# common grace vs. special grace?



## thistle93 (Jan 29, 2010)

Hi! I am really interested in the topic of common grace vs. special grace. I am looking for any books that deal with this subject and specifically how it might relate to the following issues:

1) That while unregenerate people are totally depraved they are not utterly depraved meaning they are as bad as they could be. (common grace)

2) How totally depraved people can do such outwardly moral good things (common grace) but since they do not do them for the glory of God, even their so called goodness is really sinful in the eyes of God. A perfect example is all that non-Christians are doing in Haiti.

3) How those that are totally depraved are blind to God until He regenerates them (special grace) yet in Romans 1 it says that all are without excuse because God has revealed Himself to the whole world and they suppress it (common grace). 

4) Universal free offer of the Gospel (common) and election (special)

These seem to be things that are confusing to people and I would like some resources on the issue. Any book recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew Wilson


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## thistle93 (Jan 29, 2010)

Thank you for your clarification!


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## coramdeo (Jan 29, 2010)

I agree with recommending Boettner's The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination,
as I am just finishing it and found it to be most enlightening on that topic as well as a host of others.


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## TeachingTulip (Jan 29, 2010)

thistle93 said:


> Hi! I am really interested in the topic of common grace vs. special grace. I am looking for any books that deal with this subject and specifically how it might relate to the following issues:
> 
> 1) That while unregenerate people are totally depraved they are not utterly depraved meaning they are as bad as they could be. (common grace)
> 
> ...





Here is a link to several articles produced by the PRCA on the subject of "common grace" that you will find very helpful:

Pamphlets and Articles


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jan 29, 2010)

I would also recommend Gary North's book on Common Grace.


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## TeachingTulip (Jan 29, 2010)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> I would also recommend Gary North's book on Common Grace.



Ugh . . .


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## Southern Presbyterian (Jan 30, 2010)

How about the term "collateral grace"?


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## Scott1 (Jan 30, 2010)

> 1) That while unregenerate people are totally depraved they are not utterly depraved meaning they are as bad as they could be. (common grace)



It's interesting- never thought of it this way.

Had thought of 'not being as bad as they could be' as being an explanation of "total depravity," not of common grace.



> 2) How totally depraved people can do such outwardly moral good things (common grace) but since they do not do them for the glory of God, even their so called goodness is really sinful in the eyes of God....



Yes, because God looks at both outward deed and inward motivation in assessing "goodness." Works done not to obey or glorify God are not 'good' in the spiritual sense.

The Reformers sometimes referred to works that were "good" on the outside, but done by unbelievers as acts of "civil virtue."



> 3) How those that are totally depraved are blind to God until He regenerates them (special grace) yet in Romans 1 it says that all are without excuse because God has revealed Himself to the whole world and they suppress it (common grace).



Yes to both. The former because we have a tendency, a bias, a bondage toward sin by nature before God changes (regenerates) that nature. That nature will tend to become more evident in the outworking of one's life.

Romans 1 says that all mankind, knowing enough about God, His attributes, they STILL refuse to worship Him, but instead will worship things He created (everything from mountains, natures, people, their intellect, etc.- everything He created).



> 4) Universal free offer of the Gospel (common) and election (special)



The outward call of the gospel, something the church is commanded to preach and teach can be resisted. The inward call (of the Holy Spirit) is something that will result in conversion, because it is intended to do that, and man cannot resist that.

A good book that addresses all these good questions and points is Dr. RC Sproul, "What is Reformed Theology?"

The video series from this book is, at this moment, still free on-line. It is superb:
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/


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## Iconoclast (Jan 30, 2010)

SermonAudio.com - 1. Common Grace: Is it Biblical?

---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------

SermonAudio.com - 2. Common Grace: Is it Biblical?

---------- Post added at 01:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:41 PM ----------

SermonAudio.com - 3. Common Grace: Is it Biblical?


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## Don Kistler (Jan 30, 2010)

I think a better term would be "common benevolence" or "universal kindness." God is kind to evil and ungrateful men, but His grace is reserved for His children.


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## Marrow Man (Jan 30, 2010)

I wrote a short paper on this subject; you can download a copy here.


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## TeachingTulip (Jan 30, 2010)

Marrow Man said:


> I wrote a short paper on this subject; you can download a copy here.



Thank you. A good article . . .

Of which I find no disagreement except in the very last point you attempt to make; that being, the love of God and the grace of God might be synonomous.

in my opinion, that is the crux of the whole debate about whether God's grace is common to man, or not.

Indeed, God harbors a_ creational_ love for the work of His hands, but never should such be compared to the_ eternal _issuance of the eternal forgiveness and grace of God, ordained for the sons of God, alone.

Is creational "love" really the same thing as the decreed love of "Unconditional Election" that brought about Godly grace and pardon, and the actual redemption of sinners . . . or do I misunderstand your point made . . .

"God’s great love, however, is clearly *seen in both *His goodness to His creatures in
general as well as His grace given to those who are redeemed in Christ."


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## Marrow Man (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks, Ronda. You misunderstand my point. 

Just kidding, I probably wasn't being clear enough. I was not equating the general love (i.e., favor/kindness) that God extends toward all of creation with the special love that He extends to the elect in Christ. As a crude analogy, I am called to love my neighbor and even love my enemies, but I also love my wife and my newborn daughter, and the love I show them is decidedly different from the love I show my neighbor across the street. I can show a general kindness in many ways to my neighbor, but I have a special love set up my family.

Let me say this in another way: in asserting common grace and special grace with God, I am actually trying to _distinguish_ the two concepts, not conflate them. I think this is a key error of Arminianism, for example: a failure to distinguish the general love of God for His creation, and the special love He has for His people redeemed in Christ. I specifically do _not _want people to think that grace (or love) is equivalent in both cases.

Does that help? Or am I making the mistake of trying to wax theologically at too late an hour again?


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## Particular Baptist (Feb 5, 2010)

I think that Bonhoeffer gives an interesting view in his _"The Cost of Discipleship"_. Although it is not exactly dealing with the issue of common grace, it does deal with the differences between cheap grace and costly grace.


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