Lyrics
Verse 1
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving-kindness as the flood,
when the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
throughout heav'n's eternal days.
Verse 2
On the mount of crucifixion
fountains opened deep and wide;
through the floodgates of God's mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
and heav'n's peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love.
Verse 3
In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting
as I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and pow'r on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“Here Is Love, Vast As the Ocean” is a hymn of wonder at Christ’s sacrificial love. Its opening images compare loving-kindness with a flood and identify the Prince of Life as the ransom who sheds his blood. The questions about remembering that love and continuing to sing its praise frame worship as an enduring response to redemption.
At the crucifixion, mercy, grace, peace, and justice are pictured as abundant waters flowing toward a guilty world. This imagery closely reflects the biblical connection between Christ’s blood, forgiveness, and the riches of divine grace. The final verse becomes a prayer for direction through the Spirit and the Word, confessing dependence upon grace rather than human sufficiency. Its older devotional language gives the song the character of a classic hymn, while its central message remains direct: God’s boundless love is revealed at the cross, received through trust, and answered with lasting praise. The movement from Christ’s completed ransom to the believer’s continuing formation holds redemption and discipleship together.
Related Scripture
- Ephesians 1:7-8 Redemption through Christ’s blood displays the riches of God’s grace.
- Psalm 36:5-7 God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are described as vast and precious.
- Romans 5:8-9 Christ’s death demonstrates God’s love and brings justification through his blood.