With God We Get More...

"Please sir, I want some more," said Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.  "What?!" , replied Mr Bumble, "More?!".

Maybe not with Dickens, but with God we certainly get more.  In Romans chapter 5, St Paul uses the word "more" five times (in verses 9, 10, 15, 17 and 20) as he unpacks the amazing grace of God expressed in Jesus: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (verse 8b).

And Paul goes further!  Like Mary Poppins ("supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"), Paul invents his own word in verse 20 when he adds the Greek word "hyper" (meaning 'over' or 'beyond') to the word for 'abounded'.  Bible translators and hymn writers have struggled to choose an appropriate superlative, but Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin describe it well in their song 'Who, O Lord, could save themselves?':

"Our shame was deeper than the sea, Your grace is deeper still"

What a wonderful God!