“Common grace” is the restraining and persuading influences of the Holy Spirit acting only through the Truth revealed in the gospel, or through the natural light of reason and of conscience, heightening the natural moral effect of such truth upon the understanding, conscience and heart. It involves no change of heart, but simply an enhancement of the natural powers of the truth, a restraint of the evil passions, and an increase of the natural emotions in view of sin, duty, and self-interest.
That God does so operate upon the hearts of the unregenerate is proved, 1st, from Scripture, Gen. 6:3; Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29; 2nd, from universal experience and observation. (Outlines of Theology ch.28, Sec.13, by A. A. Hodge, DD).
The Effects of “Common Grace”
The effects produced by common grace, or this influence of the Spirit common to all men, are most important to the individual and to the world. What the external world would be if left to the blind operations of physical causes without the restraining and guiding influence of God’s providential efficiency, that would the world of mind be, in all its moral and religious manifestations, without the restraints and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
There are two ways in which we may learn what the effect would be of withholding the Spirit from the minds of men. The first is — the consideration of the effects of reprobation — the effects of reprobation are depicted in a fearful manner by the Apostle in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. But in the second place, the Scriptures reveal the effect of the entire withdrawal of the Holy Spirit from the control of rational creatures, in the account which they give of the state of the lost, both men and angels. Heaven is a place and state in which the Spirit reigns with absolute control. Hell is a place and state in which the Spirit no longer restrains nor controls. The presence or absence of the Spirit makes all the difference between heaven and hell.
To the general influence of the Spirit or to common grace we owe — all the decorum, order, refinement and virtue existing among men — and also a conviction of the truths of religion. With this conviction of the truths of religion is connected an experience of their power. They produce to a greater or less degree an effect upon the feelings appropriate to their nature; a conviction of sin, the clear perception that what the Bible and the conscience teach of our guilt and pollution, produces self-condemnation, remorse and self-abhorrence. These are natural as
distinguished from gracious affections. They are experienced often by the unrenewed and the wicked.
It is also natural according to experience that the promise of the Gospel and the exhibition of the plan of salvation, contained in the Scriptures, which commend themselves to the enlightened conscience, should often appear not only as true but as suited to the condition of the awakened sinner. He believes with a faith founded on this moral evidence of the truth. This faith continues as long as the state of mind by which it is produced continues. When that changes, and the sinner relapses into his wonted state of insensibility, his faith disappears. To this class of persons our Saviour refers when He speaks of those who receive the Word in stony places or among thorns. Of such examples of temporary faith there are numerous instances given in the Scriptures and they are constantly occurring within our daily observation.
The state of mind induced by these common operations of the spirit, often leads to reformation, and to an externally religious life. The sense of the truth and importance of the doctrines of the Bible constrains men often to great strictness of conduct and to assiduous attention to religious duties.
Besides these common operations of the Spirit which in a greater or less degree are common to all men, the Scriptures teach that the covenant of redemption secures the Spirit’s certainly efficacious influence for all those who have been given to the Son for His inheritance.
(Systematic Theology Vol. II, Part III, ch. XIV pp. 670-675 (summarised) by Charles Hodge, D.D.).
Calvin on Common Grace
I am aware it seems unaccountable to some how faith is attributed to the reprobate, seeing it is declared by Paul to be one of the fruits of election, and yet the difficulty is easily solved: for though none are enlightened unto faith but those who are preordained unto salvation, yet experience shows that the reprobate are sometimes affected in a way so similar to the elect, that even in their own judgment there is no difference between them. Hence it is not strange, that by the Apostle a taste of heavenly gifts, and by Christ Himself, a temporary faith is ascribed unto them. – – – As God regenerates the elect only for ever by incorruptible seed, as the seed of life once sown in their hearts never perishes, so He effectually seals in them the grace of His adoption, that it may be sure and steadfast. But in this there is nothing to prevent an inferior operation of the Spirit from taking its course in the reprobate. Meanwhile, believers are taught to examine themselves carefully and
humbly, lest carnal security creep in and take the place of assurance of faith.
We may add that the reprobate never have any other than a confused sense of grace, laying hold of the shadow rather than the substance, because the Spirit properly seals the forgiveness of sins in the elect only, applying it as special faith to their use. Still, it is correctly said, that the reprobate believe God to be propitious to them, inasmuch as they accept the gift of reconciliation, though confusedly and without due discernment; not that they are of the same faith or regeneration with the children of God; but because, under a covering of hypocrisy, they seem to have a principle of faith in common with them. – – –
Thus we dispose of the objection, that if God displays His grace, it must endure for ever. There is nothing inconsistent in this with the fact of His enlightening some with a present sense of grace, which afterwards proves evanescent. – – –
In short, as by the revolt of the first man, the image of God could be effaced from his mind and soul, so there is nothing strange in His shedding some rays of grace on the reprobate, and afterwards allowing them to be extinguished.
(Institutes Book II ch. II sec. II, 12)
Dr John Owen on Common Grace
There is an inferior, common work of the Holy Ghost, in the dispensation of the word, upon many to whom it is preached, causing in them a great alteration and change as to light, knowledge, abilities, gifts, affections, life and conversation, when the persons so wrought upon are not quickened, regenerate, nor made new creatures, nor united to Jesus Christ. I suppose there will not be need for me to insist on the proof of this proposition, the truth of it being notoriously known and confessed, as I suppose, amongst all that profess the name of Christ.
In persons thus wrought upon, there is or may be, such an assent upon light and conviction, to the truths proposed and preached to them as is true in its kind, not counterfeit, giving and affording them in whom it is wrought profession of the faith, and sometimes with constancy to death.
Persons in and upon whom this work is wrought cannot be said to be hypocrites in the most proper sense, that word – – – that is, such as counterfeit and pretend themselves to be that which they know they are not, – – – nor to have faith only in show and not in substance, as though they made a show and pretence only of an assent to the things they professed; their high gifts, knowledge, faith, change of affections and conversation, being in their own kind true (as the faith of devils is): and
yet, notwithstanding all this, they are in bondage, and at best seek for a righteousness as it were by the works of the law, and in the issue Christ proves to them of none effect.
Among these persons many are often times endowed with excellent gifts, lovely parts, qualifications, and abilities, rendering them exceedingly useful, acceptable, and serviceable to the Church of God, becoming vessels in His house to hold and convey to others the precious liquor of the gospel, though their nature in themselves be not changed, they remaining wood and stone still.
(Owen’s Works. Vol. XI, pp. 640, 641)
W.M.