When God is Everywhere: Why Divine Immanence Might Mean We Don't Need "Common Grace"

For many of us in the church, terms like "common grace" are well-worn theological concepts. We use them to explain why unbelievers can create beautiful art, uphold justice, or discover scientific truths. It's often understood as God’s unmerited favour extended to all humanity, restraining sin and enabling a measure of good outside of saving grace.

But what if our understanding of God’s sheer presence in the world, his divine immanence, already accounts for these realities in a more profound and biblically integrated way?

This post will explore the compelling idea that a robust understanding of divine immanence might, in fact, make the concept of common grace unnecessary. It’s not about denying that God works in the world through all people, but about rethinking the framework we use to explain it.

Divine Immanence: God's Profound Nearness

Let's begin with divine immanence. Simply put, it’s the theological truth that God is profoundly present within creation, intimately involved in its ongoing existence and operations. He isn't a distant clockmaker who wound up the universe and walked away. No, He is the very ground of being, the sustaining power, the breath in our lungs, and the thought in our minds (Acts 17:28).

Consider these biblical snapshots of God's immanence:

• Psalm 139:7-10: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." This isn't just about omniscience; it's about an inescapable, tangible presence.

• Jeremiah 23:23-24: "'Am I only a God nearby,' declares the Lord, 'and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord." God fills all space.

• Acts 17:27-28 (Paul at the Areopagus): "God did this so that people would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'" This radical statement, quoting a pagan poet, affirms God's active, pervasive presence as the very source of existence for all people.

These passages aren't just poetic flourishes; they are foundational theological claims about God’s nature. He isn't merely affecting creation from afar; He is in it, upholding it, giving it breath and life. Every sunrise, every beat of a heart, every moment of clear thought—it's all happening in Him.

The Problem with "Common Grace"

Now, let's turn to common grace. Typically, it’s defined as God’s general, non-saving grace extended to all people, believers and unbelievers alike. It seeks to explain:

1. The Restraint of Sin: Why the world isn't as chaotic as it could be.

2. The Doing of Good: Why unbelievers can be kind, just, and create beauty.

3. General Blessings: Rain, sunshine, harvests, good health.

   
   

While these are undeniable realities, the framework of "common grace" sometimes feels like an extra theological layer we add to explain things that God's immanence already beautifully addresses. It can implicitly suggest a distinction where God's activity in the lives of unbelievers is somehow "lesser" or "different" in kind from His general sustaining presence.

Sometimes, the language around common grace can feel like we're creating a separate category of divine interaction for those outside the covenant, almost as if God has a "special grace" for His elect and a "common grace" for everyone else. But does God need a separate category of grace to explain His inherent, pervasive presence in the world He created and sustains?

Immanence as the Explanatory Power

If God truly 'fills heaven and earth', if 'in Him we live and move and have our being', then every single act of goodness, every moment of moral restraint, every spark of creativity, every scientific discovery, every act of compassion, even from those who don't acknowledge Him, flows directly from His own omnipresent being and sustaining power.

Consider:

Moral Restraint: 

If God truly sustains all things, then the very fabric of existence, held together by His hand (Colossians 1:17), carries an inherent moral order. When individuals, even unbelievers, act justly or show kindness, they are not tapping into some "common grace" separate from God's presence, but are, perhaps unknowingly, aligning with the order and truth embedded in creation by its very sustainer. Their capacity to choose good over evil, however imperfectly, is a function of being created in God's image and living in Him.

Goodness and Beauty: 

When a non-Christian artist creates a masterpiece or a scientist uncovers a profound truth about the universe, they are not receiving a special "drip" of common grace. Rather, they are exercising capacities given to them as image-bearers of God, operating within a reality sustained by Him. Their ability to perceive beauty, to order information, to innovate—these are inherent aspects of what it means to be human, and humanity exists in God. The beauty they create, the truth they discover, are ultimately echoes of the Creator’s own nature, which permeates all things.

General Blessings: 

Rain, sunshine, the cycles of nature, healthy bodies—these are not "common grace" as a separate type of grace, but rather the direct outworking of God's faithful, moment-by-moment sustenance of His creation. It’s God being God, present and active in His world.

From this perspective, the "good" we see in the world, even outside the church, isn't an arbitrary gift from a distant God, but a direct consequence of His inescapable presence and constant upholding of all things. It's not "common grace" but divine immanence in action.

Addressing Potential Disagreements

Naturally, this perspective might raise some questions. Let’s consider a few:

1. "Doesn't this diminish the distinction between believers and unbelievers?"

Not at all. This argument emphasises God's universal presence and sustenance, which applies to all people. However, it doesn't erase the profound, transformative distinction of saving grace—the grace through which individuals are reconciled to God through Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and given new life. Saving grace is about relationship, redemption, and spiritual transformation; immanence is about existence and sustenance.

In saving grace, God's immanence becomes explicitly acknowledged, embraced, and transformative within a person's life, leading to repentance, faith, and a renewed pursuit of righteousness. The difference isn't that God is less present with the unbeliever, but that the unbeliever, due to sin, actively suppresses or ignores that presence, failing to orient their life towards Him.

2. "What about the effects of sin? Doesn't common grace restrain sin?"

Indeed, sin's effects are pervasive. But even the restraint of sin can be understood through the lens of immanence. If God truly upholds all things, then the very fabric of reality, the natural consequences of actions, and the inherent moral compass (however dulled by sin) that God has placed within humanity, all serve to restrain ultimate chaos. God's presence itself, by its very nature, brings order to what would otherwise be utter disorder. The world isn't as bad as it could be, not because of a separate "common grace," but because God's omnipresent being inherently works against total annihilation and chaos. He upholds creation, even in its fallen state.

3. "Isn't 'grace' important in the term 'common grace'?"

Absolutely. The term "grace" is vital, emphasising God's unmerited favour. My argument isn't against the idea that God shows unmerited favour to all, but against the concept of a separate category called "common grace." Every breath, every beating heart, every capacity to think or act, is an undeserved gift from God. This is grace in its most fundamental sense. It is God's sheer, unmerited goodness expressed in His continuous giving of existence and sustenance to all creation. This inherent goodness, flowing from His immanence, is the ultimate "common grace," if you will.

Why This Matters for the Church

This theological shift isn't just an academic exercise: It has significant implications for how we live and minister.

Deeper Appreciation for Creation: 

It fosters a deeper reverence for all creation as inherently sustained by God, dispelling any notion of secular or "neutral" spaces. Every part of life, every human endeavour, is saturated with God's presence.

Engaging with Culture: 

Instead of viewing secular culture as something separate that God "graces," we see it as a complex expression of humanity living within God's pervasive presence. This can encourage us to engage more deeply, discerning God's hand in unexpected places, and affirming truth and beauty wherever it's found, not as an exception but as an expectation of His immanence.

Understanding Human Dignity: 

It reinforces the profound dignity of all human beings, regardless of their beliefs. Their capacity for good, for reason, for creativity, is not a "lucky break" or a "common grace" add-on; it's a direct reflection of their existence in God and as image-bearers. This aligns beautifully with your passion for honouring the imago Dei in all people, including neurodivergent individuals, recognising their unique gifts as integral to God's design for humanity.

Simplicity and Coherence: 

It offers a more unified and coherent theological framework, explaining God's activity in the world through a single, powerful lens: His boundless, ever-present immanence. It simplifies our theology without sacrificing its richness.

Conclusion

To say that divine immanence makes common grace unnecessary is not to deny that God blesses all people or restrains evil in the world. Rather, it's to assert that these realities are best understood as direct manifestations of God’s omnipresent, sustaining power.

When we grasp the profound truth that "in Him we live and move and have our being," we realize that every good thing, every moment of order, every spark of creativity, every act of human kindness, is not merely allowed by a distant God, but is inherently woven into the fabric of a creation constantly upheld and animated by His very presence. It is the unceasing overflow of a God who is truly "not far from any one of us."

This isn't just "common grace"; it's the beautiful, pervasive, and undeniable reality of God being God, intimately present in every facet of His creation. And that, is a truth worthy of deep reflection and passionate proclamation.

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References and Further Reading:

• Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics, Vol. III/3: The Doctrine of Creation. T&T Clark, 2004. (Barth's theology of creation emphasises God's active presence and lordship over all creation, making a separate concept of common grace less central to his framework).

• Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. (While Calvin is often associated with common grace, a careful reading reveals his emphasis on God's providential governance over all things, which can be interpreted through the lens of immanence).

• Pannenberg, Wolfhart. Systematic Theology, Vol. 2: God and Man. Eerdmans, 1994. (Pannenberg’s understanding of God’s pervasive presence and the eschatological nature of creation leans into a robust immanence).

• Torrance, Thomas F. Space, Time, and Incarnation. T&T Clark, 1993. (Torrance’s Trinitarian theology emphasises God’s inherent relation to and presence in creation through Christ and the Spirit, which underpins a strong view of immanence).

• Van Til, Cornelius. Common Grace and the Gospel. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1972. (Van Til is a key proponent of common grace, and reading him helps understand the traditional arguments this post is seeking to re-evaluate).

• Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Divine Discourse: Philosophical Reflections on the Claim That God Speaks. Cambridge University Press, 1995. (Wolterstorff explores how God interacts with and manifests Himself within creation, touching on aspects relevant to immanence).