Grace

Grace is God’s undeserved favour toward those who have no claim on it. It is not a reward for merit or a payment for service; it is a gift given to those who deserve judgment instead.

The Old Testament introduces grace early: “Noah found favour in the eyes of Yahweh” (Genesis 6:8), even while the rest of the earth stood under judgment. When Yahweh reveals his name to Moses on Sinai, he defines himself by grace: “Yahweh, Yahweh God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Grace is not a New Testament innovation; it is who Yahweh has always been.

Paul makes grace the foundation of salvation itself: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace does not just forgive; it saves entirely apart from human contribution, so that salvation remains a gift from beginning to end.

What is the difference between grace and mercy?

Grace and mercy are close companions but they answer different questions. Mercy withholds the punishment sinners have earned. Grace goes further and gives the blessing sinners have not earned. Mercy is what a sinner avoids; grace is what a sinner receives instead, and Scripture holds the two together as complementary expressions of the same undeserved kindness rather than treating either as sufficient on its own.

Does grace mean I can keep sinning?

Grace does not produce carelessness about sin. Paul asks directly, “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” (Romans 6:1-2). Grace that saves is also grace that transforms: those who receive it are freed from sin’s mastery, not licensed to remain under it. The articles below trace this theme through several key passages.