Prevenient Grace

It is an alien concept . Grace is given only to a child of God – but never mentioned that those who persist in living their own way, away from God – experience it- unless God Himself made an effort to find and rescue him /her.

Some said – because He send his prophets and messengers to rebellious people – it proves that Grace is common to all people .To them preaching , proclaimation or teaching is the equivalent of Grace .And yet grace always saves – and restores the broken relationship between God and man.And yet no preaching of the gospel ALWAYS saves its hearers.

In fact – the Lord Jesus warned his disciples , -in the parable of sower – that some will seemingly accept His message , but will not bear fruit nor persevere until the end.

This doctrine just came up in history because Arminians wants to escape the horn of Pure Pelagianism – i.e. Grace is not necessary for man to be saved – since man has no fallen nature. He is just influence by the influence of his parents or his environment .

Also, to escape the Fatalism that is more like of Islam than Christianity’s Augustianism / Calvinism.

That man is merely automaton, and Fate is a depthless abyss – not related to other communicable traits of the Godhead. Nor related to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so they have a halfway doctrine – not supported by Scripture. Most verses are as clear as the sun – that the persuasion ,the drawing , the conviction to sin , the inducement to believe – all references is to the one who truly believes in the Lord Jesus for his salvation.

To them – it is necessary but can go only so far.

Now who made us to differ in our response then ?

How much prevenient grace does God apply to each individual -before he responds favorably to his promptings/inducements? The just answer for an Arminian -would be “equal for every man” -or they will be back at the horns of effectual/invincible grace. Or they can say -in proportionate to the natural inclination of the particular person to the general revelation. However -once they use this kind of reasoning -they are now inserting the concept of works, merit or natural inclinations into the equation of salvation – consciously or not.

The doctrines of grace were not there -to defend the Sovereignty nor the Justice of God -He does not need to. But these teachings about grace are there to protect the doctrine of salvation -that it is all of Grace. It is free, unmerited, -not conditioned in any qualities or lack of in a man. I still don’t understand why ministers and pastors of the Word would not like to defend such a teaching -which magnifies the salvation which wholly of Grace? Without the details of Definite atonement and Irresistible Grace coming to the discussion– I believe that every truly converted Christian knows in his heart that -salvation is wholly and totally by God in Jesus Christ alone.

How do then God apportion prevenient Grace to the mass of mankind -prior to their conversion? Will it be based on their family background? Education or lack of it? sincerity or hardness of heart? susceptibility to God’s Word or future effectivity in missions? Every time we mention human or earthly factors – we are nearing the possibility that salvation is based on human merits or demerits -instead of God’s purpose and grace alone. Even if we start with an equal amount of prevenient grace, we will be going to the drain of human contingency -that only human background, actions, inaction, or tendencies can settle or be determinant -on who will believe after they received the so-called prevenient grace.

Whether equal or proportionate – the horns of faith plus works will enter the salvation equation. Instead of relying on the mystery of God’s own Wisdom and Free Choice – we have opened it to the danger of the Council of Trent or Semi-Pelagian view of salvation – an amalgam of Grace and Man’s works.