Common/General Grace

This entry is a bit more philosophical than previous entries. On tough issuse I have learned to be open minded and ready for revision. If I am in left field feel free to comment. This is how I see things as of yet at this stage of my understanding. Common grace is grace that is given by God to all of mankind. In the garden, God, under a covenant of works, warned Adam that he would die if he disobeyed by eating the forbidden fruit. Adam did eat, but he lived on and did not die. Not really. He died spiritually and ultimately physically, as do all of us that are born of Adam. Why did Adam live on and in what state? Adam and his descendants (us) were under a general grace given by God that allowed for life under a new covenant of grace (as opposed to the precious covenant of works) with the prospect of reconciliation with God through special, effectual, saving grace.
General grace does not mean that all are able to respond to God equally as regards the obtaining of spiritual life. God has his elect and calls them with a special grace to salvation while others are left in a state of perdition. Common grace does not make possible a way to contribute merit in any way towards salvation.
Common grace does however, allow fallen man, who was created in God's image, to contribute and participate in this world epistemically, ethically, aesthetically, scientifically, etc.
Furthermore, God's law, written in their hearts; testifies to his goodness; makes a contrast with their corruptness; and condemns them consequently. No one is good in themselves, but God. Common grace correlates with God's justice. If the lost did not partake of God's goodness then they would not be culpable for their falleness, broadly speaking. It is the natural order of things. Evil is always contrasted by good. It is common grace that is the playing field of the new covenant. Otherwise logically man would have indeed died--emphatically! (receiving their just reward--everlasting punishment) Remember that total depravity does not mean absolute corruptness. We are dead yet alive--dead spiritually, alive practically--to be such is to partake of common grace. There was no life in Lazarus, but he nevertheless still bore characteristics of humanity in the sense of imago dei.