Quoting from “The Concept of Grace” by Charles Stanley:
“One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam with the caution to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough.
The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard throughout the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, “You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment.”
Wow? We sat there stunned. “Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?” Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.
When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years.
1. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.
2. Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.
3. One fellow, however, read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, but he could easily have had an A.
This story illustrates many people’s reactions to God’s solution to sin and God‘s grace.
1. Some will struggle their whole lives trying to survive in life, trying to get by, trying to find God by good works never realizing until it’s too late that salvation is a free gift of God‘s grace.
2. Some never realize that eternal life is by God’s grace, a free gift because they don’t want to take the time or the effort to find the truth of the free gift of eternal life. So they spend their whole lives neglecting to do anything about their sin.
3. Some know the truth but don’t want God’s free gift. They would rather do their own thing.
Grace is the free gift of salvation given to us by God. But someone must tell them about this gift. Remember the lame man trying to get to the healing pool? John 5:7: “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” We must help people to Jesus. We who know Jesus Christ have the answers; we have the truth of God. We must help others get into the water of life the Lord Jesus Christ so that they too can experience His grace.
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on the way to church every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. To read more of Pastor Jack Ward’s articles and hear his sermons at Tomahawk Missionary Baptist church go to tomahawkmbc.com. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. Find him on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon video platforms.