Romans 5:20 - God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant.
One of God's awesome qualities (and there are too many to count), is His unending love for us, His children. Since He first created man, He has given us chance after chance to be made right by Him. It's true that He has punished some for their transgressions, but He has to. He can't let sin go unchecked.
But our chances at redemption far outweigh anything else in abundance. Jesus' words in the Gospel of John tell us that the enemy comes to take us away from God's love by stealing, killing, and destroying our joy and hope, but that God has come to give us life abundantly (John 10:10). Because He loves us. He gave us a demonstration of that love by going to the cross and taking our sins upon Himself.
We all sin. That's been part of the human condition since Adam and Eve tore into the apple in the Garden of Eden. But God has repeatedly given us a way out since then. He could have easily destroyed Adam and Eve for breaking the one rule He gave them. But He didn't. He gave them clothes to wear and allowed them to live (Genesis 3:21).
David, who is known as a man after God's heart, repeatedly wrote of God's faithful and enduring love. 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 117:2, and all of Psalm 136 (among many others) remind us that God loves us faithfully and eternally.
When we sin and separate our selves from God, He doesn't give up on us. He gives us numerous opportunities to confess and repent of our sins and return to Him. That's abundant grace. That's abundant love. It's very easy for us to think, "Well I screwed up, there's no way He will take me back now." But that's simply not true. Paul told us that God is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). I love how he used the words, "far more abundantly beyond." That's first century language for way way way way way way more than we could ever think possible.
He has showed that to us throughout human history. The recurring theme in the old testament when God's people messed up was God repeatedly showing His love to His chosen people to bring them back to Him. Whenever they messed up, He kicked it up a notch to show them that He loved them more than they could screw up. He sent Jesus to show them, and all of us, what we had been missing.
That doesn't sound like a God that just likes to strike people down when they make mistakes. That sounds like a gracious Father that loves His children enough to discipline them when He needs to, but show them even more love after He does so.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me when I was separated from You. Thank You for increasing Your love for me so that I couldn't help but feel it and recognize it for what it was. I have been blessed by Your unfailing and enduring love, and I pray that I will remain in Your love forever. I pray for those that haven't felt Your love in their hearts and their lives. My prayer is that You will increase Your love, so that they can no longer ignore how great You really are, and how great Your love really is. I pray that they will confess their sins, and return to Your loving arms for eternity. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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