Common grace, those undeserved blessings given to all people.
"How can God continue to give blessings to sinners who deserve only death?"
Yes, God gives innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation to all people.
In the Physical realm, God's provision through nature, plants, etc. Matthew 5 says, "He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
In the intellectual realm, God allows knowledge, truth, and even an awareness of God's existence for all mankind.
In the moral realm, common grace restrains people from being as evil as they could be. Their conscience provides some moral restraint.
In the creative realm, we can see artistic and musical skill poured out on both believers and unbelievers.
In the societal realm, family structure, human government, and other organizations are a way of holding order, and expressions largely of the common grace of God.
In the religious realm, God may out of his common grace answer the prayers of unbelievers, and asks us to love and pray for those who persecute us.
Common grace and special grace (to salvation) influence each other. By common grace, our churches could be built, our Bibles printed, etc. And by special grace, believers can influence and bless their communities.
YET, Common grace does NOT save people, i.e. it does not change the heart or bring repentance and faith.
Why should non believers get God's grace?
1. To let them live and have time towards salvation, and also that their children might be saved.
2. Demonstrating God's goodness and mercy. When God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish, his kindness is revealed in the universe, to his glory.
3. Demonstrating God's justice. God gives many opportunities to come to him, and thus no one will be able to object that God was unjust.
4. Demonstrating God's glory. We reflect the wisdom of our creator, in our skills, moral virtue, etc. These are tainted by sinful motives, but the original creator reflection shines through.
"As i live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn back from his way and live. " Ezekiel 33:11.
"God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:4.
What is our response?
When we see our non believing friends do good, we should see God's hand in it and be thankful for common grace. At the same time, we should realize that no amount of God's common grace is equivalent to saving grace.
Not just the immediate nature and creation of God, but all that has come from the abilities given by common grace allow us to thank God. He created the flowers, yes, but he also gave the talent to the carpenter who made our house, etc. And we don't deserve any of it!
