"If you are not a believer in Christ and are nevertheless alive, that alone is an example of the common grace of God. If you are not in hell, where your sins will eventually take you if you do not repent, it is because God is gracious. One day you will die and be judged, but today is still a day of spiritual opportunity." - James Montgomery Boice

I repent daily. God is truly good

An excellent quote, thanks for posting.

Wow that’s powerful

This is exactly what I have told my 80 year old father that is not saved. He told me he can't believe he has lived this long.

Preach it brother. One of the most alarming sermons i ever heard was about a dad being in hell with his children and them crying out to them why didn't you tell us daddy?

What's the reason behind his unbelief?

Common grace and "special grace" are not the same things and the definitions vary depending on your doctrine. I'll leave that right there.

He was in the Catholic church before I was born, did not last long, my mom told me when the priest he liked left so did his faith. Maybe he is saved but if he is he has not lived his life that way. He needs to repent and accept Jesus as his savior. Retired MP and retired Sherriff's deputy, just prideful, I think he is being convicted about it. I hope he accepts Christ before he dies. I have planted the seed with him about all this. All I can do is pray and the rest is up to God and him.

The only doctrine of "special grace" that I've known is "to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God".

I'd read scripture and let that convict him. Exodus 34:6-7 is a good descriptor of who God is and His character. Acts 2:22-25 tells of Jesus, His life and ministry. Mark 1:15 instructs on what to do from there.

Very nice quote Marksoutdoors. God's grace is a beautiful thing- we are so unworthy, but thank God for His Son dying on the cross and shedding His blood to cover all of our sins....I can't think of the blood of Christ without hearing Andre Crouch singing his song "The Blood will Never Lose It's Power" It reaches to the highest mountain, and goes to the lowest valley.....such a comfort.


Not intending to derail or detract from your quote Marksoutdoors, but I have a question for anyone here- if you are saved and don't repent, do you still go to heaven?

Repent of one, individual sin or an ongoing, unrepentant continous lifestyle of sin? There's a distinction. Paul Washer breaks this down as well as anyone. https://youtu.be/HynerviUiTc?si=Dcbhw1H6xe4Efe1m

Does "Special Grace" equate to sovereign predestined election ? Or is it synonymous with it ?

I am not so sure there is a distinction....

Whether I am father that loses my temper with a child once or all the time, a rebellious teen-ager going through a year-long phase that wants nothing to do with my parents authority, an ongoing bad attitude with supervisors at work, an addiction to alcohol, or bitterness in my heart of being hurt in church......


Repenting is repenting? Sin is sin.....1 pinhole leak, an open manhole, or a 20 foot gash can sink a sub- a leak is a leak. These can all be an individual and/or ongoing unrepentant continuous lifestyles- correct?

Is someone living an unrepentant, openly homosexual lifestyle the same as a Believer hitting their finger with a hammer and then being struck by lightening before they have an opportunity to repent? A genuine, born-again Believer has been given a new nature.

I'd say so according to Ephesians 1:3-6.


3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

I asked first lol I can show you a church full of people going through my scenarios including a Christian struggling with homosexual tendencies.....you know a lot of believers struck by lightning or randomly hit by cars crossing streets?

There are Christians going through these exact things daily- some repent and turn to the Lord for help and overcome....and others never repent.....

So common grace is God showing the entire world who He is through His provision, then special grace is picking out some from the world that will be saved. I think it's important that the people in this thread know it's real meaning.

Common Grace does not save.
Special Grace does, but it's something that no one can actually choose even after experiencing God's Common Grace.

It's okay that you believe it and I'm not going to get into a debate about it with you either. But this is the difference in the two forms of grace according to Calvin's doctrine.

I have never heard of common grace or special grace- mind blown....I just know of plain, old country, poor as dirt, uneducated, campmeeting saving grace....