How Much More?
Musings from the Garden
by Peggy Wyar
All throughout my life I have been dealing with comparisons. Either I was hearing from the adults in my life: “Why can’t you play sports as well as this person?” or “Why can’t you do what I ask without arguing, like your brother does?” Because I was a sensitive child, feeling like I didn’t measure up to their expectations was hard for me. After hearing these types of questions a lot in my formative years, I grew into adulthood responding to what I learned as a child by continuing to compare myself with others. However, after coming to know Jesus and reading His word, I became aware of how comparison can sabotage healthy relationships with others and myself. So I determined, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to set aside the practice of comparing myself to what I perceived was true about others. So imagine my surprise to see that comparisons were being made by these three words, how much more, four different times in this section of Scripture written to the believers in Rome:
Romans 5: 8-11, 15-17 (emphasis mine)
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation…
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”
The first comparison that’s made is between our justification by the blood of Jesus and how saved we are because of it. Christ’s blood cleansed us from sin, but how much more we are saved from the deserved outpouring of God’s wrath as we continue to miss the mark! God is no longer compelled to answer our sin with punishment because Jesus paid the penalty for it at the cross.
Which leads to the next comparison in the above scripture: while we were sinners and enemies of God, we were offered the chance to be brought into a close relationship to Him through the death of Jesus. How much more, after being reconciled to God, will we be saved through the life of Jesus and His resurrection power made available to us? It wasn’t enough to become part of His church. He wants us to experience even more.
Romans 6:4-7 tells us that every believer is baptized into Christ’s death so that they can be participants of His resurrection life. We are meant to live a new life, having been freed from the power of sin. This new life is free from condemnation and the expectation of punishment. As believers, we’ve been given a hope that is eternal and based solely on the gift of our salvation.
The final comparisons look at this gift that is much more than the condemnation and death that came through Adam’s sin. This much more abundant provision is extended to us through the overflowing grace of God. We who receive this grace of being made righteous through Jesus are able to live a life that overcomes. Sin will no longer be our master. When we face the final judgement seat at the end of the age, we can depend on the grace given us, and can boast in our inheritance that’s been reserved for us in heaven. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
As I consider these Scriptures and the things being compared, I rejoice that our Heavenly Father is so much more than what this world has to offer. He is so much more kind, so much more loving, so much more faithful, so much more gracious and so much more able to save completely.
I have one more comparison from God’s word for you to think about. I hope it encourages you.
Luke 12:24(emphasis mine)
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”