As you may know by now, communication is a big issue with me. And although it may sound heretical, trying to express ideas in words - even in the Bible - results in a watering down of the concepts involved.

I have shared elsewhere J B Phillips book "Your God is too small". When I read it in 1974, I thought it was a sound book. When I re-read it in 2015, I realised how weak the words are. They're not wrong - but the truths conveyed to my mind are so far short of reality as I now appreciate it. It's almost, as they say, blown my mind. This is not the author's fault - I don't know how much he appreciated, and how far short he too fell. But even if I added 1000 words "way" before the word "too" I still wouldn't do justice to the truth.

The next step in my learning: if God's much much bigger than my mind can grasp, so too is the enormity of sin. No wonder the young Paul called himself "the least of the Apostles" - while the old Paul was "the chief of sinners". As a Christian I know that sin creates an impenetrable barrier between God and us. Just how great a barrier I am starting to realise. I guess I'd thought of it a bit like a much bigger Berlin wall - but that's not even close.

If God's absolutely, completely wonderful and perfect and good, no wonder even "little" bits less wonderful and perfect and good cannot exist in His presence. And I know this raises questions about how He can accept us, and put up with the results of our rebellion in this world. But I have long since given up trying to understand the nature of eternity and the such. Suffice to say He does.

Which brings me to the nesxt stage: it gives me a far greater appreciation for just what Jesus did for us in paying the penalty for our sin. I think of that wonderful song - Amazing Grace. I don't know what was going through John Newton's mind - but the words that came from him for that song give some hint of the enormity of His grace, love, forgiveness, etc.

Amazing grace indeed.