Prevenient Grace
Let’s talk today about what theologians call prevenient grace. This is the gift of God's grace in your life before you're even aware of it. Before you even called out to Him God was graciously at work in your life drawing you to Himself, and giving you the opportunity to respond to Him. It's a gift you don't even know you have, until you look back and see it.
Understanding God's Preparatory Grace
Paul said it this way in his letter to Titus: "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people" (Titus 2:11). All people have a measure of God's grace in their lives, which enables them to come to Him. God initiates. We respond to His initiative. Prevenient grace.
In our church we baptize infants. We know that they don’t understand God’s grace yet, like an adult who decided to be baptized. But because we believe God's prevenient grace is at work in them, we bring them to God and say "more and more grace in this child's life, please Lord! Work in their hearts, reveal yourself to them, graciously show yourself, so that they may come to know you! We believe that Your grace is already working in them preveniently.
But prevenient grace is not just for infants. In fact, there are many adults who have not responded to God's call. And I would even say that there are many church-goers who have not yet turned their lives over to God. But still His grace is working in their lives!
He has gifted even those who haven't yet believed with a measure of His prevenient grace that they may hear the good news and turn to Him and find salvation. This is why Christians don't treat unbelievers as if they are infidels. We believe that God's prevenient grace is drawing unbelievers to Him, so that they either accept or reject His invitation.
Grace at Work in Every Life
Friends, you're not reading these words by chance! You know what brought you here? Grace! Because God is longing for you His child to turn to Him and receive the love He has for you.
And friends, I wonder if we need to hear this today while thinking of those precious people in our lives who aren't Christians. I believe that God's prevenient grace is at work in them, prompting them towards Him time and again. They can still reject Him, but His grace is still pursuing them. Maybe this is the year we double up in our prayers for our family and friends who don't believe and say "Lord, more and more prevenient grace in their lives, so that they see you!!!"
God is working even when we don’t know it. He is wooing even those who have rejected Him. Why? Because He is a God of prevenient grace.
