A few Sundays ago we had an Evangelical Union Team visit our church and minister to us
She sat there on her first day and thought, “If I don’t transfer out of this class, I’m going to fail. The other people in this class are much smarter than me. I can’t do this.” She came home, and with tears in her eyes, begged her dad to help her get out of the class so she could take a regular English course. Steve said, “Of course.
So the next day he took her down to the school and went to the head of the English department. Steve remembers the event in these words:
She (the head of the English department) looked up and saw me standing there by my daughter and could tell that Robin was about to cry. There were some students standing around and, because the teacher didn’t want Robin to be embarrassed, she dismissed the students saying, “I want to talk to these people alone.” As soon as the students left and the door was closed, Robin began to cry. I said, “I’m here to get my daughter out of that English class. It’s too difficult for her. The problem with my daughter is that she’s too conscientious. So can you put her into a regular English class?”
The teacher said, “Mr. Brown, I understand.” Then she looked at Robin and said, “Can I talk to Robin for a minute?” I said, “Sure.” She said, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you an A no matter what you did in the class? If I gave you an A before you even started, would you be willing to take the class?” My daughter is not dumb! She started sniffling and said, “Well, I think I could do that.” The teacher said, “I’m going to give you an A in the class. You already have an A, so you can go to class.”
Later the teacher explained to Steve what she had done. She explained how she took away the threat of a bad grade so that Robin could learn English. Robin ended up making straight A’s on her own in that class.
“The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in—forever
”
That’s how God deals with us. Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ, Christians already have an A. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in—forever! Nothing we do will make our grade better, and nothing we do will make our grade worse. We’ve been set free.
Knowing that God’s love and approval of you will never be determined by your performance for Jesus, only by Jesus’ performance for you, will make you perform more and better, not less and worse. In other words, grace mobilizes performance; performance does not mobilize grace.
If you don’t believe me, ask Robin
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8;1,2 (New Testament)
in music
testimony
and preaching of the Word.
We were really blessed and
encouraged by them.
Let me share with you an article
from the Resurgence Blog
which brings across
a powerful truth
beautifully illustrated in this story.
AUTOMATIC A's
My friend Steve Brown tells a story about a time his daughter Robin found herself in a very difficult English Literature course that she desperately wanted to get out of.
She sat there on her first day and thought, “If I don’t transfer out of this class, I’m going to fail. The other people in this class are much smarter than me. I can’t do this.” She came home, and with tears in her eyes, begged her dad to help her get out of the class so she could take a regular English course. Steve said, “Of course.
So the next day he took her down to the school and went to the head of the English department. Steve remembers the event in these words:
She (the head of the English department) looked up and saw me standing there by my daughter and could tell that Robin was about to cry. There were some students standing around and, because the teacher didn’t want Robin to be embarrassed, she dismissed the students saying, “I want to talk to these people alone.” As soon as the students left and the door was closed, Robin began to cry. I said, “I’m here to get my daughter out of that English class. It’s too difficult for her. The problem with my daughter is that she’s too conscientious. So can you put her into a regular English class?”
The teacher said, “Mr. Brown, I understand.” Then she looked at Robin and said, “Can I talk to Robin for a minute?” I said, “Sure.” She said, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you an A no matter what you did in the class? If I gave you an A before you even started, would you be willing to take the class?” My daughter is not dumb! She started sniffling and said, “Well, I think I could do that.” The teacher said, “I’m going to give you an A in the class. You already have an A, so you can go to class.”
Later the teacher explained to Steve what she had done. She explained how she took away the threat of a bad grade so that Robin could learn English. Robin ended up making straight A’s on her own in that class.
“The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in—forever
”
That’s how God deals with us. Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ, Christians already have an A. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in—forever! Nothing we do will make our grade better, and nothing we do will make our grade worse. We’ve been set free.
Knowing that God’s love and approval of you will never be determined by your performance for Jesus, only by Jesus’ performance for you, will make you perform more and better, not less and worse. In other words, grace mobilizes performance; performance does not mobilize grace.
If you don’t believe me, ask Robin
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8;1,2 (New Testament)
6 Fertilize my soul:
Christ loves me so much
He is glad to share with me
Everything He can.
God loves us and helps us in troubles :) Maybe we don't see this fact in daily life, but it is the fact.
Hi Amrita,
At the start of class when I was in school, I'd tell myself, "John, you have an A in this class; all you have to do is keep it".
Took a lot of the pressure off.
John
How completely and accurately have you described the working of the principle of grace on Christians. However, we also have a duty to uphold the dignity of such privilege and the name of the Lord. To treat the name of the Lord and such privilege with contempt shall provoke a terrible backlash from the Lord. Thanks for the post. God bless you always.
That is a lovely story, Amrita. Thank you for sharing. :)
I wish you cool breezes, if only i could send them!
Amrita, I love this comparison!!! It is wonderful, to see no threat and know for sure you are save, how can we ever want to fail. I love this post, I might borrow the story one day :)
God Bless
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