“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Romans 5:20 (NKJV)
How gracious and forgiving is God exactly? When I lived in Norway, I came across an interesting cultural phenomenon. It took me a few times to finally pick up on it, but I noticed that often at social gatherings when I would go over to the table where there was food, towards the end of the evening, for some reason, whether it was the plate of brownies, the bowl of cookies, or the beautiful platter on which the freshly baked cake was originally placed, there was almost always one piece left no matter what it was. It turns out; this was no coincidence. It’s a cultural understanding, which by the way is found in many other countries as well that it is impolite to take the last slice of cake or whatever the food may be. The idea is that no one wants to deprive anyone else of the opportunity to have their share. So what happens is that even though there may be someone who would like to have that last piece, that person will resist that desire out of consideration for others.
When it comes to God and the topic of forgiveness, many people feel as though they need to fix up everything in their lives before they can come to God because of fear that God couldn’t possibly receive them the way they are. In a sense, there is some truth to that. Sin cannot exist in the presence of a righteous God. But what makes it possible for us to come to God in our time of need, is grace. And the good news is that we don’t have to worry about that ever being in short supply. Romans 5:20 tells us: Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. And for persons like you and me, in need of God’s grace, that’s what I call good news. Now just in case you might be wondering just how gracious and forgiving God is exactly, I’ll give you a clue. God is so gracious that there was a prophet in the Bible who accused God of being too gracious! You can read his story in the book of Jonah. So be encouraged today, God’s grace is sufficient, and it is in abundant supply.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for making your grace available in such an abundance that we can come to you without ever having to worry about your shelves being empty. We thank you for your forgiveness. Amen.
By: Pastor Andrew Campbell
