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How Big is Your (and my) Sin?

"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 5:20-21

As people we have a tendency to place a difference on varying degrees of sin.  For example, I feel that it's okay for me to more judgmental, "just," and "fair" when considering punishments for murders, child abusers, rapists, etc. since my sins aren't nearly as severe as those.  Yes, I'll say something I shouldn't say at times, and have thoughts that I shouldn't have, and allow my priorities to get out of line with God's will, but I didn't kill anybody, right? 

A.W. Tozer summed it up, "Sometimes people feel that they are better than someone else because their sin is not quite as terrible.  When it comes to God and His evaluation of sin, sin is still sin, and every sin is covered by God's grace."  Did you get that short segment in the middle, sin is still sin.  God doesn't weigh sin differently as man does.  Does that mean that I'm doomed to the same fate as the murders I mentioned earlier???

God is consistent, never changing, and always faithful.  God's grace matches our degree of sin.  However bad or not so bad we may think a sin to be, He sees it all the same.  Another quote from Tozer reads, "When God said, 'abounded all the more' it does not mean that there are any degrees of God's grace or any progressiveness in God's grace.  God has no degrees, but man does.  This terminology is used for us to grasp and understand that God's grace is bigger than our ability to sin."  Whew, that last line is the lifesaver isn't it? 

When I read that the penalty of sin is death and an eternity in hell, I feel doomed, hopeless, and lost.  I don't want to pay that penalty with my life and have no other way to do so.  But thankfully, for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, our debt has been paid, the penalty is taken care of, and we are given eternal life.  Only an almighty, all-powerful, loving God could and would do such a thing for a sinner like me and you.

So how big is our sin?  Honestly, if we could put it into mankind size, NASA would probably be able to study it from space.  But truth is, if you've placed your faith in Jesus Christ, it doesn't matter.  Because if you've trusted in Him, God's grace will abound all the more.  This is my praise report for today!

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