Brood of Vipers: The Hypocrisy of Prevenient Grace

Introduction: A False Gospel of Prevenient Grace

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" —Galatians 1:6-8

Many professing Christians condemn the act of abortion, and rightly so. Yet these same Christians will fall on their sword for a form of spiritual abortion by embracing the false gospel of prevenient grace, which teaches that all people are brought to some neutral spiritual position, capable of choosing or rejecting God. This teaching distorts the true Gospel and ignores the biblical reality that humanity is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-5) in sin and entirely dependent on God’s sovereign, irresistible grace for salvation.

There is no righteous person, not even one;

There is no one who understands,

There is no one who seeks out God;

They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;

There is no one who does good,

There is not even one.” --Romans 3:10-12

This post confronts the hypocrisy of Christians who oppose physical abortion but embrace a theology of spiritual abortion, claiming that a non-believer has the right to choose his eternal destination. This denies the work of the Holy Spirit, and rejects the first response to God's effectual grace—a repentant heart. Instead, it reflects a haughty, puffed-up, and prideful theology that exalts human autonomy over God’s sovereignty.

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Spiritually Dead: The Reality of Total Depravity

"And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world." —Ephesians 2:1-2

Scripture is clear: humanity is not merely spiritually sick or neutral; we are dead in our sins. Spiritual death means total inability—we cannot seek God, choose Him, or respond to Him apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

Common Grace: Restraining Sin, Not Granting Life

While God’s common grace restrains human depravity and allows moral agency (Romans 2:14-15), it does not grant any form of spiritual life. Common grace enables unbelievers to act morally and recognize some aspects of God's truth, but it does not equip them to choose salvation or have saving faith.

"The kindness of God leads you to repentance." —Romans 2:4

God’s patience and kindness demonstrate His goodness but do not override the reality of spiritual death. Only irresistible grace, by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, can bring a sinner to life and lead them to repentance and faith in Christ.

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The False Gospel of Prevenient Grace

Prevenient grace, as taught in some theological traditions, claims that Christ’s work on the cross gives every human being a neutral starting point, enabling them to choose or reject God. While this may seem compassionate, it is a false gospel for the following reasons:

1. It Denies Total Depravity:
   Prevenient grace assumes that sinners retain some ability to choose God, contradicting Scripture's teaching that we are spiritually dead and incapable of seeking Him (Romans 3:10-12).

2. It Undermines the Sovereignty of God:
   By claiming that salvation ultimately depends on human choice, prevenient grace denies God’s sovereign election and the effectual calling of His chosen people (Romans 8:29-30).

3. It Distorts the Gospel of Grace:
   Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as a gift of God—not through human effort or decision (Ephesians 2:8-9). Prevenient grace shifts the focus to human ability, subtly introducing works into the Gospel.

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The Hypocrisy of Spiritual Abortion

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." —Matthew 23:15

Many Christians condemn abortion while practicing spiritual abortion through their theology. They preach a false gospel of prevenient grace, which aborts the biblical truth of total depravity and irresistible grace, leaving people in spiritual death. Here’s how this hypocrisy manifests:

1. Preaching a Human-Centered Gospel:
   These Christians act as though salvation depends on human decision rather than God’s sovereign choice, aborting the truth of God’s work in salvation.

2. Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s Power:
   By claiming that prevenient grace makes salvation possible for all, they diminish the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, who alone can bring the dead to life (John 6:63,65).

3. Upholding Autonomy Over Submission:
   Just as those who justify abortion cry “my body, my choice,” spiritual abortionists insist on “my will, my choice,” rejecting God’s authority in salvation.

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Irresistible Grace: The True Gospel of Life

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." —John 6:44

The true Gospel declares that salvation is entirely the work of God. By His sovereign grace, the Holy Spirit regenerates the spiritually dead, enabling them to respond to the Gospel with faith and repentance. This is irresistible grace—not common or prevenient grace, but the effectual work of God that brings life to the dead and secures eternal salvation.

The Gospel of Life:

1. God Chooses and Calls: Salvation begins with God’s election (Ephesians 1:4-5).
2. The Spirit Regenerates: The Holy Spirit brings spiritual life to the dead (Titus 3:5).
3. Christ Accomplishes Redemption: Jesus’ death and resurrection secure salvation for His people (Hebrews 9:12, Luke 1:68).
4. Repentance: Our response is a broken and contrite heart (Psalms 51).

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Conclusion: Examine Your Heart 

Paul’s warning in Galatians 1 could not be clearer: “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

The Apostle Paul also commands us to examine ourselves: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Examine your heart to see whether you are clinging to the true Gospel or a distorted one that exalts human pride and autonomy.

Repentance is not a work of man but a gift of God’s grace (2 Timothy 2:25). True repentance, as expressed in Psalm 51, acknowledges God’s holiness and our sinfulness, crying out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). This is the response to God’s effectual grace—a broken and contrite heart that submits fully to His sovereign will.

Gold Rush - The search for fine gold

Gold Rush: The Search for Fine Gold

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1–22

Yes, I finally get to talk about one of my favorite Petra songs, "Fool’s Gold." I didn’t think it would come up because the context of this scripture is talking about heavenly treasure. But then I saw it: verse 18—"If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise."

Before quoting the song (even though it’s stuck in my head now), let’s address the real reason for this devotion: fine gold.

Have you seen the TV show Gold Rush on Discovery? It showcases miners using various methods to extract gold from the earth. They design their machines to catch as much fine gold as possible, and along the way, they find small nuggets. At the end, they weigh the gold, and most of it is fine particles. Occasionally, they find nuggets, but it’s rare.

This process parallels our spiritual lives. We labor tirelessly, planting seeds and watering them, often not knowing what kind of harvest we will see. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth."

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The “Pay Dirt” of Ministry

During our ministry, God has given us countless opportunities to interact with others. In March 2023, we encountered a family stranded in an airport. Right there in the terminal, we prayed for them. Imagine the crowd around us, one person even commented, “How cool it is to see you pray for them.”

Other encounters followed: a single mom who lost a job, a man in pain after visiting the doctor, and many others. Each moment felt small in the grand scheme, but these are our fine gold moments.

This reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 4:35–36: "Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. The one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together."

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Becoming “Fools” for Christ

Returning to 1 Corinthians 3:18, Paul calls us to reject worldly wisdom for godly wisdom, even if it makes us appear foolish. As Petra’s song "Fool’s Gold" reminds us, "Some may call me foolish, some may call me odd, but I’d rather be a fool in the eyes of man than a fool in the eyes of God."

We live in a world that values temporary success over eternal treasure. But Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:19–21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

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Building with Fireproof Materials

Paul also challenges us in 1 Corinthians 3:12–15: "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward; if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire."

This fire represents God’s judgment at the Bema Seat. Here, believers’ works will be tested—not for salvation, but for reward. As Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad."

The fine gold we find through our faithful labor will endure through this test.

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Sowing, Watering, and Harvesting

Our calling is to be sowers, waterers, and reapers. As Paul writes in Galatians 6:9, "Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary."

Like the miners on Gold Rush, we sift through tons of dirt for tiny ounces of gold. Every prayer, conversation, and act of love may seem small, but in God’s economy, these moments are eternal treasures.

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Closing Thoughts

The world offers plenty of “fool’s gold”—shiny distractions that promise fulfillment but lead to emptiness. As believers, our goal is to sift through the dirt of life, finding the fine gold of eternal significance.

Let’s labor faithfully, keeping our eyes on the true treasure. As Jesus reminds us in Matthew 9:37–38, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

So, let us dig deep, sift carefully, and rejoice in every glimmer of fine gold that God brings our way.