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Bountiful Grace

People in our consumer culture love to get deals. Marketers try to outdo each other in appealing to potential customers. Sometimes in advertisements, they offer only the most basic aspect of the product and then spend the rest of the time describing all of the regular aspects of that product as “special features.” The sales hook is that all of these advantages are included in the original low low price of just $9.99 or $29.99 or $59.99 or whatever.

From the very start, sin has tried to appeal to people as being the best deal around. It’s naughty, but it’s fun. Your friends will be impressed. Why work hard when you can have what you want by merely cheating a few people and cutting some corners? But that’s not all. In this limited lifetime only, you can be selfish, have all the sex you want, and enjoy the best toys. And still there’s more! Experience life in excess, take it over the top and have the reputation of being the wildest, craziest, most excessive person among your friends. And even that’s not all. You can be your very own god as well. All for the low low price of... your soul.

But when we’re sick of sin, it’s good to know that God’s grace tops anything sin throws at it. No matter what sin we’ve experimented with, trying to find the fulfilment that it so temptingly offered, God says, “I can forgive that.” I’ve spoken with people who think they will shock me with how wicked they’ve been. They often start out with sins that others know about, and I assure them that God can forgive those. One by one they mention other things. Finally, getting to the biggest secret sin in their life. But God offers forgiveness for that, as well.

The apostle Paul described himself as the chief of sinners and he found forgiveness and acceptance, though he had devoted his whole life to fulfilling his proud and selfish ambitions - leading him to be involved in the murder of innocent, honourable followers of Jesus. Looking back on his own experience, this man wrote that “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 5:20]

I’m glad to be able to reinforce the truth presented here, that no matter how great your sin is, God’s grace is greater. There is no sin which you acknowledge as such that God can’t or won’t forgive. That is bountiful grace.

When it comes to experiencing true abundance, there’s a world of difference between the excess which sin offers in this life and the eternal blessings of God’s abundant grace.

Ron Hughes
© August 2008