“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.”
Hebrews 1:2-3, NLT
There is an idea of an existance of a ‘common grace’ that touches every person on this rock called Earth. What is suggested with this, is that every person has access to grace; at least on a basic level, such as nature, government, medical, education and judicial. We all are sharing in common grace whether we are saved or not.
Common grace explains a great deal, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45) They both benefit from His care, whether they believe or disbelieve.
On the other pole, lies ‘special grace.’ It is different. It is grace that is given to those who put their trust in the promises for salvation, deliverance and healing. These promises can only be enjoyed by a Christian believer. Special grace is grace that God gives to each one who is in a covenant relationship with Himself.
I got up early the other morning, with a cup of coffee in hand and went to sit out on my steps. I have to tell you that mornings are truly delightful here in Alaska. As I sat looking at the trees and watching the clouds, the sun was caught by the trees and they began to glow. (I always think of the burning bush of Moses and secretly wonder if trees don’t remember and try to emulate their ancestor so long ago.) I hear the cranes from the lake. And all of this touches me.
Just as I physically awoke 20 minutes ago, I now awaken spiritually. Common grace makes this all possible. When I first became a believing Christian, I was quite amazed at how blue the sky was. The grass seemed greener. I remember feeling amazed that I hadn’t noticed these things before. I guess I was full of joy over the special grace that I had just been given.
“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.”
–Louis Berkof, Christian theologian
I love common grace. It makes it possible to enjoy my coffee in the sunshine on the deck. Common grace allows me to hear the crane’s special song. People everywhere are drawing from the common well of common grace. “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” (John 1:4)
Related articles
- For Free (benjaminbradfordwhite.wordpress.com)
- Understanding General Grace (treeofmamre.wordpress.com)
- From Everyone Who Has Been Given Much, Much Will Be Demanded (pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com)
- God Inspired Holiness: Psalm 141:1 – 4, ESV (psalmslife.com)
Broken Believers 
This is really moving and beautiful. Thank you.
LikeLike