Mercy and grace are the utmost attributes of love. In the Bible, grace and mercy are closely related, yet they carry distinct meanings that reflect God’s love and compassion toward us. Both are unearned gifts from God, central to His character and our relationship with Him. They work together in His plan for our salvation, but they have different roles.
Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve—His unmerited favor, kindness, and blessings. It is through grace that we receive forgiveness, salvation, and spiritual blessings. For example, Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” Grace is about God’s generosity, offering us gifts that we could never earn on our own.
Mercy, on the other hand, is God withholding what we do deserve—His judgment and punishment for our sins. Mercy demonstrates God’s compassion and patience, sparing us from the consequences of our wrongdoing. As Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”
In essence, grace brings us God’s blessings, and mercy holds back the judgment we rightly deserve. Together, they beautifully reflect the depth of God’s love: mercy removes the penalty of sin, while grace offers the gift of salvation and eternal life. Both remind us that God’s desire is to reconcile us to Himself, showing us His boundless love and compassion.
While God’s work of creation demonstrated His mighty power, God’s work of redemption revealed His marvelous love through His mercy and grace. This very love of God is indispensable for life's existence and humanity's salvation. Let's take a deeper look at the meaning of each word and how it relates to us personally.
“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:8-9)
Greek Definitions and Differences Between Grace and Mercy
The Greek word for mercy is most often eleos (pity, compassion), and for grace is charis (favor). Mercy and grace, as paraphrased from Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, can be differentiated as follows: mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us the punishment we deserve, namely hell, while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven.
Mercy and grace are two sides of a coin – and the coin is love. In the author’s own words, mercy is a compassionate love to the weak, and grace is a generous love to the unworthy. Humans are weak and unworthy – we all need God’s mercy and grace. Mercy takes us to the path of forgiveness, while grace leads us to reconciliation.
Examples of God’s Grace and Mercy in the Bible
Mercy and grace are often mistakenly thought to be a New Testament concept. But in fact, they are manifested throughout the entire Scripture.
The Bible is filled with the story of God using imperfect people to accomplish His purpose. There are many examples of God’s mercy and grace in the Old Testament. David is perhaps the most prominent example: he was called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his great sins. David lusted, killed, and fornicated. Abraham feared and lied, Sara was impatient, Jacob was a cheater, Moses was stubborn and doubtful, Rahab was a prostitute, and the Israelites rebelled many times against God – yet God still used all of them to accomplish His purposes.
God was faithful, and His promises never failed (Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 4:31, 7:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Numbers 6:24-26).
More examples of God’s grace and mercy in the New Testament:
- Saul was a persecutor, yet God converted him to become Paul, the apostle of Christ, the author of nearly half of the New Testament.
- Peter was temperament and denied Jesus, yet God used him to preach, and about 3,000 were saved.
- Thomas was a doubter, yet God used him to preach the Gospel in India and possibly Indonesia (according to traditions),
- Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed, yet God graciously gave her a wonderful chance to be the first witness of the risen Christ.
- Martha was restless, yet God also allowed her to be among the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ (and of Lazarus, her brother).
- Barabbas was a criminal, yet God allowed him to be set free in exchange for Jesus.
- The penitent thief was forgiven on the cross and promised to be in Paradise with Jesus.
Clearly, the Bible is the record of a God who repeatedly forgives sinful humans – and even more, a perfect God who works in and through them, the broken vessels, for their own good and ultimately for His glory. The mercy and grace of God alone can save and sustain mankind (Titus 2:11, 3:7, Ephesians 2:4-9, Psalm 103:1-5, 8).
If God has shown His love to those people in the past, He must be able to do so in our lives today. So now, how do we respond to God’s love?
How We Should Respond
1. Acknowledge our need for grace and mercy.
To embrace the mercy and grace of God, we need humility (James 4:6, Micah 6:8). We must first confess that all humans are sinners, nobody is able to meet God’s standard of perfection (Romans 3:23, 5:20), and the world we live in is broken, so we do not become obsessed with ourselves and things in this world. In doing so, we shift our focus from human-centeredness to God and acknowledge His sovereignty over all things.
Mercy and grace liberate us from perfectionism and a prideful and rebellious heart. Only by the Lord’s mercy and grace can we live today.
2. Accept God’s grace and mercy.
There is a deep desire in humanity for freedom. Naturally, people are happy when receiving something good for free (for example, who does not like free food?) and otherwise are reluctant to pay or sacrifice. The good news is that God has offered His mercy and grace for free. The Son of God has done for our behalf all that we need for our salvation (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 1:7). We are saved not because we are good, but all because God is good. He has paid all the necessary payments for our salvation for us.
Moreover, God knows that not only do we love something free, but we also love something new. Thanks be to God, through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are given a new, holy life (1 Peter 1:3, 2 Timothy 1:8-9) and a great privilege to live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). As we walk in His ways, we will continue to experience His grace and glory (Psalm 84:11) and find our help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
3. Know our identity in Christ and share His love with others.
We were once children of wrath because of our sins, but in Christ, we have now become the children of God (John 1:12). And as His children, we should be grateful that our Father is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). But we must not take His love for granted. We must grow in our relationship with Him to know and love Him more.
His desire is for us to have mercy on others (Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13, 5:7, Luke 6:36). As the Lord has planted the seed of love in our hearts with His sufficient grace, we are to bear more fruit in our work (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9).
Paul realized the importance of working hard for the Lord as the appropriate response to His grace, not as an effort to earn His favor (1 Corinthians 15:10). Let us, therefore, as God’s chosen and beloved people, continue to do the good work He has given us (Colossians 3:12), be gracious and merciful in our judgment of others (James 2:13), and do all these things in truth and love (2 John 1:3).
Related Bible Verses about Grace and Mercy
2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 6:14 - For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
James 4:6 - But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Hebrews 4:16 - 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.
Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Luke 6:36 - Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
James 2:13 - For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Matthew 5:7 - “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Hebrews 4:16 - 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.
Matthew 9:13 - Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
1 Peter 1:3 - 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,
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