Marcher makes the acquaintance of the young and gracious May Bartram, who comes to love him in spite of his egoistic tendencies. She provides him company and companionship and the pleasure of her charms and beauty, but he never seems to “get it” where she’s concerned, not even when, on one occasion, as he’s babbling away about his beast in the jungle, she rises from her chair and stands very near to him, right in his face, as it were.

Only after May Bartram has died does John Marcher realize that she was what awaited him, what had been prepared for him, and he had missed her. The story closes with Marcher, face down on May’s grave, weeping uncontrollably.

Grace in spite of ourselves

By now it’s becoming clear that human beings are a lot like John Marcher – self-important, vain, narcissistic, and quick to take for granted the everyday blessings of their lives.

We see this essential self-centeredness just about everywhere, and we wonder what the world is coming to where all people can think about is what’s good for them. Everyone’s so busy looking out for number 1 (Robert Ringer) and proclaiming the virtues and entitlements of “I, Me, Mine” (The Beatles) that it’s a wonder anything like compassion exists anywhere in the world.

But it does – and many other good, useful, and wondrous virtues as well. As human beings, it’s true, we are by nature self-interested, self-important, and unconcerned for anybody’s interests and needs beside our own.

That’s how we are by nature; but by grace – by God’s common grace to human beings – we are much more noble and beautiful creatures, indeed.

Let me quickly enumerate some ways that God’s common grace overcomes our natural self-centeredness to spread His love and bear witness to His existence.

Evidence of common grace

I’ll have to be brief. First, God’s common grace is revealed in our mere continuance as human beings. God made us and God sustains us, and the evidence that people know this can be easily marshaled.

What do people do who suddenly are the victims of some great catastrophe or disaster? They may weep and cry, like John Marcher, but they will also turn to prayer. Recall George Bailey in the film, A Wonderful Life. At the moment of his deepest tragedy he turns to prayer, saying, “God, I’m not a praying man, but…” Similar stories could be easily multiplied, thus bearing witness to what everyone knows in the depths of his or her soul: Our lives are in God’s hands.

Second, the fact that human beings can comprehend the world – that they have minds and can reason – sets them apart from all other creatures. Scripture explains this, as well as our ability to be creative, convivial, and compassionate toward others by the fact that we are made in the image and likeness of God. There is good in all of us, not because we have dropped down from the trees and evolved in a world red in tooth and claw, but because we are the image-bearers of God, and He continues to express that in and through us in our ability to reason, to make things, and to share with others.

This holds as well for our ability to live peaceably with others in community. Where does law come from? Or the idea of justice? Or property rights? Or traditions, manners, or social graces? These emerge into human consciousness and come to expression in societies because the works of God’s Law have been inscribed on the hearts of every one of His image-bearers (Rom. 2.14, 15). Animals live in communities, but only for the purpose of exploiting other communities, not for the general betterment of all creatures and the creation itself. Humans do so – albeit, to a greater or lesser extent – because of the common grace of God, working with their own inherent image-bearing humanity, to bear witness to and glorify the Creator.

We could say more, much more. For now, it’s important that we understand that the beast in the jungle for every human being is staring us in the face every moment of every day. And the beast that waits to pounce and subdue is none other than the God Who created and sustains us, Who charms and blesses us with His presence and bounty, and witnesses to His love in ways it would be tragic to miss.

Next steps

How many different ways can you observe the common grace of God at work in your life today? Write them down, then pray them back to God before you go to bed tonight. Tomorrow, share your list with a friend, and invite him or her to praise the Lord with you.

Additional Resources

Download this week’s study, Common Grace.

Sign up for ViewPoint Leaders Training and start your own ViewPoint discussion group.

For a deeper study of God’s grace, order a copy of T. M.’s book,I Will Be Your God, from our online store.

Men, download our free brief paper, “Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning,” by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.