Mercy and Grace.
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
What is mercy and grace? In the Bible, the words "mercy" and "grace" are often mentioned within the same context and sometimes even within a single sentence. But do these concepts mean the same thing? If not, how do they differ from each other?
What is mercy?
Mercy is generally defined as patience or benevolence. It is one of the qualities of the character of God, who shows mercy to mankind constantly, as he did with the people of Israel: "When you are in anguish, and all these things overtake you, If in the last days you turn to the Lord your God, and hearken to his voice; For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail thee, nor destroy thee, nor forget the covenant which he swore unto thy fathers "(Deuteronomy 4: 30-31). Many times, mercy is demonstrated through forgiveness. Forgiveness is an act of mercy.
What is grace? Grace and mercy are different concepts. Mercy is undoubtedly an important part of God's grace, but the concept of grace goes much further. The word "grace" comes from the Greek charis, which, among other things, means "gift", "undeserved favor". It describes God's "undeserved favor" toward humanity, by which He forgives our sins (if we repent) and allows us to have a beneficial and edifying relationship with Him. Forgiveness of sins by the grace of God is what opens the Door to salvation (Titus 2:11). "The prophets who prophesied of the grace destined for you, inquired and diligently inquired about this salvation, searching what person and what time the Spirit of Christ who was in them, who announced beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that came after them "(1 Peter 1: 10-11). Grace is often mentioned in the context of guilt. We have all sinned and, therefore, we all deserve death. But our punishment was paid with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ;
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3: 23-24).
Grace is the undeserved forgiveness of our sins, which is possible only through the death of Christ.
Grace allows us to be clean from sin and reconciled to God; "The glory of his grace, with which he hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1: 6-7).
Mercy and Grace Let us now see how the apostle Paul relates these two concepts: "I give thanks to him who strengthened me, Jesus Christ our Lord, because he counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry, having been formerly blasphemous, persecutor and injurious; But I was received unto mercy because I did it out of ignorance, in unbelief. But the grace of our Lord was more abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus "(1 Timothy 1: 12-14). It is evident that the meaning of grace is broader than that of mercy. For having been a relentless persecutor of the Church, Paul had good reason to believe that he would receive a punishment or ill treatment. However, he received only unexpected benevolence and forgiveness; God not only called him to be a Christian, but also a minister of truth. We all need the grace of God; But none of us can win it or give it to another. Grace comes only through the sacrifice of Christ. Mercy, however, is something we will need many times in life and that God expects us to develop.
