Is Grace in Things?

I so want you to know how much the Standard Bearer has been a blessing to me. In this day and age it is hard to find publications that are scripturally correct. I have found two: the SB and the Banner of Truth.

I have been blessed by Rev. G. Lubbers’ articles on I and II Timothy, and I’m hoping and praying that you will please send copies of the previous thirteen, because when I finish reading the SB, I pass it on.

I do have a couple of questions I’m hoping you could answer. In dealing with common grace, which I’ve tried to study, the questions are:

1. Why isn’t rain, snow, sun, nature, etc. part of God’s grace?

2. To admit God’s sovereign control of these things and deny that they are part of His grace seems a bit inconsistent.

3. Why did God even bother to create the world or anything in it, if not as an expression of His love?

4. In the Psalms and elsewhere, God shows His grace and love to all He created.

We here have a study group of thirty people who love the “Three Forms of Unity” and the Westminster Standards, and these four questions came up.

I would also like a renewal form to renew the subscription to the SB. God bless you all.

George Rouse

Daytona Beach, FL

Response:

We are sending you the back issues of the SB that you request.

To help answer your questions about the theory of common grace, we are sending you the pamphlets; “The Curse-Reward of the Wicked Well-doer” by Herman Hoeksema and “Grace Uncommon” by Rev. Barry Gritters. We are also sending a copy of chapter 3 in the second section of Herman Hoeksema’s The Protestant Reformed Churches in America (now out of print).

To stimulate your study, consider these questions and propositions corresponding to those addressed to us:

1. Why are not rain, sunshine, and other elements of nature expressions of God’s wrath (see Gen. 6-8; Deut. 28:23, 24; Rev. 16)?

2. God sovereignly controls all things, many of which are expressions of His hatred and curse (see Gen. 19:24ff.; Ps. 73:3-20; Rev. 19:11-21; Rev. 20:15).

3. God created the world as an expression of His love. But, for whom? every human? every human and the devils? or only the elect in Jesus Christ? (See Col. 1:13-20; Rom. 9:6-24; I Pet. 2:8.)

4. In the Psalms and elsewhere, God testifies that He hates and curses some humans (see Ps. 5:5, 6; Prov. 3:33).

Do you really want to identify God’s favor and blessing with earthly prosperity? Do you want to conclude then that earthly adversity is divine wrath and curse? Is not the affliction of the one who is righteous by faith an expression of God’s favor and a means of blessing? Is not even imprisonment this for a truly penitent sinner?

Pay careful attention to Question 125 of the Heidelberg Catechism: “… nor even Thy gifts can profit us without Thy blessing.” God’s gifts (rain and sunshine) are one thing; His blessing is quite another. A man can have God’s gifts -a surfeit of them-but entirely lack God’s blessing. In this case, the gifts do him no good. They only damn him into deeper hell.

– Ed.