12. Grace. Check out this quote discussing Romans 5. "How, then, is death defeated, and how are law and sin deposed, through Christ's free gift of grace? Paul is very clear that such a victory occurs not by denying the reign of death, nor by pretending that God's absence never happened [at the cross]. Grace lets sin be and gives it space and scope; but thereby grace matches it and goes beyond. The essential mark of grace and love is their abundance, not reducing but surpassing the power and range of negativity and sin. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. So, while the consequence of one human person's sin has been very great, how much greater yet is the result of one such person's righteousness? There is a parallel and parity between Christ and Adam, each of them one individual who represents the lot of many; but there is in Christ disparity and superfluity, to the extent that life surpasses death, which is the lack of life, a free gift transcends the demands and penalties of law, and pardon outweighs condemnation. Indeed, so fertile, abundant, and expansive is the grace of Jesus Christ that it even surpasses itself, growing and expanding as it reaches out towards its goal. God loves us precisely as rebellious enemies, and accepts the reign of death within us: our revolt and God's deposing; and by showing us a love greater in quality and depth than our lovelessness, God reconciles us and makes us friends. And now that we are friends, God loves us even more, opening up new possibilities of joy and blessedness beyond all measure, the forgiving grace of Christ's death yielding preeminence to the future, still greater, fruits of his resurrection life." Between Cross and Resurrection: A Theology of Holy Saturday by Alan E. Lewis p. 96.

All I have to say after a thought like that is...............Praise God!