Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/653157
Grace rises to become the best gift possible to offer a loved one, trusting God with the final say, especially when the two of you don't see eye to eye. Patricia Raybon PRESIDENT'S LETTER Mark Young, PhD PRESIDENT ENGAGE 3 Where do we find grace? In a bounty laid out on a table before us? Through the warm embrace of a loved one? Hearing words of forgiveness from someone we've wronged? That's where my mind goes. Theologians like to take things apart in order to understand them better. They've done that with grace. Starting with the simple thought that grace is the undeserved blessing of God, most theologians talk about common grace and special grace. Common grace is just that—common to all people. It speaks of God's care for everyone. It's why the rain falls on the just and the unjust, why the earth brings forth food for those who know from whose hand it comes and for those who don't. Special grace, on the other hand, is enjoyed only by those who believe in Jesus. It's the grace whereby God saves us, sanctifies us, and ultimately will glorify us. But whether we're talking about common grace or special grace, our first instinct is to believe that grace always means something good. If grace is a blessing from God, it's got to be good, right? Can we find grace in suffering? Can we find it in disappointment? In doubt? In fractured relationships? That's what you'll be asked to think about as you read this issue of Engage Magazine. I'll give you a hint: finding grace in unexpected places and in unwanted experiences makes it all the more wondrous, all the more magnificent, and all the more powerful, if we're willing to search for it there. On that journey with you,