in general" or "reckless wisdom" or "reckless power". It's "reckless love". This is hyperthetical I know, because all things are possible for God. But imagine God were all loving but not all powerful or wise. His love would be so easily understood to be reckless! I believe He would jump headon into no win scenarios just on account of His love. I believe God loves us so much that he does not cares at all how much his love for us could potentially harm Himself.
The issue to me is, is it fair to seperate God's love and talk about it seperate from his wisdom and power? Personally, I have no issue with that.
@@martinvivian9772 The fact that you had to make an explanation that long to justify the use of the word is a good indication that maybe it really wasn't the best word to use. "Reckless" almost always has a negative connotation and so is almost always going to be viewed in that light. Thus the song can confuse the average listener while making that person okay with it.
I get what your saying, a better word could be used! Sure, but that doesnt make it a wrong word either, and I didnt need to be long winded. I didn't need to give examples. I dont think the argument "its a negative connotation " holds up at all. The love of God is associated with a lot of things that have negative connotations. Torture, Death, Blood, Sacfrifice. Any thinking person can understand the context the word is used in.
@@jameslewis3793 you're ignoring the points they made, yet using the length of their response as evidence of why they're wrong?
Do you think it's okay to use "sorry but, the fact your response was long means you're wrong. .." as your main justification to dismiss someone who articulated valid points?
That's like someone asking why you think Gods real and your testimony to them is "I read it in a book".
@@martinvivian9772 actually it does and if you cannot see or understand you are part of the problem
I love Mike's suggestion of "overwhelming, never-ending, SELFLESS Love of God"
I would definitely use that in leading worship.
or matchless
I like Sovereign love
Or Precious Love
or relentless
@David Solomons
Would you consider just not singing this song at all? For the sake of the many people in the congregation who feel convicted that it’s not glorifying to God? It breaks many people’s hearts and as such a controversial song, wouldn’t it be the loving, Christ like thing as the leader to just abandon the use of this song? Why do you feel compelled to continue to use it?
Honestly, I always thought that 'reckless love of God' meant reckless from a human perspective (as God is never ACTUALLY reckless), in the sense that a human could never imagine loving someone enough to be able to sacrifice what God sacrificed for us, and so from a human point of view it would look reckless? But even then I would replace 'reckless' with 'wondrous' instead, just in case haha!
Perfect the Reckless is from a human point duh thank you
yes! great answer
But when are worship songs ever meant to be sung from a human perspective? If we go from there, we might just question every part of God, might we not? Shouldn't we rather rejoice that we know better than our strictly human perspective?
@Naomi Yurkov, I agree and the adjective of reckless was from a human perspective has always been my interpretation.
@commentor93 - One of the basic definitions of worship is a "kiss unto God". While worship songs are about Him, to Him, and for Him, they come from our limited understanding. Therefore, songs are from a human perspective toward God. Worship is art and art is the "painting" of poems and songs with words, language, and emptions that express that. We are made in God's image, so by default we are creators, and he delights when we create things about him and give him glory.
Almost 1/3 of the bible is poetry. Much of the Psalms, Job, and many others are poetry written to God from a human perspective. They are almost always metaphoric and should not be taken literally. Trying to take everything literally with "perfect theology" (if there is such a thing from a human perspective) can be dangerous. For example, Psalm 22, David wrote & Jesus proclaimed on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me”, is that literal? Did God really abandon Jesus (or himself). Most Jews in earshot would have known the rest of David’s psalm and recalled the entire “song” while the Savior died. That Psalm starts with a view of God that is a head-scratcher and ends with a promise that is beautiful. There are many other examples, e.g. Psalms of anger, lament, plus, the poetry in Job, Ecclesiastes, Lamentation, etc.
God inspired or breathed on these (which is a form or worship) and gave them life so that we have them as examples that we can talk to God no matter how we feel or where our emotions are at. The important thing is that we are communing and talking with him. Regardless of having accurate words to express that. Whether it be in prayer, poetry, art, or having dialog with others. Holy Spirit can guide an artist and provide poetic license to express human emotions, privately or corporately, to and for God’s glory, imo.
@@tm7ad766 I agree that we have to be careful with what we take literal, especially when it comes to poetry.
But at the same time, I'd be careful with giving christian songwriters a free pass for whatever images they use to praise God just for the sake of letting them create what they feel urged to create. The two biggest criteria for sound worship songs are given in John 4,24: Spirit and truth. If neither is found in the songs, we shouldn't consider it biblically sound, divinely inspired or a delight to God as it goes against both God (via the imagery) and the bible (by ignoring its instructions). So whatever words songwriters use to convey their message, it has to be or turn into objective biblical truth. And as you said it yourself, even the Psalms sometimes contain strange imagery that isn't biblical but rather coming from the limited human perspective. But in those case, the imagery is always corrected into the heavenly perspective in the very same Psalm.
And for that reason, when it comes to the song "Reckless love", I see two options for the song to be of sound theology: Either God's love is actually reckless according to the Bible or the song puts it right at some point. But imo, neither is the case. And while I don't expect lyrically expressed theology to be perfect, it's a different thing to tolerate obvious errors for the sake of having new songs that are pleasing to the ear.
"Reckless is a word that means no thought. God thought our lives out. Thank you for this video.
No. Reckless means no thought *for consequences* . It is paired with love, which *by definition* cares about consequences.
By ya’ll standards the Bible itself would be wrong. Hate your mother and father. Love not the world, and then “For God so loved the world”. Totally missing the point.
@@ibperson7765 I miss your point, could you elaborate again? (Being honest)
@@ArthurPrince03 My point is that the Bible expresses deep transcendent truths, which even sometimes include paradoxes.
When expressing these truths, there will be statements that appear to directly contradict. For example when Jesus says hate your mother and your father. Another example is when he says in one place ‘whoever is not against us is for us’, and in another place he says ‘whoever is not with me is against me.’
If we gave part of the Bible to someone, then they could use it to “debunk“ other parts of the Bible and say that they are bad theology.
Example: The Bible does not record every statement Christ made while on the earth. So, imagine if the Bible hadn’t recorded the statement “whoever isn’t with me is against me”. Just pretend that for a second. Now imagine there’s part of a great hymn saying “whoever wasn’t with Christ was against Him”. Mike Winger would come along and say that hymn was COMPLETELY wrong, and quote the verse saying the opposite.
In reckless love we have two words with opposite implications. Reckless means dont care about consequences. Love means care a LOT about consequences. So what deep truth is the song trying to express with a paradox? A good and profound one. Looking at it with such tiny thinking is not good.
There is a WAY in which we “love not the world”. And there is another way in which we LOVE the world, as God’s creation, as full of his creatures, including men made is His image.
It’s all over the Bible, this distinction. Even in back to back verses.
Prov 26
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
Mike could use verse 4 to prove verse 5 is wrong. Or vice versa. The distinction between spiritual and earthly thinking is simultaneously huge, and so subtle as to be hardly there.
Communicating the things of God is a challenge. Hence the type of language. Because:
Isa 55
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
So, given that ⬆️, given that we are communicating such lofty truths, we simply cannot run around like stuck-up accountants grading someone’s paper based on simple linear thinking. As Mike is doing to a wonderful song.
@@ibperson7765 last I checked reckless meant irresponsible in thought. Justify it however fits your interpretation of the word but that's not what I hear.
Mike, you totally ruined the song for me. As part of a worship team, I loved it and loved what Corey said, but you make so much more sense than the lyrics do. You're so un-reckless with your thoughts brother!
Yea, we'll be singing selfless love here-on out.
@Sola Scriptura If the psalms are any indication, then that's not the case. I remember many of the psalms saying "oh that their children would be dashed against the rocks" or "God, that you would delivery me from my enemies", or pleading for vengeance. I don't think those are preaching or glorifying God, yet they still have a place. Worship isn't necessarily void of humans and their problems as God intervening in our problems is A source of worship. If God didn't intervene, then there would be much less to worship Him for. Maybe worship isn't just to preach and glorify Him but also to pray and express thought to God - He isn't just a super theological dogmatic mind.
@Sola Scriptura Get off your high horse. I didn't say that the bible doesn't have to do with worship. What I said was that the bible shows us that worship doesn't ONLY have to be to worship God without referencing our problems or our prayers. You should stop trolling pages and looking down on others and read what people actually type.
As an all knowing God, He doesn't have to calculate whether it is "safe" to abandon himself loving people. This is the point. It is a call to more risk in love without the temerity of over-analysis and calculation. The difference is walking by the Spirit and hearing the Spirit, which is a core presumption in some circles though not in others because they simply cannot conceive of it.
I have always replaced reckless with faithful, because his love is faithful
As a Christian songwriter I so appreciate this. I care very much to be biblically accurate and glorifying to God. I’m glad to hear your thoughts and careful insights on this. Thank you.
Even with biblically accurate lyrics musicians need to separate from Bethel and all churches teaching a false Christ and false gospel. They are better signing with a secular label than with Bethel, Hillsong, or Elevation.
@@OlivusOrchards what is wrong with those labels? Sorry, I am uneducated and just curious.
@@jesuschristlovesyoudearly3797 They teach a different Jesus and gospel than what scripture teaches. These are central non-negociable doctrines. If you change them you become a false teacher, heretic, false church, cult. A well done movie eexplains it called American Gospel Christ Alone. You can find a lot of information on CZcams by searching Bethel false teachings, or Bill Johnson false teacher. His book, When Heaven Invades Earth, outlines the teaching. Lots of heresy and unbiblical practices which stem from his errors. Bad guy leading many astray. Can't support him in any way. It's the same as supporting a Christian cult.
@@jesuschristlovesyoudearly3797 Bethel is easier to see the bad teaching because they try to justify their beliefs in their preaching. Hillsong and Elevation ascribe to the same errors but deemphasize doctrine in their preaching to the point surmons don't teach anything, they are simply motivational feel good messages. They focus on whatever makes people happy or whatever motivates them to come to church. But the bad teaching is under the surface just like Bethel. Go to Bethel's WorshipU website and you can find they support Elevation and Hillsong. They all support each other because they all have the same phylosophy.
@@jesuschristlovesyoudearly3797 one more thing, they are churches not labels.
I have had a problem with that song from the first time I heard it. As a musician, I know the power music has both as a positive and also how it can actually be dangerous when leading people down a train of thought that doesn't reflect the truth. There enemy wraps his lies in 90% truth so wet must be careful particularly when handling something that can so easily manipulate the emotions as music can. Thank you Mike. You articulated my issue with this song far better then I ever could.
M Iverson About the song " Reckless Love" you're feelings on it being a problem are from using God's discernment. may God b continue to bless you and guide you in Spirit and in truth
Oof that 90% truth concept you explained is truth! Preach brother.
When Mike says, "He knew exactly who..." at 21:35, I was touched. He knew he was saving me.
Proper theology is always so much better!
When I heard this song, I looked up the word "reckless" hoping to find a definition I didn't know for it. Couldn't find it, and the song bothered me. I thought I was alone in this. Thank you for this post.
InQuestOfTruth it bothered me too. They sing it during the praise time at my church. I can’t sing it for some reason. I just don’t like it musically and the lyrics bother me.
Natalia Lee for me the music is ok but the word “reckless “ struck a discord in my spirit.
You do understand he isn't calling his love reckless ...he is saying that the world sees his love as reckless so that's why he used it. It makes sense to me. Strange that even when he explains it people don't get it.
@@crcb4 That's not what the song says. It specifically calls His love reckless. Strange how you don't see that: "Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God." I'm glad it makes sense to you. When we sing it at church, I just change that word, like precious love or what ever fits for the praise I'm offering.
@@InQuestOfTruth I know it says reckless but he's using the word as the world sees Gods love....not that his love is reckless. Go watch the video of the writers reason for using the word reckless.
Man, Mike, I hadn't quite thought about it like this before. "We are taking words and putting them into the mouths of our congregation." "We will often repeat these words during hard times." Wow! That is incredibly true. Another thought occurred to me: isn't it true that, more often than not, we repeat songs more than we repeat/recite scripture passages? I'm certainly on the side of the positive comments here. We are, indeed, commanded to sing. Therefore, we should sing things God commands us to sing. That said, we should all definitely find/write and sing songs that reflect Scripture either verbatim or by correct theology.
I definitely repeat songs more often than verses.
Well said! I feel it is God's words without adulteration, as precise to the scriptures as possible, that need to be sung in our services.
Jeff Sandberg there are beautiful Aramaic songs that are just scripture. I wish we had more of that here
@@jessefulton8841 Aramaic? Ooh! Can you cite some examples?
This is actually something that I am becoming more critical of as I become older in the word of our God. As I read more scripture and grasp it better, I find that I am more drawn to it than to the songs that the church sings. I’m not saying I’ve memorized a lot of scripture, or that I’m better in any way because of it. I just find peace in learning His word and finding wisdom in it. I do think that I am less likely to unintentionally swallow false teaching through a catchy song because of this, though. Music is heavily tied to our emotional experiences and it’s easy to ignore our God given reason because of it. Ex. The amount of Christians that like the song “Imagine” by John Lennon blows my mind. The message is evil and depicts a world that would be nothing but darkness and without hope. That’s not a worship song, but it’s still really popular and illustrates my point. I think teachers and congregations need to take a harder look at their music, especially in contemporary services. They are the most at risk currently, at least in my opinion.
My husband and I attended a church that sang this song as a congregational song. As I began to sing I immediately knew this song was not scriptural. I stopped singing and my husband who was a pastor of another church for 32 years and is now deceased put his head down and began to pray.
The first time I heard/read the song at church, I was physically stunned. I thought I was too churchy square and blamed my age , myself.
But I couldn't sing along no matter how I talked to myself.
Thanks for going through it.
Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
"His love bankrupted heaven for you." This is the theology of Bethel Church. You will also hear Todd White say this ALL the time. This puts the value on the individual by saying they were "worth" Christ's sacrifice when Biblically we know this is not true. There is nothing "good" in us, yet Christ died for us anyway.
so God created something bad?
zalzankavol2 God creates the world, and He saw that it was good. However, because He made us in His image, He also gave us freedom of choice, knowing that humanity would choose our own demise.
John 3: 13 ! He did not "bankrupt" heaven. It's sad that we live in such a biblically illiterate age that we should even *need* to argue against the self-styled "New Apostolic Reformation's" ..."theology."
It's put out by Bethel Music...and their music matches their skewed theology.
According to Jesus "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" so we do have good in us in that way. To say there is nothing good in us is a lie.
Please make this a series!
This could be so helpful to many of our worship teams
yess
I don’t have the same issues with the term reckless that you’ve outlined. Paul calls himself a fool and also calls others to imitate him. Is he calling others to foolishness? No. There is a paradoxical wisdom in the kingdom in which dying to self leads to life, humility leads to exaltation, and relinquishing control leads to a greater sense of peace. Christ was reckless according to the wisdom of the world but in God’s wisdom it was it was strategic and precalculated as you’ve said. I aspire to living with reckless abandon to the things of this world so that I might live more for Christ. I have no problem singing it when I understand it as a paradoxical truth. I appreciate your stuff Mike!
HUMANS are reckless. God is not. It's that simple.
We should care what attributes we ascribe to God.
To not care, is " reckless."
Heart and Soul: Christ was "reckless?"
Accepting a mission is not reckless, even when the mission is His death.
Words and details matter.
@@sheilasmith7779 You do realize that Adam & Eve in hebrew means humanity and life - Aka individuals just like you and me as men and women, its symbolism that represents humanity. Just as Jesus do alot of symbolism when it comes to souls - aka humans and he represents them as "Trees". And he says he speaks as the Father speaks and the Father Speaks in genesis. And Jesus is symbolized as the Tree of Life and - Last Adam, so is the Tree of Life a tree ? - no. Its Jesus.. So what do you guess then the Tree of Knowledge is ? - Yeah another soul aka Satan. God warned his children from Satan, that is a evil fallen angel to take from his "view of good and evil" - aka his alter ego as a demonic self identity. And Individuals today accept his "knowledge of good and evil as a self alter ego from him".
Stop listening to many square pharisie minded youtube "teachers", and learn by the Spirit insted.
And Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
Can LOVE be reckless? No, certainly not the love described in 1 Corinthians? That is referring to God's love. Furthermore, "God is Love" so the word 'reckless is referring directly to the Lord as being reckless. God may well laugh at the foolishness of man in writing such lyrics, but it paints a picture of God that is humanising Him. "Relentless" would fit perfectly and is what I sung when a Church insisted it was a 'good' song LOL
This humanising is part of a 'soon to come' deception, where many will accept the anti-Christ as 'God' even if he appears to be human (Just like a man) but shows great signs and wonders. I had a prophetic vision in the early 70's (I'm 77 now) regarding the last days and the 'great deception'. Many will believe the anti-Christ because of the humanisation of God. Many teachings, both secular and in the church, are building a foundation that Satan will stand upon, when he claims to be the saviour of the world. This I saw in the prophetic vision as Satan stands on Earth, pretends to be and alien from a distant planet and denounces God as being a spirit and claims to be the saviour.
This may sound far-fetched, but every day now I see the signs of Satan,s preparation to come to Earth and deceive many. eg "Ancient aliens" Documentary "Theory of Evolution" Signs of UFO's etc. They are all part of his plan that began in Gen Ch6 where the 'giants' (Nephilim) were on the Earth and built monoliths and many huge stone block buildings that Eric Von Daniekin believes were made by aliens. Check it out!
We live in a post modern era where the Christian experience interprets Truth.
Most are not aware of paradoxical tensions.
Timestamps :)
0:00 intro
4:42 verse 1 breakdown
9:15 chorus breakdown
13:01 cory’s facebook post
28:03 verse 2 breakdown
28:38 announcement/outro
This is a wake up call to all Worship Leaders, as it has been to me. It's not just about "Reckless" but how much of the lyrics do we actually ponder on, and as Mike said, with powerful music it's easy to not notice the lyric. This is not an attack on Cory either! How much do we rely on 'Slogans' and feel-good phrases that as good as they sound are just not biblical! I agree that the current state of Worship is trying to say things in a "NEW" way, but we should do it without compromising the TRUTH! The gold nugget in this video is - 'Worship is for God, not us", puts things in a different light!
♥️ Great response Beware of today's modern new age, feel good " gospel & worship--"
God is never reckless. My husband and I just sing 'relentless' in it's place.
I like to sing 'Perfect Love'.....
I sing relentless as well
How about sovereign.
My husband too....he says theres nothing reckless about the Lord. So he says relentless and I do too because he let Mr Webster define reckless and God always has a defined purpose.
I sing perfect too
When I’m in a congregation that is singing this song, I tend to substitute ‘steadfast love’ in place of ‘reckless love’. It’s the phrase the ESV uses to translate the Hebrew word hesed, so it seems like a better thing to sing - and it fits the metre of the song!
that's what our a church uses!
"Things that feel good, but aren't true" Wow! That is a wisdom nugget if I have ever heard it.
Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
Mike, I wrote the following back in May after it played at my own church:
To My Christian friends and those that want to learn . . .
Is our God RECKLESS?
My wife was sitting with me in church when this song played. She squeezed my hand because she knew immediately . . .
There is a song called "Reckless Love" that is playing on Christian radio and in churches . . . maybe YOUR church? Maybe MINE?
Here are some of the lyrics (specifically, the Chorus):
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found,
leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still,
You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Does this sound good? Right? Honoring to God?
In 1913, Noah Webster's Dictionary defined RECKLESS as:
1. Inattentive to duty; careless; neglectful; indifferent. Chaucer.
2. Rashly negligent; utterly careless or heedless.
Let's change the lyrics from reckless to the UNDERSTANDING of reckless
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, Inattentive to duty love of God
or
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, careless love of God
or
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, neglectful love of God
or
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, indifferent love of God
or
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, rashly negligent love of God
Are any of these verses worshipful?
Are any of these verses honoring to God?
When the Bible was handed down, it was handed down in song.
It made it easier to memorize . . .
We require our pastors to have seminary degrees to preach the SPOKEN word
yet
We do NOT require our worship leaders to have seminary degrees to preach the SINGING word.
The gospel is the gospel whether it is spoken or it is sung
The word of God is the word of God whether it is spoken or it is sung
The rabbi (teacher) Sha'ul (Paul) stated that anyone that taught a different gospel (even an angel) was to be an anathema (cursed)
The word of God and words ABOUT God are to be said is AWE and FEAR - The text is clear on this point. That is what fearing God is.
In calling God's love:
indifferent, careless, rashly negligent, neglectful etc, do we honor Him when we do that?
In the Hebrew text, the word for RECKLESS is
pachăzûth Phonetic Pronunciation: pakh-az-ooth'
IT is defined as: boasting, lying
The lone context for this noun is found in condemnation of false prophets (Jer. 23:32).
The Lord was enraged at the practice of false prophecy, culminating in his proclamation,
"I am against them that prophesy false dreams...
and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies,
and by their lightness [recklessness];
yet I sent them or not, nor commanded them."
The term implies boasting without regard for consequences.
The Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary - Pe-Resh.
This is NOT the word we want to attach to God when the lone instance of it in the Old Covenant is AGAINST false prophets - (not to put to fine a point on it - liars.). Do we?!?
Let's check the Greek part of the Bible even though it is still informed by the Hebrew . . .
The Greek word for RECKLESS is propetēs
Phonetic Pronunciation: prop-et-ace'
Rash, reckless, impulsive. foolish, heady
This adjective is a compound of the preposition pro (4112), “before,” and a form of the verb piptō (3959), “to fall.”
The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary - Pi-Rho.
Let's see a verse it is used in:
2 Timothy 3:4 (CJB)
4 traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God,
Inset Rash for headstrong . .
.
This is not a verse about good, this is a verse about what the people will be like in the end times . . .
RECKLESS is a bad thing!
Here are some other translations of the same text:
2 Timothy 3:4 (GW)
4 They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited. They will love pleasure rather than God.
2 Timothy 3:4 (NIV)
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--
2 Timothy 3:4 (AMP)
4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
2 Timothy 3:4 (KJV)
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Timothy 3:4 (NASB)
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
We are told in the following verse to STAY AWAY from people like this!
This is the same set of biblical verses that tell us that people will abort children and commit infanticide, be self loving . . .
hateful of good . . .
what a future?
happening now?
Not a good word to use in praise of God,
let alone
calling His love RECKLESS . . .
My wife was right.
I do have a problem with this song.
It is not worshipful in any way to me.
To me, it insults God.
The Greek work for that? blasphēmia
You probably know it as blasphemy . . .
Blasphemy, evil speaking, slander, reviling
The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary - Alpha-Gamma.
In a word, INSULTING God.
Tough teaching, huh?
If he had used the word relentless, I would have no problems with the song.
Be blessed
Keep studying
Be Bereans
Shalom! (Peace)!
What a wonderful examination of the song and using scripture to completely reject this song.
Thank you for your thoughtful, logical and intentional reply. So good. Praise God.
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your thoughts on this. We do get complacent about worship music because we hear it so much on the radio. Bethel music is just an arm of Bethel church, if you can call it that. Their teaching of new age mixed with Christian teachings is another gospel. Their congregation is blinded to the truth. We need to pray God opens their eyes.
The Spanish version of this version is better in my opinion instead of reckless love it’s called unconditional love I find it worded better !
Exactly. I really like the beat and the song, but because of the word reckless, I skip it and don't play it. Too bad, if only they used a better positive word instead of that negative word.
Actually the Spanish version says unconditional
There is a condition in John 3:16. God's wrath is upon those who do not believe as evidenced by this verse's context.
Ste Hir I was gonna say that...I lean towards Calvinism, though, haha!
@@frankpichardo5299 Reading scripture, listiening to and reading John Macarthur, R.C Sproul, Charles Spurgeon, J. Greham Machen, A W Pink and others has led me to appreciate the Doctrines of Grace as well.
I'm watching this years later, yet it's perfect timing for me as more and more of such reckless songs and doctrines are infiltrating churches, corrupting the gospel, and people just don't see. It is such a blessing to be able to use your well thought out, passionate and kind videos. I THANK GOD for you. 🙏📖💦🕊🔥
I was going to an NAR church and this song, as well as others, seemed to be focused on creating ecstatic emotion aming the congregation. And it works. But you are right--not sound theology. The Passion translation was also used and it too creates heightened, reckless emotions. Thank you for this video.
Great channel! I always felt something in my spirit about this song that was not biblically sound. You’re right worship is not about us, it’s about Him!
I'm, a theology student and I really enjoy having your teaching over the break, and even during school. Thank for the time you put into spreading God's truth.
Agree wholeheartedly! So many songs are written that are supposed to be worship songs, but the focus is on us and what He does for us. They keep getting further and further away from worship and that brings more errors. Worship is supposed to be focused on Jesus, exalting, magnifying, lifting Him up. Singing about what He does for us is not worship, adding that God is reckless in His love is beyond. Amen! Lyrics are important!!!
Thank you so much, brother Mike. I can’t express how much I needed you to make this video. I have tried to share this message with my loved ones but I couldn’t explain it like this and they just couldn’t hear me. It breaks my heart to hear untruthful lyrics sung to God in worship. He asks us to love Him and shows us how to do it but we think we know better than Him. Thank you so much for this resource.
Before I took a breath you breathed your life in me, to me seems like an obvious inference to the description of how Adam was made, Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
That is what I thought. Man became a living soul, soul is a better word here. It also teaches that without God's breathing life into us, we have no soul, there is no immortal soul as most teach today. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, "And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell." The Bible is supposed to have continuity throughout. Many of the bew versions use being or person or creature in Genesis 2:7 and then they use soul in Matthew 10:28, it doesn't reveal the truth to us as we need it to.
Seems pretty accurate to me. You just gave scriptural evidence of it
Agreed. This guy is just trying too hard...
Is this song about Adam?
I have to think of it that way when singing it, but it seems the intent is it's talking about 'me, and my salvation', not Adam - which is not good theology.
Thank you so much for this. Church leaders really need to wake up to Reckless worship.
Mike, thank you for taking the time and effort to break this down. I’ve just joined the worship team at my church and this is so helpful.
Mike, thank you for your meticulous breakdown of the song's lyrics and Cory's response. I've been a Christian for over 40 years and I've seen the evolution of music in the church. While there has always been controversy to the method or style of the music rarely has anyone questioned the content. However in recent years more and more have questioned the theology behind the words? I only started searching CZcams to see if I was being overly critical or my spirit was correct in feeling uncomfortable about singing certain songs? We should never add or subtract words to try and reflect what we feel. There is nothing new under the sun and if we are true worshipers of God let's do so in spirit and truth! To the defenders of Cory and the song please remember that this is not an attack. It's believers trying to reason together in search of the truth.
Thank you! Words matter. Words have meaning. Thank you for breaking this down in a way I can share with others when we have these conversations and they interpret my objections and concerns as being overly sensitive. God's blessings on you Man of God.
Thank you for being kind, straight forward, and for standing for God’s truth. This is a very eye opening video! God bless you!
I remember hearing this song at my church and thinking "is reckless really the best word?" And was a bit offput by it. I'm glad to see others agree. I think it's safer for churches to stick with the classic hymns. And honestly they sound better!
Mike please do more of these!! Your breaking down of the lyrics of the song has helped me so much and I think it would be so fruitful if you did these analysis videos for more popular worship songs!
Thank you so much for this walk through of the lyrics. I have battled with this lyric in particular and feel so convicted when I 'have' to sing it since I am a member of my worship team. I'm praying for the wisdom to approach my leader and this sound analysis will be really helpful. Hod bless you!
Thank you! Great points. And when I look at how the Bible uses the word reckless, not once is it used to describe God or His love. It is most often used to describe foolish, sinful men.
Thank you for this. I never felt right about the title of this song. It didn’t seem right calling God’s love “reckless”
Thank you. I am glad I found your channel. You are offering something the church really needs today and you show great compassion in doing so. Blessings to you.
I’m about to watch this video. I have my own thoughts on “Reckless Love”. First off let me state that I play guitar in a church band. Most songs we do I appreciate. There are some songs we do that frankly don’t do anything for me. There are some songs that stretch limits that are given poetic license as a form of creative expression. I’m ok with that. There are a few songs that frankly I believe are detrimental to the body of Christ. “Reckless” would be one of those, given for the simple reason that there is absolutely nothing reckless about God whatsoever. In fact reckless would constitute the anti-thesis of the character of God.
Bring it up and talk with the worship team😌.
Thanks so much for this video!! I'm so glad I found it. I love the way you bring everything back to the truth of Scripture because that's truly the proper way to glorify God. All the best!
Praise the Lord !
Thank you for sharing this with us. I really really loved this song and sung it to God thinking I was pleasing him. Now I understand I was pleasing my emotions, making up excuses for the weird verses and guessing what the author meant.
After you reading Cory’s post I understood how wrong I was and had to ask God for forgiveness, since I told the Almighty God his love was reckless.
Thank you, again. May the Living God bless, and keep you.
This was excellent. Thank you so much for all of the time you put into your channel. It is blessing me- maturing me in my walk. God bless you.
Thank you for speaking so practically and being candid. We need this more in the Body of Christ instead of just going along with so much.
Thanks for the review, it’s refreshing to hear someone else struggle with some of the songs sung in our churches today.
Truth is I have struggled with reckless love, it always sounded undirected and chaotic, not what I really believed Gods love to be..
Actually, we've sung this song in our church and when we have, the red flags have gone up, but I've always thought I was being too critical and not putting the best construction on the songwriter's intention. Thanks, Mike, for articulating my concerns. So many beautiful worship songs to sing, songs with rock-solid theology. No need to wander into dubious language.
Mike, that was an excellent video on this subject. We truly need to think biblically about the music we sing and surround ourselves with!
This has changed my thinking on what I am listening to! Thanks for making the video!
Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
The Lord blessed you, Mike Winger! You put an end to my confusion over this song.
My wife suggested that he may have been searching for the word "relentless." That would certainly fit the rest of the song better than "reckless"! Edit: I just reorganized the comments to sort by date added and I see that my wife's idea has already been voiced!
Although there is a video of him stopping to talk about the words in the middle of the song, and he read aloud the definition of the word “reckless “
“Before I took a breath, you breathed your life in me”
Harkens back to Genesis when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils.
That’s what I always thought of when singing this
To me this seemed like the plain interpretation as well.
Yeap! I thought the same too
Me too!!!
Same
Thank you for breaking things down with grace, concern and brotherly love! This message is super important! Praise be to the Most High! Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding me in your truth! The whole truth & nothing but the truth! So help us God! 🙏🏽🙌🎯🩸👑
Thanks for the time you put into this; contrary to the quick world where thinking is left behind. I've been blessed.
Thank you, Mike. I completely agree with you about worship lyrics needing to be biblically true.
Mike, I really appreciate your thoughtful approach that fairly holds this song up in one hand and then measures it by scripture in the other. You clearly and cogently appraise the song and point out concerns that I, and I’m sure others maybe had, but hadn’t expressed as well as you do in this teaching. Thanks brother. Stay the course, your right over the target. Only remember, the flak is heaviest when your over the target. God bless.
As an aspiring songwriter and Christian, I found your insight on this song to be extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing.
I wish you success in your future in music.
@@Ayahuasca98 Thank you!
I was also concerned the first time I heard this song. I did my own research and come to the same conclusion. Thank you for your videos and encouraging people to test all things!
The Lord brought this video to me and I thank you for your thoughtful, biblical critique of this highly popular song. Selfless is a perfect word for how God's love is. There is too much cheap grace and sloppy agape in the world masquerading as true love.I was struggling with reckless in relation to this particular song. God bless you, Brother.
I love this song. The first time i heard it, i was deeply moved. God has no fear in pursuing me and loving me, he has no hesitation, and this comforted me. The song sounded like a thought out of the book of Song of Songs! He loves me passionately, with reckless abandon! That is who my Jesus is ❤❤ the Prince of Love.
A love that counts the cost, sees the sacrifice, knows the suffering and yet still acts is more noble and glorious than a love that is reckless.
Mike, thank you for this video! I believe that you are spot on with your interpretation!! Normally, I'm not a fan of long CZcams videos, but in this instance, it works. I'm subscribing now and look forward to watching some more of your videos!! God bless you, brother!
I love how you talk about issues. I'm a Calvinist brother but your content is so good!!! Keep it up
Except for his obvious butchering of Calvinism in an earlier video. He needs to redo that one.
LOVE THIS! I brought this up in a staff meeting, about a variety of songs, because i had just written a paper on worship songs as the modern day credos for seminary and i got shushed out of the conversation...
As the worship leader of my church with a history of worship leaders who were very conscious of this, it's so so important for our music to reflect both musical beauty and Biblical truth both. Those songs are hard to find, but they're out there.
Do you have a place I can read your paper?
I don't think I was following you back when this came out but I'm on board now. My husband and I have discussed this song also and we insert RELENTLESS love of God.
And that I just saw this today does not void my agreement that it was well handled. Thanks for unpacking this.
As a music director, I try to find songs that match the vision of the church and lyrics that worship God. I try to avoid songs that are about self, and lyrics that are not biblically sound.
The Spanish version of this song translates “reckless love” to “unconditional love”.
88KeysMan but “unconditional love “ is also not a biblical concept.
His love has many conditions and they are written in scripture
Pavel Kovalishin So does that mean if you're not this and you're that, God doesn't love you anymore? Doesn't He love us no matter who and what we are? I thought commandments were given to us because He loves us, not so He can love us.
Edge that’s not the point, if we want to follow God then we need to stay true to the Word of God and not make up our own version of Christianity that is pleasing to us but not biblical. Gods love is available to all but definitely conditional, and explained in His word
Pavel Kovalishin
Okay got it! God's love is unconditional for everyone in general, but not individually. If we keep His commands, we will remain in His love. Thanks! God bless you :)
Pavel Kovalishin In that case, why does God love sinners? Why does God love those who don’t keep His conditions? Loved us so much, He sent His Son to die for us, even though we didn’t keep His conditions? God’s love cant be conditional if we broke His conditions and He still loves us....
You've helped with discerning the truth. I love you brother. Thank you for your work.
God bless you and your family
You do realize that Adam & Eve in hebrew means humanity and life - Aka individuals just like you and me as men and women, its symbolism that represents humanity. Just as Jesus do alot of symbolism when it comes to souls - aka humans and he represents them as "Trees". And he says he speaks as the Father speaks and the Father Speaks in genesis. And Jesus is symbolized as the Tree of Life and - Last Adam, so is the Tree of Life a tree ? - no. Its Jesus.. So what do you guess then the Tree of Knowledge is ? - Yeah another soul aka Satan. God warned his children from Satan, that is a evil fallen angel to take from his "view of good and evil" - aka his alter ego as a demonic self identity. And Individuals today accept his "knowledge of good and evil as a self alter ego from him".
Stop listening to many square pharisie minded youtube "teachers", and learn by the Spirit insted.
And Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
Thanks Mike.
I love your insight, I have enjoyed this song because it spoke to me but when you put it in this way. I see now how unaware we can be. You are so right about singing song that is more about God and who he is. Not song for what we want. I just want to say bless you and continue to speak truth. We all need to be very aware more then ever before
This is one thing I so much love about constructive criticism such as this; harping on the negative things about one's work and at the same time, not blowing a muted trumpet about the good things that are worthy of emulation present therein . Mike. you're the most loving and respectful critic I have seen plus you were un-reckless in your thought addressing this song.
This is a very good analysis. Thank you for it. Heaven was not "bankrupted". It is unscriptural, inaccurate, & just plain silly.
Reckless is not a word to describe God or his love, God is perfect so that means his love is perfect.
Amen!
It absolutely is perfect to describe his love, the father accepting the prodigal son after he left and disrespected him, at the time culturally, that was an incredibly unacceptable and reckless thing to do. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple separating the people from the alter tore in two- that was against the pharisaical rules. When you or I sin and repent, it doesn’t matter how many times we mess up, the father will always come running after us, every single time. He has no thought to his own safety or emotional well-being when it comes to perusing a relationship with us, he risks having his heart broken yet comes back for us again and again, if that isn’t reckless I don’t know what is. I think it’s easy to understand for different people, I was a very broken person and when God entered my life it felt totally reckless because I was so undeserving, I understand you can have your own opinion man, God bless.
Yet Jesus tells his followers that if they do not hate their family they are not worthy to follow Him.
I agree. I never sings songs with that word. God is precise. God says I am Holy so you be Holy! Those reckless lyrics appeal to immaturity and mindlessness. Use all your heart soul, and mind to praise God!!!
This would be reminiscent of the Pharisees condemning Jesus for telling his followers they must hate their family in order to follow Him. How reckless of Jesus to tell His followers to hate.
Thank you for this song breakdown, Pastor Mike. It's much appreciated.
OK so I am way late to the party with this video, but a great big THANK YOU for this. I am a dj at a Christian radio station and have had a problem with this song from the very beginning. Whenever this song played on my station, I would always talk about the theological problems with it and encourage people to sing "precious love" instead of "reckless love." I have sung my personal lyrics so much that I sometimes get confused about which ones are the "real" ones! Also, thankfully I have a great relationship with the station owners who respect me and give me much lattitude. Thank you, Mike, for your insight and your love of truth.
Oh wow! I just realized I wasent paying attencion at all. Thank you for this video it really opened my eyes.
I always substitute 'reckless' for 'precious.' If one HAS TO explain their word selection in a worship song, you've lost me. Using 'reckless' is irresponsible. It always connotes something negative and not good...and to apply it to a holy God is very irresponsible.
It’s pretty reckless right? 😅
This is the video that got me hooked on Winger. The greatest teacher of all time.
Oooh very interesting! I always thought “reckless love” is meant in a way to describe how God’s love to us is so reckless for human minds. Cause He loves us so much that He sacrificed His son for us, for all of us sinners. Like imagine someone being completely against you and you still love them to pieces and sacrifice your child for them to save them! I mean that is love that exceeds any human mind. It seems totally crazy. I felt like the songwriter of this song just wanted to describe that feeling of how crazy actually this love looks like in the eyes of human beings. We cannot wrap our minds around God’s love which is eternally big. That God loves us fallen humans regardless seems reckless. I thought that’s why the songwriter chose that word. He must have just written out of his emotions of how in awe he is of God’s indescribable love. I am actually surprised by the songwriter’s response, cause God is concerned with consequences. God is wisdom and consequent. “bankrupting heaven” also seems strange to me and some other things he wrote in his response 😟
I am not a native English speaker, so I thought “reckless” means something like crazy but in a very good way.
I totally get why people have troubles with these lyrics. Ever since I found that out I am bit confused now. I sang “reckless love” with the thought of how crazily indescribably huge God’s love for us is, yes totally selfless!😭🙌🏽❤️ good idea to use that word selfless instead.
I also have to say that I appreciate you being very careful when listening to worship songs. I agree that it is very important that worship is for God and not for us and that they have to be based on truth 🙏🏽
I will continue to pray for discernment.
The most important thing during worship is the heart, right? That our hearts worship God in truth.
Same here...the songwriters defense is really offputting. Yikes!
That’s exactly what he meant
@@davidwagner5583 but in his explanation, the songwriter says he does believe that God's love in fact has a reckless quality. "Quite so," he said. That's different from saying, if a human were to love the way God loves, it would be reckless. One could possibly agree with that, but even then, if the human were a Christian, would it truly be reckless to love as God loves? I don't think so. I think it would be an act of trust in God, not an act of recklessness.
Taking @permata9613's example of someone sacrificing their child to save their enemy, I don't know if this would be in agreement with how God wants us to love. The Bible commands us to lay down our lives for others, but not to lay down the lives of others to save others. We are responsible for our children's lives. It pleases God if we make the decision to lose our life and entrust our eternal soul to him. But I don't think God wants us to make that decision on behalf of anyone else, such as our child. Jesus yielded to God's will for him, and voluntarily gave up his own life. If my child were capable of making that decision him/herself, I would be supportive of it, but I wouldn't decide on behalf of my child.
Even if you as a listener interpret the song to mean that God's love is so selfless, that it would seem reckless to a limited human, I agree with @forshizzleinthehizzl ("We are not of the world and therefore shouldn’t be referring to God from the worlds perspective") and @commentor93 ("And as you said it yourself, even the Psalms sometimes contain strange imagery that isn't biblical but rather coming from the limited human perspective. But in those case, the imagery is always corrected into the heavenly perspective in the very same Psalm.") Also @gracewalton5479 ("I think the difference here is that the Bible is clearly saying that people think it's foolishness, but the implication is that it's anything but. The Bible never actually says that God's love is foolish, that would be incorrect. There could be a song that says God's love seems reckless in the eyes of the world, but to actually say that it is reckless is false. Our perceptions of God do not justify falsely claiming those things about him.")
The bottom line is, let's remember that recklessness is, simply put, bad. Recklessness is indeed negative. The way it's sung, it doesn't sound like, "God's love almost seems to have this negative reckless quality, but actually, it's amazing." Instead, it sounds like, "God's love seems reckless, isn't that amazing?" This distinction may be subtle, but it's crucial. Consider how "reckless" is in the chorus, even the title of the song, and is said lovingly, next to positive words such as "overwhelming" and "never-ending" in regards to God's love. If a song were to say, "Isn't it reckless to love a man like me ... but God knows why he loves me," wouldn't that, in contrast, touch on the human perception of infinite forgiveness and the sacrifice of one's own son as reckless, yet celebrate the truth about God's love in a way that glorifies and honors him?
To me, the song sends the message that love which appears reckless isn't bad, but something to be celebrated. It encourages a dangerous way of thinking, that God's decision to forgive us is unconditional -- which it's very much not -- or that he has chosen to love us, no matter how many times we reject his love and sin against him, out of a lack of concern for himself. Both of these thoughts kind of make it seem more OK for us to sin against him over and over.
In fact, God's love is unconditional in that he forever offers forgiveness, but the forgiveness itself is very much conditional upon our genuine repentance. His forgiveness is only granted to those who abide in Jesus, and, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love" -- John 15:10. If God would infinitely forgive his enemy, that would indeed be reckless, but he is not in the habit of doing that. If you are not loving God the way he has instructed you to love him (which includes seeking after him, reading the scripture, and striving to obey his commands as you learn them), you are his enemy, and you are guilty before him. You are not forgiven. You need to repent and set out to follow his commands in order to be forgiven and get in right standing with God.
And to those who do love him, God's never-ending forgiveness is not borne out of a lack of concern for himself, but because *he knows it's what we need in order to grow and learn to stop sinning*. In fact, God is blessed to grant forgiveness to his faithful children, just as a human father is blessed to give a good gift to his child. He forgives freely those who love him, in that we do not have to do good works to make up for our sin, but he certainly does require something of us -- our faith, love, and obedience to Jesus. It is indeed infinitely selfless, because it's for our own good that we stop sinning and love God with all our being. But what's good for us is also good for God! Recklessness implies that God is ultimately getting hurt in the relationship, not unlike a woman who keeps forgiving a husband who beats her. That is not a healthy way to view one's relationship with God. If that's how you see God's love for you, you need to repent.
Just found your channel - thank you for your dedication to a biblical analysis of this song. It is so important to defend and teach a biblical worldview! Keep up the good work.
same here, it is good stuff, but like all youtube I need to not watch too much haha
I give thanks to God for more and more people are becoming aware of wrong theology in songs. 😍
Lucy Ann ...It has never been good. I heard an olde Tyme preacher moaning that he wished songwriters would read the Bible. Musicians are just weird people in general... look who shows up at the Grammys.
No2BMO ... David attacked Goliath with a Slingshot...is that normal behaviour? I don't consider that a bad thing, though. When I look at old and then current photos of band members, it is usually both frightening and sad. Let's go thru the pictures together... I don't see how anybody can disagree with me.
Why not judge it by the fruits and see how many people (including myself) have been brought closer to God by Him using this song! Those who never have used less than perfect language in trying to describe the unfathomable love of God cast the First stone. If you can not look past a minor flaw in a song, that in reality is just a way of trying to describe the unfathomable, then what do you think of your fellow man? Its so sad, is there anyone who on CZcams who discerns in the Spirit and not the mind? This song should not even be a discussion! Every word we say to God he already knows before hand! What can we possible achieve by thinking up the best words to say when in reality praise is from the heart! If this was the word that was on his heart in worship by no means will God hold it against him! God does not want us looking at every word we say walking on eggshells but worshiping from our heart. Good thing we are not saved or judged by "right or wrong theology" or many would be in hell, probably all of us considering we are all wrong on something.
@@fishersofmen4727 well you are wrong on a couple of things. The Bible tells us that we are being held accountable for EVERY WORD we say...also, Satan is very sneaky. This is how he works. Small things at first...just like these newer versions of the Bible. Some say something totally different than , let's say, the KJV. Not just that, some versions take out certain verses too! The book of Mark is a good example. Research it. The point is, some of these "worship songs" don't even say GOD'S name, and we could be singing about a lover instead of GOD! I've been in music for a long time. Most Churches are getting away from the old Hymns which is a tragedy! Why? Because the old hymns are Biblical, that's why! Satan in creeping into our Churches, no doubt about it. One Church I went to had a wonderful Choir, about 70 of us, and we would sing 1x a month...everyone loved the choir! We would break for summer...at the end of summer one yr, we all got a letter that there wouldn't be a Choir anymore, and how a couple of ppl in the music department thought it "just didn't fit anymore"...very sad. Made no sense either...just because they have a band, nobody else can bring beautiful worship music to the service? Point is, this video is very much needed to inform ppl what's going on so we can demand to get back to worshipping the LORD in Spirit and in Truth.
Cindy Sullivan Pride pride pride, is all I see. Pride in a Bible version, pride in the flesh, unable to see with the Spirit what has been used by God to break down the strongholds of the heart. Your tradition and superstition makes a mockery of what God can do.... and HAS DONE. Please flee from this religious thinking and SEE that God has used this song to BLESS many bringing them home. This song is for the prodigal son but you would be the one casting him off because he picked up "bad language" while off in the world. Its a good thing YOU and I are not God, you are blind and merciless to those in need I am merciless to people like you who are so blinded by religion you can not SEE the truth.
Mike, thanks for being careful and respectful of God’s Word in everything you produce. It’s so refreshing to hear you evaluate things from a Biblical worldview, showing reverence for God’s Word and His Truth.
This topic (worship styles and songs) is such a touchy one for me and often I am accused of being very judgy about worship styles and songs that make me cringe, but I cringe because if a worship service is focused on the show, the entertaining aspect, or the way the music makes US (the worshiper) feel, I feel so inauthentic and even idolatrous. I love hymns and songs that have Scripture obviously spun into every verse and chorus, because then if I’m familiar with Scripture I can evaluate whether the song is exalting the truth of Who GOD SAYS He is... instead of who we want Him to be.
As a praise/worship leader I am extremely accountable to God that (1) all the songs I choose are theologically sound, and (2) they lift up and glorify Jesus. There are quite a few songs I refuse to do including this one. Thank you so much for your thoughts and perspectives--God bless.
I knew this song was jinky the first time I heard it. Thanks for the breakdown and lighting up some good biblical teachings to confirm what I was thinking. Honestly. The author's letter of"explanation" just sealed it for me. God Bless.
Thank you pastor mike for being non condemning and non compromising...
Yeah....... then you missed the point........The song is about in context and symbolism about how crazy good Gods love is for his children, he is almost "reckless" when he gets out of his way to save us - Hence he died on the cross. Have you not read Jesus story about the Father waiting for the lost son and he - RAN to the son [that was against the jewish culture as a norm at that time and so on and was a disgrace] Just as youre own mother and father would easily do [if you have good parents and God has said - he loves you more], and do everything he can for his children to save them. Like a lion running out in the jungle against all the dangerous territory, as Jesus has already done. But ofcourse pharisie minded christians, have a hard time grasping these simple heart concepts, same as the pharisies. Because they take everything litteraly as the pharisies and creates a religious mindset and hence they crucified Jesus. Dont bother responding i dont use YT notifications. But seriously grow up in the Spirit and not by the letter. - Then maybe you will find Gods Kingdom within you and walk in the Spirit.
I’ve been searching for a song to sing in church, I ran across the song reckless last night the words leave the 99 felt wrong to me. This morning it was still on my mind, and with Gods grace I found your video on the song. I still have to do my own testing with the Bible as I always do. But I wanted to thank you for your ongoing work for the Lord and his word. Answering my questions many times as God has placed them on my heart
I fell in love with this song so much that I was like... God this is my wedding song, and I even looked up these lyrics and the word reckless never felt right. And I was like God! You need to give me another song, but it never hit the same way as this one. Thank you for the suggestion. I've found myself changing the lyrics of Bethel songs all the time because God like that's not right.
Thank you Mike. It is so important that we not get carried away by the music making us feel so good that we lose sight of the words that may be offending God. This is done a lot in films and programs, where music can pull at our heartstrings as the couple commits fornication or adultery. Music is very powerful. It's interesting that there is strong suggestion in Scripture that Lucifer used to be the worship leader in heaven before he fell. Who better would know how to use music to pull us away from pure worship. Thank you.
Rafael Carbone but these words don’t offend god
I have a difficult time listening to “current” Christian music, for some reason. I tend to fall back on the classic hymns for praise but I’m a little past middle-age. ☺️
I just found your channel recently and I want you to know that your teachings are helping me a great deal.
Im with you, I have a hard time with todays so called "Christian" music. I have a hard time stomach-ing it. It seems more emotional than spiritual. So i prefer the old classic hymns as well.
I am the same. There is a self aggrandizement or human pride somehow in the modern music. That it takes such work to try and make it seem like truth is very telling. I could not sing these songs. Also, why does everyone apologize for correcting a false teacher?
Yeah and its like bad secular pop music that I wouldn't listen to either.
I had a contemporary "Christian" station on for background noise for some dogs I was sitting and not really taking in words but was aware of the beat, tempo and timings, pitches, all that. Later I was in a store and recognized the music so I was thinking, great they are playing "Christian" music. But I listened to the words in the store. It was NOT a "Christian" music station it was a secular pop station. The words of the songs were absolutely nothing I will allow my ears to hear, but the tunes, timings, and beats were exactly the same. That is how Satan infiltrates the minds of GOD'S people.
Robin Moore agreed, I’m 24 and even as a teenager in church I had a weird vibe from many of these songs which we sing in church.
Good analysis. Good spirit and attitude toward the author of the song. Good admonitions for us all - God bless you Pastor Mike!
This use to be my song!! I greatly appreciate the way you broke it down!! Thank you 😊 🙏🏾
Thank you very much for the time & effort you put into this. As much as I love the good feeling I got hearing & singing this song, I knew in my heart it was not 100 percent accurate in light of Scripture. And that is what I want to strive for, being faithful to who God really is, according to His word. You put a lot of thought into this, setting an example to me of what I need to do - to line up everything in light of God's word, which is truth.
Kathy B Good ... Musician David sang about striking down sinners, hasting folks with early departures to death and hell. Are you ok with that being sung? What did you find in this song comparable to that...
James DeLopst I don’t agree with King David’s adultery w Bathsheba or everything he’s ever said or sung.He’s not a perfect person. Doesn’t make Sense, your implication.
Kathy B Good ...that is the situation here. The Psalms are loaded with atrocities to enemies and sinners...literally wishing them dead with God's help on many occasions. Can you imagine yourself singing those verses in Church? But there they are , and fully God inspired...no one can dispute that. A better question than struggling with this Bethel song, would be to compare it with the wild and wooly Songs in the Bible, and get an idea of what passes for a really inspired song. It is some really rough stuff in there...not for the faint of heart...then I don't think people will be squeamish about this song, and others.
I'm struck with that title and some of the phrase of the song, really. "Reckless" the Love of God is not Reckless! 😥
Thanks for clarifying and educating people through this, by all biblical truths. Blessings!!!
Overwhelming never-ending reckless love of God. I believe in the first sentence completely.
When I was a much much younge. I always prayed asking God to experience his love. Well, He did and I was completely overwhelmed and could not stand. Things happened to me that I cannot explain, including physical things such as my eyes pouring out with water and I wasn't crying! I wish I could explain it. Its was an extremely powerful experience.
2:40 - Thank you Pastor Mike for talking about this. The words that are put into our mouths by singing during worship need to be taken seriously. I've been in positions where a pastor did not take that responsibility seriously, and as a result I found myself singing a song during a worship service and had to stop and go "wait a minute, I'm not sure that what just came out of my mouth is really biblical." It is so, so important what we say about and *to* God. We are supposed to be worshiping God in His presence. How dare we say something wrong about Him *to Him*. It really encourages me that you take this seriously, because unfortunately some pastors do not.
Pastor Mike - Thank you for breaking down this song that, when I first heard it, made me scratch my head a bit.
What stood out to me is Cory's response in the first paragraph of his facebook response where he says "..I hope it brings you into an encounter with the wildness of his love". This focus on manifesting "encounters" above all else is becoming more and more common with churches and movements now (Bethel, Jesus Culture, NAR) and the message being spoken is rarely rooted or focused on Biblical truth. Your videos are very well thought out and I, as well as many others, appreciate what you are doing with your ministry. God Bless you Mike ❤
I don't like the song,I agree to this man!!!God loves is never reckless pls be careful singing songs that is not online with the power of God,I'm not convince that this song is for God....
Thank you for breaking this down. When I personally hear this song in church, I sing "perfect love of God" instead of reckless.
Zach Arnold that is beautiful! the portuguese version uses the word “ousado”, which means “bold” and i think it also applies more apropriately... certainly better than reckless, at least.
I love all the part of lyrics of song
but much better they put Amazing Love of God 🙏🏻
This was the first video I saw of Mikes a couple years ago, I thought it was gonna be one of those hyper-judgemental videos. I listened and was pleasantly surprised and actually helped me to think more biblically about the Worship songs I play.
Thank you Mike for you insightfulness. Greetings from England. Keep up the good faith.