COMMON GRACE
INTRODUCTION
All of us were born as an enemy of God, we all born as a sinner, yet we still come with well functioning eyes, lungs and heart; that is common grace. Donald Grey Barnhouse once mentioned that common grace is when we are not a believer in Christ and yet we are still out of hell; when we are not in hell, but we are on earth in good health and prosperity; when we are not fleeing as refugees along the highways of a country desolated by war; when we are able to put our hand in our pocket and give a kid a quarter or a half dollar for an allowance. It is common grace that we have such abundance.
On the day that we read these words there are more than a billion and a half members of the human race who will go to sleep without enough to satisfy their hunger, the fact that we have enough is common grace. We do not deserve it. And if we think that we do deserve anything at all from God beyond the wrath which we have so richly earned, we merely show our ignorance of spiritual principles.
“Common Grace”, I believe we all are pretty much familiar with this term, but yet it seems to me that we (or at least I) have not been appreciating or aware of it much enough as we should. This morning devotion is going to discuss the overall concept of common grace and its relations to us that we do not think lightly of the blessings He poured on us.
COMMON GRACE
To help us better see the concept of common grace, an article written by Louis Berkhof lists several distinctions between special (in the sense of saving) and common grace where he says:
Special grace removes the guilt and penalty of sin, changes the inner life of man, and gradually cleanses him from the pollution of sin by the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit. Its work invariably issues in the salvation of the sinner. Common grace, on the other hand, never removes the guilt of sin, does not renew human nature, but only has a restraining effect on the corrupting influence of sin and in a measure mitigates its results. It does not affect the salvation of the sinner, though in some of its forms (external calling and moral illumination) it may be closely connected with the economy of redemption.
CREATION – VERY BEGINNING OF COMMON GRACE
In the early days of creation, God took pleasure and spent not less than five days in creating the light, sun, moon, earth, water, plants, animals, winds, and many more; After He created man and sees that the man still needs more, He created some other living creatures for man to take pleasure in (Gen 1 & 2). They are all common grace that He poured abundantly to mankind.
OUR CONDITION
A friend of mine shared his experience going out for dinner with a few of his friends. Some of them were so rich that they wanted to go to a very expensive restaurant in Indonesia, while a few others weren’t so rich that they didn’t know they’re going to such restaurant. They startled when they looked at the prices on the menu, but they couldn’t leave the restaurant since they were already seated by the waiter and the other friends were seemed so eager to make orders. It was kind of ironic for him to see some of his friends ordering the cheapest entrée and eat slowly thinking that what they eat would cost them quite a fraction of their salary, while some others were eating like crazy, and even making bets on the food (they played something like scissors-paper-stone, and the person who lost, have to order another entrée and finish it). Listening to the story, I first thought that it was all relative, to some other Indonesians, those food might cost them a month salary, while for some others, it’s probably nothing; then I began to think, those who are rich probably have no heart for the poor, or probably they have never knew about living in poverty… but after a while, it came across my mind that we have common grace abundantly, and yet we often times did not make a good use of it, it was wasted.
“How is it wasted?” we asked. John Piper in his book titled “don’t waste your life” shared one of his riveting forces written in old English script: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last”. Things that we intentionally or unintentionally spent (i.e. time, thoughts, money, etc) merely for the sake of ourselves could be considered wasted (unless it is in return would glorify God).
Another point of view seeing it wasted is when we “over appreciate” common grace. There was once when I went surfing in the sea, I stared in awe to the beautiful, powerful waves coming towards me and I wondered how glorious this creation of God is. For the next few hours I began to consider spending my life surfing, enjoying this magnificent part of nature and just do any simple work to support my living; many surfers live their life that way and I thought life would be much easier and more enjoyable that way. I supported my thought by thinking that in the beginning God created man to subdue and enjoy the nature, and my thought would do just that; appreciating (or enjoying, if I may say) His common grace throughout my lifetime on earth.
Common grace is also to be displayed to show His glory to others. (enjoying to its fullest would be possible when we really are enjoying the fullness of His glory – in Heaven). Mere appreciation, in the form of enjoying, to common grace, which is only a part of His glory would indeed shows non-existence of Christ in our current life/heart (His heart in this earth’s lifetime would be to save all His lost loved ones – us). Enjoying without displaying is also deceiving as John Piper wrote “the marking of God enthralled joy is to overflow and expand by extending itself into the hearts of others”. We have the right and responsibility to enjoy and display His glory, which is exposed through common grace/nature.
PRESUMPTIONS
We should regard common grace as a precious grace. God, pictured as owner of a field in Matthew 13:24-30, restraint from pulling up the weeds and watering them (the weeds) instead because He didn’t want the good wheat to die with the weeds. A presumption He still pours common grace to the sinners (which basically His enemies) along side with believers is because of His love for His children that He does not want any one of them to perish, but have an everlasting life.
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” Romans 2:4 (NIV)
Given this precious grace, what should we do to our unbeliever friends?
Another presumption on common grace is that we took common grace for granted because of its generality; it is poured to all mankind regardless of their actions. “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45 (NIV)
We’re so easily conceited to be chosen as His child that we often overlook our conditions when we were born, still a sinner deserving hell, not even a chance to live on earth.
What common grace have we been taken for granted lately?
COMMON GRACE IN ICF
ICF in itself is a common grace. There are a lot of lonely Indonesians in cities where it is hard to find Indonesian brothers and sisters in Christ as God has provided most of us through ICF; yet some of us, including me, has sometimes took it for granted.
The question would be, have we regard and make use of our common grace as much as we are supposed to be? I encourage all of us to think back to our fellowship, what is it that made us belittle this precious common grace, do we want to take a step and grasp this grace of God?