Hedgemaker Baptist – Abounding, Abundant, Abundantly
Talking about above & beyond, one can go to such words as abounding, abundant, and abundantly. There are many things in the Christian experience that are said to be abundant. Many of these things have to do with what God bestows upon the believer. Here is a partial list:
Abundant Grace, 2Cor.4:15; 8:7; 9:8; 1Tim.1:14
Abundant Hope, 2Cor.1:5
Abundant Joy, 2Cor.8:2; Phil.1:26
Abundant Love, Phil. 1:9; 1The.3:12
Abundant Life, John 10:10
Abundant Mercy, 1Pet.1:3
Abundant Entrance into the Kingdom, 2Pet.1:11
All of these things are given by God to the believer. One of the things that we can note about the gifts of God is that he is not stingy. His gifts are abundant. God gives above and beyond to his saints.
Many of these gifts are the communicable attributes of God, which means that you and I can communicate those same attributes to others. Like God, we can bestow abundant grace upon fellow believers and unbelievers, alike. We can extend grace because God has extended his grace to us. We can bestow abundant hope to those who find themselves in hopeless situations. The hope that we give to them will be the hope that is found in the Word of God and in the person of Christ. Joy is sourced in the Lord, as we read, “that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ …” (Phil.1:26). The believer who is in Christ can have an abundant joy that passes understanding. “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” (1Pet.1:8). Joy is a contagious attribute; when we are joyful, we tend to help others be joyful. Abundant love – certainly, from a human standpoint, we are without love, but as we have experienced the love of God, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom.5:5). We cannot impart abundant life to others, but we can demonstrate abundant mercy. Of course, the mercy of God is full of compassion and new every morning (Lam.3:23-24). Oh, that God would grant us a measure of compassion! We need this compassion to be new every day. (LEH)