God’s love for sinners is so great that he can feel both wrath and love toward the same person. How great, then, is his love for his children who have turned to Jesus in faith!
Ephesians 2:1–7 provides another crucial revelation that will deepen your understanding of the love of God and how it differs from our love.
God’s love for sinners precedes their salvation
First, in verses 1–3, notice our wretched, unlovable state before we find life in Jesus:
“1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Before we become a Christian, we are dead in sin. We follow the sinful ways of the world. In doing so, we follow Satan (most of us unwittingly). We disobey God’s commands. We follow sinful desires arising from our flesh and mind. As a result, we are “children of wrath,” that is, we are the objects of God’s righteous wrath. God, the Holy One, is burning with furious anger toward those who do evil. That is important to see because it sets the stage for the wonder of his love.
God’s love for sinners overflows in mercy and grace
Next, in verses 4–5, notice how God responds to the people who arouse his wrath.
“ 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5)
Here is the wonder. God does not give us what we deserve—if we turn to Christ. Instead he shows mercy. Verse 4 says he is “rich in mercy.” He is richer in mercy than Jeff Bezos is rich in money and stock, infinitely richer.
And he shows this mercy “because of the great love with which he loved us” (v. 4). His mercy is an aspect of his love. God’s love is a merciful love. Because he loved us, he decided to show mercy to us, to help us in our need, to rescue us from the wretched, evil condition we were in.
So, God has “great love” (v. 4) for sinners. God’s love for sinners is greater than the greatest love you or any human has ever felt. God’s love is infinite, even for sinners, even for his enemies who make him angry, even for those who despise God and choose what he despises.
John 3:16–17 offers the proof of this love: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
God had this great, sacrificial love for us when we were still unlovable. That means God also loves Christians greatly, despite their unloveliness, despite their ongoing sins. His love arises from his own character, not ours. He loves us first, before we have any love for him.
God loves the unlovable with the compassion of a good person who does not want others—even evil persons—to suffer and die. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is…not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Ezekiel 18:32 says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD.”
So, God’s love is merciful, God’s love is great, and God’s love is gracious. “By grace you have been saved” (v. 5). God gives sinners what they do not deserve, offering Jesus to them as the only way to be saved and forgiven. God gives Christians what they do not deserve, so great is his love. His grace arises from himself, from his loving character.
God’s love for sinners made righteous will bring never-ending kindness
Finally, notice what the future holds for those who receive God’s love by believing in Jesus:
“ 6 and [God] raised us up with [Jesus] and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6–7)
God saved us “so that” he could forevermore show us “kindness.” God is so loving that he intends to pile kindness after kindness on us through Christ. Saving us is not the end of the love story; rather, it is only the beginning. Once again we will experience “immeasurable riches,” this time riches of grace. We are going to be treated like kings, like VIPs, like favorite sons and daughters, forever, not because we earned it but because God is love. It is his nature to give. He enjoys being kind, in an immeasurable sort of way, just as he enjoyed make a universe so big we can’t imagine it, and he enjoyed making life on earth more profuse than helicopter seeds on a Maple tree.
Get ready for it. It’s going to be overwhelming, forever. Kindness upon kindness upon kindness upon kindness, all through Christ, all from love. God is the great Lover, from whom come immeasurable riches of mercy, grace, and kindness. Love is who he is and what he does and what he wants.
If you are living for anything other than God, get over it, for you have your sight set on what is not worthy. This love of God is the great prize of life.
Our love and God’s love
Our love: We love our friends, those we like, those who do kind things for us. But even in our love for them, we usually have limits.
God’s love: He richly loves all, even his enemies, even those who are wicked and ungrateful. And his love is inexhaustible. He loves because it is who he is and what he delights in.