God's Much More Grace in Christ — Bob Hoekstra

Well, our study for this morning is about God's much more grace in Christ. And that phrase, much more, is not just an idea I came up with, it's a key phrase out of Romans chapter 5 where we'll be studying.

Romans chapter 5, verse 17, God's much more grace in Christ. Let's pray together about our study. Lord, how we need your grace day by day in our lives, in service of you, in growth, in fellowship, at work.

We need much more grace than we've ever yet tasted or seen or known of. And we thank you that that's what is available. Lord, we thank you for the Holy Spirit given to guide us into all the truth. And Lord, we pray for insight from above this day, and not insight alone, but the unleashing of the power of the Word of God by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds, working in us, Lord, both to will and to do of your good pleasure.

We thank you that you are committed to your people, your will, your work, and that you work through your Word. And we pray that you'd even pour out your Holy Spirit in mighty measures now, and just do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think.

We pray in Jesus' name, amen. God's much more grace in Christ. God's grace certainly fits that phrase, much more. God's grace is much more than any of us individually or collectively have ever yet understood.

It's more than we have ever yet experienced, though we may have experienced great measures of the grace of God. The grace of God is much more than is needed for a victorious day-by-day Christian life, fruitfulness available by that much more grace.

Also, the grace of God is much more than the effects of sin in our lives or others, and that's a huge matter. That's a huge matter. Stack up all the sin in the world and the sin that's impacted our lives or that we've stumbled into and through.

Think of it. God's grace is much more than that. Also, God's grace is much more than simply and only forgiveness. God's grace does provide forgiveness, and without it we would never be able to know the true and living God.

But the grace of God is much more than that. As the Lord will help us and guide us here, we'll examine these issues basically using one verse and see that it describes the root of all of man's problems.

You could say the reason for all of his defeats. But on the other hand, this verse also describes the fountain of all of God's remedies, or we could say the resources for all of God's victories that we desperately need in our lives.

Now that's a lot of implication in one verse, but that's the kind of verse this is. Some of you who may know me a bit know I love to search out the Scriptures and find verses that are huge in their import, though they might be very few in their words.

There are a lot of verses like that in the Scriptures, where you can sort of just get a panorama of the whole kingdom of heaven graciously packaged in like one sentence or two. God is so good to do that.

Life gets so big and overwhelming and so complicated, but the realities of what it's all about and what we need is astoundingly simple, not meager, just simple, abundant, but not complicated. Romans 5 .17 is such a verse.

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more, there's that phrase, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

First matter in this verse, the reason for all of the defeats of human beings and humanity in general, really the root of all of man's problems gathered up in this one statement. For if by the one man's offense, this of course is speaking about Adam's sin and rebellion.

When Adam sinned, the impact upon his life, his household as Eve joined in, enormous. In the day you sin, you'll die. Of course, he didn't perish physically immediately, but spiritually he did. He had walked with the Lord in the cool of the evening in the garden that God had provided.

After sin came, rebellion came, transgression came, trespass of the will of God came, God called for him in the garden and he ran and he hid, spiritual deadness of the heart. All of this is what was passed on to all of Adam's children.

Those who share the life that Adam fell into and was passed along generation to generation, it all traces back. For if by the one man's offense, death reigned. And that's the huge issue. The reign of death, the rule of death over Adam and Eve, their children and their children's children right down to us and everyone along the way who was born naturally of human parents into a share of human life that was a fallen, sinful, rebellious family.

Because of that, death reigned through the one. What a consequence. And really, they had given in to the temptations of the evil one. 2 Corinthians 4 .4 calls him the God of this world. And he's not a real God, he's a would-be God.

There's only one true and living God who lives forever and reigns forever. But this one is a usurper. He wants to take the throne of God. And he announced, I will be like the Most High God. And he thought he should have a throne like God.

He went into the garden and invited humanity, at that time just Adam and Eve, to follow after him. In John 10 .10, he's called the thief. The thief comes only to rob, to kill, and to destroy. Here, the term that is used to personify him, death reigned through the one.

Death reigned. This is why lives get so messed up. Sometimes we wonder, how did I get in a mess like this? It's the reign and rule of death. Not just a principle, though that reality hits us, that when we began as sinners, we were dead in trespasses and sins.

Not just the concept alone, but an actual ruler who can be called death. Who can be called the thief. Who can be called the devil. Even Satan. This is why lives get in such a tragic mess. Before I came to know the Lord, though I grew up in a godly home, I didn't respond to the things of God early on.

And by the time I was in my mid-twenties, my life was a distinctive mess. Really, I cannot think of any area of life that was not messed up. And, you know, some people foolishly thought I was a pretty nice person.

But, you know, God kept convincing me year after year after year, right up until the crescendo of conviction crushed me, that I was a rotten sinner. Selfish, in me, no good thing dwelled. And my life was a mess on every front.

I didn't realize it from age 15 to 25, when I plunged into the world, I didn't realize that death was reigning over me. I actually had a huge mistake. I thought I was in charge, you know. And I could trumpet my testimony, you know.

I'm a captain of my salvation. I'm in charge of my ship. Yeah, and it was sinking. It was in desperate states. That's why families get so messed up, so defeated. Why argumentation and alienation and separation and divorce and cruelty.

How does this happen? For if by the one man's offense, death reigned through the one, the enemy took advantage of Adam in temptation, and Adam was not walking, staying close with God and away from the enemy, hanging around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

He was told not to touch, and here comes the hissing serpent, as it was made visual and physical. The presence of the enemy to tempt him to rebellion. Why do nations get so devastated? I mean, you look at the nations of the world.

Every nation on this planet is going through tragic and traumatic impossibilities. Every nation, including our nation. Our nation is very blessed, and I think you can trace the blessing to the heritage of the Word of God, the promises of God, and even back to Genesis, you know, that God called Abraham out, and He'd make a great nation of him, and He would bless him, and bless all nations through him, and bless those who blessed that people, and curse those who cursed them.

And the Word of God, the Gospel, and the presence of salt and light in the church, in our history, and yes, much contrary, not politically correct to even consider it, let alone say it, but a phenomenal biblical, spiritual, born-again heritage in this land.

And we've been blessed, but there's a lot of carnality, there's a lot of compromise. The churches, many are getting weaker and weaker, less salt, less light. We've got all kinds of troubles in this land.

But join the human race. That's the way it is in every nation on this planet. Political parties, fighting. We even had a heritage where there might have been disagreement, but there was civility, and there was respect, and there were actually statesmen, you know?

People dedicated to the best common good of all. Where have they gone? There are fewer and fewer of them. What's that all from? Death reigning. And the nations of the world, the Lord's let me travel and minister His Word a lot over the last 30, 40 years.

And, boy, there are some huge problems out there in the nations of the world. And you see them in the headlines. You can see it in the Sudan with what they call civil war. There's nothing very civil about it.

Really, it's kind of godless, false religions trying to persecute the Christian or the Christian heritage segment. And it's brutal, and children are kidnapped and sold, and men, women, and children annihilated.

But it's not just the Sudan. It's not just the Sudan. The Middle East, turmoil there. And, oh, the diplomats and the negotiators and the talkers, you know, and all the ideas, and it's going to be better, you know, where we can talk this thing through.

No, we can't. No, we can't. Ultimately, there will not be peace till the Prince of Peace is here upon this planet. Oh. You looking forward to that? Me too. But meanwhile, there can be peace in our hearts.

There'll be no full victory till the conquering king rides back in on the scene and sets up his kingdom. But we can walk in victory. Nations devastated. Terrorism around the world explodes in certain places, and the battle's engaged.

But, you know, people who will not only kill others, but will kill themselves, and not only kill others, but kill those who aren't what you would call soldier combatants, you know, just general citizenry.

Why? To spread terror, you know. It's one of the enemy's vicious tactics to terrorize people. All of these things, they come from death reigning over the human family. For if by the one man's offense, death reigned through the one.

This tyrant dictator dominating every life that has only been born once physically into the human race. Therefore, that person who's only been born once can only draw upon Adam's kind of life. In fact, Romans 5 says the human race is connected to Adam, spiritually speaking.

He's sort of the first leader, and he led us into death and defeat. And all connected to that leader are in the state and consequence that Adam fell into, where death is reigning. And if you're only born once, you can only draw upon a natural life, a fallen life, a sinful life, an inadequate life.

And then the symptoms of that spiritual death and deadness that the reign of death brings to sinners comes out in all kinds of ways. Dishonesty, fear, deceit, greed, brutality, prejudice, pride, and it goes on and on.

And all of that is because human beings are alienated from God who is life. The remedies of the world try to come at these problems. Many philosophies, many programs, many plans, many ideas. Self-improvement, that's what most of them are.

Self-help, kind of a popular terminology. They're anchored in humanistic philosophies, psychological theories. Try harder, do your best, positive self-talk, all that stuff. It's like shooting ping-pong balls at a charging rhinoceros, you know.

Here comes the rhino, I think I'm in trouble. And well-intended human beings standing near giving us weaponry and, you know, spit wads through straws and rubber bands and paper clips. And then the heavy-duty guys come, you know, with all their self-talk.

And then you're, you know, popping out ping-pong balls. Not even a chance of help in that. The remedies of the world and, sadly, too often the remedies of the church world. They're drawing upon the wrong resource.

What is that? Adam's resource. The result, death still reigns. Oh, you might get a readjustment of the symptoms. You know, there are a lot of symptoms you can observe as death is coming on, you know. But death is death no matter what the symptom you're paying attention to.

The root of all of the problems of humanity. By the one man's offense, death reigned through the one. Through our connection with Adam, Satan himself, who comes only to rob, kill and destroy, is ruling over people's lives.

And one of his greatest, most popular and effective tactics is to suggest to people that he doesn't even exist. Is that a clever tactic? How can I move about unobstructed? How about get people to believe I don't even exist?

Hey, if I don't exist, they'll be paying no attention. They won't be looking for a true remedy. I'll just march in and play my game, reign over their lives with my death. And that's what he does. That's the root of all of man's problems.

That's the reason why there's such deadness and defeat upon this planet Earth. But far beyond this, the verse deals with the fountain of all of God's remedies. The resources for all of God's victory for individual humans and all who will come unto Him.

And it's described in the next phrase. Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. Those who receive. God's remedies are for those who will receive them.

They're available to all. Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, Jesus said, and I will give you rest. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

His remedies are available to everyone. But they are enjoyed by whom? By those who receive. Two things are mentioned here that people need. Two things in the spiritual kingdom that are of God and found in Christ.

And they bring God's remedy over all this devastation of sin and death that's in Adam's family. Those who receive. Let's look at the one of these two that every Christian has. That's the gift of righteousness.

See, two things. Much more those who receive. Abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. Abundance of grace is needed along with that gift of righteousness. One every Christian has. Let's talk about that one first.

The other one is available to every Christian but not every Christian is receiving the other one. The one every Christian has. The gift of righteousness. It's really what sets us apart as Christians. It's what makes the life in Christ not a religious life but a relational life.

Life is found in the Lord. Righteousness is from the Lord. Religion is about self-righteousness. Think about that. The religions of the world. How to earn heaven. Be better, do better, try harder. You've got to do this, you've got to do that.

That's all self-righteousness. It's trying to manufacture something that will be accepted by a holy righteous God. Children of God, true Christians, followers of the Lord Jesus, those who find the remedy to get out from under the reign of death in Adam is the gift of righteousness.

It's not a procedure unto righteousness. It's not, say, so many prayers and certain kind of prayers or go to such and such a building or adopt such and such a creed to confess. It's a gift from a person to a person.

The person who needs it, you and me. Everyone on earth. The person who has it to give the gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian has the gift of righteousness. They've received it. How do you make a gift that's offered yours?

You receive it. You mean the Lord Jesus died for me? That I might have forgiveness of sins? New life in Christ? Yes. It's for those who receive that. Lord Jesus, come be my Lord and Savior. I accept your gift of salvation purchased on the cross.

Philippians 3 .9 speaks of us Christians not having a righteousness of our own that comes through the law. Doing your best to measure up to the standards of God's holy law. But a righteousness which is through faith, which comes from God.

That's what's being spoken of here. It's a gift. That's where a new birth is found. Lord, come into my heart and life. Give me a new life. Birth in me a new spiritual life where I only had fallen, sinful, earthly, physical existence before.

And if you're with us in this study time and you have not received that gift of righteousness, that's what God is pleased to give you and that's what your heart is aching for. And until you have this gift, you're dead in trespasses and sins and death reigns over you.

But listen, that's where we all started. Sometimes those without Christ in their life go into a church meeting and they're looking around thinking, Boy, I don't know how to act around all these people.

Just act like you. Because we're like you. Oh no, no, I'm a guilty sinner. Yeah, we were too. Really the only difference between some of us and you is some of us have received this gift of righteousness.

It's a gift. It's a gift. We didn't earn this. We're not good people that God found out in that bad world and said, Oh boy, I would give to have them in my family. No, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The wages of sin is death. We don't deserve here to be gathered as the children of God singing praises to his name and boasting in the Lord. Who are we to think and walk like that? We are the redeemed, the forgiven, the born again, the cleansed.

We have the gift of righteousness. We stand before God not on our own performance but on the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous one. According to Ephesians 1, we are accepted in the beloved.

Our access to heaven above and God's family here on earth below is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you've never received him and the gift of righteousness, I encourage you, do it right now. Do it right now.

There's no better time than the moment. In fact, you can only do this in a given moment. You can't do it in the past. You can't think, well, it'll happen in the future. You don't know you have a future.

You do know you have right now. And today is the day of salvation. Everyone here that got saved, got saved in what was at that moment a today. You know? You can't get saved before today. It's gone. If you're not saved, today is the day.

And if you're waiting for tomorrow, that can always be a day away. Just say, Lord Jesus, forgive me a sinner. Take me out from under the reign of death that's on the sinful human race. And I receive that gift of righteousness, forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can do that right in your heart right now. The Lord's looking on hearts. Oh, yeah, at a time and place, you could walk an aisle or after a meeting or sit down and pray with someone. But you can do it right where you sit, right from your heart.

God, here's your plea, and I encourage you. Come on in this family. It's so good to be among the living. It's so good to be among the living. But the gift of righteousness is not the only matter God has offered to remedy this reign of death in Adam's family around the world, humanity.

There's also the abundance of grace. Every Christian has the gift of righteousness, and you might say, well, you kept saying that. How do you know that? Well, it's one of those things, if you just flip it the other way, it's so obvious it answers itself.

If you don't have the gift of righteousness, you have to stand on your own righteousness before the Lord, and you're not a child of God. If you are a child of God, it's because you have this righteous acceptance in Christ that came to you as a free gift.

Well, that brings us in the family of God. But there's another matter needed for day-by-day victory. This is about new birth, that gift of righteousness, or as the Scriptures would call it, justification.

Being declared in a moment of trusting in the Lord. God saying, I justify you. I declare you not guilty because your sins are paid for with my Son, and they're washed away forever. That's justification.

That's new birth. That's starting out with God. But there's another matter. You could put it in kind of a, you know, maybe a tongue-in-cheek question. Is there life after new birth? Some Christians are real seriously asking that question.

Yes, there is, and it's all wrapped up in this other matter. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life.

There's that matter of abundance of grace. What's that for? Well, it is the grace of God that gave us the gift of justification, but that's just like openers, like starters. That's like stepping through the door into a room, really, into a heavenly kingdom.

Well, what else is in there? Abundance of grace. Yes, we do need the grace of God that forgives our sins. Ephesians 2a, for by grace you're saved through faith. But this verse is talking about reigning in life, not just getting forgiven and started out in the kingdom of heaven.

Reigning in life. Being a victorious Christ-like overcomer day by day at home and work and wherever. This requires abundance of grace. How do you get it? Same way you got the gift of righteousness. Much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life.

It's something to receive. Again, how do you do that? Don't we ask that question a lot? How do you do that? I was teaching on grace once and a student came up with a perplexity. Well, how do you do grace?

And he instantly said, that can't be the question. That was very discerning of him. No, it's how do you live victorious? You live by grace. We'll talk in a while about how simple that is to walk in. Abundance of grace.

That's what we need. Not only grace for forgiveness, but grace for maturing. Grace for guidance. Grace for transformation of life. Grace for equipping. Grace for fruitfulness. Grace for good works. Grace for the hurdles in the race.

The battles in life. The difficulties, the obstacles, the impossibilities. Grace for responding to opportunities. Grace for knowing how to even view things like a devastated, death-tormented planet. We need grace for all those things.

Really, this is the matter of sanctification. Progressive daily growth. Sanctification. Being set apart more and more and more for the will of God. The work of God. Fellowship with God. Fruitfulness unto God.

All of that is to take place by the work of God's grace in and through our lives. God's grace is not just His willingness to patiently, forbearingly, kindly receive us forgiven in Christ. That is grace, and that's glorious.

But grace is also undeserved enablement. Undeserved supply for actually living. It's not just that God has a graciousness about Him. And oh, He does. He hangs in there with us. He'll receive us. He'll bear with us.

Time and time again, He'll teach us. He's patient. He's long-suffering. But His grace is also a poured-out provision. It's not just a place in His family. It's a person who gives to us what we need for day-by-day growth in life.

And we're called here by implication to receive abundance of grace. Meager measures of grace, meager measures of growth, of fruit, of victory. But abundance of grace is available. Abundance. And those who receive abundance of grace along with that gift of righteousness, they will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

They'll reign in life. They'll be spiritually victorious. They'll be spiritual overcomers in the realm of life. Reign in life. What a difference. Having death reign over you or learning how to reign in the realm of life.

Life, what's that? It's what is innate to God. Reigning in a life that He's giving us that is more and more like Him because it flows from Him. Well, wonder what that would look like. Well, how about love?

Joy? Peace? Wisdom? Victory? It's drawing on and displaying really the very life of Christ in us. It's a life that is not manufactured by man, but it is poured out by God to man. It's a life that's not dictated by what goes on around it.

It's a non-circumstantial life. One of the brothers, when I came this morning and greeted, he gave a little tongue-in-cheek remark about not living under the circumstances. He remembered a story I told once of one Christian meeting another one, and one Christian said to the other, how are you doing?

And the second one said, well, pretty well under the circumstances. And the first one said, what are you doing living under there? You know, according to Ephesians, we are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I guess in the ultimate sense, we could say things are looking down. We're seated with Christ. We're kind of seeing how it looks from His perspective, you know? Jesus lived a completely non-circumstantial life.

His testimony was, I always do those things that please the heavenly Father. Think of the different things He went through in His life, whether He was raising the dead, healing the sick, or being spit at, lied about, crucified.

He said, I always do those things that please the heavenly Father. Well, that is a victorious life par excellence. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life.

It's about where are you getting your life? Is it from Adam and his succeeding generations? Or is it from Christ? There are only two sources to choose from. And that's the way the scriptures present it.

There's one man we're all connected with, Adam. And it's unto sin and death. And death reigns over that family. But there's another man to follow. There's another man to get connected with. There's another man to draw a new kind of life from.

And that man is the perfect man who was the eternal son of God. And reigning in life is, notice it, through the one, Jesus Christ. God's not sitting back far off in heaven above, looking at our struggle on earth below, wondering, you know, do you think you can conquer?

What a despair that would bring. No, He's there ready to pour out this gift of righteousness to bring us into a new life in Christ. And then an abundance of grace to build and develop that life in Christ.

Reigning in life is all about who you're connected to for your life source. Through our relationship with Jesus, our trust in Christ, all He did, who He is, and what He wants to provide for us, that's how we reign in life.

That's where we find victory. Everyone on earth, that would include us, by the way, everyone on earth, is either drawing upon Adam, number one, Adam, and they're being ruled by death, or they're drawing upon the life that's in Christ and they're learning to reign in that life.

Those are the only options. People say, well, why only two options? Well, because one is wrong and one is right. What would a third one be? Irrelevant? There are only two. And that's as it should be. Reigning in life is through the one, Jesus Christ.

Think of it, believers, most of us I know are Christians, disciples of Christ. Think of it. This is why it's so deadly to walk according to the flesh. What is the flesh? That's Adam's human resources.

Everyone on earth has it. We got it by natural birth. When we take charge ourselves that we're going to make life happen, even if we're born again Christians, a deadness reigns over us. Not a condemnation to hell.

That's settled because we have the gift of righteousness. But if we're not drawing on the abundance of grace that's in Christ, that is living by His Spirit, deadness will reign over us. And we all know what that's like.

This is not theoretical. This is propositional truth that is lived out every day by each one of us. We either choose life in Christ or we choose deadness out of our own resolve, will, or cleverness, or schemes, or you name it.

And think of this. Think on this phrase for a minute. Much more. Right in the middle of the verse. For if by the one man's offense death reign through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

Picture this. The magnitude of the tragedy, the agony, the sin and death and despair for those that are only connected with Adam's natural fallen life and death has been reigning over them through their life and they're on a planet where death has been reigning for thousands of years.

How much unrighteousness, how much defeat, how much despair, how much bondage does that represent? Take our own lives. The years before we came to Christ. How much sin, how much guilt, how much condemnation, how much failure.

Oh, mine was being weighed by the tons as I was found wanting without Christ. That's the reality to which this little phrase much more is addressed. For if by the one man's offense death reign through the one.

Okay, that's all of that devastation. Much more. Now here's something that's bigger than that. Here's something that's not just an inch more or a pound more, but it's much more. The victory and provision of grace and righteousness we find in Christ is way, way more than all the devastation that we experienced and contributed to in Adam.

That only gives us hope personally, but if anyone comes to us for help, here's their hope. And I'd say, well, I'm ministering to this person and it just looks impossible. I mean, they've got so much of the reign of death in their life.

Well, you know the remedy is much more than what they're facing. For if by the one man's offense death reign through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

Okay, in conclusion, how do you live this way? How do you live by the grace of forgiveness in Christ and then abundance of grace for an ongoing developing life of victory? How do you live that way? How do you live by an abundance of grace?

Keep receiving it. Every day. Start out each day this way. When you're stretched and sense defeat or perplexity and possibility through the day, again turn to the Lord, crying out for abundance of grace for the situation.

Really, it's about a life of humble dependence upon the Lord. The victory is through the one Jesus Christ. It's not something we manufacture or muster up. It's realities given by grace from a gracious Lord and Master.

Humble dependence. That's right. Humility and faith. That's how life is to be lived. James 4 .6 says, God is opposed to the proud but He gives grace to the humble. You can't earn grace. It's no longer grace.

Grace must be given. And to whom does God give it? The humble. Boy, how do you do that? It isn't how do you do it. It's do you agree with God or not? If you agree with God concerning what He said about you, and same for me, then you're willing to walk humbly with your God.

Sinful. No righteousness in us that's innate. Every good thing must come from God. If that's your confession, you're willing to walk humbly with your God. It's an expression of need. Lord, I desperately need what this verse offers.

But not just humility. Humility concerning ourselves. Lord, I'm a needy person. But faith. Romans 5 .2 says that it's through faith that we access this grace in which we stand. Trusting in the Lord. Not only saying I'm needy, but Lord, I see you're a bountiful supplier.

I'm going to trust in this truth. Faith accesses grace. You tell the Lord you're in great need. Oh, He wants to pour out grace upon you. You enter into that grace by saying, Lord, I'm trusting you to supply what I need on these matters.

That's pretty simple, isn't it? What a kind God. He just wants us to admit our need and trust that He is the supply of our need. You know, a relationship. Not a religion. A relationship. And that's what this is all about.

Because reigning in life is through the one Jesus Christ. Oh, much more grace. Brethren, there's much more than we've ever yet heard of, ever thought of, ever tasted, or will ever need to find victory and fruitfulness in life on this earth below while we're being prepared for heaven above.

Well, let's talk to the Lord about this in prayer, shall we? Lord, we are so grateful for your glorious grace. We are so needy of that grace. We thank you for grace that forgives our sins and offers to us the gift of righteousness, an acceptable standing before a holy God, all through Jesus Christ.

And Lord, we thank you for abundance of grace that's now available. Bountiful, abounding, over-flooding, overflowing grace. Oh, Lord, keep reminding us to think and live that way, in humble dependence upon you, in humility admitting our desperate need, but by faith counting on your provision.

Lord, this is life to us. This is glory to you. And this prepares us to address others with a living hope of God at work on their behalf. So, Lord, lead us in this path day by day, and we bless your name for it.

In Jesus' name, amen.