Grading On A Complete Curve

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Romans 8:34

When I was a schoolteacher, I dreaded and felt uncomfortable when report card time rolled around, not because it was difficult to fill in the little boxes and write sweet comments, but because what I wrote needed to be accurate and honest. Also, it was hard because I do know children really take their report cards to heart. Just like adults, children cannot be good in everything. A report card can never evaluate all that a child is, and I never wanted to make children think they weren’t smart because they weren’t good in every subject.

It’s been a long time since I’ve received a report card, and yet I still remember how anxious I would get, not knowing what my final grade would be. Would I receive an A, B, C, D, or F? I will never forget failing a paper once and wishing my teacher had put a numerical grade on it instead of a big red F. I wished that she had graded on a curve. I decided then and there that if I ever became a teacher, I would try to refrain from marking a big red F on anyone’s paper.

Fortunately, God grades us on the highest, most complete curve ever—His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life in us raises our standing with God to the point that God erases our blackboard of sin through Christ’s death on the cross. God views us as a perfect A—acceptable.

Sometimes we feel like our actions or circumstances earn all Fs. Recently, I was so focused on a particular failure (which felt like a bad report card) that I forgot about Jesus, my A+ Hope and Provider, who took my sins upon Himself.

Instead of condemning us, God evaluates believers based on the curve of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. He used sinners in the Bible (like Moses, David, and Peter, among others) in spite of their failures, and He can use us for His glory too.

Let’s be encouraged that our spiritual report cards contain straight As in Jesus Christ. Praise Him for grading on such a complete curve for our salvation and making us all As forever!