The Bible teaches that all people are called to come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:4, Titus 2:11), while also acknowledging that we are dead in sin and cannot come to God of our own will. (John 6:44, Romans 3:9-12, Ephesians 2:1) How do we reconcile the biblical call to turn to God with humanity’s inability to respond to God’s offer of new life? This tension is reconciled through the enabling effect given by the Holy Spirit called prevenient grace. This is a grace that prepares the soul to effectively hear the gospel by lessening their spiritual blindness and strengthening their will to knowingly accept or reject revealed truth. Without God’s prevenient grace, no one could come to Christ and be saved. Everyone would only plunge deeper into sin and misery. The Bible is clear that God is bestowing grace in countless ways into our lives prior to our receiving Christ and conversion to God.
When a person comes into a saving relationship with Christ, they do not meet him as a stranger. Jesus has been showing himself and drawing that person to him in numerable ways. Prevenient grace provides the link between human depravity and God’s universal call.
Let’s launch an exploration into prevenient grace through the opening statements of the Gospel of John. Then we will look at important qualities of this doctrine and then tease out its significance for mission and evangelism.
Universal Call and Personal Response
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God…16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:1-5, 9-13, 16-17
If you’re not familiar with this passage you might think, “Who is this Word that John mentions over and over again?” The term Word was actually a phrase taken from Greek philosophy which refers to the ultimate basis of meaning and life. John, in using this term, uses it to reference Jesus as the personal expression who reveals who God is. In v.4 he writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” To strengthen this claim, John adds in v.5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The word shine in this verse is a strong verb. Pastor Matt Woodley states that v.5 could be translated as follows: “The light is shining on even now in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” In v.9 he says this again in a different way: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” In the original language it’s in the present tense, which means this is an ongoing process; he is still shining on everyone.
Further, it is seen from these verses that the scope is universal. Prevenient grace is extended across the globe. Jesus is the light “of all mankind” and “to everyone.” Though this grace is universal, people need to respond to it. This grace is not forced or irresistible. People need to willingly or positively respond. So, the offer this grace brings can be rejected. Verse 12 clarifies, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The condition for being a child of God is to receive and believe. Not everyone wills to do so.
What are some qualities of this grace?
Qualities of Prevenient Grace
Prevenient Grace Draws
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.
John 12:32
Notice the beautiful expression Jesus uses: “draw all men to Myself.” They are not forced or pushed. This drawing is an inner persuasion and motivation to see one’s need for Christ and respond to the goodness of his love.
Prevenient Grace Convinces
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Acts 16:14
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.
John 16:7-8
This grace convinces us of the truth of Jesus Christ and our need to receive it. It may do so by convincing us of our guilt before God, of the hopeless of our lives without Christ, or mercifully helping us to see that the world has no more answers to meet our deepest needs for hope and love.
Prevenient Grace is Given Generously:
Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Romans 2:4
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
Acts 17:26-27
The wideness and depth of this grace is vast, calling people to the extended arms of Christ, who is ready to embrace everyone who comes to God by faith and repentance.
Prevenient Grace Can be Rejected:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Matt. 23:37
Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved…You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:34,39,40
You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
Acts 7:51
So What?
The practical implications of prevenient grace are innumerable, but let’s look at a few as it relates to mission.
Christ initiates mission.
If you are a Christian, it is because of prevenient grace. Prevenient grace accompanies the first openness of a person’s heart and mind and will toward Christ. If you think, will, or do anything that is good, it is because God has secretly worked upon your heart. This is important to realize in the task of evangelism and discipleship. The best of missions have understood that even if you go to the ends of the earth with the gospel, you will always find that God always beats you there. One example of this was when a missionary who was lecturing in Africa about how the missionaries brought the Gospel to Africa. The African believer interrupted and said, “The missionaries did not bring the Gospel to Africa; God brought the missionaries to Africa.” This insightful comment shifts the emphasis to God’s prior agency and the Great Commission. God was already there in prevenient grace. We fully embrace the importance of human decision and the the necessity to proclaim the gospel. (Romans 10:14-15) However, the efforts of mission and evangelism are futile without God’s prior action of prevenient grace.
Christ make himself known.
We stated earlier that the scope of this grace is universal. Now that’s a pretty astounding claim. How then does Jesus shine on Buddhist, Hindus, or Muslims? I do not know all the answers to this question. That is really for God to figure out. But here is an interesting story of Pastor Tounde from Nigeria, told by Pastor Matt Woodley. Speaking of Pastor Tounde, Woodley writes of meeting him:
I just assumed, he was raised in a Christian family. But as he told his story he said, “I was actually raised in a very strong Muslim family, and I’d never really heard the name of Jesus.” Then Tounde told his story: “This is how I came to know Christ. I had a dream in which Jesus appeared to me, and he was holding a lit candle shining bright. And he brought me into this room, and in this room there were all these candles that were not lit yet. And Jesus said, ‘You must take my light and you must light all these other candles.'” He said that was the first step on his journey towards Christ. He had other dreams about Jesus. He came to accept Christ as his Savior. He was disowned by his family, kicked out of his house as a young man, and was treated as dead. But he kept following Christ. Now, Tounde’s story is really interesting because nobody shared the gospel with him. Jesus appeared to him in a dream.
This is such a beautiful story because we see Christ was drawing this precious man. Christ was shining on him. Christ’s light was appearing to him in his dreams. When somebody comes to Christ, they’re not meeting a complete stranger. They’re meeting somebody that was already seeking them, already drawing them to himself.