Perhaps you have seen the “Footprints” poem which is fairly popular in Christian circles. It makes the point that God walks with us through all events of life, even carrying us in the difficult times. The sentiment is well stated and certainly emphasizes the truth of God’s enduring presence with His people. But it may mask an even more important truth—that God does not walk beside us, but He goes before us in all things.
Grace is God’s bounteous favor poured out to undeserving people. Grace is when something negative is deserved and, instead, something marvelous is received. We generally think of grace when we think of our salvation—and rightly so. When we deserve punishment and judgment, God instead gives us blessing and honor. But grace is found far above and beyond our salvation: not simply the Christian’s conversion, but the entire course of his ministry and pilgrimage is grounded in grace.
Prevenient grace is the term used to describe that aspect of God’s work which precedes all human activity and experience. God never, never commands us to action without previously acting Himself on our behalf. Soak that up for a second: never are you called upon to walk a certain path that God Himself has not graciously prepared for you. Graciously prepared, that is, prepared by God to bless you with His overwhelming favor.
Prevenient grace reminds us that God is the initiator of all things. He goes before us in every event and He is graciously paving the path with His bountiful blessings. True, we do not always see His blessings; but remember, we do not know what the path would be like without His grace preceding us. If you are struggling now, can you imagine what sin and Satan would do if God were not preceding you with His grace?
How horrible the thought! that God would withhold His grace until we first acted. NO! In all things, in every human decision and endeavor, God leads us with His grace, His prevenient grace.
John speaks of God’s prevenient grace when he speaks of His love: “We love, because He first loved us”
(1 John 4:19). Let us join Paul as we praise God that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” and “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God” (Romans 5:8, 10).
What trust we can have, knowing that God precedes us with His blessed favor given to undeserving sinners such as me, such as you.
To the praise of His glory, Henry