Then how much more? All the more!

John Gowans writes the words to a beautiful song*:
If human hearts are often tender,
and human minds can pity show,
If human love is touched with splendor,
and human hands compassion show,
Then how much more shall God our Father
In love forgive, In love forgive.
Then how much more shall God our Father
Our wants supply, and none deny!

My thoughts ran to that song this morning while I was preparing my heart for Sunday worship and turned in my Bible to Romans 5:1-18 (NIV). The Apostle Paul uses the phrase "How much more" four times between verses 9 and 17. This is a tremendous passage. Read it when you can. It speaks of God's marvelous gift of salvation and God's demonstration of love for us in the death and life of his son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Verse 17 says ". . .if by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

The answer to the implied question of "How much more?" is not "so much more". The answer and affirmation is found in Verse 20 - "All the more!" Paul writes "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Who does not long for abundant life, forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with others, God's mercy and grace? The tremendous message in Gowans' song and Paul's letter to the community gathered in Rome nearly 2,000 years ago is Good News - God our Father's love has no limits, it is not a little bit more, or just so much more than we imagined. It is all the more and more than sufficient grace for every day. Gowans' song goes on:
If sometimes men can live for others,
And sometimes give where gifts are spurned,
If sometimes treat their foes as brothers,
And love where love is not returned,

If men will often share their gladness,
If men respond when children cry,
If men can feel each others sadness,
Each other's tears attempt to dry,

Then the refrain -
Then how much more shall God our Father
In love forgive, In love forgive.
Then how much more shall God our Father
Our wants supply, and none deny.

Gowans uses the single gender of "men" which speaks to his generation, but I believe the meaning of the song suggests on the one hand that he is speaking generically of men and women. On the other hand, men especially may be touched deeply by his words - "If men respond when children cry" for example. Then how much more . . .!

I am touched by the reality that our God is an "All the more" God. We see that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We participate in it all the more by the gift of his Holy Spirit in our lives today. We rejoice in the high privilege and blessing of God's grace that makes us "all the more" humans becoming "all the more" like our Lord each day. Here's the kicker. God does not love me less for who I am. He loves me and you all the more!


*From The Salvation Army Song Book, 350.