hyper-grace

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:19-21

Sin is an enormous problem, made even more serious by our inability to keep God’s law because of our naturally inherited sin natures. But where sin seems to only increase, Jesus brings forgiveness through a grace much greater than all our sin. Where sin is everywhere present in humanity, through the work of Jesus, grace is now “super-abundantly” available beyond the immense scope of human depravity.

The word Paul creates to describe this is unique to him... a literal hyperbole of theological importance to convey this thought to the world... God’s grace is way more extensive than our sin. It not only abounds.... it “hyper-abounds” so that no sin is beyond the grace of God in Christ. No sin. Think about it... no sin... no genocide... no murder... no assault... no abuse of another... none of these horrible sins are beyond the forgiveness offered in Christ. To Paul this is shown as most important in the way God’s grace erases the permanence of death as the outcome to sin and instead, through belief in the gospel, hyper-grace gives us eternal life in Jesus! THAT is super-abundant grace!

Lord,

You know my sins are many. In thought, in attitude, in my actions... I am a selfish sinner. I deserve the death that my disobedience brings. But I find super abundant grace beyond my sin struggle by faith in Jesus Who died for me. And in His resurrection, by faith in his atoning work, I have eternal life. Thank You, Lord for hyper-grace!

Amen