Grace and mercy are not vague spiritual concepts—they are glorious realities rooted in God’s sovereign will and covenantal love. They reflect the character of a holy and just God who, while rightly condemning sin, chooses to redeem a people for Himself through the finished work of Christ. Though grace and mercy are often spoken of together, each reveals something distinct and beautiful about God’s redemptive plan. Understanding both helps us see the full picture of the Gospel—and the depth of God’s love for us.
Mercy Is God’s Solution to Man’s Misery
Mercy is God’s response to the misery caused by sin—a misery we inherit through Adam and perpetuate in our own rebellion. Mercy is not owed to us; it flows solely from God’s sovereign compassion. The word “mercy” comes from the medieval Latin merced or merces, meaning “price paid.” Mercy does not cancel justice but satisfies it through substitution.
Mercy addresses the symptoms of our fallen state—our suffering, brokenness, and inability to save ourselves. It is God’s gentle hand upholding His people in a world groaning under the curse of sin.
Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us of this sustaining mercy:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Believers receive mercy not because of inherent goodness but because God has chosen to love and sustain His elect. His mercies, applied through the Holy Spirit, strengthen us daily to endure trials, persevere in faith, and rest in His covenant promises
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10
Grace Is God’s Solution to Man’s Sin
If mercy deals with the effects of sin, grace addresses the cause: our sinful nature and guilt before God. Reformed theology teaches total depravity—that man is spiritually dead, enslaved to sin, and incapable of choosing God apart from divine intervention. Grace, therefore, is God’s unmerited favor extended to undeserving sinners, not because of anything foreseen in us, but because of His own good pleasure and glory.
As Ephesians 2:8–9 declares:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Grace is not God turning a blind eye to sin; it is God satisfying His justice through the substitutionary atonement of Christ. At the cross, Jesus bore the full wrath of God on behalf of His people. In this divine exchange, we receive His righteousness—imputed to us by grace through faith.
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” — John 1:16
Grace regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies. It is monergistic—God alone accomplishes salvation from beginning to end. We contribute nothing but the sin that made it necessary.
Grace and Mercy Meet at the Cross
Nowhere do grace and mercy converge more powerfully than at the cross of Christ. There, mercy spares us from the wrath we deserve, and grace grants us the righteousness we could never earn.
- Mercy says: “You are guilty, but I will not condemn you.”
- Grace says: “You are guilty, but I will declare you righteous.”
The cross was not merely a display of love—it was a legal transaction. Justice was upheld, wrath was satisfied, and mercy and grace flowed freely to God’s elect.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us… made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:4–5
Living in Light of Both
As recipients of such mercy and grace, we are called to live in humility, worship, and obedience. We extend mercy to others not to earn favor but because we’ve already received it in full. We show grace because God’s Spirit now dwells in us, conforming us to Christ.
“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” — Luke 6:36
“Let your speech always be gracious…” — Colossians 4:6
The Reformed believer doesn’t boast in self, but in Christ alone. We marvel daily at the mystery that God, being just, is also the Justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Grace Saves. Mercy Spares.
Grace saves. Mercy spares. Both are sovereign gifts flowing from the heart of a holy God who chose to redeem a people for His glory. If you are in Christ, it is because God in His mercy saw your misery, and in His grace rescued you from it.
Let us respond with reverence, gratitude, and a life wholly surrendered to the One who has given us both grace and mercy—through Christ alone, by faith alone, to the glory of God alone.
Dawn Zauner 