Since the holiday season, I have found myself in several discussions that touched on the concept of prevenient grace. Several of my readers have asked for more information on this subject, and I have waited patiently for God to give me the inspiration and understanding to address prevenient grace in a manner that will edify and encourage my brothers and sisters.
Many envision God as a god of wrath who punishes those who believe the wrong things and rewards those who believe the right things. They would have you place more emphasis on doctrine than on works, and more emphasis on works that on relationship. I do not know their god. What I do know is that we will never be holy, never have a perfect understanding of the scriptures, and never accomplish enough good works to be worthy of the love, forgiveness, and eternal life He has promised to His children. I also know that whatever doctrine you may be hearing from the self proclaimed righteous, they don’t measure up either!
If we are all so badly flawed, then how can we possibly find our way to the presence of His holiness? That process starts when we stop believing in God, and as a result of the prevenient grace he has shown us, we start BELIEVING GOD!
I learned about prevenient grace when I attended Aldersgate Women’s Walk to Emmaus #99, where I sat at the table of Martha. If you have not participated in a Walk to Emmaus, Cursillo, or one of the many “three day’s”, I recommend it highly and would be honored to connect you to a “fourth day” community near you. If you are on your fourth day journey as I am, De Colores!
Prevenient grace is the activity of God wooing us from the moment of our conception into a loving relationship. It is the grace that prevents us from moving so far from God that we cannot respond to God’s offer of love. It is the grace that is extended to us from the moment of conception to the moment of conversion. God reaches out to us to bring us into a relationship with Him, and it is through that relationship that He is able to begin His work of perfecting us to take our place as His children, destined to inherit all of the promises contained in the Holy Scriptures.
God always finishes what He starts. He always does what He says He will do. This is as true for your life as it was in the lives of the people we read about in the scriptures. In Philippians 1:4-6 Paul wrote to that church “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL CARRY IT ON TO COMPLETION UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS.” Just as He reached out to offer a covenant relationship to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, through prevenient grace He calls to us to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. The most important things to grasp here are:
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That God takes the initiative, He is the pursuer, and when you respond to his invitation, He is the one doing the work of perfecting, NOT YOU!
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This is going to take some time… “until the day of Christ Jesus”
On the day I was conceived, He began a good work in me. On the day you were conceived He began a good work in you too. That is prevenient grace.
And so our relationship with God begins. Prevenient grace has brought us this far, now His justifying grace begins to shape us. We don’t have to be perfect, because God is, and He already knows we are not. The God I know is a God of abundant grace, who created us to be in relationship with Him. When we engage God in this way, we hunger for His Holy Word, we recognize His fatherly promptings, we do good works because we desire to, and most importantly WE BELIEVE HIM! All of this is possible, not because of what we do, or what we believe, but because His Holy Spirit makes it so!
When we join God as He does His work in us, we begin to bear fruit. We do not need to analyze what is good, bad, right, or wrong, and judge others because they don’t meet some doctrinal criteria we feel one must meet to get past St. Peter at the pearly gates. We are freed by allowing God to do His work in us, with confidence that He has extended the same grace to others and is patiently doing His work perfecting them as well.
Blessings & Adventure,
Lynn “lynnibug” Rios
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Oh here is one that knows and sees God working everyday – and all I can do at this point is say Thank you God as I know that is why things happen – funny even when things screw up if we look close we can see the lesson that he’s showing up – the key is what to do with that lesson. Remember it’s not what happens that matters but how you handle it will make ALL the difference – thanks for the post.
You have a point there Nancy. We can gripe and complain about how He teaches us, or we can start using what He is teaching us. An old friend of mine always said, “What you resist, persists.”
Lynn,
OK….I hear you sister! I am growing with you. I am there for real. May his work be done with and in me. The glory is all his and I am just a tool in the mix.
Thanks for sharing this for sure,
Kris
I am so pleased that it struck a chord with you Kris. Never stop growing.
Great post Lynn.
Yes its amazing we see God working everyday in our lives, by use of many ways whether thru his word or thru people or other means. Yes, hes always teaching us when we mess up but its how we choose to learn from it and allow it to help us grow. Thanks for a great post
Susie Moore
skype smsforce
This is a great Post Lynn. Very informative and enlightening.
This is an excellent adaptation of “His Amazing Grace” Grace (unmerited favor) is a free gift from God. We can’t earn it by our works; we accept it freely. By HIS GRACE we are healed, delivered and set free. I look forward to each new day; knowing I have another opportunity to grow in His Grace.
Amen sister!