Christ covers it all.

Happy Resurrection or Easter! The past couple of months Atonement has been a theme that has been circulating the internet. The Bible doesn't define atonement plainly, it alludes to it and over the past 2000 years people have been studying and developing what many us now take for granted. Much like the Trinity, we know the basic idea, and don't have rediscover it in the Bible. It is fully supported by the Bible, but we take for granted what many have argued about for years.


 Many times today when theologians talk about topics like atonement, they don't offer anything new as much as find out what truth has already been said and perhaps forgotten. After reading and hearing some of these folks this past spring I heard something that glued together ideas that float in my head. 
 The view that Christ has died for us is simple on the surface, but the details... One detail is interesting. That Christ's death was abundant. In Adam all men were affected by one sin. Everything felt the curse. Since then, sin has multiplied and continues. In Christ, though, the atonement is abundant. By one man all that sin is covered.


Romans 5:17, "For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."


It has to be so abundant as to swallow up even your future. It is that one act by one man that rushes over the past, present and future of us all.

 This is an aspect of Christ that is important to be aware of. It helps make sense of the miracle at Cana. Christ not only covered what was necessary, but went beyond that with the quality and quantity. Not only did he forgive a man his sins, but He healed him also. He fed the crowds, but he also had left overs. He gave his disciples fish, and enough to about sink the boat.  He works and delivers extra beyond the need.

 One problem of our human condition is fear of scarcity, it is what drives the Capitalists market. Economics 101 is supply and demand. If you can increase demand your profit goes up. Watch how high the prices go up when something seems to run out. (Twinkies) What is notable about the fear is  we are non-critical with ourselves. We pay the extra money to guarantee we get the iphone because we need it. Even in small things like a coffee, we are not critical of ourselves in how generous we are to ourselves. This is the difference between us and Christ. His abundance went out to others.

"You will again have compassion on us;

    you will tread our sins underfoot

    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19

Christ is Abundant in His work. It doesn't barely reach the edges of humanity with just enough to cover the debt, He washes over it and drowns it. Part of the Christian walk of maturity is the imitation of this behavior. Because we have received this abundance, the Christian walk should include the abundance of giving. Practice the same practice we already know for ourselves, but turn it outward to others. Give the same quality of service to our neighbors that we bestow on ourselves. It will help us evaluate how we use our resources, perhaps we are to extravagant towards our own. Perhaps we will be more liberal with blessing others.

This Easter season we celebrate the sacrifice of God generously giving His only Son, Christ abundantly living with us, and His sacrifice being more than sufficient. Christ "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," which is the Holy Spirit.

 Walk in the abundance of grace by imitating that action toward others, and not fearing scarcity for ourselves.