Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

When Jesus began to tell his disciples about his second coming at the end of the age, they had some questions to ask him. They wanted to know when he was coming back again, and they wanted to know what the sign of his coming would be. (Matthew 24: 3)

As to the day and hour of his return, no man knows. Not even the angels in heaven, but only the Father. (V.36)
And then Jesus told them that as the days of Noah were before the flood, so also it would be when he comes back. (V.37) Those days were wicked and evil days. The wickedness was great and the evil was continual. (Genesis 6:5)

In the last days iniquity will be increasing while love will be decreasing. Lawlessness will abound but love will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)

The wickedness and the evil in the days of Noah has been described as violence and terrorism. That is a good description of what is abounding in these days and which we are living.

The good news is that, according to Romans 5:20, where sin is abounding, grace is abounding all the more. Julia H. Johnston has written about this grace of God that is greater than all our sin.

“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt… Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.”