February 2026

“I love you.” Three little words that hold our world together. Normally, when we hear the words “I love you,” we immediately think about family and friends. The love of family and friends is, indeed, delightful and necessary for a full, healthy life. Nevertheless, there is a source of love that is even more foundational to not only healthy life, but to the very existence of life: the love of God.

Theologians refer to it as “Common Grace.” Google’s AI Overview does a good job of explaining the concept of common grace: “a theological concept describing God's undeserved kindness and general blessings bestowed on all humanity (believers and unbelievers alike) through earthly life, restraining evil and allowing for societal flourishing, distinct from "special grace" which leads to salvation. It explains why good things, talents, and general order exist in the world despite sin, enabling people to enjoy creation, pursue arts, sciences, and build societies, while highlighting God's goodness and providing a basis for Christians to engage with the world.” Without God’s common grace, stemming from His loving character, the world would instantly and violently degenerate and devolve into the worst dystopian disaster you could imagine as sin and satan would be totally unrestrained. However, God’s loving character and nature motivate Him to put restraints on evil and to send blessings on the entire cosmos. Jesus talked about this notion in Matthew 5:45b: For [God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. King David spoke about this notion as well in Psalm 145:9: The Lord is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.

As we move into February and enjoy Valentine’s Day, let us remember that without God’s loving character and amazing grace we would be doomed. However, we do not have to stop with common grace. Due to God’s loving nature, He has provided His people with special, saving grace in addition to common grace. This special, saving grace is seen clearly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We read about this saving grace in John 1:16-17: 16 Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Likewise, Paul speaks of this specifical, saving grace in Ephesians 1:7-8: 7 We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. May we never forget the greatest display of love in the history of history: God’s gift of His own Son in place of sinners. May Romans 5:8 be burned into our minds and bind our hearts throughout eternity: But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
-Pastor Clint Miller