There is always something over

a. The Grace of God
and the Gift in Grace
of the One Man
Having Abounded to Many
-------------------

Romans 5:15b says, “For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more the grace of God and the free gift in grace of the one man Jesus Christ have abounded to the many. ” This verse reveals that grace—the Triune God Himself as our enjoyment—and the free gift in grace of the one man—the gift of righteousness given to us by God—have abounded to the many. Here grace is of God, and the gift is related to Christ, for the free gift in grace is of the one man Jesus Christ. God never gives us grace directly; He always gives us grace through Christ.

(1) Unto Justification
out of Many Offenses
Being Justification
of Life to All Men
----------------------

The grace of God and the gift in grace of the one man have abounded to the many unto justification out of many offenses. Romans 5:16b says, “The gracious gift is out of many offenses unto justification. ” Here the gracious gift refers to the gift of righteousness, which we have received from God (v. 17). Furthermore, the justification out of many offenses mentioned in verse 16 is the justification of life to all men mentioned in verse 18 . Christ’s righteous act of dying on the cross resulted in justification of life. Verse 21 says that grace reigns through righteousness unto life. These verses show that life comes as the result of righteousness (8:10). Life is the goal of God’s salvation; thus, justification is “of life” (5:18). Justification is not an end in itself; it is for life. Life in verse 18 refers to the eternal, divine, uncreated life of God (Gk. , zoe), which is Christ Himself as life to us. Through justification we have come up to the standard of God’s righteousness and correspond with it, so that now He can impart His life to us. Justification changes our outward position; life changes our inward disposition. Justification unto life indicates that justification results in life and that the organic union of life is an issue of justification. The grace of God and the gift in grace of the one man are for our justification, and our justification is for us to have the divine life that we may live it out.

(2) That Many May
Reign in Life
through Him
-------------

The grace of God and the gift in grace of Christ abounded to the many unto justification of life to all men that many would reign in life through Christ. In Romans 5:17 Paul says, “If, by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. ”

The Conclusion of the
New Testament: Experiencing,
Enjoying, and Expressing Christ,
Message 298 (LSM)

There is always something over,
When we taste our gracious Lord;
Every cup He fills o’erfloweth,
Rich supply He doth afford.
Satisfaction, full and deepening,
All our need He doth supply,
When the heart has tasted Jesus
Its desires to satisfy

There is always something over,

When we trust our gracious.

Lord; Every cup He fills o’erfloweth, His great rivers all are broad. Nothing narrow, nothing stinted, Ever issued from His store; To His own He gives full measure, Running over, evermore.

There is always something over,

When we, from the Father’s Hand, Take our portion with thanksgiving, Praising for the path He planned. Satisfaction, full and deepening, Fills the soul, and lights the eye, When the heart has trusted Jesus All its need to satisfy.

There is always something over,

When we tell of all His love;

Unplumbed depths still lie beneath us, Unscaled heights rise far above. Human lips can never utter All His wondrous tenderness. We can only praise and wonder And His Name for ever bless.

The Normal Christian

Church Life Chapter 8

Reference Luke 6:38. “Give and it will be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be given back to you”. We receive Gods riches as our portion, our measure. This enriches us. But these things must be pressed down and shaken into our deepest inner man, our spirit, to become our reality. As we give others of our riches God in turn gives us more to fill up our measure untill it over flows. So unto His He gives full measure, but it is related to our sharing our portion, our measure. This is a life principle, but more important is the spiritual experience of this.

“In principle, Christ as the building [behind the temple] always has something left over, and what is left over exceeds what is used. We need to remember that five loaves fed five thousand people with twelve baskets left over (John 6:12-13). The amount left over was greater than the amount at hand at the beginning. This indicates that Christ is unlimited. Behind the portion of Christ that we need is an even greater portion that is “vacant. ””

LS Ezekiel, ch. 23. (On the building behind the temple signifying Christ’s riches being even larger than the temple itself).

The Lord’s riches are inexhaustible and greater far than our every need.

O Lord, Your so rich! You satisfy! With You, there is no lack. You are our All-sufficient God and take care of every need of your people! Praise You Lord Jesus!

Today is the anniversary of the death of M. E. Barber 92 years ago. This excerpt is a short portion of a biography written of her.

Margaret E. Barber is little known, not only in the world in general, but also among most Christians. Some may realize that her name appears in Streams in the Desert but that is about all. She was British, but we cannot find her name in the Dictionary of National Biography. She was a missionary, but she was not like David Livingston or Hudson Taylor, who accomplished great things. Her sphere of work was not large; it was mostly limited to an obscure village in a corner of China. She was not like John Wesley, who could say “The whole world is my parish. ” She wrote hymns but not like the hymns written by Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts which can be found in most hymnals. She loved the Lord and matured in spiritual life, but she was not like Madame Guyon or Andrew Murray who left many writings that remain to the present.

It seems that she was a lonely traveler who quietly appeared on the earth. She was born in 1866 Peasenhall, County Suffolk, England, the daughter of Luis (a wheelwright—someone who repairs or makes wheels) and Martha

(nee Gibbs) Barber. At 63 years of age, M. E. Barber was taken by the Lord. Within her short lifetime she was twice called by the Lord to go to China. She gave up her home and traveled in a lonely way thousands of miles to a backward country.

She lived in a village close to Foochow where she quietly gave her best years to work for the Lord continuing faithfully unto her death on March 1, 1930. At her burial a brother said, “‘She has done what she could’—like Mary” (Mark 14:8).

Watchman Nee who received much help from her, was not present at her burial, but he wrote later of his appreciation for her in his well-known book, The Normal Christian Life.

In the last chapter, “The Goal of the Gospel”

(printed separately under the title Why This Waste? ), he quoted her words: “Lord, I am willing to break my heart in order that I may satisfy Thy heart!“ Once someone asked her, “What are the requirements to work for the Lord? “She replied, “The requirements to work for the Lord is not to work. ” Some of the Chinese young people who received help from her were worried about her. They wondered, “Why doesn’t she go out and establish meetings and work in a bigger city? ” Instead, she lived in a small village where it seemed nothing was happening. It seemed that it was a waste for her to be there. One brother almost shouted at her, “No one knows the Lord as you do. You know the Bible in a most living way. Don’t you see the need around? Why don’t you go out and accomplish something? You just sit here seemingly doing nothing. You are wasting your time, energy, and money; you are wasting everything! ”

Was there waste? After all these years, it is clear. She was a seed of life sown by God in China. This seed surely went through loneliness, humiliation, and seclusion. But thank God He made her blossom and bear fruit. Only God knows how many people received spiritual help from her directly and indirectly. The marvelous thing is this: God caused her to bear fruit abundantly. While she was alive, God did not let her know this.

“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor? ” (Romans 11:33-34)

M. E Barber- The Story- (p1)

Christian Websites

Psa. 138:8
Jehovah will complete that which concerns me.
O Jehovah, Your lovingkindness is forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your own hands.

Oh Lord Jesus , you are our sure supply. You are much more to us than we can tell.

I can only praise and wonder all my days!!! Amen

we can only praise and wonder and in His Name forever bless