Common Grace

First we talked about God’s sovereignty over all things.

Two weeks ago, we talked about sin. And just how broken and sinful we are as humans.

What is something that you remember from our conversation about sin?

The main point that I was hoping that you would get out of our conversation was just how dependent we are on the grace of God in our lives.

“Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

God’s grace is one of the most prevalent attributes of God that we need every moment of every day.

I proposed that we need His grace more that we need His love.

That points sets us up for our study tonight.

Grace. But more specifically, in our study of salvation, first we are going to study the doctrine of common grace.

What is grace?

Grace-God’s sovereign decision to extend His love, mercy, and power to us, not because of anything we have done, but because of who He is.

What is the difference between grace and mercy?

Mercy Not getting what we do deserve. God withholding the punishment our sins warrant.

Grace Getting what we don't deserve. God giving us His Spirit, His adoption, and eternal life.

There are two broad ways that God shows His grace to mankind.

Common Grace and Saving Grace

Has anyone ever heard of these two categories?

First we are going to look at Common Grace

Common Grace-the grace of God in which He gives innumerable blessings to all mankind that are not apart of salvation

When you hear that definition, is there any scripture or circumstances in this life that you can see that?

Let’s look at some ways Grudem points out common grace.

Delayed Punishment

“When Adam and Eve sinned, they because worthy of eternal punishment and separation from God. In the same way, when human beings sin today they become liable to the wrath of God and to eternal punishment.”

Anyone know the most predominate passage of scripture that we get that from?

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“This means that once people sin, God’s justice requires only one thing - that they be eternally separated from God, cut off from experiencing any good from Him, and that they live forever in hell, receiving only His wrath eternally.”

I wrote next to this quote “basic, nonnegotiable fact”.

Do you agree with that?

I have heard Christians ask this question before and I want to flip it on its head.

“How come when we get saved, God doesn’t just take us to heaven?”

The opposite,

“How come when we sin, God doesn’t immediately kill us and send us to hell?”

The answer is God’s common grace to all mankind.

Every day of delayed punishment for a sinner is a gift of God’s grace to them.

And we as sinners converted by faith can look back and easily recognize the grace that protected us from getting the wages or even the consequences of our sins in our previous life!

How does that change your view of God’s grace before you became a Christian?

How does that change the way that you see unbelievers in the world around you?

Grudem identifies a number of realms that we can see God’s common grace for all mankind, and he starts with

The Physical Realm

Not only does God delay punishment for all mankind on this earth, but while we are on this earth, God’s common grace provided a great abundance of physical needs for everyone!

“God’s Common Grace produces food and material for clothing and shelter, often in abundance and diversity.”

Matthew 5:44–45 ESV

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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.

Acts 14:16–17 ESV

In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Is there any OT stories that reveal this truth as well?

Joseph, helping Potiphar and all of Egypt during the famine.

Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar’s wealth and prosperity with Daniel in charge.

How else can we see God’s grace in the physical world?

How about in the beauty of the natural world around us?

Though the world is effected by the decay of sin, God’s grace is revealed in Him revealing Himself in the beauty of His creation!

Romans 1:19–20 ESV

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Is there any other ways in the physical world that God shows all mankind His grace?

Another realm that God shows all mankind grace is in the

The Intellectual Realm

Grudem talks about how Satan is the “father of lies” and “there is no truth in him”.

He talks about Satan being completely turned over to evil and lies.

“But human beings in the world today, even unbelievers, are not totally given over to lying, irrationality and ignorance. All people have some grasp of truth, including great intelligence and understanding.”

What he is talking about is the mental capacity to seek for truth and understanding in any topic of study is a sign of God’s grace because we are not completely turned over to lies and evil like Satan is.

Because in our sinful state, we deserve to be completely turned over to evil and have no access to the good things of God.

Grudem says that all science and technology carried out by non-believers is a result of God’s common grace in the intellectual realm of mankind.

But beyond science and knowledge,

This common grace includes the ability to know truths about God and have some knowledge about Him.

John 1:9 ESV

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Romans 1:21 ESV

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Within every human is a drawing or a hunger towards something bigger than themselves. God places it in everyone’s heart. A sense that there is a God and longing to discover Him.

This longing has developed a huge number of man-made religions of worshiping everything from the sun to fertility.

Paul addresses this recognition in the men of Athens in their worship of the unknown god.

Is there any other way that you can see God’s common grace in the intellectual realm?

One other realm that we see God’s common grace is in morality.

The Moral Realm

Again, Grudem draws the comparison between mankind and satan and demons.

Satan and demons are totally devoted to evil and destruction.

While God’s common grace restrains people from being as evil as the could be.

Its not that they are completely sinful without the Lord, its that they are not committing all of the evil that they could.

Even in unbelievers, God has granted some level of morality. Some level of opinion of right and wrong.

Though it can be warped and ignored, at some point in our lives, we all have a conscience. Some common sense of right and wrong. What is fair.

Romans 2:14–15 ESV

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

So even the truth that all people have some moral sense of right and wrong is evidence that there is common grace in morality.

How would you say though that conscience can be corrupted in the world today?

Grudem argues that even the concept of governments and giving authority to law enforcement to enforce laws is a sign of God’s common grace.

Again, obviously, today it is being greatly corrupted. But the concept comes from a place of morality which points to a moral center that the majority of humans can agree to.

Fascination enough, the areas that most people moral people agree on the laws that should apply to all humans are Biblical concepts…

Even the concept of judgement for breaking the common moral laws is a sign of common grace because it is not a moral free for all. Some sense of justice from wrong is placed within us all because of that conscience.

Now obviously, we don’t all agree on every topic but the sense of morality and punishment for breaking the law is pretty common in humanity.

What is something in the news right now, that those who has some sense of justice are outraged about?

Now, let’s look at the difference between common grace and saving grace.

These are not two different types of grace but two different ways that God’s grace is manifested to people.

Grudem says, “Common grace is different from saving grace in its results, recipients and source.”

Result

Common grace does not result in salvation. It can lead to it but salvation is not the work of common grace.

Saving grace results in the salvation of the recipient.

Recipients

Common grace is given to both believers and unbelievers.

Saving grace is only given to those who believe.

Source

Common grace does not flow directly from Christ’s atoning work on the cross.

Saving grace is a direct result of Jesus’ completed work on the cross.

Those are three different ways that common grace and saving grace is different.

Anything else to add or questions about that?

Common grace is not saving grace but it can point people to saving grace.

Now, over the coming weeks of our study of salvation, we will discuss that saving grace is. So nothing more on that tonight.

Why?

Why does God given common grace to mankind?

To give time for those to be saved

To demonstrate God’s goodness and mercy to the world

To demonstrate God’s justice

To demonstrate God’s glory