The Grace of an A

When I was in Bible college in the early 70's a discussion began after a student said something about deserving an A on a recent test. A friend of mine took issue with him on the premise of grace. He argued that such a good score was nothing less than a gracious gift of God and that to think in terms of what you deserve was law and legalism, and he quoted a verse or two from Romans 4 about grace vs law. The guy who brought it up didn't take it too well. Inwardly, I also disagreed, for I couldn't see how grace had anything to do with giving someone an A on a test they had studied for. But I said nothing. After all, how can you argue against grace without taking the side of Law?

My Bible College years were not exactly grace-oriented, but fortunately God didn't wait for me to get my ducks in a row when it came to revelation. The fact is that I still don't agree with the grace of an A, and now I know why. Why? Because an A is better than a B, which is better than a C, which is better than a D, which is better than an F. It's simply the top level of a grading system by which man strives to be seen as better than others. [Now, I'm not advocating a rebellion against the system, for even a better system is STILL based on performance.]

Of course it is a legal mindset that thinks in terms of deserving the highest score, but is it any different to call man's highest score grace? The result of such a premise is confusion and such confusion leads to disaster! A grace that has lines and degrees that can be numbered or lettered is not grace at all but is merely the rebuilding of that which was destroyed in Christ.

In rebuilding a system of performance, relationships are severed. For we not only find ourselves at odds with one another but also with our own selves - and we also insist that GOD relates to us on the same basis. But the grace of Christ is measureless. His riches cannot be determined by any standard of man. And it has no lines by which to attach a score.

So, how are we to live in a world that is built upon such a system of measure? Simple. Live as one who has been made alive. Don't you know that the measuring system of the world is NOT your measuring system? Don't you know that you ALREADY have within you the life that the world only PRETENDS to achieve? If we are going to operate within the world we will often be forced to take its tests, but the world's evaluation of you is irrelevant, for your worth is in Christ. Don't spiritualize the world's system. Instead, see it for what it is. The difference between grace and law will become increasingly obvious!!

Until next time .....
scoopfully yours,
the shovel (aka Jim)