"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
God's grace and mercy can be viewed as two sides of the same coin. Grace on one side gives us what we do not deserve; mercy on the other does not give us what we do deserve.
Grace, often defined as unmerited favor, is offered freely by God "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). It is offered to us only through faith in Christ so that we may clearly understand that it is not obtainable by any adherence to the law. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
The law is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), but unfortunately it magnifies our sin and shows us how far we are from reaching the perfect standard of our holy and righteous Creator. Thankfully God's amazing grace overpowers our magnified sin, as it "superabounds" above our transgressions. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20).
God is also rich in His mercy toward us (Ephesians 2:4), as He extends His loving compassion to us despite our sinful condition. Our salvation is rooted in God's mercy, as He "hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
Grace and mercy are glorious gifts from God that should take us to our knees in worship and adoration. We can bring absolutely nothing to God except a humble and thankful heart as we trust not in our works, but solely in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). Thank God that "His mercy endureth for ever" (Psalm 136:26). MDR
