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Report Card
By Scott Harrup | May 9, 2008
“Dad, if I miss some homework the last week of school, will I make it into second grade?”
School will be out in a couple more weeks. I wondered where Austin was going with this line of inquiry.
“I think your teacher will let you know if you’re missing any homework. You’re not leaving any in your desk anymore, are you?” (There had been a recent minor crisis in that department.)
“No. I’m getting it all done… But what if I get a bad grade the last week of school?”
Obviously, something was up, and full disclosure wasn’t an option until I could magically connect the dots of his unspoken angst.
“Well, buddy, you’ve done enough good work throughout the year that even if you mess up on some final piece of homework, you’ll still make it into second grade.”
A look of relief. The hint of a smile.
“OK… Because I missed my last memory verse.”
I was glad to set his mind at ease, but his question got me to thinking. Don’t we ask God similar questions? Or, more accurately, don’t we ask ourselves similar questions because we’re too embarrassed to bring them up with God?
I’ve really messed up this time. Does God still love me? Can He really forgive me? When the “first grade” of life is over, can I make it to heaven’s “second grade”?
Too often, we’re tempted to answer such questions on the strength of the good things we remember doing. Kind of like our lives are on some cosmic grading card. Faithfully loving our spouse or sending our sick neighbor flowers gets us an “A.” Really awful sins like murder or mass credit card fraud get us an “F.” Everything has to balance out above a “D” average.
I can assure you, the answer to each of the above questions is a resounding yes. But the yes has nothing to do with any of your “A’s” or “B’s.” Austin’s grades average out, and he’s guaranteed a spot in second grade. You and I get promoted on the strength of God’s grace, through the amazing atonement of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
There’s no averaging, or curving, or even grading involved. The central question, the only question, is whether we accept the gift of salvation God offers.
I don’t know about you, but that’s an enormous relief to me.
Topics: Family Life, Bible |