"Common grace curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men" (Berkhof, Louis.
Systematic Theology, 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979. 434). There are three aspects of common grace. One is "providential care in creation":
1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5:45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Another is "providential restraint of sin" which manifests itself in civil government to maintain order and in personal restraint to limit an individual's sinful behavior:
13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
25:26Now therefore, my lord, [as] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to [shed] blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
The third is the "conscience of man":
9:6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Romans 2:14-15
This measure of common grace is extended to all God's creation so all may recognize Him. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us" (Acts 17:24-27).
Even though the unsaved may not know from whence their inspiration and discipline comes, it still comes from God. Paul quoted the Cretan poet Epimenides and the Cilician poet Aratus as he continues: "For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:28-31).
Since the "man He has appointed," Jesus Christ, experienced life on this planet with all its temptations, and also participated in eternity through all the workings of the Godhead, He alone is qualified to judge the world with justice. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb. 4:14-16).
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ moved us from common grace to salvation grace. He commissioned us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" so that His saving grace might be available to all. Jesus Christ now awaits the time of the judgement, as do we all. Behold, He is coming soon! May we be found ready. Amen
17:31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead."
Follow this blog
