Matthew 5:45b - Providence and Common Grace

Matthew 5:45b
for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Message: Providence and Common Grace

Time: The date of Matthew's composition is anywhere from 55-60 AD probably in Antioch of Syria. The writing is most likely to the Jews. His purpose was to show them that Jesus of Nazareth was the expected messiah and both his genealogy and his resurrection were legitimate proofs of this.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Sovereignty of God acknowledges that God actively controls all things that occurs in His creation. God is creator and He has planned all things and they take place as He has planned. He is independent of creation and Lord over it. God has existed for eternity while everything else has a beginning. God is also active. He did not simply wind a clock up but He is active each day in His creation and thus He is providential. Our existence today needs God right now. We need God for our world to exist today. We are all dependent on one another.

He sustains us out of his grace. Grace is providing something to someone that they neither earned or can pay back. When a homeless person on the street asks you for money, you are being gracious in giving him money. He does nothing to earn it and won't be paying it back. You are freely giving him what is yours and making it his. This is how God has exhibited his love toward us. He could act in any way he wanted, but He chose to give us freely what we need.

While some people will call God Lord and some with call Him a liar, everyone receives His creation. We all live in this creation and enjoy its benefits. Thus, His grace is common to all. The verse today echoes this idea for He causes His Sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Saving grace provides salvation only to the elect of God, but common grace is open to everyone. Common grace does not distinguish, does not discriminate.

Some time ago I was looking at His creation or the natural revelation that has been given to us. One of my favorite verses is Romans 1:19-20 - that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Everyone can see God because everyone can see His creation. Everyone can see His power and His nature. The benefits of His creation are common to all.

While grace is common to all, there is a special grace of salvation to all in Jesus providing us His son for salvation.

Promise: God's common grace reminds us that as creatures we are undeserving even of our very existence.

Prayer: Lord, you are sovereign over all. You are active. You are present with me right now and you are present in this world. I need you every day. Each day you create and each day you sustain this world. We like to think we are in charge, but God you are in charge of all. Thank you for your creation that I have before me each day. Thank you for making it the way you have, for the people that I see each day, for creating them. Lord, re-train mankind to know you and draw people to yourself. I pray the good news of your salvation is more clearly seen in people each day.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.