Extravagant Grace

Last week I started a new series entitled “The Miracle That Is Grace” and we explored ‘The Perfect Law of Grace’ and then ‘Absolute Grace’. Today we will be examining ‘Extravagant Grace’. When it comes to grace sufficiency isn’t enough because extravagance is God’s ultimate goal!

Note the seven superlatives in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (NIV)

God’s grace is inexhaustible, limitless and supernatural. He is the Almighty, who has all power and all authority! And His great love is all encompassing. He does not single out a select few or create “bless-me” clubs. 1 Peter 1:17 says, “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favourites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do.” Whatever God does He does without prejudice - He is not a “respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).

What’s truly astounding about God’s grace is that’s He has made it available to all humanity. Yet, even if every person on the planet was to draw down this divine resource, it could never be exhausted or depleted. For there is always ‘more than enough’ grace available to rescue anyone and everyone! Having received His grace, you are now the steward of an inexhaustible resource. A resource from an everlasting Source!

Nevertheless, because God’s grace has been extended toward you, and all of humanity, He expects you and all of humanity to think the way He thinks. Psalm 22:27, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him.” God always thinks in terms of “all.” Psalm 145:8-10, “The Lord is gracious and kind-hearted, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord.”

Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples.” Joel 2:28, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Zephaniah 3:9, “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” Can we really comprehend the all-encompassing view God has of mankind? Maybe Isaiah 45:23 will help us see this better. “Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will confess.” All also means every!

And let's not forget the New Testament… Luke 3:6, “All humankind will see God's salvation.” John 12:32, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.” Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”, but notice is also says, “all are justified freely by his grace....” 1 Timothy 4 :10, “We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.”

God's extravagant grace is extended to all - and all are expected to respond accordingly! There are people who believe in grace for themselves but not for everybody. Yes, there are consequences to our actions, but there is no action or deed that will make God stop loving you or me. In fact, there’s no bad deed done that will stop God loving every human being. Such is the love of God that He sent Jesus to the cross to die for mankind. God has loved us from the very beginning - and God will continue to love us now and forever more. His love is truly abounding! Exodus 34:6 declares, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Superabundance is never a problem with God. He is able! And everything He does, or provides, is great! Acts 4:33, “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony … and great grace was upon them all.” Another translation says, “…and superabundant grace was upon them all.” Whatever you receive from God is intrinsically great. And this includes His grace!

Grace is a great, superabundant and abounding activity of God towards undeserving people like you and me. It empowers us with desire, ability and resources to live as God intended. Grace is an extravagant pursuit of God! The Lord wants us to stand firm in the waterfall of His amazing grace - not a stream or a fountain, but a waterfall of His grace. This is more than we can ever imagine! Three times in His word God promises to give us “more grace” (Prov. 3:24, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).

More grace empowers you and upholds you. More grace sustains you and carries you. More grace is how you receive “every good and perfect gift.” More grace is how you “live and move and have your being.” Without the extravagant grace of God you do not have the capacity to live a life that’s pleasing to Him. In fact, according to Ephesians 2:1-3, without God’s grace you are “deadman walking!” “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live…” Now, because of grace you are alive in Him, and live the superabundant life Jesus promised.

Whatever your need, and whatever measure of God’s grace your need demands, there is more than enough grace available (no matter how bad the circumstances). Note, grace is most visible in the timeline of your rescue – where God gets all the glory. And the timeline is simply where God’s grace meets your helplessness! The moment you do not have the strength or ability to act, His amazing grace comes to the rescue. “For His strength is made perfect when you are powerless.”

God is more extravagant with His love than with any other divine attribute. And, like His Father, Jesus is also extravagant with His love for you and for me. Whether we speak of His grace or His mercy, His sacrifice or His many gifts to us; His activity in our past, or His plan for the future; all of it is extraordinary and very humbling because He loved us first. This serves to highlight our Saviour's wonderful and extravagant grace.

It is His grace that brings us unmerited value and worth in the eyes of God. It is His grace that extends to us that which is deserved only by Him. “…That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” – Colossians 1:10.

“Worthy” is a word we can easily stumble over. In so many ways we may not feel “worthy” of the name Christian (follower of Christ). But that is not how Paul uses the word. Remember, he is not talking about earning or deserving God's favour. The word “worthy” here implies “worth as much as.” Paul is saying that your “walk” is worth as much as (has as much value as) that of the Lord's when He was here! The Lord’s grace (given to us) is unbelievably extravagant. It doesn’t just cover our sin, but it transforms us into vessels who have significant value (priceless) to Himself and to His Father.

Through the grace of God your life on earth (your walk) is supernaturally charged with a life that has exceeding value to God. Not only that, but your life is permeated with the very nature of God Himself! “And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption.” 2 Peter 1:4. Our extravagant God has given us His ‘divine nature’, and what’s more, He is able to make all grace abound, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will prosper in every good work.”

Chris Demetriou, 08/03/2009