Super Abounding Grace

Romans 5:15 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Now, there is no comparison between Adam’s transgression and the gracious gift that we experience. For the magnitude of the gift far outweighs the crime. It’s true that many died because of one man’s transgression, but how much greater will God’s grace and his gracious gift of acceptance overflow to many because of what one man, Jesus, the Messiah, did for us!

A gift out of all proportion to the transgressions, all were condemned by Adam’s fall; what exactly has Christ’s death offered humanity? There are those of us that are privy to understanding scripture, we’ve sat in it, studying the individual word origin, diving deep, looking for meaning. I wonder if our attempt to gain knowledge has puffed us up just enough to miss the forest for the trees…

I am reminded again of the squabbling ridiculousness of the church. The church actually has its own language, a linguistic approach to stewarding semantics, relative only to those behind the great curtain hiding the cluttered mess we call leadership. It’s real and it’s dirty. “Blessing” can actually mean screw you, and can magically morph into “launch” without notice, only to swing back to blessing to validate the narrative. We’ve created a need for a Savior right in the midst of our worship gatherings; it’s a wildly perplexing culture of blame and condemnation. In disagreement, we put personal beliefs on trial in attempt to satisfy egocentricity. We dehumanize each other and begin dissection. Why do we do this? Why are we still here? How have we not moved past the sibling rivalry of Cain and Abel? Our knee jerk reaction is to fight to prove worth, and validate victimization. We are not victims! What’s more, we aren’t just victors, we’re housing the hope of glory! It’s time we allow offense to penetrate our hearts instead of allowing the partnership with fear to root and stir up trouble. Concerning the gospel, offense has one purpose, it’s growth; offense is custom made to grip your reality, to break you open in an effort to expand you. If the word inclusion causes offense, simply ask Holy Spirit why, instead of using that as a basis for a divisive call to action to wallow in disapproval of those once honored and loved. It’s time for the church to move beyond the infatuation of having people prove allegiance. If we can’t see our brothers and sisters in the brightest light available, we certainly won’t have the opportunity to steward those unaware of the goodness of God. Heaven protects those still sleeping with a hushed warning, “do not awaken love”, waiting for those of us awakened to pull it together and stand in oneness. But, inclusion seems to be the one thing those seated have the most trouble with.

Let’s go back to Romans 5:15, discuss this disproportionate gift that Christ applied. It’s far better than we know, way better than we’re capable of comprehending. What Jesus accomplished on the cross is outside of our ability to regulate with earthly measure; we cannot control who gets in and we can’t use sin as a keep out sign. That grates against our flesh [Ahem! Our dead and buried selves]. The Trinity is viewing us as we are, their perspective is lofty and true; we are who they say we are. The cross stripped away our old nature; why then is the church discipling herds of people to pridefully work at disabling what has already been finished? It’s an announcement of freedom from sin that has to be agreed with; Jesus didn’t die our death to watch us struggle with identities founded in the slop of swine. Jesus walked the earth as the sin-collector, his death was a final sin-offering allowing God to condemn the works of guilt and the power of sin to death. Working out your salvation is a wrestling match to fully comprehend your freedom in Christ, not to dismantle your sin. That’s been done, Jesus holds the keys to death and the grave, so that we can walk in victory, putting his glory on display. Inclusion isn’t so much theology as it is a christology, a belief that what Christ did is a full and perfect invitation for all.

Romans 5:18-19 The Passion Translation (TPT)

In other words, just as condemnation came upon all people through one transgression, so through one righteous act of Jesus’ sacrifice, the perfect righteousness that makes us right with God and leads us to a victorious life is now available to ALL. One man’s disobedience opened the door for all humanity to become sinners. So also one man’s obedience opened the door for many to be made perfectly right with God and acceptable to him.

As those that have been awakened, we’re invited, no, called, to awaken others to the reality of being included in what Christ has done, hopeful to make the “many” most. If that makes me a Universalist, then so be it, call it what you will. I’d rather go down believing what Christ did set the table for all, that His love reaches the lamb that has strayed the furthest from the Creator. That the God of all creation has the ability to rescue ALL should he opt to; I can’t imagine a Father allowing a gruesome death of His son if it didn’t reach the least of these and everyone in between. Heretical? I’ll carry that too. A faith for all is worth carrying any particular “title” thrown my way.