Here is a story I received from a good friend:

Final Exam

I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right before the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with us for just a little bit before the test. We went through the review, most of it right on the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't really argue with that.

Finally it was time to take the test.

"Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you to start," our prof instructed.

When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom of the last page said the following:

"This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the
A. You have just experienced . . . grAce."

He then went around the room and asked each student individually, "What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?"

Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.

Discussion afterward went like this: "I have tried to teach you all semester that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry if it is full of GRACE!"

Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story
Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning began complaining, the boss said,
"Should you be angry because I am kind?" (Matthew 20:15).

The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.

Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have experience?

****

So, what do you think?

Tom

"What do you think?"

I think the story is a sweet story, but leaves out some particulars that would lead to the passing grade. Possessing God's Character Is the only "A" that would open the gates of Heaven and allow one to enter.

First:
One would have to believe the creator of the test to recieve the passing grade...{Thief on Cross].

Second:
One would have to accept the "A". Some would say, If i did not earn it myself, i will not except the grade, [Self righteous].

Third:
One would have to maintain the grade by God's enabling power, moment by moment, until the creator of the test would come to pass out the report cards.

Quote from story:

"All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help get you an "A". You have just experienced Grace."

My take: This is presenting cheap Grace.
Bible:
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

EGW:
The Great Controversy--The Scriptures a Safeguard
-PG- 593
Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of
God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His
character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great [594]
conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I
obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?"

My take:
Sometimes we forget that Experiencing His Grace is experiencing His enabling power in us. Yes, He did it before us, in the power of His Father, to show us that it may be done, then we, grasping the power of Grace, God enables us to do it also. Grace is Active, not passive.

Matthew 20 Parable......All that come to the owner of the vinyard were hired to work. They put forth the best effort they had to follow His biddings and in His biddings was a promise that however long they would be with Him/loyal, even though they must endure the severe trials of the field...they would recieve His Power of Grace. In His mercy and Love, He pays the same wage to all, but we must never forget He is just.

Bible:
Luk 13:24
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
Matthew 11:29
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

EGW:
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald--T- 03-17-10
The Need of Living Faith

Faith works by love, and purifies the soul from all selfishness. Thus the soul is perfected in love. And having found grace and mercy through
Christ's precious blood, how can we fail to be tender and merciful? "By grace are ye saved through faith." The mind should be educated to exercise faith rather than to cherish doubt, suspicion, and jealousy. We are too prone to
regard obstacles as impossibilities. To have faith in the promises of God, to go forward by faith, pressing on without being governed by circumstances, is a lesson hard to learn. Yet it is a positive necessity that every child of
God should learn this lesson. The grace of God through Christ is ever to be cherished, for it is given us as the only way of approaching God."

Quote from story:
Have you thanked your creator today because of the grace you have Experience?

My take: Yes, indeed, I thank God, that He showed me, by example, the way and promises me He will enpower me with His Grace if i will belive, come to Him in Faith, repent of my sins, believe He can keep me from falling and claim the promises that gives me the free gift of His enabling grace/power to do His will in My life. And with this done in His power....The report card will be His "A" and I may spend eternity with Him....Thank You Jesus.

[ August 01, 2002, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: Charlene Van Hook ]

Amen Charlene. Very good study and you put some substance into the message. Thank you.

I agree that the follow up study does present a couple of aspects of grace that were not present in the story, but I think that sometimes we can take the lesson out if we over-analyse something. Perhaps it is not a perfect illustration, but I think it makes the point very clearly.

Each student studied as much as they felt they needed to study (there is your works)

Each student would have to accept the grade - they have the freedom of choice to approach the professor and insist on writing the exam (choice), which is the same thing people do when they reject the gift of God. When a person hands you a gift, you have two choices, you can 1. accept it or 2. reject it. Those who do not accept are, in essence, rejecting it, by virtue of their non-acceptance. Not to mention, that God reads the heart, and there are those who profess to accept the "grade" but have not, in their hearts, truly accepted the freeness of the gift, thinking there must be something else, or should be something else to be done or that could have been done, these have not truly accepted the gift either. Consider a person who studied for 60 hours for the exam, covered every possible item that might be presented and felt 100% ready to write the exam, confident that they would pass with flying colours, to be denied the opportunity to prove themselves. If this person is upset or angry about the fact that everyone else (including those who studied minimally, if at all) also received the 100% grade and is irritated by it, then that person is, in essence, not fully accepting the grade. Remember that God knows the heart of man and does not judge by the outward appearance.

If a student were failing the class prior to the final exam, that one A would probably not enable them to pass the class (or at least just barely depending on the level of their grade), so the work done the rest of the semester would still qualify (he gave them an A for the exam, not the term).

I don't believe this is presenting cheap grace at all. I believe this is presenting initial grace. How often do we look at someone and judge them by their appearance, their past history or their recent mistakes? How much more Christ-like we would be if we were to extend this type of grace "you don't really deserve it for me to treat you decently, but I am going to because that is Christ's grace in action".

I guess I'm just saying that there is more to the story than is written. Let us not dismantle something that is and can be a blessing and a lesson to many because it doesn't quite reach you. I received this via e-mail from someone previously, and was touched by it.

Certainly works are important in conjunction with grace, but which comes first? If you do not have grace, your works are as filthy rags.

Thank-you Sarah. I believe you understood the story correctly.

We are all too anxious to make sure to add ourselves into the gift of salvation. God's gift plus whatever we can contribute... I would clarify your last sentence to say that even if we do have grace, our contribution of works are still filthy rags. No matter what we want to think of ourselves and our contribution, our efforts to obey even with God's help - we still are unworthy. The resounding message of Revelation is that ONLY the Lamb is worthy.

To say that this story is presenting cheap grace because it says that salvation is God's gift to us apart from anything we do or can possibly do is to mock God and say that HIS gift is too cheap, that it really isn't enough!

Thanks for seeing the Light!

Tom

I see the story addresses Justification only and that is not the "Final Exam." Recieveing the grade at the beginning of your Classes, is the new birth experience and not the final [grade] experience. Where does your story talk about the cooperation between the student and the creator of the test. Never did i say we added anything to gain the grade. Grace by faith that works by love, is the power to recieve the gift and is manifested in coming closer to the creator of the test so we may learn more of Him so we may be like him. The most important feature that leads to eternal life is entirely left out. I see the entire story as passive......and salvation does not fall into our laps, We are at war, we must participate in the Great Controversy by excercising our Active living faith, by our choices, Coming to the final exam to claim God's victory. Indeed, if we gained salvation without our cooperation with Christ We have not had a choice.

What is wrong with the story is, not understanding what Grace really is.

The Signs of the Times--- 02-12-94--Co-operation With God a Necessity
While our salvation is wholly dependent upon Jesus, yet we have a work to do in order that we shall be saved. The apostle says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." The work that we are to do is not independent of what God is to do, but a work of cooperation with God. The power and the grace of God is to be wrought into the heart by the divine Worker, but some go astray here, claiming that man has a work to do that is
wholly independent of any work of God. Another class take the other extreme, and say that man is free from all obligation, because God does the whole work--both the willing and doing. But the true ground to take is that the human will must be in subjection to the divine will. The will of man is not to be forced into cooperation with divine agencies, but must be voluntarily
submitted. Man has no power of himself to work out his own salvation. Salvation must be the result of cooperation with divine power, and God will not do that for man which he can do for himself. Man is wholly dependent on the grace of Christ. He has no power to move one step in the direction of Christ unless the Spirit of God draws him. The Holy Spirit is continually
drawing the soul, and will continue to draw until by persistent refusal the sinner grieves away the tender messenger of God."

To say that the students all got an "A" on their final Exam, means they all are saved........This is presumption....where do we see that they met the conditions? all promises are conditional, there is no eveidence presented that they Overcame, by the Blood of the Lamb. Where is the evidence that were walking obediently with the creator of the test.? The test was premature because it was not time for the "Final Exam". It was only the beginning... Justification....Only. {Believing and accepting God and His Son}. Then comes sanctification....Living His Life, tests, trials.........Then comes the Final Exam. and in Christ is the Victory.

[ August 03, 2002, 02:25 AM: Message edited by: Charlene Van Hook ]

Quote: "The most important feature that leads to eternal life is entirly left out."

Is the most important feature of salvation that leads to eternal life the life and death of Christ, and how Christ bore the sins of the redeemed? I see that represented in the story!

So, if this is not the most important feature that leads to eternal life, tell us specificly, and clearly, what is more important than Christ.

The fact that on the cross, Jesus bore the sins of all humanity, is the most important provision made by God for all humanity to have Eternal life. Yes, Without Christ and His sacrifice there is no chance for eternal life. However, it is worth nothing to those that reject His love and sacrifice on their behalf. The story shows the provision was made but leaves out the gift of repentance on the part of the students and the acceptance of the Sacrifice that would change their lives and free them from sin [a lower grade].....In other words...they were given an "A" without any choice or change in their lives. They were saved in their sins even though Jesus gave His life for them. thinking they were saved by Grace without a change in the heart and total submission to him manifested by a life of self sacrifice.....is cheap Grace.

I submit the story is a new birth story for those in the class that took advantage of this free gift.....not a Final Exam.

Imputed Grace does not save....only imparted Grace.

For 120 years, Noah preached the Grace of God. "Come inside the ark and claim your "A", was the message. Every human on earth had the opportunity to come aboard and claim the promise of salvation. The people lacked the faith in the message to claim the promise given.

"Come unto me" Jesus says "and i will give you eternal live with me"
"I knock at the door of your heart to give you the gift of eternal life, but you must open the door so you can recieve the gift." Jesus pleads.

We live each day under His grace, were it not for Grace, we would have no chance of any life, even a sinful life, this is grace imputed, when we believe, reach out and claim this Grace for our own personal lives, the Grace is inparted, and in the power of this imparted Grace we will be able to claim the promise of eternal life.

Sorry to say only 8 of the humans alive chose to go aboard and recieve the "A"/Grace offered them. Even tho Grace/"A" was provided for each one, unbelief/lack of faith kept them from recieving the "A"/God's redemptive life saving Grace.

Another thought......preparing to go aboard the ark....walking to the ark....going up the ramp to the ark, Is WORKS. Did it contribute to their provided salvation, NO! But it was absolutly necessary to recieve the gift/"A"/salvation.

Charlene,

And each day those students walked into that classroom and sat at the feet of the Teacher. They put effort into the class and endured until the end. Notice that Revelation refers to the saved as those who endured until the end. They never give up or stop trying. This is not absent from the story. But their effort is totally eclipsed by the gift of the Teacher.

Those who drop out of the class or decided they didn't really need to show up for class are lost. And those who decide they do not want the Teacher's grade, prefering to rely on their own efforts, will fall short of the perfect mark required to pass.

As has been suggested already, over-analyzing the story only robs it of its essential meaning. I don't think the author intended it to be an exhaustive theological treatise on salvation. It illustrates a significant point of our salvation that is often lost on most people who have a hard time accepting any gift, much less a priceless one they do not deserve and for which they cannot possibly afford to obtain on their own.

Focus on the importance of the closing question.

Tom

[ August 05, 2002, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Tom Wetmore ]