Christianity for People Who Aren't Christians by James Emery White

Author:James Emery White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Apologetics/Church Resources;Christianity—Essence;genius;nature;REL030000;REL074000;REL067030
ISBN: 9781493419296
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2019-09-24T00:00:00+00:00

Just for fun, let’s remember what grading on a curve is about. It’s when grading is relative. On any given assignment, your grade is based on the performance of the class as a whole. So if everybody does poorly but you make a 75 percent, and that 75 percent is the highest grade in the class, instead of a C suddenly you’ve got an A. Because on a curve, the highest grade, no matter how bad it is, is given the equivalent of a 100 percent—an A. Even though you made a 75 percent, because you did better than everybody else, you get an A. It gets better. Whatever the average grade is becomes the average grade. So if the average is 40, instead of an F, that’s a C.

We like getting graded on a curve. Particularly because we come out looking better, feeling better, and doing better than we deserve. So what might that look like if we were to apply that to spiritual things?

The 2 percent on either side is easy. On the Sinner side are the Hitlers, the bin Ladens, the rapists and pedophiles, telemarketers, and spam senders. We know who’s over there. On the Saint side is Mother Teresa or Gandhi. So those are your F and A grades. Now let’s talk about the Ds. These are the people who are, at best, Sketchy. They aren’t the darkest of the dark, but they are far from Boy Scouts. These are people who lie, cheat, steal. So here we’re talking car salesmen and members of Congress. Before you think that’s a joke, according to a Gallup poll, those really are the two least trusted professions in the United States.8

Now for the 14 percent with the B grades. These are the people who are above average in their goodness. They set the day-in, day-out standard for most of us in terms of virtue or spiritual commitment. They are our role models and heroes. They are our celebrities, our Stars. Medical missionaries, like those who risked their lives serving Ebola patients. Christian leaders like the late Billy Graham. Throw in a few pastors and social workers.

So where does that leave most people within the typical bell curve? Those in the C-, C, and C+ range? Which, in our “grading on a curve” minds, means Safe? Not saints, but not sinners. Not a star, but not sketchy either. In other words, me and you. So we’re okay. We’re safe. Any other scale makes us nervous and insecure, so we reject it.

But what if that’s not how God grades? What if the bell curve is all wrong and we’re not graded on a curve at all? What if the whole thing doesn’t even involve a letter grade? What if it is . . . pass/fail?

You’re in or you’re out. You’re through or you’re gone. You say, “Well, I don’t know if I like that.” Well, I don’t imagine that any of us do. It’s scary stuff to think about. But in full transparency, let me give you a headline: that’s what the Bible teaches.

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