What is the difference between grace and mercy?
Mercy and grace are God's twin compassion, and they are closely related. Mercy withholds what we deserve, the punishment our sin has earned; grace gives what we do not deserve, forgiveness, salvation, and every blessing. Both are rooted in God's love and meet at the cross, where the punishment for sin was carried by Christ and righteousness is freely given. Neither is something we earn, and both change how we live.
This question arose from studying What is grace? and What is the gospel?.
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Mercy withholds what we deserve
Mercy is God's compassion that does not give us what our sin deserves. The psalmist celebrates it: God 'has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities,' though He is merciful and gracious. Lamentations sings that His loving kindness does not cease and His compassions never fail, but are new every morning. Mercy is the hand of God not falling on us as it might, judgment withheld because of love.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Grace gives what we do not deserve
If mercy holds back the punishment we earned, grace goes further: it gives us the blessing we could never earn. Paul writes, 'by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,' not of works. The same chapter contrasts the wages of sin, death, with 'the free gift of God… eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Grace is undeserved favor, lavished on sinners who merit nothing.
for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
not of works, that no one would boast.Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
They meet together in salvation
Mercy and grace work as one in our salvation. Paul writes of God, 'being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us... made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).' Titus joins them: he saved us, not by works of righteousness that we ourselves had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit Mercy spares us; grace raises us to new life in Christ. Both are free, both are loving, and both are His.
But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Both are given on God's own terms
Neither mercy nor grace can be claimed as a right; they are given by God's free determination. Paul cites God's word to Moses: 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' David, after his great sin, cast himself entirely on God: 'Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness... blot out my transgressions.' We ask for mercy because we cannot demand it, and we receive grace because we cannot earn it.
For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
And both are meant to shape our lives
Those who have received mercy and grace are called to extend them. Jesus says, 'Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.' Paul urges us to 'be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.' The mercy we did not deserve makes us slow to exact our pound of flesh from others, and the grace that has saved us makes us gracious. The forgiven become forgivers, and the remembered grace makes us kind.
“Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
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Can God's grace really cover my worst sins?→Our Walk with Him trail“The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
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