GraceSample

Common grace

When we think about grace, we rightly think of Jesus forgiving our sins and ushering us into God’s family. It is undeserved kindness, a generous gift that we gratefully take hold of without trying to earn it. But there’s another dimension to grace that we might call common grace, and it’s well expressed in our reading today. Jesus is telling us to do good to those who might not be so good. And the reason given is that God Himself does good to those who might not have a relationship with Him. While what we might call God’s saving grace is only a reality when individuals trust in what Jesus has done for them, God’s common grace is His benevolent kindness extended to all and sundry. Our God does not just bless those who are believers. He bestows blessings on those who may not be conscious of the source of such blessings.

We do recognise how broken our world is, and how human beings are still messing it up. But as we do so, let’s not overlook the fact that unbelievers can yet do good. If we’re in need of help, we don’t interrogate the helper as to their spiritual status. Someone who rescues a child from drowning, who resuscitates a heart attack victim, who puts out a threatening bushfire, is doing good, whatever their beliefs. Humans are capable of much that is good and much that is far from good. No human goodness can achieve a right relationship with God. For that, we need special grace. At the same time, we can be thankful for the common grace of God that makes our world a better place to be.

Written by DAVID REAY