“We’re sorry!  We have encountered an unhandled exception.”

Have you ever had this message (or something similar) pop up on your computer?  I have.  I’m not sure precisely what it means, but I do know that it indicates that something has gone wrong.

I was listening yesterday to a song by Ryan Stevenson, called “No Matter What”.  Here are the lyrics.

“A lot of us grew up believing
At any moment we could lose it all
And at the drop of a hat
God might turn His back and move on
A lot of us feel like we blew it
Thinking that we’re just too far gone
But I want you to know
There’s still a hope for you now

[Chorus 1]
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter what

[Verse 2]
There’s never been a better time to get honest
There’s never been a better time to get clean
So come as you are
Run to the cross and be free
Oh, be free

[Chorus 2]
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter where you run
He’s always holding on
You’re still a daughter, You’re still a son
No matter what

[Bridge]
Don’t know what you’ve been taught
Don’t know what you’ve been told
All I know is my God
Will never let go of you, no-o-o-ooo
And I don’t know what you’ve seen
Don’t know what you’ve been through
All I know is my God
Will never let go of you
He’ll never let go!
He’ll never, never, never let you go

[Chorus 2]
No matter what you’ve done
You can’t erase His love
Nothing can change it
You’re not separated
No matter where you run
He’s always holding on
You’re still a daughter, You’re still a son
No matter what

[Outro]
You’re still a daughter, You’re still a son!…
No matter what.”

After hearing this song, it suddenly occurred to me that I had believed this for a long time—with one “unhandled exception.” I didn’t believe it for my own self.  I was the unhandled exception.

Why should I believe that I am so exceptional?  I don’t know.  I really don’t.  Yes, I am unique; and so are you.  But exceptional?  Not so much!

The Apostle Paul, before he was the Apostle Paul, was known as Saul.  He persecuted the church, casting his vote for death against anyone who named the name of Christ.  In fact, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christ-followers there.  On the way to Damascus, a very crazy-way-more-than-awkward thing happened: He was confronted in a vision with the risen Christ.  “Saul, Saul!” cried a voice from Heaven.  “Why are you persecuting me?”  The “me” turned out to be Jesus Christ.  It was “a blinding revelation” in every sense of that expression.

Saul/Paul never got over what a screw-up he was.  Near the end of his life, Paul wrote these words:

“15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’– and I am the worst of them all.”

Paul knew that he was exceptional—exceptionally evil!  Interestingly, even though he is now a Christ-follower, an evangelist, a church planter, he still says that he “is” the worst of sinners.  It is in the present tense in Greek.  He is still very much aware of his exceptional condition as a sinner.  A saved sinner?  Yes!  But still a sinner, and the worst of the lot.

But then, Paul goes on to say,

“16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

Paul thought of himself as an exceptionally difficult case.  However, Paul also thought of himself as an exceptionally wonderful example of God’s mercy.  Paul is saying here, “If God can have mercy on me and save me, he can save anybody!  There are no unhandled exceptions!”

And so, Paul ends with praise:

17 “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”

Here is the heart of the matter: I am exceptionally evil, and probably, so are you!  However, there is an exceptional God with an exceptional Son, and there are no unhandled exceptions for them.