My 4-year-old grandson recently discovered the word “super.” As in, “That’s super, super, super, super, super, super, super big.” Or, “Isn’t that super, super, super, super, super, super, super cool?” Sometimes it can be super, super, super, super, super, super, super annoying. But this morning, I hear my grandson in the words of Paul.

I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

(1Timothy 1:12-14 ESV)

The grace of our Lord overflowed for me . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning . . .

Overflowing grace. That paints an image. Grace that can’t be contained. Grace bigger than anything that might try to constrain it. It’s a good image.

But poke at the original word a bit, and I think there’s a better mind-picture to noodle on. A super, super, super, super, super, super, super picture.

The original word for overflowed is huperpleonazo. Start to anglicize the word and it’s hyper-pleonazo. And pleonazo? Well, apparently it means to superabound. So, says Paul, the grace of Jesus hyper-superabounded for him. I like how the King James renders it; the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant. Sounds a little redundant, doesn’t it? But also sounds pretty wonderful — yes? And, I imagine that if my grandson were to create his own translation, he might enthusiastically declare that the grace of Jesus super, super, super, super, super, super, super abounds. And he’d be right (but maybe a few “supers” short).

The grace of our Lord . . . It’s quantity unquantifiable. It’s availability unrestrainable.

Where sin abounds, grace does more abound (Rom. 5:20 KJV). Where weakness is overwhelming, grace is overflowing sufficiently (2Cor. 12:9). When we’re drowning in guilt and shame, the super, super, super, super, super, super, super-abounding grace of Jesus defends against the guilt and displaces the shame with the super, super, super, super, super, super, super righteousness of a super, super, super, super, super, super, super Savior (Rom. 5:18-19, 7:22-8:1).

How thankful am I this morning? You guessed it . . . super, super, super, super, super, super, super thankful.

Because of overflowing grace. For His all-deserving glory.

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
greater than all my sin;
how shall my tongue describe it,
where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
setting my spirit free,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
reaching to all the lost,
by it I have been pardoned,
saved to the uttermost.
Chains have been torn asunder,
giving me liberty,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
reaching the most reviled,
by its transforming power
making me God’s dear child,
purchasing peace and heaven
for all eternity,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
deeper than the mighty rolling sea,
higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
all sufficient grace for even me;
broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it!
greater far than all my sin and shame.
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise His name!

~ Haldor Lillenas (1918)