The Unfathomable Love of God: Understanding the Depth of Christ’s Redeeming Love
When the apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus, he asked that they would be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” so that they might “comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:16–19). This passage is both comforting and humbling. It reminds us that even with Spirit-supplied strength, human minds can only begin to grasp the immeasurable dimensions of God’s love. And even then, what we understand is only a small glimpse of an infinite reality.
But why is God’s love so difficult to fully understand? What makes it so incomprehensible? The answer is revealed throughout Scripture: God’s love is a redeeming love. It is not merely a sentimental feeling or a general benevolence toward humanity. It is a saving, sacrificial, covenant love demonstrated most clearly in Jesus Christ. Paul captures this truth in Galatians 2:20: “The Son of God loved me and gave Himself up for me.” The apostle John explains it this way: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
God’s Love Is a Redeeming Love
At the heart of the gospel is the staggering truth that God saves undeserving sinners. He does this through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. We deserve judgment, yet God grants mercy. We deserve separation, yet God offers reconciliation. We deserve wrath, yet God lavishes grace. This redeeming love transforms not only our relationship with Him but also our eternal destiny.
Unlike human love, which often depends on mutual attraction or benefit, God’s love flows freely to those who were once His enemies (Romans 5:8). This is why the love of God is so profound—it is not earned, it cannot be bought, and it cannot be repaid. It is rooted in God’s sovereign choice to set His affection upon His people.
The Problem with a Shallow View of God’s Love
Many in the world today, and even many professing Christians, hold a diluted view of divine love. As John MacArthur points out, the modern world often thinks of God as the “equal-opportunity Savior of everybody.” While it is true that God demonstrates a form of love to all creation—through common grace, provision, and patience—the Bible makes clear that the fullness of His redeeming love is reserved for His elect, His chosen people.
This is why MacArthur, in his sermon “An Everlasting Love: The Love of God,” said, “Most professing Christians do not understand the love of God. It is far more profound, it is far more complex, and frankly, it is incomprehensible, and at times disturbing to contemplate.” His warning is clear: we must not reduce God’s love to something shallow, a mile wide but only an inch deep. Instead, we must let Scripture guide us into the riches of His everlasting covenant love.
The Father’s Love-Gift to the Son
One of the most beautiful aspects of God’s love is seen in the Father’s eternal gift to the Son: a chosen people. Before the foundation of the world, God elected a people to be saved by Christ, to be called His bride, and to be presented spotless and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4–5; John 6:37–39). This truth shows us that God’s love is not random or aimless. It is intentional, purposeful, and everlasting.
Jesus spoke of this love in John 17, when He prayed to the Father about those whom the Father had given Him. The love of God is displayed in this divine relationship between Father and Son, and believers are caught up in that eternal love as the chosen ones redeemed by Christ.
Does God Love the Non-Elect?
This question often arises: if God loves His chosen people with a saving, covenant love, does He also love the non-elect? The answer is both yes and no, depending on how we define love. God does love the whole world in the sense that He shows kindness to all. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). This is God’s common grace—an expression of His patience, compassion, and generosity.
However, this is not the same as His redeeming love. The non-elect do not experience the saving love of God in Christ. They do not receive forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with the Father, or the promise of eternal life. This distinction may be difficult to accept, but it is what Scripture consistently teaches. God’s redeeming love is particular, effectual, and reserved for His people.
The Covenant Love of God for His People
For those who belong to Christ, God’s love is not general or temporary—it is covenantal and eternal. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” This everlasting love secures believers in every circumstance. It means that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39).
God’s love is not based on our worthiness but on His sovereign grace. It is a love that disciplines us when we stray, comforts us in trials, and assures us of glory to come. It is a love that sent Christ to the cross, raised Him from the grave, and guarantees eternal life for all who believe.
Why God’s Love Is Incomprehensible
Even with all this revealed in Scripture, Paul still says that the love of Christ “surpasses knowledge.” Why? Because human words and categories cannot contain the infinite love of an infinite God. Every attempt to describe it falls short. It is wider than the universe, deeper than the ocean, higher than the heavens, and longer than eternity itself.
Yet God invites us to experience this love personally. Through the Holy Spirit, He strengthens us to grasp it more fully, to rest in it more confidently, and to reflect it more faithfully to the world around us. The journey of the Christian life is, in many ways, a journey into the heart of God’s love.
Living in the Light of God’s Love
So, what does this mean for us today? First, it means we should never take God’s love for granted. It is not shallow, cheap, or automatic. It is costly, profound, and deeply personal. Second, it means we should rejoice in the security of God’s covenant love. No failure, no trial, and no power of hell can separate us from it. Finally, it means we should proclaim this love to others, making clear that the redeeming love of God is found only in Jesus Christ.
The world may distort God’s love into a sentimental cliché, but Scripture reveals it as the most profound reality in the universe. It is a love that redeems, a love that secures, and a love that transforms. Truly, this is the love that surpasses knowledge.
Conclusion
The love of God is far more profound than most people realize. It is not simply a general goodwill toward humanity but a covenantal, redeeming love that rescues sinners, secures the elect, and glorifies Christ. As John MacArthur warns, we must resist the temptation to make God’s love shallow and sentimental. Instead, we must go deep into Scripture to understand its breadth, length, height, and depth. Only then will we begin to see the unfathomable riches of the love of Christ—a love that surpasses all knowledge and will sustain us into eternity.
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