In its own cruel way, there is nothing that is finally more brutally depressing than a forever hostile sky flooding down constant, battering waves of chilling raindrops that go on and on without end.”
–Clair Huffaker (The Cowboy and the Cossack)
“I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest.”
–Psalm 55:8 (NASB)
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In the past year this country has seen its share of floods. Floods throughout history have been the source of great devastation. Rivers can run rampant bringing destruction and loss of life. A calm stream can quickly become a raging torrent. It is estimated that the Yellow River flood in 1887 brought death to over a million people in China. The worst flood in U.S. history took place in 1889 in Johnstown where over two thousand individuals lost their lives. Add to that tsunamis and storm surges and we see that floods can bring catastrophe. We saw this year in Texas the results of flooding. Rivers brought debris and death as they overflowed their banks–cars, structures and houses, campers, along with animals and humans were caught in the raging water.
I want us to turn to Romans 5:20 and look at a portion of that verse. I’m not a Greek scholar (how I wish I were), so I am borrowing some from Rick Renner this morning.
“…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (NKJV)
The first use of the word “abound,” where sin abounded, Paul uses the Greek word, “plenoadzo”–which means more, something exists in abundance. Sin then grows more in the passing of time. Sin is never stagnant but always increasing and growing–bringing devastation like the flood waters that overwhelm. However, abounded is used again in this verse. Grace “abounded,” is the Greek word, “huperperisseo”–which means something that is growing out of measure, beyond proportion. If sin is flooding, then grace is the fountain of the deep rising up.
Rick Renner paraphrases this verse as such: “For wherever sin exists in abundance, that is precisely the time and place where grace is poured out in a far greater, surpassing quality.” Ponder! Contemplate! Ah, the riches, the superabundance of grace comes to us through Christ. As the floods in nature bring devastation when they overflow their banks the grace of God brings His love, joy, and peace to us. “No banks can hold the flood of grace He is sending in our direction…. The flood of grace will always far surpass the flood of sin and darkness!” (Renner)
I think it is good to look at other translations from time to time to see perhaps a different insight. First is from Henry Harbuck, “But where sin multiplied, [God’s] grace super-multiplied to [the point of] overflowing.” Remember the first “abound” is the growing of sin, multiplying, but then Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit states that even though that happens the abundance of grace is “super-multiplying”! J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God his grace is wider and deeper still!”
It brings to my mind the song of Sunday School in my childhood days: “Deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing, deep and wide.” That’s the grace of God as it is sooo deep and sooo wide. “Not only can sin never exceed the grace provided by God, sin loses its threat when compared to the superabounding grace of God.” (NKJV Study Bible) Grace is far more than sin for grace is eternal. The words of John Chrysostom, that great preacher of the early Church said, [grace brings] “remission from punishment but forgiveness from sin as well.”
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
–Julia H. Johnston
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In the past year this country has seen its share of floods. Floods throughout history have been the source of great devastation. Rivers can run rampant bringing destruction and loss of life. A calm stream can quickly become a raging torrent. It is estimated that the Yellow River flood in 1887 brought death to over a million people in China. The worst flood in U.S. history took place in 1889 in Johnstown where over two thousand individuals lost their lives. Add to that tsunamis and storm surges and we see that floods can bring catastrophe. We saw this year in Texas the results of flooding. Rivers brought debris and death as they overflowed their banks–cars, structures and houses, campers, along with animals and humans were caught in the raging water.
I want us to turn to Romans 5:20 and look at a portion of that verse. I’m not a Greek scholar (how I wish I were), so I am borrowing some from Rick Renner this morning.
“…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (NKJV)
The first use of the word “abound,” where sin abounded, Paul uses the Greek word, “plenoadzo”–which means more, something exists in abundance. Sin then grows more in the passing of time. Sin is never stagnant but always increasing and growing–bringing devastation like the flood waters that overwhelm. However, abounded is used again in this verse. Grace “abounded,” is the Greek word, “huperperisseo”–which means something that is growing out of measure, beyond proportion. If sin is flooding, then grace is the fountain of the deep rising up.
Rick Renner paraphrases this verse as such: “For wherever sin exists in abundance, that is precisely the time and place where grace is poured out in a far greater, surpassing quality.” Ponder! Contemplate! Ah, the riches, the superabundance of grace comes to us through Christ. As the floods in nature bring devastation when they overflow their banks the grace of God brings His love, joy, and peace to us. “No banks can hold the flood of grace He is sending in our direction…. The flood of grace will always far surpass the flood of sin and darkness!” (Renner)
I think it is good to look at other translations from time to time to see perhaps a different insight. First is from Henry Harbuck, “But where sin multiplied, [God’s] grace super-multiplied to [the point of] overflowing.” Remember the first “abound” is the growing of sin, multiplying, but then Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit states that even though that happens the abundance of grace is “super-multiplying”! J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God his grace is wider and deeper still!”
It brings to my mind the song of Sunday School in my childhood days: “Deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing, deep and wide.” That’s the grace of God as it is sooo deep and sooo wide. “Not only can sin never exceed the grace provided by God, sin loses its threat when compared to the superabounding grace of God.” (NKJV Study Bible) Grace is far more than sin for grace is eternal. The words of John Chrysostom, that great preacher of the early Church said, [grace brings] “remission from punishment but forgiveness from sin as well.”
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
–Julia H. Johnston