Grace Greater Than All My Sin

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Nehemiah 8:10-12

The Israelites had returned from seventy years of captivity. They had not heard the Law read in many years. When Ezra read the Word of God and other priests interpreted it so the people understood, the effect was so great that the people began to weep over their sins. Confronted with God’s law, their own lawbreaking broke their hearts.

But after allowing an appropriate time of mourning over sin, the leaders reminded the people to rejoice and celebrate.

“God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21).

God shows us our sin so that we can be freed from it through his grace. His grace rules in our lives.

Are you caught in the awareness of your sin but unable to move on to the wonder of God’s grace? Do you have the notion that it is very spiritual to remain in constant grief over sin? Jesus died and rose again to set you free from your sin so you could enjoy his grace. Acknowledge sin, turn from it, and move on. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Lord, I rejoice in the grace you have poured out in my life.

Grace meets the sinner on the spot where he stands; grace approaches him just as he is. Grace does not wait till there is something to attract it nor till a good reason is found in the sinner for its flowing to him. . . . It was free, sovereign grace when it first thought of the sinner; it was free grace when it found and laid hold of him; and it is free grace when it hands him up into glory.

Horatius Bonar(1808–1889), Scottish churchman and poet