What Is Common Grace?

A Word from Bob 

Since 2022, I’ve been collating quotes from Reformed theologians on the doctrine of common grace. I combined all of those quotes into the post:

10 Reformed Theologians on Common Grace.

A Brief Introduction to Common Grace 

In those posts, I’ve introduced the doctrine of common grace with these words.

In Reformed Christian theology, unregenerate persons are totally depraved and all of their thinking is seen as under the noetic (mind) impact of sin and fallenness. Yet, also in Reformed thinking, the unregenerate/unsaved person can make valid contributions to society, culture, the arts, research, science, and more. How can these two truths be held together at one time? The Reformed doctrine of common grace explains how we can hold to both these biblical truths. It also explains how to engage with and evaluate common grace resources using the lens/spectacles of God’s all-sufficient Word.

Some Introductory Definitions of Common Grace 

How do Reformed theologians define the doctrine of common grace?

• “Every favour of whatever kind or degree, falling short of salvation, which this undeserving and sin-cursed world enjoys at the hand of God” (“Common Grace,” in the Collected Writings of John Murray, II:96).
• In common grace, God grants even the non-Christian “gifts, talents, and aptitudes; he stimulates them with interest and purpose to the practice of virtues, the pursuance of worthy tasks, and the cultivation of arts and sciences that occupy the time, activity and energy of men and that make for the benefit and civilization of the human race. He ordains institutions for the protection and promotion of right, the preservation of liberty, the advance of knowledge and the improvement of physical and moral conditions. We may regard these interests, pursuits and institutions as exercising both an expulsive and impulsive influence. Occupying the energy, activity and time of men they prevent the indulgence of less noble and ignoble pursuits and they exercise an ameliorating, moralizing, stabilizing and civilizing influence upon the social organism (“Common Grace,” in the Collected Writings of John Murray, II:102–03).
• “The Bible therefore teaches that the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth, of holiness, and of life in all its forms, is present with every human mind, enforcing truth, restraining from evil, exciting to good, and imparting wisdom or strength, when, where, and in what measure seemeth to Him good. In this sphere also He divides ‘to every man severally as He will.’ (1 Cor. xii. 11.) This is what in theology is called common grace” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, II:667).
• “Common grace is God’s favor and gifts given to those who will not be finally saved” (John Frame, Systematic Theology, 68, n 16).
• Six categories related to the biblical doctrine of common grace: 1. God restrains sin (Gen 4:15; 11:6; 20:6; 2 Kings 27:28; 2 Thess 2:7). 2. God restrains his wrath (Matt 19:8; Acts 17:30; Rom 3:25). 3. God gives temporal blessings to all (Matt 5:45; Ps 65:5-13; 104; 136:25). 4. Unregenerate people do good (2 Kings 10:29-31; Luke 6:33). 5. Unregenerate people know truth (Rom 1:20; Matt 23:3-4). 6. Unregenerate people experience the blessings of the Holy Spirit (Num 22:1-24:25; 1 Sam 10:9-11; Matt 10:5-8) (John Frame, Systematic Theology, 247-248).
• “The doctrine of common grace helps us to acknowledge God’s goodness in all of creation and enables us to pursue mission with love in a fallen world. The Bible consistently teaches what theologians have come to call ‘common grace,’ a non-saving grace that is at work in the broader reaches of human cultural interaction. This gift of God’s grace to humanity in general demonstrates a desire on God’s part to bestow certain blessings on all human beings, believer and non-believer alike. Understanding common grace provides the basis for Christians to cooperate with and learn from nonChristians” (Tim Keller, What Is Common Grace?).
• “We affirm that God’s providential common grace brings many goods to people, both as individual kindnesses and as social blessings: e.g., medical treatment, economic help, political justice, protection for the weak, educational opportunity. Wise counseling will participate in and encourage mercy ministries as part of the call to love. We affirm that numerous disciplines and professions can contribute to an increase in our knowledge of people and how to help them. Scripture teaches a standpoint and gaze by which believers can learn many things from those who do not believe. (David Powlison, Affirmations & Denials.)
• “That act of God by which negativelyHe curbs the operations of Satan, death, and sin, and by which positively He creates an intermediate state for this cosmos, as well as for our human race, which is and continues to be deeply and radically sinful, but in which sin cannot work out its end” (Abraham Kuyper, Principles of Sacred Theology, 279).
• “Common grace is God’s restraint of the full effect of sin after the Fall, preservation and maintenance of the created order, and distribution of talents to human beings. As a result of this merciful activity of God through the Holy Spirit’s work in creation, it remains possible for humans to obey God’s first commandment for stewardly dominion over the creation (see Gen. 1:28)” (Abraham Kuyper, Wisdom and Wonder, 26).

The Complexity of the Doctrine of Common Grace 

Often we seek to distill common grace into two related concepts: the noetic effect of sin on fallen humanity and God’s work within sinful humanity. While that is a legitimate brief summary, the common grace discussion is not nearly as simple as discussing those two topics. Instead, there are two sets of “complimentary” doctrines that we must consider:

1. Sin: 

• Total Depravity: This doctrine does not teach that fallen human beings are as bad as they could be. Instead, total depravity is the biblical truth that every aspect of fallen humanity is impacted by sin.
• The Noetic Effect of Sin: This discusses sin’s impact on the fallen mind/heart. This includes theological concepts such as fallen humanity being dead in sin, and the darkened minds of fallen human beings.
• The Spiritual Antithesis: Antithesis conveys the idea of difference or distinction. The spiritual antithesis is used to discuss many categories, including the difference between the mind of fallen human beings and the mind of regenerate human beings. In Reformed conversations about common grace, the spiritual antithesis includes the conflict between the fallen worldview and the redeemed worldview.

2. Grace: 

• Common Grace: Common grace is the source of all human virtue and accomplishment, even that of unbelievers who have not been regenerated by the saving grace of God. Common grace includes God’s favor toward all humanity, God’s restrain of sin, God’s preservation of the cosmos, of humanity, and of culture, and God’s distribution of talents to all humanity. The biblical doctrine of common grace addresses God’s non-saving blessings on all humanity—saved and unsaved alike.
• The Imago Dei: The image of God in humanity, including biblical passages that teach that the imago Dei continues in humanity after the fall.
• The Creation Mandate/Cultural Mandate: God’s call for all humanity for all time to study and shepherd creation, having increasing dominion over creation.
• The Unity of All of God’s Revelation: The Reformers did not bifurcate God’s revelation, instead, they united all forms of revelation: special revelation, general/natural revelation (God’s revelation around humanity) God’s revelation in the human conscience (Romans 2) (God revelation in humanity).
• General Revelation/The Book of Nature: Addressing the comprehensive biblical teaching on God’s ongoing purpose and use of nature/creation to reveal truth; God has implanted in creation/nature His very DNA, His fingerprints, His reality. God’s Creation Mandate commands that all humanity for all time study His creation, and God’s common grace enables humanity to do so.
• God’s Revelation to Humanity in the Conscience/The Book of Conscience: The biblical reality that while fallen human beings seek to suppress the truth of God, God continuously reveals Himself by His Spirit to/in every human being (Calvin, Bavinck, Kuyper, Van Til were all insistent no one can totally resist God’s sovereign revelation of Himself—they know God, but seek to suppress this internal knowledge of God.
• God’s Providential Control of History: God’s affectionate sovereignty in assuring the continuance of history and culture. If not for God’s common grace providence, humanity left to itself would destroy one another, but God sovereignly maintains control of humanity and human history to bring about His eternal decree/purposes.
• The Contribution of Non-Christians: Examining biblical passages on the contributions of the non-Christian to life, knowledge, society, science, and culture.
• The Christian’s Engagement with Non-Christian/Extra-Biblical Sources: Examining biblical passages and Reformed quotes on the Christian engagement with, use of, and evaluation/assessment of non-Christian information, findings, science, philosophy, research, etc.
• The Relationship Between Scripture and Extra-Biblical Sources: The use of special revelation to assess and evaluate common grace findings. How God’s sufficient Scripture provides the lens or spectacles for the Christian to assess non-Christian sources.
• Nature and Grace: The biblical and historical (church history) study of the relationship between nature and grace. This includes the complex discussion of the extent of the fall in nature. It also includes the biblical truth that nature needs restoring and perfecting. Grace alone does that. Yet, grace restores and perfects nature not by replacing or destroying it but by correcting its directionality.
• Etc.: These categories are simply a summary of some of the corollary doctrines that relate to the doctrine of common grace.

Discussing Common Grace 

Remember this:

If someone talks about sin, fallenness, total depravity, the noetic effect of sin, the spiritual antithesis, the non-Christian being spiritual dead, and the darkened mind of the unregenerate person, they are not discussing common grace.

Too often, especially in the biblical counseling world, people will say they are discussing the application of common grace to the question of whether or not Christians should use non-Christian resources. However, if that discussion only or primarily quotes Reformed theologians and biblical passages about sin, then they have not addressed common grace. Remember this:

“Cherry-picking” quotes or Bible passages about sin, depravity, and the noetic effect of sin is not discussing common grace. Instead, it is discussing the spiritual antithesis. It is discussing only half of what the Bible and church history says about how Christians discern what to do with non-Christian resources.

To address the question of whether or not Christians could use non-Christian resources, one would also explore what the Bible says, and what Reformed theologians say, about common grace; God’s favor toward all humanity; God’s restrain of sin, God’s preservation of the cosmos of humanity, and of culture; God’s distribution of talents to all humanity; the imago Dei; the Creation Mandate/Cultural Mandate; the unity of God’s revelation; general revelation/the book of nature; God’s revelation to humanity in the conscience/the book of conscience; God’s providential control of history/God’s affectionate sovereignty; the contributions of non-Christians to knowledge society, science, and culture; the Christian’s engagement with non-Christian sources; the relationship between Scripture and extra-biblical sources; and the relationship between nature and grace.

One Summary of Common Grace: The Three Points of Common Grace (Christian Reformed Church – 1924) 

In the 1920s, the Christian Reformed Church debated the doctrine of common grace. In 1924, they developed their official doctrinal statement regarding the Bible’s teaching on common grace.

1. The First Point: “Relative to the first point which concerns the favorable attitude of God towards humanity in general and not only towards the elect, Synod declares it to be established according to Scripture and the Confession that, apart from the saving grace of God shown only to those that are elect unto eternal life, there is also a certain favor or grace of God which He shows to His creatures in general. This is evident from the Scriptural passages quoted and from the Canons of Dordrecht II:5 and III-IV:8,9, which deal with the general offer of the Gospel, while it also appears from the citations made from Reformed writers of the most flourishing period of Reformed Theology that our Reformed writers from the past favored this view. Scriptural proof: Psalm 145:9; Matt. 5:44, 45; Luke 6:35-36; Acts 14:16-17; I Tim. 4:10; Rom. 2:4;Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 18:23.”

1. The Second Point: “Relative to the second point, which is concerned with the restraint of sin in the life of the individual man and in the community, the Synod declares that there is such a restraint of sin according to Scripture and the Confession. This is evident from the citations from Scripture and from the Netherlands Confession, Arts. 13 and 36, which teach that God by the general operations of His Spirit, without renewing the heart of man, restrains the unimpeded breaking out of sin, by which human life in society remains possible; while it is also evident from the quotations from Reformed writers of the most flourishing period of Reformed Theology, that from ancient times our Reformed fathers were of the same opinion. Scriptural proof: Ps. 81:11-12; Gen. 6:3; Acts 7:42; Rom. 1:24; Rom. 1:26, 28; II Thess. 2:6-7.”

III. The Third Point: “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. Scriptural proof: II Kings 10:29-30; II Kings 12:2;14:3; Luke 6:33; Rom. 2:14.”