Grace and mercy are the greatest attributes of love. The essence of the Bible is loving people and God through the lens of Christ. Two grand works of God have exhibited His all-powerful, merciful and gracious nature: redemption and creation. While God’s work of creation has shown His mighty power, His work of redemption revealed His marvelous love through His grace and mercy. This very love of God is essential for humanity’s salvation and life’s existence.
The difference between mercy and grace.
The Greek word for mercy is typically eleos, and grace is charis. As paraphrased from Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible, grace and mercy can be distinguished as follows: mercy is the act of denying punishment, while grace is the act of granting unmerited favor. In God’s mercy, He doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve, hell, while in His grace, He gives us the gift we don’t deserve, heaven. Grace and mercy are two sides of the same coin, and the coin is love. In God’s words, mercy is compassionate love to the weak, while grace is a generous love to the unworthy. Humans are unworthy and weak, so we all need God’s grace and mercy. Mercy takes us on the path of forgiveness, while grace leads us to reconciliation.
Biblical examples of grace and mercy.
Grace and mercy are typically mistaken as a New Testament concept. However, they are manifested throughout the entire Bible. The Bible is filled with stories of God using imperfect people to accomplish His purpose. There are several examples of His grace in the Old Testament. David is likely the most significant example, as he was called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his sins. David killed, lusted, and fornicated. Abraham lied and feared, Sara was impatient, Moses was stubborn, Jacob was a cheater, and the Israelites rebelled several times against God, but He still used all of them to achieve His purposes.
Saul was a persecutor, but God changed him to become Paul, an apostle of Christ and the author of almost half of the New Testament. Peter denied Jesus several times, but God used him to preach and save over 3,000 people. Thomas had doubts, but God used him to preach the Gospel in India and maybe Indonesia, according to traditions. Demons possessed Mary Magdalene, but God gave her a chance to be the first witness of the risen Christ. Martha was impatient, but God also allowed her to be among the first witnesses of the risen Christ and of her brother, Lazarus. Barabbas was a criminal, but God let him be set free in exchange for Jesus. The repenting thief was forgiven on the cross and promised to be in paradise with Christ.
Clearly, the Bible is a record of a God who always forgives immoral humans and, even more, a flawless God who works in and through them, the broken vessels, for their good and ultimately for His glory. The grace and mercy of God alone sustain and save humanity. If God has shown His love to those people in the past, He must be able to do so in our lives today. So, how do we respond to God’s love?
Acknowledge our need for mercy and grace.
Humility is required to embrace the grace and mercy of God, as detailed in James 4:6 and Micah 6:8. We should first confess that every human is a sinner and no one is able to meet God’s standard of perfection, and the world we live in is broken, so we don’t become obsessed with ourselves and things in this world. By doing so, we change our focus from human-centeredness to God and recognize His sovereignty over everything. Grace and mercy free us from perfectionism and a rebellious and prideful heart. Only by His grace and mercy can we live today.
Accept His grace and mercy.
There’s a deep desire in humanity for freedom. Naturally, people are happy when they receive something good for free, and otherwise, they are hesitant to sacrifice or pay for it. The good news is that God has offered His grace and mercy for free. Jesus has done for our behalf all that we need for our salvation, as detailed in Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 1:7. We’re saved not because we’re good but because God is good. He’s paid all the necessary payments for our salvation.
Furthermore, God knows that not only do we love something free, but we also love something fresh. Thanks be to God, through the resurrection of Christ, we’re given a new holy life and the great privilege of living from Him. As we walk in His ways, we’ll continue to experience His glory and grace, as detailed in Psalm 84:11 and find our help in times of need.
Share Jesus’ love with others and know our identity in Christ.
We were once children of wrath due to our sins, but in Jesus, we have now become God’s children. As His children, we should be grateful that God is full of truth and grace. However, we shouldn’t take His love for granted, and we must grow in our relationship with God to know and love Him more. God’s desire for us is to have mercy on others. As He planted the seed of love in our hearts with His grace, we’re to bear more fruit in our work, as detailed in 2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul saw the importance of working hard for God as the applicable response to His grace, not as trying to earn His favor. Therefore, let us, as God’s chosen and beloved people, continue to do good work as He’s given us, be merciful and gracious in our judgment of others, and do all these things in love and truth.
