Multiple ways of describing GRACE help differentiate specific ways God RELATES to us during various points in our spiritual journey. Faith traditions, denominations, and individual theologians have added descriptors to color this understanding. The categories are useful, but it’s not necessary to conform to any one set of terms.

Essentially, I believe that the root of God’s relationship with us in all instances is by GRACE alone. Like stem cells that can differentiate into a host of cells with a specific purpose, so the various types of grace discussed here are manifestations of God’s holy love for all people. We’ll examine common grace, saving grace, and sanctifying grace.

What is Common Grace?

Why are so many people who do not acknowledge God or even actively oppose God alive right now? This question preceded the answer: Common Grace. Common Grace covers every living thing. Figuratively speaking, common grace is keeping our molecules and atoms together. It’s the force behind our very existence.

Systematic theology organizes key Bible verses to support this concept. Acts 17:25 states that God “himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

Building upon existence and life itself, common grace expands to include a kindness and generosity toward everyone without prejudice or bias. God causes the sun to shine down on both the “evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

Common grace explains why there are seeds of truth in every religion and culture. It’s why any person can love unconditionally and selflessly. The world would be a miserable place if only Christians were capable of acting truthfully and forthrightly. Our children would grow up to be emotional cripples if only Christian parents could demonstrate unconditional love. On the contrary, some Christians’ actions toward corruption, cruelty, and abuse are the biggest indictment against the truth of the gospel. Thus, Common Grace is ubiquitous.

Included in Common Grace is God’s mercy and forbearance that gives each person time to discover Jesus as Lord and Savior. Paul wrote that it is God’s “kindness that leads us to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Some scholars have further distinguished this as “prevenient grace” which is a fancy term for the grace that precedes our knowledge and acceptance of the next major category — Saving Grace.