FAQ—Why is God continuing and sustaining this world’s existence apart from common grace?

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Q. 1. “If there is no common grace, then why is God continuing and sustaining this world's existence?”

“... for no other reason does he [i.e., God] sustain the world than to collect from it the number of the elect ...” (Francis Turretin, “Institutes of Elenctic Theology,” vol. 3, p. 42).

 

“God will not destroy the world as long as His people are still to be found in it. This is clear from Abraham’s intercessory prayer and from God’s response: ‘If I find … fifty [or forty, or twenty, or ten] righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes’ [Gen. 18:22-32]. Indeed, before the world is destroyed, God will deliver His own at that point in history when the last elect should be born and brought to conversion (cf. also II Pet. 3:9) … [The] wicked world is spared only because in it are to be found righteous people …

… How important this is for us to understand. We are sometimes amazed at the terrible wickedness which is present in the world. We cannot understand why a holy God does not break forth in fury to destroy it all. The only answer is that there are still some people of God either living in the world who must still be brought to repentance, or there are elect who are still unborn, but who must be born and saved before the world is destroyed.

How can the church go to heaven unless every elect for whom Christ died is first saved? That would be impossible. But just as soon as every elect is born and saved, God will indeed destroy all wickedness. But He will not do this until the elect are also delivered from the world, for they shall not have to endure the terrible judgments which God sends upon the world at the end of time.

We might add that we have a clear statement of this in Revelation 11 where we read that the witnesses are raised and brought to heaven in the sight of their enemies, that is, before judgment finally comes upon the wicked (cf. vv. 11-13).” (Herman C. Hanko, “Covenant Reformed Fellowship News,” vol. 4, no. 2)

 

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Q. 2. “Why do the reprobate/non-elect still exist? What purpose does their continuance on earth serve?”

 

“The reprobate are here for the purpose of the salvation of the elect. As the corn plant is necessary for the corn kernels, the reprobate are necessary for the salvation of the elect. The elect church is like a building that God builds throughout history; the reprobate are the scaffolding.” (Prof. Herman C. Hanko)

 

“The reprobate are for the purpose of the elect, as scaffolding is necessary for building the temple of God (Eph. 2:20-22). Even Cyrus, ungodly king of Persia, is called God’s ‘shepherd’ in Isaiah 44:28. Though he was a reprobate, God used him to bring Judah’s captive people back to Canaan at the end of 70 years.” (Herman C. Hanko, “Covenant Reformed News,” vol. 17, no. 2 [February 2020])

 

“The sustaining of their existence is not a gracious act. It is a decretive means by which they store up wrath and judgment against the Creator for the day of wrath. [cf. Gen. 15:16; I Thess. 2:16]. It is for these reasons that I think the term of common grace is ill founded and conveys a wrong impression of God’s will.” (C. Matthew McMahon, “The Two Wills of God Made Easy: Does God Really Have Two Wills?” [2016], pp. 77-78)

 

“[God is preserving the existence of the reprobate for the purposes of] giving them more time to heap up more wrath to themselves (Rom. 2:5), develop in their sin, make themselves ripe for judgment, bring forth any children through whom the elect will be gathered, be used to test and try the saints, etc.” (Rev. Angus Stewart, 12/06/2019)

 

  

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