OVERFLOWING RICHES OF HIS GRACE

Romans 5:14-15

Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

If you read the Old Testament, from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, you will see (with the exception of Enoch), everyone died. Did they die because they broke the Law and sinned? Of course not, because the Law wasn't given until the time of Moses -- yet people still died. Why? Because of Adam's sin -- his trespass -- his rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden.

If Adam (the first man and "who was a pattern of the one to come") brought into the world all sorts of problems -- sin, pain, and death -- then how much more grace has God heaped upon us by the "gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ"?

Look at it this way: My wife Sherry is a really good cook, she loves me a lot, and she knows how much I like to eat. At mealtimes she serves me a portion of what she has prepared -- not a frugal, stingy, scrawny little amount, but one so huge my plate is overflowing. Our Father in heaven is even more generous than Sherry -- His portions of grace "overflow to the many"! Jesus heaps the undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor of God upon us all. The first Adam failed -- he let us down. Yet the Last Adam -- Jesus Christ -- has poured out His life for us. Why? Because of the Father's gift of immeasurable love and overflowing grace.

The more I study Scripture, the more I understand what it means to lust, covet, murder, gossip -- and the more I realize how I need to allow the Holy Spirit to conform me into the image of Christ. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try I will never get it right. Does that mean I shouldn't try? Of course not. It just lets me know how much God loves me because He has provided His own righteousness for me in Christ Jesus. Have you accepted God's righteousness? Are you allowing God to do His work in and through you?

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