Grading on a Curve

I finished grading exams and papers tonight. I will turn my students' grades in tomorrow. These grades reflect their performance on seven exams, one panel critique, and a 20-25 page theory preference paper. My class is hard but my grading scale is fair. Do you know what God's grading scale is? I will give you a hint. It's pass or fail. That's right! You pass if you are 100% righteous and you fail if you don't meet his perfect standard. Anything below 100% is fail. So, all you need for salvation is 100% obedience in thought, word, and deed to every commandment of scripture so that you are totally sinless. Isn't that good news? "No! That's terrible news" you say. "That's impossible!" Your right, it is impossible but that's God's standard and he doesn't grade on a curve. James 2.10 says For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. How can you be guilty of breaking all of it if you've broke only one? Let me illustrate: Suppose you are in a bucket that is dangling from a tall crane. The bucket is supported by a metal chain that has 1,000 links. How many of those links have to break before you are in trouble? If one link breaks you just as well break them all. If you break one of God's commands you have forever ruined your chance of being justified by law keeping. So, where do you stand? Are you 100% righteous? I am happy because I am 100% righteous. I have perfect obedience in thought, word, and deed to every commandment of scripture and I am totally sinless. "Jeff, that's not true", you say. "I know you. You have a history!" Well, let me explain. I didn't do it. Jesus did it for me. Jesus forgave me and he credited me with the righteousness of God (Roman 3.20-4.1-8). The same is true for you. You are justified by faith and not by works. You are saved because of your position and it has nothing to do with your performance. God made you righteous by your faith in Jesus. God cannot violate his standard of righteousness by grading on a curve. Jesus is the only way. So trust Christ and you pass.