It is easy to grow pessimistic in our world. We see trouble on the streets, trouble in families, impossible situations everywhere. I want to encourage you today that there is nothing new under the sun, and God has a powerful answer to all of today's struggles, fears, and heartache.
"But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" Romans 5:20
Paul's world was a disaster. Corruption was everywhere. Integrity was hard to find. Persecution and attacks on him personally abounded. He went through trials, struggles, and difficulties that you and I pray we never see but to the Romans he said, where sin is growing, grace will grow even more.
The word Paul uses for "abounds" means ever-increasing, something that exists as an abundance, something that is growing larger and expanding over time. Paul is saying, when we feel sin is growing and seemingly getting to a place where it is nearly overwhelming, don't worry, God will overcome if you allow Him!
The English fail us in this translation because the word for "abounded much more" is a different word than abounds, similar but different. While the first word deals with something that exists and is kind of fermenting to expand, this word means something that has come and is out of proportion to the need, like coffee overwhelming the size of the cup or a river overflowing its banks. It is something with the overwhelming power to not just meet a need but to so overwhelm it that the need is not even remembered.
In other words, when the enemy of your soul tries to hinder or stop you in any way, if you will but take a breath to put it in the Lord's hands He will not just show up to handle the problem but will so overwhelm it that even the memory of it being a real problem will be overwhelmed.
God's promises are so powerful. No weapon that the enemy forms against us to trip up or cause us to fail can prosper if we will just wrap our thoughts, minds, passions, drives, and heart around His promises and His Word.
What sin battles are you facing today? You can and will win, this time and every time if you will apply this promise to your life!
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