Grace Abounds More

The abundance of grace exceeds your sin and gives you access to peace with God through Jesus.

“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the LORD…and to obey his laws and commands…the kingdom was at peace under him…since the land was at peace…So they built and prospered. Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands…Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions…Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled,” 2 Chronicles 14:2-12

The lens through which we look at the story is quite different as people of the resurrection, but there is great wisdom in how Asa approached life that can benefit us even today. Asa leveled the land before he built the foundation. He purified and removed anything that could lead people to sin. He destroyed strongholds of sin and places where people would worship false idols. His actions reflected a heart that desired to do what was right in God’s eyes and live in a way that would honor Him.

As he purified the land and called people to follow God fully, God gave him what could never be gained in his own strength. He gave him peace. He gave him rest. Are you at rest? Would you describe your life as peaceful? Is there anything in your life, your daily patterns, or in your heart that you need to remove so you can have more peace? See the order of operations in this story. Purity, peace, then prosperity.

Think about what Asa did not do. He did not do nothing. He did not just keep doing the same old thing. His actions would have been met with resistance. People don’t like change. They do not like giving up their idols. But Asa sought to honor God, and he knew silence was not an option. Is there anywhere you have allowed sin to persist or idols to remain? Why?

Notice that living faithfully to God did not mean Asa’s life would be free from battles. He still had enemies and experienced the effects of other people’s evil ways. You will have battlefields and face bullies, but God will deliver you in your distress. He gives us what we need when we need it. Having hope in the power of God does not mean we will not face hardships. It does mean that we believe He will show up when we need Him.

“Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud…I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you…Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it…my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If my people would only listen to me…only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies…you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalms 81:1-16

Think about this song in light of Jesus. Long before He came, the people sang of how God removed their burdens and freed them. God does not want people who are endlessly begging for relief. Rather, He wants people to walk in wholeness, knowing He removes burdens and His design is for belonging. He wants people to sing not just of His external strength but of the strength of the Holy Spirit that is now within them.

He wants you to be free and feel His presence, but He calls out some issues that can prevent us from drawing close to Christ. He said listen. He said stop lusting or leaving Me for other things you worship. He said let go and learn that I am the only One who can quench every desire. He said stop settling for less than the best that comes when I bless. What barriers do you have in your life right now? Are you taking time to listen to God? Do you love and serve Him alone? Or are you divided, distracted, and stubbornly sticking to your own devices?

“Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? Eat honey, my son, for it is good; Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials, An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:1-34

Look at the connections between Chronicles, Psalms, and Proverbs. Asa got his outside world in order, and in purifying all the places, he prepared room for more of God’s presence. Solomon warns against people who do not do the work needed. He said the people who sleep when they should work will end up with a scarcity mindset. Are you doing the work you know you should do?

Ask yourself if there’s anywhere in your life where you are afraid of not having enough. That is scarcity. Scarcity leads to fear, and fear leads to death. What scarcity is in your heart right now? Where have you let go of hope and grabbed a hold of fear? Hope is like honey. Scarcity is like eating sand.

God said if His people would listen, they would find the finest food. Proverbs is full of wisdom that can feed your soul. Solomon began by warning against envy and gloating over an enemy’s defeat. Think of how opposite our culture is from what wisdom teaches us. How many Instagram highlights show an opponent showing up their enemy? How much does social media create envy and comparison? These are the modern-day high places that need purification. These are the Asherah poles that create lust, seduction, and temptation. Will we be like Asa and get rid of what we know is not good for us, or will we give in to what the flesh desires?

Solomon said each person will be paid back according to their conduct. Your greatest power is your power to choose life or death. Good or evil. Faith or fear. Peace or war. Abundance or scarcity. Solomon extends our boundaries and challenges us to see that all people belong to the kingdom. He said to make sure to see that you were made to save others from slaughter. Avoiding sin is not enough. Asa could have just avoided sin in his own life, but then he wouldn’t have saved a nation. He used his influence to help draw others close to the Almighty. What will you do with your influence? Who will you help?

“I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. The time has come! The day has arrived! They will put on sackcloth and be clothed with terror. Every face will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved. “ ‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin. They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. I will put an end to the pride of the mighty; Then they will know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 7:3-27

Have you ever considered the compassion of God? A God who does not love would not warn people. He would just destroy them. He would send disaster and take delight in their destruction. This is not the God we serve. He does not want even one of us to perish. He does not want anyone to let sin lead to separation.

Never forget John 3:16-17. For God so loved the world that He sent His own Son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life. He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. A passage like this might seem harsh and difficult to understand. But what happens if there is no justice or any consequence for sin? Sometimes it can take pain to get people to finally find the peace that is only found in Jesus.

Ezekiel reminded the people that each person has to choose. He reminded them that God alone saves, and nothing earthly will be useful on judgment day. One of the most loving things God does is warn us that not all roads lead to everlasting life. How will you receive this reminder today? Will it help you course correct?

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 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…overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ…where sin increased, grace increased all the more”Romans 5:1-20

Somebody needs to hear this message today. Somebody needs to know that no matter what you have done or where you have been, you have been made right by the blood of Jesus. Where sin abounds, grace abounds more. The gift is not like the trespass. We live in a world that studies physics and believes in equal and opposite forces, but grace and sin are not equal. Grace wins. Grace abounds. Grace is abundant because God wins every battle, and Jesus Christ defeated death on the cross.

The good news is that Jesus is the One who made everything right with us. We no longer live outside in. There is great benefit in purifying all areas of your life, but Jesus transforms us from the inside out. Then, out of love received, we transform the world around us by the love of Christ that flows through us. An abundant love. An amazing grace. Peace in which we stand. We are not seeking and searching. We have received, and so we give out of hearts freed and burdens already lifted.

The order looks different for us on this side of the cross. We come as we are. Not perfect, holy, or deserving of what we have been given. We stand in grace before our lives are cleaned up. Now we purify because we are free, and we want all the best that God has for us that comes with abiding in His presence.

It is good to remove what steals our attention, feeds our fear, and pulls us away from God. Wisdom teaches us how to walk in that freedom. Do not envy. Do not gloat. Do not live afraid there will not be enough because of a scarcity mindset. Look up and help others. Rescue those led away by sin and separation. Work your fields and till your heart. Do the work God has given you to do in every season.

God does not promise us ease. He tells us we will fight battles, but the hardest times of suffering will only serve to strengthen us. Our battles and belief in God grow as we see Him bring answers when we call in our distress. The strength of your perseverance and character are most formed when you go through the fire, not around it. If you want to be a person of great impact and heavenly hope, you should expect more trials and tribulations, not less.

Hope and wisdom are like honey because they remind us that we are part of something sweeter and greater than we could imagine. The fear of the Lord changes our perspective, and following King Jesus changes how we approach each day. Christ died so we would finally live. What does that mean for you? What is your role in the kingdom of God? We are all saved from something, for something.

God said if my people would listen to me, I would give them the best I have to offer. So take time to listen to the voice of truth and let peace fill you. Peaceful people can bring peace to others. Empty people only bring emptiness. Tear down what needs to come down, then walk as someone who is free. Walk with a song in your heart, rejoicing in the grace in which you now stand. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Like honey on our lips. The best meals are shared, so bring hope to someone who has lost it. Help someone find the grace of Jesus that can remove their shame and help them stand firmly in a battle.

Always remember where sin abounds, grace abounds more. God demonstrated His love for you not because you deserved forgiveness, but because Jesus died for you while you were distant. It never was, nor will it ever be, about what you have done. It is all about what Jesus has done for you because of His great love for you.