Prevenient grace is a theological concept in Christian soteriology (study of salvation) that describes the grace given by God that precedes human decision. It is a doctrine affirmed by Arminian Christians who hold to a synergistic view of salvation, wherein God’s grace works together with human freedom to bring individuals to salvation. The doctrine of prevenient grace teaches that God’s grace comes before and enables the human will to choose to respond in faith to God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ.
The term “prevenient” comes from the Latin word “praevenire” meaning “to come before” or “to precede.” Hence, prevenient grace refers to the grace that comes before saving faith, enabling sinners to freely choose belief in Christ. This view stands in contrast to Calvinist doctrine of irresistible grace, which teaches that God’s grace cannot be resisted or rejected by individuals.
There are several key aspects to the doctrine of prevenient grace:
- It is initiated and enacted by God alone, apart from human action or worthiness.
- It restores in individuals the freedom of their will to enable them to choose or refuse salvation in Christ.
- It convicts and draws people to saving faith.
- It enables repentance and faith.
- It allows sinners to cooperate with God in salvation.
Prevenient grace is believed to be universally available to all people, not just some elect group. Its availability precedes and enables the first stirrings of conviction, repentance, and faith. It awakens sinners to their lostness and convicts them of their sin and need for salvation. It enlightens the mind, softens the heart, and impresses the will, freeing individuals from bondage to make a genuine choice for or against Christ. However, prevenient grace does not force or determine the choice; it simply makes the choice possible.
Biblical Basis
There are several Scriptures that are cited in support of the doctrine of prevenient grace:
- John 1:9 – “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” This indicates that God’s light and grace are available to all people.
- John 12:32 – “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Jesus draws all people to Himself.
- Acts 17:26-28 – God has determined humanity’s appointed times and boundaries that they would “seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.”
- Romans 2:4 – “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” God’s grace leads us to repentance.
- Titus 2:11 – “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Salvation is offered to all.
Key biblical figures are also pointed to as recipients of prevenient grace before coming to explicit faith, such as Cornelius in Acts 10. Overall, the concept of prevenient grace seeks to reconcile the tension between God’s sovereignty in salvation and human free will and responsibility.
History of the Doctrine
While not definitively articulated as “prevenient grace,” many early Church fathers taught concepts similar to it, including:
- Irenaeus (120-202 AD) – Wrote that God “sweetly draws” people to faith and repentance.
- Origen (185-254) – Wrote that God’s grace works on sinners to convict them of sin and bring them to faith.
- John Chrysostom (349-407) – Argued that grace works within the human will to draw us to faith.
In the 16th century Protestant Reformation, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) formally articulated the doctrine of prevenient grace as part of his theological differences with the Calvinist doctrine of irresistible grace. The theology was affirmed as official doctrine by the Remonstrants and became a core part of Arminian theology.
John Wesley (1703-1791), founder of the Methodist movement, was a champion of the doctrine of prevenient grace. He emphasized it as a foundation for his synergistic view of salvation, wherein God’s grace and human free response cooperate.
Today, the doctrine is affirmed by Methodists and other Arminian traditions such as Free Will Baptists and Assemblies of God. It remains a point of differentiation from Calvinist views of irresistible or effectual grace which see God’s grace as solely responsible for salvation without cooperation from human free will.
Key Points of Doctrine
Some key points to understand about the doctrine of prevenient grace:
- Universally Given – It is given to all people by God as He draws all to salvation in Christ.
- Enables Free Will – It frees the will so individuals can exercise genuine faith and responsiveness to God’s offer of salvation.
- Convicts and Draws – Through it, the Spirit convicts of sin and draws the heart and mind to Christ.
- Resistible – It enables but does not determine the individual’s response. It can be resisted and rejected.
- Salvation Synergism – It allows God and persons to cooperate (synergize) in salvation through an empowered free will to choose faith.
- No Merit – It is given freely and graciously despite any human merit, worthiness, or action.
Prevenient grace provides a theological explanation for how God can enable and woo people toward faith in Christ while individuals retain responsibility and freedom to choose salvation. It seeks to strike a balance between divine sovereignty and human free will.
Objections and Responses
Some common objections to the doctrine of prevenient grace include:
- Lack of Explicit Biblical Support – Nowhere does the term “prevenient grace” appear in Scripture. Response: The concept is implied in verses about God’s universal grace and drawing all people to salvation.
- Contradicts God’s Sovereignty – If God frees the will, this compromises God’s complete sovereignty over salvation. Response: God still extends the grace freely; individuals can only respond through God’s enabling.
- Unnecessary Addition – Some claim the doctrine is an unnecessary addition; God’s grace alone saves. Response: It helps explain synergism of grace and free will in salvation.
- Pelagian Heresy – It risks the heresy of meriting salvation through works and freewill contribution. Response: Salvation is still fully dependent on God’s grace; the will only responds.
Defenders of prevenient grace argue it preserves a mystery in how God’s sovereignty and human responsibility work together in salvation. It should be judged primarily on its coherence with Scripture’s teachings on grace and human will.
Practical Implications
Some implications of the doctrine of prevenient grace:
- Explains how God can justly hold people responsible to respond to the gospel though their wills are bound by sin – his grace frees them to believe.
- Motivates evangelism and missions as it teaches that God’s grace goes before to prepare hearts to respond.
- Encourages preachers to appeal persuasively to the will and not just the mind/emotions.
- Inspires gratitude that God first gave grace to enable our faith response.
- Guards against presumption that salvation is initiated or merited by human effort or will.
- Promotes humility and dependency on God to empower human responsibility.
The doctrine impacts how Christians understand the process of conversion and their role in appealing to people’s wills to respond to the gospel in faith. It provides balance between God’s work and humans’ role in salvation.
Conclusion
In summary, prevenient grace refers to God’s initializing grace given to sinners that precedes and enables their free response of faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This doctrine has been affirmed especially in Arminian theology as an explanation for how God’s sovereign grace and human free will work together in salvation. It emphasizes salvation as a divine-human synergy empowered by God’s preeminent grace. The doctrine seeks to be faithful to all of Scripture’s teaching on salvation by grace and through faith.