March2022
 

What Is the Difference Between Grace and Mercy?

Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favour. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely Heaven.One of the most prominent stories in the bible is that of King David. Despite being a great ruler, he was a fornicator and an adulterer. But he is not alone. Plenty of other bible characters have done something terrible at some point in their lives. Saul was a disbeliever, Moses was a doubter, and Jacob was a liar.Despite this, God made them his witness and used them to accomplish His purpose. Not only did He forgive them, but He also endowed them with unmerited favour.Like these bible characters, we are all recipients of God’s mercy and grace as well. Despite having sinned over and over again, He has shown us kindness and compassion. He even sent his only Son so all of us can be saved – an act of grace that we do not deserve.In Christian theology, grace is often classified into two types: common and saving grace. The former is universal. It’s God’s grace to all of humanity regardless of their faith in Him. Examples of common grace are the beauty of creation, the life we enjoy, and the resources we are provided.

Responding to Grace and Mercy

Grace and mercy are undoubtedly God’s ultimate expression of love for us. But how should we respond to this undeserved kindness? The bible teaches us of three ways: recognise, accept, and grow.

Recognise

To be able to respond to His grace and mercy fully, we must first recognise our need for such. We must humbly accept that we are all sinners and imperfect, and everything we have is thanks to Him. Let us shed our pride and shift our focus away from ourselves. Only by doing so can we acknowledge His presence in our lives and all the blessings we’ve received from Him.

Accept

He has given His grace and mercy for free, never asking anything in return. Thus, it’s only right to accept these acts of love with all our hearts. Wholehearted acceptance is the best way of showing our gratefulness for everything we’ve received.

Grow

When we accept His grace, we begin to grow in His love. In time, these seeds of love that He has planted in our hearts will take root and bear fruits. Through acts of kindness and compassion, we can then spread to the world the grace and mercy that He generously bestowed upon us.