“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” –Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT
Do you ever find it difficult to forgive someone repeatedly because they keep repeating the same errors?
Jesus instructs in Matthew 18:21-22 to forgive seventy times seven. If imperfect humans are called to boundless forgiveness, imagine how much more willing our merciful God is to forgive us. His mercy is not limited but rich, overflowing, and lavish.
In Ephesians 2:7, we see the purpose behind God’s work of salvation– to display the exceeding riches of His grace. God is careful to describe the quality of His grace – It is more than sufficient. It is lavish and exceeding! Any idea of grace that falls short of this is not God’s grace. He wants to showcase, for all time, the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us.
The Greek word used to describe the richness of God’s grace is “huperballō,” meaning to surpass or throw beyond the usual mark. Think of it as scoring 200% on an exam with a pass mark of 60%. Lamentations 3:22 shows us that His compassions never run dry; His love is new every morning – This is our God!
The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) shows us that even our shortcomings cannot exhaust the abundant supply of God’s grace. The wisdom of God is that His kindness and generosity will lead to repentance (Romans 2:4).
So many times, we have sinned, but God’s grace picks us up, dusts us, and refines us. Some religious people struggle with the fact that God can show mercy and grace to the worst of criminals, like Saul (Acts 9: 1-6). Jonah struggled to grasp God’s lavish grace and mercy towards the wicked people of Nineveh (Jonah 4:2-4). The truth is no sin or wrongdoing is beyond God’s forgiveness.
Some find this gospel presentation uncomfortable, fearing it may promote misbehavior. However, it aligns with biblical teaching. Romans 5:20–Romans 6:2 urges us to reconcile the idea that grace abounds where sin does without making it a license to sin.
In Matthew 18, the parable of the unforgiving servant highlights our utter vulnerability and God’s abundant grace. In modern terms, the forgiven debt equals about $226 million. Again, if it’s not lavish, it’s not our God.
Dear believer, God’s love is limitless. His grace is rich and without end, and His mercy is lavish – This is our God! And because He loves like this, we ought to be merciful to everyone we encounter.
Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 10