Common Grace

[dms1972]

What is Common Grace and why do some theologians object to the doctrine? Is it just that they think its wrongly named?

 

[FireDragon76]

Unless you are a Reformed Christian, it's relatively meaningless.

I don't believe I've ever heard it as a Lutheran.

 

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

What is Common Grace and why do some theologians object to the doctrine? Is it just that they think its wrongly named?

FROM CARM.ORG:

Common Grace is the grace God gives to creation as a whole, to all unbelievers. In this universal non-salvific form of grace, God allows the sun to shine upon both the righteous and the unrighteous. He does not judge unbelievers right away due to the work of Christ on the Cross by which people are saved. God endures with them for the sake of those who would believe. Unbelievers can be doctors, engineers, parents, etc., and function within God's domain and counsel.

"Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation."1

"Also called “general grace.” God’s universal, nonsaving grace in which blessings are given to humanity for physical sustenance , pleasure, learning, beauty, etc., as expressions of God’s goodness. It is particularly contrasted in Reformed theology with God’s special or saving grace."2

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," (Matt. 5:43-48).

God shows his goodness to all people when He feeds them, allows them to work, experience beauty, learn and have joy. It is also common grace that "restrains" the wrath of God until a later time.

• 1. Grudem, Wayne (2009-05-18). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (p. 657). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
• 2. McKim, Donald K. (2014-04-21). The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded (Kindle Locations 6203-6206). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

From Monergism.com

A. ORIGIN OF THE DOCTRINE OF COMMON GRACE.
1. THE PROBLEM WITH WHICH IT DEALS. The origin of the doctrine of common grace was occasioned by the fact that there is in the world, alongside of the course of the Christian life with all its blessings, a natural course of life, which is not redemptive and yet exhibits many traces of the true, the good, and the beautiful. The question arose, How can we explain the comparatively orderly life in the world, seeing that the whole world lies under the curse of sin? How is it that the earth yields precious fruit in rich abundance and does not simply bring forth thorns and thistles? How can we account for it that sinful man still “retains some knowledge of God, of natural things, and of the difference between good and evil, and shows some regard for virtue and for good outward behavior”? What explanation can be given of the special gifts and talents with which the natural man is endowed, and of the development of science and art by those who are entirely devoid of the new life that is in Christ Jesus? How can we explain the religious aspirations of men everywhere, even of those who did not come in touch with the Christian religion? How can the unregenerate still speak the truth, do good to others, and lead outwardly virtuous lives? These are some of the questions to which the doctrine of common grace seeks to supply the answer.

SO WHO WOULD REJECT THIS?

Those that teach the 100% depravity of man, like Calvin.

 

[Rescued One]

FROM CARM.ORG:

Common Grace is the grace God gives to creation as a whole, to all unbelievers. In this universal non-salvific form of grace, God allows the sun to shine upon both the righteous and the unrighteous. He does not judge unbelievers right away due to the work of Christ on the Cross by which people are saved. God endures with them for the sake of those who would believe. Unbelievers can be doctors, engineers, parents, etc., and function within God's domain and counsel.

"Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation."1

"Also called “general grace.” God’s universal, nonsaving grace in which blessings are given to humanity for physical sustenance , pleasure, learning, beauty, etc., as expressions of God’s goodness. It is particularly contrasted in Reformed theology with God’s special or saving grace."2

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," (Matt. 5:43-48).

God shows his goodness to all people when He feeds them, allows them to work, experience beauty, learn and have joy. It is also common grace that "restrains" the wrath of God until a later time.

• 1. Grudem, Wayne (2009-05-18). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (p. 657). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
• 2. McKim, Donald K. (2014-04-21). The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded (Kindle Locations 6203-6206). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

From Monergism.com

A. ORIGIN OF THE DOCTRINE OF COMMON GRACE.
1. THE PROBLEM WITH WHICH IT DEALS. The origin of the doctrine of common grace was occasioned by the fact that there is in the world, alongside of the course of the Christian life with all its blessings, a natural course of life, which is not redemptive and yet exhibits many traces of the true, the good, and the beautiful. The question arose, How can we explain the comparatively orderly life in the world, seeing that the whole world lies under the curse of sin? How is it that the earth yields precious fruit in rich abundance and does not simply bring forth thorns and thistles? How can we account for it that sinful man still “retains some knowledge of God, of natural things, and of the difference between good and evil, and shows some regard for virtue and for good outward behavior”? What explanation can be given of the special gifts and talents with which the natural man is endowed, and of the development of science and art by those who are entirely devoid of the new life that is in Christ Jesus? How can we explain the religious aspirations of men everywhere, even of those who did not come in touch with the Christian religion? How can the unregenerate still speak the truth, do good to others, and lead outwardly virtuous lives? These are some of the questions to which the doctrine of common grace seeks to supply the answer.

SO WHO WOULD REJECT THIS?

Those that teach the 100% depravity of man, like Calvin.

No, Reformed theologians do teach Common Grace.

"Relative to the third point, which is concerned with the question of civil righteousness as performed by the unregenerate, Synod declares that according to Scripture and the Confessions the unregenerate, though incapable of doing any saving good, can do civil good. This is evident from the quotations from Scripture and from the Canons of Dordrecht, III-IV:4, and from the Netherlands Confession, Art. 36, which teach that God, without renewing the heart, so influences man that he is able to perform civil good; while it also appears from the citations from Reformed writers of the most flourishing period of Reformed Theology that our Reformed fathers from ancient times were of the same opinion.
Common Grace

And CARM is a Calvinist site.

 

[Rescued One]

Common grace is a theological concept in Protestant Christianity, primarily in Reformed/Calvinistic thought, referring to the grace of God that is either common to all humankind, or common to everyone within a particular sphere of influence (limited only by unnecessary cultural factors).

Common grace - Wikipedia

Prevenient Grace is an Arminian Teaching.

 

[Rescued One]

The total depravity of man is seen throughout the Bible. Man’s heart is “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Bible also teaches us that man is born dead in transgression and sin (Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 2:1-5). The Bible teaches that because unregenerate man is “dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5), he is held captive by a love for sin (John 3:19; John 8:34) so that he will not seek God (Romans 3:10-11) because he loves the darkness (John 3:19) and does not understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and continue to willfully live in sin. Because they are totally depraved, this sinful lifestyle seems right to men (Proverbs 14:12) so they reject the gospel of Christ as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) and their mind is “hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7).
Total depravity - is it biblical?

This is why Jesus said, "Ye must be born again."

 

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

Common grace is a theological concept in Protestant Christianity, primarily in Reformed/Calvinistic thought, referring to the grace of God that is either common to all humankind, or common to everyone within a particular sphere of influence (limited only by unnecessary cultural factors).

Common grace - Wikipedia

Prevenient Grace is an Arminian Teaching.

The total depravity of man is seen throughout the Bible. Man’s heart is “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Bible also teaches us that man is born dead in transgression and sin (Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 2:1-5). The Bible teaches that because unregenerate man is “dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5), he is held captive by a love for sin (John 3:19; John 8:34) so that he will not seek God (Romans 3:10-11) because he loves the darkness (John 3:19) and does not understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and continue to willfully live in sin. Because they are totally depraved, this sinful lifestyle seems right to men (Proverbs 14:12) so they reject the gospel of Christ as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) and their mind is “hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7).
Total depravity - is it biblical?

This is why Jesus said, "Ye must be born again."

And yet, Enoch walked with God, Noah found grace in God's sight (when God destroyed everyone else except his family through the flood), and God called satan's attention to Job when Job had only heard about God.

I agree with all those Scriptures and I agree we cannot save ourselves--that is a work of God. BUT, I disagree with their twisted use to make this total depravity doctrine. There would be no purpose for God to say "if you diligently seek Me with all your heart, I will be found." It would be silly for Him to direct people to "choose whom you will serve," if He knew we couldn't choose. Romans 1:18-32 is a progression of those that reject the knowledge of God not the beginning state of all mankind! God says something similar in 2 Thes 2:10-12. He says "because they received not the Truth that they might be saved," He "shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned."

I am neither arminian or calvinist. But those verses along with 1 Tim 2:2-4 and 2 Pet 3:9 certainly question any concept that choice is not involved, if God desires ALL to come to repentance!

 

[dms1972]

My reading is that the issue of Common Grace is disputed and led to a split from the CRC (Christian Reformed Churches) and the creation of the PRC (Protestant Reformed Churches). I am not American and don't know much about the dispute, other than what I am reading online, which says that dispute was connected to a book published called "the Free Offer of the Gospel" : But I didn't think common grace had anything to do with the offer of the gospel or salvation, but just those things mentioned in Post #3.