In the U.S., nearly all of us have a credit score which represents the likelihood that we will repay our debts and loans. The Chinese government has taken individual evaluations further and created a Social Credit System. Each citizen is assessed based on their criminal activity, political activity, credit worthiness, thoughtfulness toward their neighbors, and other conduct. One’s score is negatively affected by playing loud music on public transportation, jaywalking, failing to properly sort trash, playing too many video games, and other anti-social behaviors. Positive factors affecting one’s social credit score include donating blood, volunteering in the community, and being honest in business transactions. A poor social credit score makes getting loans more difficult, forfeits many discounted purchases, could result in one’s children being blacklisted from university admissions, is used by employers when hiring job candidates, and has many other negative consequences.
Imagine if God kept a ‘sinner score’ for each of us. We might obsess about how many points this sin is worth, or how much that sin cost us. When our guilt level was high, we would be kind and generous to others so we could raise our score. At times we might wonder if our score was so poor that we might be beyond the reach of God’s grace. The bad news is that God does have a ‘sinner score’ for each of us and our ‘sinner score’ is zero with no hope of self-improvement. The good news is that no one is beyond the grace of God who can provide any of us with a perfect score. When Jesus came ‘to seek and save the lost’, He knew that throughout history people would scrutinize His every word and action. By singling out the worst of sinners in His day and restoring them publicly, Jesus let everyone know that the salvation He offers is available to them too regardless of their dismal ‘sinner score’.
Think of some of the worst of sinners that Jesus saved. Jesus ate at the home of Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, and told him that “salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19) Jesus rescued an adulterous woman who was about to be stoned. Jesus told her, “to go and sin no more.” (John 8) Jesus healed a leper, a social and religious outcast who no one would come near. (Matthew 8) Jesus promised “living water” to an unloved Samaritan woman. (John 4) Jesus even restored Simon Peter after he denied Him repeatedly at His crucifixion. (John 21) And after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus saved Paul (Saul), who had been threatening Jesus’ disciples and cursing God. (Acts 9) Paul was amazed at the saving grace of God because he thought of himself as “the worst of sinners.” (1 Timothy 1)
Our songbooks have many examples of the love, grace, and mercy God has for sinners. John Newton, the ship captain and slave trader who was famous for his extreme profanity, wrote “Amazing Grace” to describe the sweet and precious grace of His Savior. In Julia Johnston’s hymn “Grace Greater than Our Sin” she describes God’s grace as marvelous, infinite, and matchless. In Charles Wesley’s hymn “And Can It Be?” he sings of God’s amazing and divine love, and His Savior’s immense and free mercy. And if we still have doubts whether God’s grace is sufficient to save someone with our pathetic ‘sinner score’, just consider Jesus’ invitation to people in some of the most wicked cities in Israel, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11) It is only after facing the bad news of our sin that we can more fully appreciate the good news (gospel) of grace that Jesus offers.