For the LORD (YHWH) said to Moses (about the children of Israel), “I will come up into your midst in one moment and consume them.” And the LORD (YHWH) spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, “Separate yourselves from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment.” And to Moses He said, “The LORD (YHWH) God, merciful and gracious, long suffering; and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (from Exodus 33:5; Numbers 16: 20, 21; Exodus 34:6) Holiness and love are the attributes of God, the nature of God is holy and love - These work in perfect harmony, perfect measure and perfect unity in justice, love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

        If it would be left completely up to you, would you go into a life of sin or into a life lived under the umbrella of grace? Is your strongest inclinations toward sin or grace ... God or Satan? Do you love sin more than righteousness or righteousness more than sin? Do you love what God hates, or do you hate what God hates? Do you love what God loves? In reality it is left up to you to make the choice.

        Is it not interesting to think that sin’s greatest hour was at Calvary on Golgotha’s place of the skull yet it was at the same time the greatest hour for grace. Holy justice was there, and infinite love was present. They condemned Him as a blasphemer, made Him stand before Herod’s judgment seat, He was “despised and rejected by men” and they “set Him at naught” and mocked Him, “plucked out His hair” and abused Him with their hitting, covered His face with spittle, crowned Him with thrones, insulted Him, applied cruelty, nailed Him to a board ... and then left Him hanging there to die ... What is sin? What is grace?

        “My God, My God, Why  have you forsaken me? … But God who is rich in mercy with which He loved us …”  What does it all mean? What is justice, what is grace?

        What has sin further done ... go to the cemetery ... open a grave ... death ... the sight and the smell, the empty skull and dry bones … sins bring us to death, decay, and food for vultures. Graces comes in, the “valley of dry bones is brought to life” and our condition is no longer one of hopelessness and everything obnoxious in God’s sight. Sin does us an indescribable damage, but grace restores more than sin ever takes from us when we receive it through the cross benefits. We were a child of the devil, now we can be a child of Cod. What a victory for grace, the love of God, the loving kindness and mercy of God Almighty “who is and who shall always be” as God expresses grace and mercy to sinners forgiven.

Do you love Grace more than Sin?

Do you love Sin more than Grace?

        Something amazing happens the greatest sinner becomes the greatest saint. The devil’s greatest soldier becomes the greatest servant of Jesus Christ. Those who loved sin turn to love righteousness. Those who lead many on the road to hell now lead many to heaven. Is not grace amazing or what?

        The man expressed wonder about the value of one man dying for another man ... Someone asked, “Would you die for a cockroach?” ... He answered, “Certainly not!” What a great love it would be if a person would die for a saint, a good person, a righteous person ... but what about dying for a sinner, an ungodly wretch, a vile evil person ... so they could be forgiven and saved? What kind of love does that take, and how much love does it take?

        The prophet ask, “With what shall I come before the LORD (YHWH) and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (from Micah 6:7,8)

        If God was to keep all the blessings of grace, God would not be richer or greater! If God distributed all the blessings of grace that is possible to give, God would not be poorer or less in quality and value. God does not sell grace; God cannot be put under obligation to show grace (from some source outside Cod’s own Being). God is the ALMIGHTY INFINITE GIVER AND FORGIVER! God dispenses grace without money, without price to us, without merit. It is a free gift. WHAT A GIFT!

        The forgiveness of every sin for every sinner that is ever forgiven is directly connected to grace and mercy ... Is that not amazing or what?! And it is a gift! And we cannot offer anything to God of equal value as a recompense or repayment. We can’t buy it or sell it, hoard it or give it to another for God.

        There is no such thing as a person receiving grace who did not really need it. Grace is never given to a person who deserved it by their own standards or merit. No one ever put God under obligation or debt to them to give grace. No one has ever been able to say, “God you owe me!’ No one ever could rightfully say, I removed my own guilt,  I don’t need grace or mercy from God? There will be no person in heaven who did not receive grace (except the children and mentally handicapped), and no person in hell who did not have an opportunity for grace.

        Sin creates “debt” and the “debt” is paid through grace. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12) was the teaching of Jesus. Would it help you if I spelled it out in modem money terms? Let’s put it this way, suppose for every sin you commit you owe God $1,000,000 (actually considering the over-all Biblical picture that figure is too low but sufficient for the illustration). (Sin is costly - Sin will carry you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you will want to pay.) SO, CAN YOU PAY THE DEBT?? How much do you owe God for all your sins? How are you going to pay the debt? God gives grace in the amount needed!!! Grace is available from God when it is needed!

HOW STAGGERING THE DEBT ... HOW AMAZING THE PAYMENT!

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