Originally posted: 7/22/2020
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed, (9:8).
From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Abound/Overflow: “4052. περισσεύω perisseúō; fut. perisseúsō, from perissós (4053), abundant. To be in excess, exceed in number or measure. In the NT, to be or have more than enough… To be left over, remain, exceeding a number or measure which marks fullness… To superabound, to abound richly…”
When I read the above definition (some versions translate abound as overflow), I was struck by the word, superabound. Actually, I didn’t even realize there was such a word. Superabound; it sounds almost made up, like what you might read in a Superhero comic book detailing the adventures of superhuman abilities. But that word is in our English dictionary.
Superabound: “to abound or prevail in greater measure or to excess; to abound abnormally; be in surplus.”
To abound abnormally. The truth is, His grace is abnormal; and it’s most definitely superhuman. And I have to ask, why? Why would He do that… make His Grace abound abnormally, in surplus… for us?
It must be the overflow of His Superabounding Love that sends the abnormal surplus of His Grace. A Love so Superabounding that gave to the greatest of excess, abounding abnormally beyond our finite comprehension, a Love that gave His Sinless Son that sinful man might have everlasting life.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
And as we journey through every page of Scripture seeking to see Him increase, we will surely decrease as we consider Him in light of His Superabounding Grace.
“He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30).
Consider His Superabounding Grace
As we consider the following verses from this chapter, let us keep the definition in mind: “to prevail in greater measure or to excess; to have excessive leftovers; to abound abnormally; to be in surplus.”
And also let us remember the context. His Superabounding Grace is in reference to His desire that we follow His example in generosity and follow through on our commitments to meet the needs of others.
- His Superabounding Grace supplies in surplus the harvest of our righteousness.
- Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; (9:10).
- His Superabounding Grace prevails with generosity in every occasion.
- you will be enriched in everything for all liberality… (9:11).
- His Superabounding Grace provides opportunities for a greater measure of gratitude.
- …which through us is producing thanksgiving to God, (9:11).
- His Superabounding Grace supplies to excess the needs of His saints.
- For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints… (9:12).
- His Superabounding Grace fills to overflowing through expressions of thanksgiving.
- …but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God, (9:12).
- His Superabounding Grace is proven through lives committed to abnormal generosity and glorifying God.
- Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, (9:13).
- His Superabounding Grace unites us together with more than enough because of His surpassing love and care.
- while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you, (9:14).
How do we respond to His Superabounding Grace?
The best way, the only reasonable way we can respond is through Superabounding thanksgiving!
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (9:15).
His gift, so indescribable in words, can be expressed through hearts that produce a harvest of righteousness through our giving back to Him. After we contemplate and consider all He has done for us, all that He has made available to us through His Superabounding Grace, how on earth would our hearts not be moved to see Him increase and be exalted in our lives? Oh, that we would grow to decrease, as we freely, generously and cheerfully offer our best to Him.
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, (9:6-7).
Scripture teaches clearly on this principle of sowing and reaping.
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return,” (Luke 6:38).
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap, (Galatians 6:7).
But the sad truth is, we can tend to be hoarders, like the people you see on those TV reality shows. When we see the mounds of muddle, we wonder how in the world people can live in such clutter; and sometimes their clutter is actually trash!
But isn’t it true, that in light of our eternal treasures, aren’t the riches of this world really just trash in comparison?
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:8).
But a hoarding disorder can lead to dangerous clutter and can interfere with the quality of life in many ways, creating unhealthy and even unsafe living conditions. And we really shouldn’t expect to experience anything different when we hoard the rubbish of this world, rather than sowing bountifully for His kingdom.
Jesus, in His Superabounding Grace, prescribed the remedy needed to combat our fleshly tendency toward hoarding. When we sow sparingly, our hearts are lined up with His kingdom economy and we actually earn His riches; riches that prevail in greater measure and to excess; riches with excessive leftovers; riches that abound abnormally; riches that are in surplus; and riches that will be kept for us in heaven for all of eternity.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Let us pray that His Superabounding Grace will overflow, abnormally, to work in our hearts and grow us in selfless generosity, like Jesus. May He so increase in our lives, that we would decrease to the point that we, like Jesus, desire to display our love for the Father by cheerfully choosing to sacrificially obey His will.
“but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me…” (John 14:31).
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, (9:7).
We must in faith, rely on His Superabounding Grace; for He alone is able to overpower our selfish hoarding that holds on to His blessings for ourselves.
And as we trust His Superabounding Grace, we just might surprise ourselves with a generosity that is definitely abnormal, and well, kind of superhuman. Because after all, His Grace is really, well… Superabounding!
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed, (9:8).