The Biblical Case for Prevenient Grace

The Bible teaches that all people are called to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:1; Acts 16:30-31), while also acknowledging that we are dead in sin and cannot come to God of our own accord (John 6:44 & 65; Romans 3:9-12; Ephesians 2:1; Philippians 2:13). How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory realities—the biblical call to repentance with what is often called total depravity? What this Seven Minute Seminary video with Brian Shelton as he explains what bridges this gap.

Throughout church history many have described the enabling effect of God's grace as prevenient grace. This grace that "goes before" is the work of God's Spirit on human hearts to loosen sin's natural grip on us. Prevenient grace testifies to God’s being the initiator of our relationship with him and reveals him as one who pursues us. It becomes distinctly Wesleyan in its reach and scope by going beyond Reformed common grace and toward reconciliation with God.

Four passages that John Wesley referred to often were (NIV): John 1:9 ("The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world"); John 12:32 ("And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself”); Romans 2:4: ("Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?"); and Titus 2:11 ("For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people").

Three qualities of prevenient grace:

Prevenient grace is enabling
Prevenient grace is transformative
Prevenient grace is universal

Two important qualifications:

Prevenient grace is not universalism.
Prevenient grace is not saving.

[danowen]

I am a diehard United Methodist Christian who has been listening to a really good theologian named Leighton Flowers who has an excellent podcast called "Soteriology 101". His perspective on prevenient grace (which he discusses often) has begun to become appealing to me. The difference between Leighton Flowers and John Wesley seems to be a difference that many Christians have on this topic, namely, how they define prevenient grace. Flowers says that the Fall did not damage our ability to believe and that prevenient grace is given whenever someone is exposed to the gospel. Wesley says the Fall did damage our ability to believe but that prevenient grace is given to everyone at birth, which enables them to believe once they hear the gospel.

[stratoman]

The strongest argument I can find for prevenient grace is In Hebrews 3:15 and 6:4-6 and I would be curious as to why this teacher didn’t address these passages as he was making his case!

As I said, these seem to make the strongest argument for me although I am not convinced. We hear of Moses hardening his heart and then God hardens it. We understand that man’s heart is hardened every time he is reproved of his sinful condition, is exposed to the Gospel message and rejects it. It is not God but man hardening his own heart against the word of God, the witness of his creation and the work of the Holy Spirit.

I believe that mankind does in fact have a free will but left to his own free will, he will freely reject the Gospel and choose to remain in darkness! Those who reject Christ and go to Hell choose to do so of their own free will and will stand before God without excuse - especially the excuse that “God didn’t elect them!”

We were DEAD in our trespasses and sin and dead means DEAD! The only way for us not to be dead is for God to make us alive! Because I have been made alive, I believe! And because I believe, I am keenly aware of the depth of depravity from which the LORD has saved me and I have no desire to return!

God is under no obligation whatsoever to save anyone and why he would save someone like me is beyond my ability to understand. I am quite grateful that he has!

[chadkyler]

The Calvinist/Arminian debate ignores the older Lutheran understanding of election/predestination etc. Like Calvinists Lutherans are Monergistic. Scripture does teach that God elects us to salvation and then brings our salvation about without our cooperation. However, scripture also teaches that God desires that all would be saved and come to faith. This seems to be a contradiction but it’s not, it’s actually a mystery. Unlike Calvinists who rely to heavily on their own reason to make these apparent contradictions fit into their soteriology Lutherans simply accept the mystery and affirm that both things are true because scripture says both things. God does elect, we do not cooperate with him in our salvation at all. God also wants all people to be saved. Both things are true. How that works is a mystery that Lutherans are comfortable with.

[jasonegeland]

If God's grace abounds for one person, then it's also abounding for everyone.

[crivexpats]

As much as I would have wanted the Arminian view to be true, I, unfortunately, have never seen an Arminian point to a specific scripture that supports prevenient grace. Just like the speaker in this video, other Arminians I've listened to, only assume that there's an intermediate moment between total depravity and salvation where God's grace is temporarily made available to a sinful man so he can decide to choose God or not. As much as this thought would have been awesome (especially for our human perception of the nature of God), I just don't see any scriptural reference on a temporal salvific grace stated in scripture.

As a lifelong Arminian, as soon as I understood the doctrine of Total Depravity, coupled with a scriptural understanding of the Doctrine of Election/Predestination, I had to painfully affirm the Calvinistic point of view on the subject as scripturally accurate. I understand the difficulty in accepting the fact that God, in His sovereignty elected some vessels unto honour and others unto dishonour to the glory of His name, but "who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"

[TOMLathen]

gentlemen seemed a bit nervous, but he presented information well.

[eandbbrothers]

I'm a Calvinist. I wanted to learn about Prevenient Grace. I'm half-way through the video and I'm dying here... can't you guys find someone who doesn't fumble the ball as badly as this guy!? Come on Dr Shelton!! Abraham's salvation story is recorded in the Old Testament! And Paul says we are saved by grace through faith, not of yourself, it is a gift of God IN EPHESIANS not Galatians!! Come on man!! And oh I've just read 10 different English translations of Romans 2:4 and not one of them says, "Do you not know that God's grace leads you to salvation."

I really was hoping to learn how the Bible teaches the doctrine of Prevenient Grace. Is this how you guys come up with your theology? You get a guy who seems to have never actually READ any of the verses he's leaning on to explain the doctrine?

Uugghhhh...

[theshepherdsambassador]

@seedbed I'm sorry.. @ 1:40 is the wrong book referenced that verses comes from Ephesians 2:8-9

[douglasmcintire]

Do you believe you know more than the Apostles Paul? The Apostle Paul details a "Prevenient Grace" from God within Acts 17:24-31. Three specific verses especially, verse 26-27 & verse 30. Do you believe you know more than God through formulating your own belief system about God? The Word should change you, you shouldn't change the Word.


THE PURPOSE OF LIFE...


24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.


26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’


29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)


16 When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.


Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning nor distort God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, ” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:16 to 2 Corinthians 4:6)


1. by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2. we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways.
3. We refuse to practice cunning
4. nor distort God's word
5. by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
6. what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord
7. with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake


3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

[brianschmidt]

This is why no one is at the great white throne judgment will be able to say that God did not give them a true chance to go to heaven. They will realize all the times that God's call was on their life and they ignored it.

[lukemerrick]

But the prevenient grace of God isnt enough for some people? Saul was confronted by the risen Lord on the road to damascus and believed, why doesnt he confront all of us like that? I agree that the grace of God is given to all people but to what degree? unless of course you believe God shows favoritism, or for that matter works through a type of unconditional election.

[isaacseabra]

You claim prevenient grace is universal and all men receive it. I ask you therefore, when was this prevenient grace administered to the native Brazilians 500 years before Christ or even 800 years after? When was it administered to the native American 1500 before Christ? When was it administered to the Natives of Britain 300 years before Abraham?

[calvinpeterson]

Great video! Common grace has absolutely no biblical grounds, all of God's grace is salvific in it's intent.