Abundance

I am for the message of Grace--utterly and totally. No one with whom I have spoken has a problem with God's grace in their life. They accept it, they preach it, and they know that God is gracious to them.

But here's the issue: Exactly just how gracious is God to us? What type of grace does He offer us?

I find that most people who believe God is gracious to them believe so because they were taught He is gracious. I also see that they tend to believe that grace in their life is some general application of God's goodness--some surface-level, benevolent nature within God to be kind, but with strings attached to the kindness toward you.

No one preaches, and therefore no one hears about abundant grace. I'm talking about overflowingly excessive, crashing-wave, bunker-busting, deepest-pit-filling, grace.

I'm talking about grace that does not keep records of wrongs. It doesn't say "you're forgiven" and then murmur "you better shape-up or ship-out". This grace doesn't remind you of the Laws of God that you've broken--or even might break, if you aren't careful. Instead, this abundant grace only reminds you of God's goodness and kindness--without obligation on your part. Your sin-debt was paid, and you have not been brought into a relationship with God where you have to pay Him back for His kindness to you. He set you free so that you could be totally free. And this Grace doesn't assume you might take advantage of that freedom.

No one says that the supremacy of His grace and kindness far exceeds the repulsiveness of sin. No one says His grace specifically targets our most horrendous acts and darkest deeds. We don't hear that His grace abounds toward us. We believe there are limits—that God's grace cannot excuse the most terrible thing I've done or thought, or am. That's right: this Grace is even not limited by the sinner's nature. His Grace sought you out while you were still hostile to it.

Until you realize and accept as a free gift God's abundant grace toward you and His righteousness for you, you will never know how much He truly loves you.

Consider Romans 5:17: "...those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."

I am like Isaiah, Daniel, and Peter...all who were terrified by God's holiness, but whose sins were atoned for by Christ. I once was under the curse of the Law because of Adam's transgression, but because of Christ's obedience I now am under Grace and have eternal life. The old me passed away with Christ, and I now live as a new creation.

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them...." 2 Cor. 5:19.