Grace and mercy are major themes throughout Scripture. They are both such a blessing to us, but have very different meanings. Often people confuse the two terms because of their similarities. Let’s simplify them here. We are going to oversimplify the terms here, so note that this is not an in-depth study.
GRACE: RECEIVING A BLESSING WE DON’T DESERVE
Grace is receiving a blessing that we do not deserve or have not earned. It can be thought of as God’s unearned kindness. Anything He gives us that we have not or can not earn is grace.
Some great verses concerning God’s grace:
Acts 15:11 “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Romans 3:23-24, “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.”
II Corinthians 12:9a “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
MERCY: NOT RECEIVING PUNISHMENT FOR WHAT WE DESERVE
Mercy is also a gift of God’s goodness, but instead of being given something good, it is withholding the bad. Mercy is when we have earned punishment, payment for evil, yet instead of God giving us that, He withholds that punishment from us.
Some great verses about God’s mercy:
Deuteronomy 4:32 “The LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not abandon you, destroy you, or forget the promise to your ancestors that he swore he would keep.”
Lamentations 3:22 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.”
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
How has God’s grace and mercy been given to you in your life? Why do we need both of these? How have God’s grace and mercy blessed your life recently?
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.