As you have seen, the photos of the universe in the above slide show are truly amazing, displaying its magnitude and beauty! David, the Psalmist of Israel, wrote these words many centuries ago:

Psalm 19:1-2 (Amplified Bible)
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge."

Even from David's limited perspective, he saw the glory of God displayed in the very small part of the physical universe that he could see with the naked eye. I wonder what he would have said if he had been able to view the universe from the Hubble Telescope!

But as amazing as all of this may seem to us, what is even more amazing is the visit our Creator-God made to this tiny planet called Earth over 2,000 years ago in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ—for the purpose of redeeming sinners from Adam's fallen race! The following passages set forth this truth, and tell the wonderful story of the grace of God:

John 1:1-3,14
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

1 John 4:9-10
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

The APOSTLE PAUL was a determined persecutor of the church and murderer of Christians before his miraculous conversion, then known as Saul of Tarsus. His conversion—while on the road to Damascus on a journey to arrest and kill the followers of Christ—is detailed in the Book of Acts at this link:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209:1-26&version=NKJV

After reading the story of Saul's conversion set forth in the passage above, it is no wonder that later as the Apostle Paul, he could write the following statements concerning the grace of God in saving sinners through the Person and work of the crucified, buried, risen, exalted, glorified, and enthroned Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 1:15 (New King James Version)
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

Philippians 2:5-11
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

2 Corinthians 8:9 (New King James Version)
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

Is it any wonder that Paul, the converted persecutor of the church, gloried in the cross of Christ, as expressed in Galatians 6:14:

Galatians 6:14 (Amplified Bible)
"But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!"

Again, is it any wonder that Paul could write these words to the Christians in Rome in A.D. 57:

 

Romans 3:21-26
"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:6-11
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

My friends, the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly amazing grace, isn't it?