Common Grace and the Call of the Gospel

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Introduction

The doctrine of common grace is the idea that God has a grace, or goodness, which is universally bestowed on all men. Supporters of the doctrine use it to explain everything from indiscriminate rainfall and sunshine on both the good and the wicked to a universal desire in God to save all men, even those who will ultimately go to hell.

Dr Ella’s book is a timely and useful look at this teaching. His brief but probing examination concentrates on an effort by some recent writers to construct a basis for the so-called ‘free offer of the gospel’ in common grace teaching. He questions the notion that common grace is a route to saving faith through the preaching of a gospel ultimately grounded in natural theology. He concludes that the ‘common grace’ gospel is based on unscriptural views of nature, man, God and salvation.

The author shows that the gospel call does not derive from a universal but frustrated desire in God to save all men, nor from a grace that is common to all. Rather the gospel brings grace to the elect by the direct, distinguishing power of the Holy Spirit according to God’s eternal purpose for the salvation of His people. The common grace teaching that Christ died theoretically for all sinners but effectively for only some is thus to be rejected as a false gospel.

Peter L. Meney