Common Grace

Grace to all mankind

One common definition of grace uses the word as an acronym: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. But what if you don't know Christ? Can you really be receiving a gift, right now, from someone you don't know?

The answer is a resounding yes - every single person who is now or has ever drawn breath, has experienced grace from God. That grace is referred to as common grace.

Common grace is the gift of life; the gift of being created; the gift of seeing God's amazing creation, of experiencing what each person experiences. This gift is not necessarily equal; we experience different things. But the experience itself, life itself, the creation itself... this is all a gift of God to every created thing.

Scripture says 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). So God gives the gift of the sun and rain on all people. All people experience, to some degree, His grace.

"But wait!," the objection comes. "Some people live in the desert, and some in fertile tropical islands. How can this all be God's common grace?"

The answer is that all of these people live. Why does a single person who does not deserve to live, live? Why doesn't God simply erase the slate, and destroy every living thing that does not measure up to His righteousness? The patience of God reveals His grace toward all mankind.

This grace is measured in patience. 2 Peter 3:9 reveals that God is "not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God is patient toward the creation, not far off or distant, but constantly showing grace, in order that all whose eyes are opened to the amazing grace that they have been given might come to Him, and be saved.

Common grace becomes even more evident when one considers the moment-by-moment upholding of creation that God does. Our universe is not a watch, having been wound by a creator who then left, watching from afar as the mechanism unwinds. Rather, the Bible portrays our Lord as actively, graciously, keeping the world together.

For by Christ "all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). Everything was created in Christ - not only through Him, but also for Him. How gracious is our God, to allow created beings who were made for Him to live, even when they are rebellious and angrily against Him!

Hebrews 1:3 says that Christ is right now "upholding all things by the word of His power." Day by day, moment by moment, breath by breath, all that exists is being upheld by Jesus Christ, God incarnate. Each of us lives on borrowed time. Each of us - no matter what belief is professed or denied, is experiencing the grace of God.

This common grace should drive us to our knees in humility before the God who has created us. We should actively pursue further knowledge of this amazing God, who is willing to give good things to those who are utterly undeserving.

Because as good as common grace is, there is much, much more to the grace of God!

"O Taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Psalm 34:8)