Many of us can count on our fingers with one hand the number of people we know that go above and beyond all expectations in each task they perform. Certainly, this is not normal practice for naturally sinful and selfish mankind.
But our Lord truly does exceed all expectations! Here is a set of verses that I read this week that underscore this truth.
The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (I Tim. 1:14)
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (II Cor. 8:9)Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. (Rom. 5:20)
That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.(Ephesians 2:7-9)
. . . that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:16-21)
And what really astounds me is that by His amazing grace He actually enables us to begin to be like Him in this “above and beyond” quality, as the following verse confirms. Praise His name!
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (II Cor. 9:8)