What About Grace?

            The last few months, we have followed a trajectory that lands us at this point in theology. We started with defining what man is and how he relates to God. We then continued on our journey and looked at sin and evil and how that taints our ability to commune with God. There needs to be a solution. How are we able to be saved from this condition? So, here we are discussing salvation. First, before we can take a deep dive into the workings of salvation, we ought to look at grace. It is through special grace that we are even able to be saved, so we must try to understand it and how it works.

            There are two different kinds of grace: common grace and special grace. A good definition of common grace is found in one of the writings of a theologian, Demarest. “[Common grace is] the undeserved beneficence of the Creator God expressed by his general care of creation and of all persons everywhere without discrimination.” In other words, God shows grace to everyone, even the unsaved. God allows it to rain on the saved and the unsaved. He grants healing to the saved and the unsaved. It is not just to the saved that God shows his favor. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) We see here that the Apostle Paul points out the reality that the biggest form of grace that God showed towards us is that he provided a path to salvation when we were wretched sinners.

            The second kind of grace is special grace. The main difference between special grace and common grace is that common grace is the same for all people, while special grace is individualized. God shows his special grace to us in four different ways. The first way that we see God’s special grace towards us is through his attitude that causes him to show unmerited favor to sinners. “he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:5-6) God demonstrates his special grace also through his action on behalf of undeserving people. “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24). God acted on our behalf by sending his son as a payment for our sins. God shows his special grace by bestowing gifts on his people. These gifts are spiritual gifts. God gives these gifts to his people to help them move forward with his mission. Finally, God’s power at work in people is another way that he displays his special grace to his people. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) God gives us the power that we need in each of the situations that we find ourselves in. He is there helping and empowering us as we rely on him.

            A simpler way to understand the difference between common grace and special grace is that common grace is extended to all people. In other words, it is unbound and unlimited. Special grace is displayed only towards the saved. It is also more individualized. I may need more grace in this moment than the next person, but that could change in the next moment. It is also the grace that God shows us in order for us to be saved. Having this understanding of grace will help us as we continue to explore salvation and its workings.