Robert Reymond and Common Grace
Here are some excerpts:
"In a real sense, then, given the fact that he now has to do with a fallen world, what we are calling God's
'ordinary' works of providence are one manifestation of his common grace to undeserving sinners and a
world under his curse. John Murray, in fact, discusses this aspect of divine providence under the rubric of
common grace. But here again, we have only exchanged one idiom for another while the substance
remains the same, for common grace as well serves the purposes of special grace. In this later regard
Murray writes:
'The redemptive purpose of God lies at the centre of this world's history. While it is not the only purpose being fulfilled in history and while it is not the one purpose to which all others may be subordinated, yet it is surely the central stream of history. It is however in the wider context of history that the redemptive purpose of God is realized. This wider context we have already found to be a dispensation of divine forbearance and goodness. In other words, it is that sphere of life or broad stream of history provided by common grace that provides the sphere of operation for God's special purpose of redemption and salvation. ... special grace has its precondition and sphere of operation in common grace. Without common grace special grace would not be possible because special grace would have no material out of which to erect its structure. ... To conclude ... common grace provides the sphere of operation of special grace and special grace therefore provides a [I would say "the"] rationale of common grace.'"