Restrained By Grace

As a born again Christian when one sees or hears the word “grace”, we so often think of our conversion or salvation. We think of the song Amazing Grace and what Christ did for us. But we rarely think of it as something that God is still working into our lives on a daily basis. We may also not realize that even unbelievers experience God’s grace on a daily basis, but they do (whether they acknowledge it or not). God’s grace is displayed in many forms and one of those forms is called restraining grace (sometimes preventing grace).

This is a grace that believers and non believers alike all experience. And it is something that, like all of his expressions of grace, we should be so grateful for.

Retraining grace is God working in our lives in such a way as to keep us from sinning. Or to put it another way, it is God “preventing” us from sinning. Even though we may desire to sin,  God steps in and intervenes, thus stopping us from sinning. Can this be found in scripture though? Yes.

In Genesis chapter 20 we see where Abraham had his wife Sarah tell King Abimelech that she was Abraham’s wife. So Abimelech took Sarah into his home. But the Lord spoke to Abimelech in a dream and told him that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. Abimelech told the Lord that he was innocent and had not touched her. TheLord responded in verse 6 by saying: “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her” (emphasis added).

In 1 Samual chapter 25, David and 400 of his men have strapped on their swords and are going to deal with a man by the name of Nabal. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, rushes to meet David and his men in an attempt to stop them from killing her husband. In verse 26 she says: “Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal” (emphasis added).

And looking at Romans chapter 1 we see that in reference to men’s constant sinning,  it is mentioned 3 times that “God gave them over”. For God to give them over to their sin and their own ways, then there must have been something holding them back or restraining them. Knowing the true condition of fallen man in this world one shudders to think of what the world would be like if it were not for God’s restraining grace. Because of it we are able to continue to live in a somewhat orderly society.

John Owen in his book on Indwelling Sin says that God works his restraining grace out in our lives in two main ways.

1. Rational Considerations: This is where God allows man to think over the consequences of his desired actions. He allows fear of death, judgement, punishment and even hell to cause us to choose what is correct.
2. Providentual Dispensations: This is by in large a mystery, as is all of God’s sovereignty. But It is God’s control over all of creation and his ability at any moment to use anyone or thing to stop us from sinning if he so chooses.

And yet all of this is underserved and is why it is called grace. We all have benefited from this type grace. So often we may not even know it. So let us be careful that we don’t somehow think that we are so strong and become prideful. Owen said in reference to this subject in another book of his that “Until we are tempted, we think we live on our own strength.” Sometimes we are blessed to see and know that it was God and God alone who has kept us from ruin. Rejoice and be thankful! Knowing that you have a God who loves you enough to save you from yourself.