Introduction
Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Prevenient grace is one of the fundamental concepts in the theology of the Church of the Nazarene. It is a term that may sound complex, but in this article, I will break it down in a way that it can easily understood. Prevenient grace is all about God’s amazing love and his pursuit of humanity. As Nazarenes, we believe in prevenient grace because it aligns with our understanding of God’s character as described in the Bible and his desire to bring all people into a loving relationship with him. This subtle difference separates Nazarene beliefs from some other denominations, but I digress, let’s get into understanding this concept a little better.
What is Prevenient Grace?
John 6:44 (NIV) – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
At its core, prevenient grace is the grace that comes before anything else. It is the grace that God extends to every person even before they realize it or respond to it. Imagine it as a warm invitation to a party you did not know about, but it is the most important party ever – a party with God.
In the Church of the Nazarene, we believe that God’s love is so immense that he takes the first step to reach out to us. Prevenient grace is God’s way of saying, “I love you, and I want you to know me.” This grace works in our lives before we even think about God, drawing us closer to Him. Think of the love that your parents or grandparents gave you as a baby. For most of us, there are fond memories of our parents wrapping their arms around us, keeping us safe, and giving us love, even though we had done nothing yet to earn that love, other than simply existing.
As God’s children he gives us that same (even more powerfully) love. In most cases – especially those where we have had the opportunity to make mistakes and earn the wages of our sin, that same grace still exists for us. God takes this love in the form of grace so much further than what our parents and family typically offer us. That is the difference between the love of man and the love of God.
Prevenient Grace and God’s Unconditional Love
Romans 5:8 (NIV) – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
One of the key reasons Nazarenes believe in prevenient grace is because it reflects the unconditional love of God. Imagine you have a friend who stands by your side no matter what, even when you make mistakes. That is how God loves us. He does not wait for us to be perfect or to deserve his love. God’s prevenient grace is a reminder that his love is always there, like a beacon, calling us back to him. Simply put, he created us, allowed us to go off on our own, but his immense love is constantly calling us back into his loving arms.
As Nazarenes, we embrace this idea because it encourages us to approach God with confidence, knowing that his love is not based on our performance but on his unchanging nature. This is demonstrated not only by Christ, and his amazing ministry on Earth, but time and time again in the old testament with his chosen people.
As people who live in the world we quickly discover that unconditional love is nearly impossible here on Earth. Even our family has limits to their ability to forgive, their power to forget, and their strength to show love beyond their capacity. Imagine a world where everyone was able to show the unconditional love and support that we are offered by God through Jesus Christ! That depth of love would make this world unrecognizable – and that love is something Christ has asked us to show.
Prevenient Grace and the Freedom to Choose
Joshua 24:15 (NIV) – “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Prevenient grace also aligns with our belief in human free will. In the Church of the Nazarene, we believe that God respects our freedom to choose whether to accept his love or not. He does not force us into a relationship with him. Instead, prevenient grace is God’s way of knocking gently on the door of our hearts, inviting us to open it and let him in. This concept is demonstrated famously in the painting showing Christ knocking at the door with no handle, where we must open the door. Though we are called, it is our choice to accept.
Just like the verse from Joshua, we have the freedom to choose whom we will serve. Prevenient grace gives us the opportunity to make that choice, guided by God’s loving presence in our lives. The important factor here is that prevenient grace is that call that exists before we even have the DESIRE to follow God. Knowing this, and seeing our friends and contacts who do not know Christ through this lens can make many of our interactions and ways of seeing other people very different.
Prevenient Grace and the Nazarene Mission
As a Nazarene, I embrace the concept of prevenient grace because it is at the heart of our mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations. We believe that God’s grace is available to all people, and I want to share this incredible gift with everyone I meet. The great call we have as Christians, the great commission is to go out into this world and make disciples.
The reason I am Nazarene, a part of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, is largely because of this concept. It brings me a great deal of comfort to know that my Lord, my creator, and my savior is there, and was there, even before I went searching. He died for my sins before I even committed them. There is an amazing amount of power in that. I hope you can see that.
Even if you are not a Nazarene, I hope the concept of prevenient grace can help you to understand God’s love better, and give you an example of just how much love you should be giving to others, and just how shallow our love can be for those around us.
CLOSING PRAYER:
“Heavenly Father, we thank you for your amazing grace that comes before anything else. We are in awe of your endless love. We pray that your prevenient grace would touch the hearts of those who have yet to come to know you. May the power of the Holy Spirit draw new people into your kingdom and grow our churches across the world. In Jesus glorious name, we pray. Amen”