Once in a while a student will startle me. It happened this afternoon. Out of the last fifteen classes she has been absent twelve times. That wasn’t startling. What made me almost gasp was her question, “How am I doing?” She has heard three lectures. She missed an exam and she wants to know how she is doing!
Now I am a grace man. I understand needing forgiveness. I hope I am never the man in Jesus’ parable about the fellow who was forgiven a million dollar debt and then met a man who owed him a thousand dollars for which he threw him in jail. But her question seemed to be beyond grace. What I had expected was her to ask, “Did I miss anything?” To which I usually answer, “No, nothing happened during the twelve classes you missed. We just sat here.” What I am thinking is there is a place for some grace in the classroom but primarily our educational system is based on works. School is not grace based. It is performance.
However, as I drove home, I wondered if it was ever possible for a sincerely repentant person to be beyond grace. Hebrews 7:25 says, “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” “To the uttermost” and “always lives to make intercession” are amazingly powerful words. I have this belief that the faintest prayer from the weakest will not only be heard but cause extreme action on the part of heaven. Do I believe in deathbed confessions? I surely do. Our God is in the business of saving people even if He has to squeeze them under the door.
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 25, 2014
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org