One Sin, Endless Grace: Being Amazed by God’s Mercy

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Acts 8:13, “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.”

Background

What if Adam committed only one sin? What if he was that close to perfection, so close, in fact, that his sinless existence was interrupted only by the moment he and Eve were undone by Satan? If his only sin involved the forbidden fruit, how would he do in one of those spitting contests where we admit to a particular fallacy or weakness but deflect most of our guilt by claiming that at least we’re not as bad as so and so, or at least we didn’t do such and such? If he missed the mark a mere single time in the 930 years he lived, he’d have plenty of justification to boast that he never did any of that other stuff that everyone else did. However, he would have the unfortunate stigma of being responsible for the fall of mankind and for being the root source of every wrong and bad thing that ever happened since that fateful encounter with the serpent. Sort of puts him in a unique conundrum, doesn’t it?. But, regardless of whether you considered his glass half empty or half full regarding his one transgression, you’d have to agree that failing only once over nearly a millennia is amazing, perhaps more amazing than anything else that’s ever been accomplished.

Application

But, when the amazing Adam was to turn his attention to the only one who was before him, he would encounter a degree of amazing that is immeasurable and beyond comparing to anything that might be felt for him. Like Simon, who amazed the people with his skill and cunning, Adam would supremely impress all others with his single sin. But as Simon himself was amazed when he saw the work of God Almighty through the words and hands of Philip, so, too, would Adam stand amazed at the awesome power and majesty of the eternal Creator God. The chasm between one single sin and perfection is so great that only the Son of God could cross it and make a way for others to do the same. As bad as man has become, and as far from God as we might be, we have not moved an iota when compared to how far Adam fell when he disobeyed God. So there’s plenty of amazement all around. Amazing how deep and wide our cesspool of sin is, amazing how great and good God is, amazing that we lose our wonder and awe of Jesus. Be amazed, and think on the grace that somehow makes us right and clean before God.

Charge

As we seek Him today, stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.

Editor Comment: This devotional reminds us that even one sin separates us infinitely from a holy God, making His grace all the more amazing.