Throughout the Bible, the concepts of grace and mercy are mentioned all the time. Both terms are blessings from God, so it is important to understand what they are, why they are important, and how they relate to our personal lives.
What is Grace?
As a short and sweet explanation, grace is the undeserving favor of God. Since all people are born with sinful natures, we do not deserve God’s outpouring of love and peace. Because God loves us so much, he has chosen us to be a part of his Kingdom and all we have to do is accept that invitation. Even though we make plenty of mistakes and constantly sin, God gives us grace so that we can be reconciled to God, no matter how imperfect we are.
Jesus Christ is the reason we can receive God’s grace. Since Jesus died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, we have been covered by his blood and made clean in the eyes of God. Through Jesus’s sacrifice, grace paves the way for all believers to be saved. We can’t gain salvation by our own means; we receive salvation because of God’s gift of grace.
What is Mercy?
Us believers understand that we are sinners. According to our sin, we deserve God’s wrath and punishment. Mercy is the idea that God doesn’t let us take on punishment because of our mistakes. He gives us mercy, or never-ending forgiveness, no matter what we do as long as we believe that we are sinful and that we need Jesus as our Lord and savior. We, by no means, deserve forgiveness for the sins we have committed, but God freely gives us his mercy so that we don’t have to suffer.
Why is this Important?
Grace and mercy can be difficult to differentiate, but they are both extremely important to understand. Grace refers to the blessings and prosperity given to us by God that we do not deserve because of our sin, whereas mercy refers to God delivering us from the judgment and punishment that we do deserve. Both ideas express how strongly Christ loves us and how he advocates for us regardless of our imperfections. Understanding grace and mercy can strengthen our gratitude towards Jesus and it gives us security and peace as we continue our journeys of faith. Without grace and mercy, we wouldn’t receive salvation, abundant life, and the promise of Eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Biblical References:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24)
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” (Titus 2:11)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
“For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:15)