About Common Grace
9.3 - Foundations of the Christian Faith
God does not limit his grace to just Christians. God’s common grace can be seen in his provision for all people. The scriptures tell us that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). However, he shows his saving grace by granting salvation to those who place their faith in Christ.
The doctrine of Common Grace is built in three points.
The first point of Common Grace acknowledges God’s favorable attitude toward His entire creation, not only toward those that have found salvation in Christ. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). Jesus said God causes the “sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45) and God “is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). In the book of Acts, we see Barnabas and Paul saying the same thing: “God has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17).
The second point of Common Grace recognizes how God restrains the power of sin in the life of the individual and in society. Scripture records God directly intervening and restraining individuals from sinning. In Genesis, God restrained Abimelech from touching Sarah, Abraham’s wife, and affirmed it to him in a dream by saying, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her” (Genesis 20:6). In a like manner, God restrained His servant David from taking revenge on Nabal for mistreating the messengers that David sent to greet him (1 Samuel 25:14). Nabal’s wife recognized God’s grace when she pleaded with David not to seek vengeance against her husband, “since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands…” (1 Samuel 25:26). David acknowledged this Common Grace by responding, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you…” (1 Samuel 25:34). This second point of Common Grace also includes God’s choice to harden the hearts of people for His sovereign purposes. God does this by giving a sinful person over to the sin and evil that resides in his heart. To punish Israel for their rebellion, God gave the nation “over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (Psalm 81:11-12). In Romans, Paul tells us that God gives perpetually evil people “over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another” (Romans 1:28).
The third point of common grace recognizes how God exercises influence on the unsaved for a kind of civic righteousness, enabling them to perform good deeds toward their fellow citizens. We see this in unbelieving politicians who act for the good of society despite their own depravity. In Romans, Paul describes a group of unregenerate Gentiles, saying they “do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law” (Romans 2:14). If God did not restrain the evil that resides in the hearts of all men, humanity would have destroyed itself long ago, especially when we consider the purpose of the devil is to “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). We can be thankful that God works through Common Grace given to all men. Indeed, God’s great plan for history is not cast aside by the evil minds of unsaved people. In the doctrine of Common Grace, we see that God is still in charge, that He is still blessing his people, and that He is busy glorying His name.
Your assignment: Read the following scriptures to see what else the scriptures say about common grace.
Matthew 5:45
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Psalms 145:8–9
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.
Acts 14:15–17
15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
Romans 5:1–11
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Psalms 65:5–13
5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
7 You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.9 You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
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