Prevenient Grace: The Pursuit is a Bridge Beyond the Ladders
Prevenient Grace: The Pursuit is a Bridge Beyond the Ladders
Luke16:16
"The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. [or everyone is forcibly urged into it] But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void."
Today our study brings us to the bridge between the old covenant and the new. Up until John, the Law (the Torah) and the prophetic writings guided God’s people. But with John’s arrival, something shifts. He heralds the "good news of the kingdom of God" which Jesus then fully embodies and preaches. This marks a turning point in our salvation history. This completes and confirms the understanding of the first century Christians on this subject. The Greek verb here, biazō, can imply force or urgency. One interpretation is that the kingdom’s arrival stirs such eagerness that people are pressing in to enter it, like a crowd rushing through a gate. Another view is that the kingdom itself breaks into the world with irresistible power, drawing people in despite opposition. I suppose it's probably a little of both, but I personally am drawn to the latter.
Are we eagerly seeking the kingdom, or is God’s grace relentlessly pursuing us?
Maybe we've been both at different points in our life. I can say, as for myself, it began with eagerly seeking the kingdom and all the things I could know about it. I was on a mission for God. But later on, I discovered that it was God who was pursuing me all along. So, I went from being on a mission for God to being on a mission from God.
For me, there is the initial pressing in, I was full of zeal and hunger for knowledge, and this reflected that sense of "forcing my way" into the kingdom. Then, as I discovered God’s pursuit, it’s as if the kingdom’s forceful invitation caught up with me, revealing that He was the one urging me forward all along. Or maybe I caught up with it. I was that one lost sheep he sought, that treasure he hid. His precious jewel.
I learned about this idea as I began to read all the sermons of John Wesley, and his Bible commentaries. I learned about a word I couldn't find in a spell check, "prevenient" Grace.
"Prevenient grace" (for anyone unfamiliar, meaning the grace that "goes before" ) is such a beautiful concept, it's God’s initiative in seeking us out before we even know to seek Him. It’s like the Holy Spirit is laying the groundwork, drawing us in even as we thought we were the ones doing the chasing.
Many of us start out on our faith-walk with that fiery pursuit. We're eagerly devouring Scripture, chasing after knowledge, trying to "get it right." But life often reveals the flip side; times of feeling lost, only to find God was seeking us all along. That whole footprints in the sand thing. This can be a beautiful revelation or maybe for some like the Pharisees, this revelation can also bump up against their self-righteous religion. We see this throughout Jesus' earthly ministry. He is coming into their spiritual spaces often and probably that pushing in tormented them. So, for some, it’s a beautiful awakening; for others, like the Pharisees, it’s a threat to their carefully built self-righteousness.
The Pharisees had their system, a meticulous adherence to the Law, a sense of earning God’s favor through their own efforts. They were the ones "forcing their way" into the kingdom, on their own terms interpreted out of the Law of God, but with their own twists. Then Jesus arrives, preaching a kingdom that’s already breaking in, a grace that preceded their striving, and it upends everything. He was there in the beginning, before the Law. He is the Word of God and the Law was his. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. The revelation of Jesus Christ exposed their self-righteousness. And it turns out their beliefs and practices were merely manmade traditions. And that revelation broke them. Not in a good way either. This revelation rattled their self-righteous religion, exposing it as a hollow shell, and everything Jesus taught preached the gospel that says God’s grace doesn’t need our perfection to pursue us. And they hated that. Jesus was forever forgiving people of their sins, when they believed he was supposed to be punishing them for their sins. Jesus was forever, performing miracles at the inappropriate times as far as they were concerned, when he was supposed to be forcing these people into their systematic theology. His prevenient grace was inconvenient grace as far as they were concerned.
Today's scripture focus is almost like a dramatic showdown between Jesus and the Pharisees, with prevenient grace as the unexpected hero that dismantles their world. The self-justification of the Pharisees was a ladder of their own making. They thought they were the gatekeepers, earning God’s favor through rigid obedience. And we see this spirit even today. Then and now there is this futile climb up the man-made ladder of self-justification. They force their way in, rung by rung, only to find Jesus already at the top, offering a hand they didn’t want. Jesus preveniently pushes in, sometimes like a wrecking ball. He doesn’t climb their ladder; He dismantles it. He's forgiving the unforgivable, healing on the Sabbath, preaching a kingdom that’s already breaking in, not waiting for their approval. That grace, unearned and unstoppable, exposes their ladder as a shaky illusion. And we see this same tension today between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and the reformed Christian faith.
Orthodoxy and Catholicism, with their deep roots in liturgy, tradition, and sacramental theology, can feel like gatekeepers to some, meticulously guarding the path to God’s favor through centuries-old practices. Meanwhile, Reformed Christianity, often emphasizes sola fide, faith alone, and sola scriptura, scripture alone; stripping away what it sees as manmade ladders to put the spotlight on grace unmediated by human effort.
Each side might accuse the other of "forcing their way" into the kingdom on their own terms. Then comes Jesus in Luke 16:16, preaching a kingdom that’s already breaking in, with prevenient grace. He doesn’t align neatly with any camp. His grace precedes the Law, the man-made traditions, and even our faith itself. He is the first-fruits.
Abiding in Jesus isn't about earning favor through rituals or reforming away every structure; it’s about a God who pursues us before we can climb any ladder, whether it’s made of incense or sola fide. Whether we are tearing down what feels like extra-faith mystical distortions, or building up ladders of traditional faith and superinterpretations, we're really just doing battle against human understanding. It's all ladders. Human understanding trying to interpret human understanding and experience. Turns out it’s all ladders, human understanding wrestling with itself, whether we’re building up traditions or tearing them down.
And into that mixed up family Jesus’ prevenient grace doesn’t wait for us. He's inviting his followers to reflect on their own faith heritage without picking a side, keeping the focus on Him. It's really very simple, the focus must be on Him. The purest form of religion is to keep your focus upon Him.
Jesus doesn’t climb our ladders or cheer on our deconstructions. He pursues us before we can lift a hammer or swing an axe. It’s not about picking a side in the family squabble, traditional or reformed, mystical or stripped-down. It’s about Him. The purest faith isn’t in the building or the tearing down; it’s in the looking up. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the One who’s been seeking us all along.
When you explore "prevenient grace", you'll discover an anticipating grace, God’s love and mercy reaching out to us before we even thought to reach back. Like the father ran ahead to meet the prodigal son. It’s not a reaction to our efforts; it’s the initiative of our God who seeks us first. Think of it like this; before the lost sheep in Luke 15 knew it was lost, the shepherd was already searching for him.
It’s everywhere in scripture. Genesis 1: God creates before we can ask. Exodus 3: He calls Moses before Moses knows what’s coming. John 1:9: the Word is the light "that enlightens everyone," shining before we seek it. Romans 5:8: "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." It’s not that we climb to God; it’s that He’s already descended to us.
The work of the Holy Spirit, that prevenient grace, is what awakens our conscience, and stirs up our longing for knowing God. Not our outward signs of salvation, those experiences and exhibitions don't prove our faith. Think Simon the magician.
Simon the Magician, from Acts 8, is the perfect cautionary tale. He saw the apostles laying on hands, the Spirit is pouring out, and he wanted in, not for God, but for the spectacle. He offered cash for the power, thinking faith was a transaction, a ladder he could buy. He was willing to pay ANYTHING for that power. Was that a strong conviction of faith and conversion?
Was he a Christian?
Did he have a Holy Spirit experience?
His outward exhibition, his eagerness, his money, looked like zeal, but his heart was untouched. Prevenient grace had stirred up something in him, enough to draw him nearer, but he chased after the sign, not the Source. Peter saw right through it,
"Your heart is not right before God" (Acts 8:21).
Many people live by a moral code, a traditional adherence to God's law, a belief in His Word, but does this prove them converted to Christ?
Prevenient grace doesn't need our performance; it was the Spirit urging tax collectors and sinners into God’s arms while the Pharisees clutched their props. Today, we’re not far off, we're chasing experiences (a "feeling" in worship) or showcasing salvation (perfect church attendance and keeping up the sacredness acts) as if they’re the proof. But the Spirit’s work isn’t in these spotlights; it’s in our soul, stirring us up before we can stage a show.
Prevenient grace is the Holy Spirit’s hidden hand. It’s not the outward signs we wave, like Simon the Magician and his magic wand, who craved the flash but missed the fire. Our experiences, our displays, they don’t start faith; they follow it. The Spirit does the starting. Head knowledge doesn't generate faith, it can promote confidence and deflect confusion, but it cannot draw you any further than what your understanding will allow. Think about Judas. He had years of personal experience, head knowledge, a tradition of walking with Christ. He experienced the real forms of Christ-like relationship. So, what happened? Why didn't he get saved? Why wasn't the magician saved? Why didn't Ananias and Sapphira get it right? Despite all their head knowledge and outward signs. These people who saw the fire and still didn’t burn for it. Or I guess they did burn, but not in a good way.
Judas walked with Jesus, ate with Him, heard the sermons, saw the miracles, years of head knowledge, and personal experience, a front-row seat to Christ’s love. Yet he betrayed Him (John 13:27). Ananias and Sapphira, early church insiders, knew the Spirit’s power, watched it heal, unite, and transform, but in their hearts they lied to it for clout, dropping dead in their deceit (Acts 5:1-11).
Head knowledge can build confidence, deflect confusion, even mimic faith, but it’s a dead-end street if the heart doesn’t open. It can’t draw you past your own limits. It should point to Christ and express itself in worship of Him and Him alone. The Spirit quickens us and prioritizes worship of Jesus Christ, not as a routine, but as an expression of heartfelt love and gratitude. This is our best work. Our only holy work. Our passion in worship for Christ is the best evidence of our genuine commitment and dedication.
Head knowledge can puff us up, give us confidence, help us dodge confusion, even fake faith for a while. It’s a map, a tool, a scaffold. But it’s a dead-end street if the heart stays locked. The Spirit wakes us up to worship, not rote checklists or a Sunday habit, but a raw, heartfelt outpouring of love and gratitude. That’s where prevenient grace leads, to Jesus as the center. Simon had the show but no surrender to Christ. Ananias and Sapphira had the community but no love for Christ, they loved their money. Judas had the road map but no song in his heart, he was a faith thief. The Pharisees head knowledge was encyclopedic, their routines flawless, but their hearts were made of stone. They forced their way with intellect, not in worship.
Worship, born of the Spirit’s nudge, is what sets faith apart from mimicry.
Will you let the Spirit stir your worship up today?
Are you chasing after signs, or resting in the grace that’s already stirring you up?