GRACE removes guilt, but MERCY takes away both misery and shame simultaneously. By the order of the manifestation of God’s purpose of salvation, grace must come before mercy because only those He has forgiven are entitled to be blessed by Him.
“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord“. 1Timothy 1:2;
“To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord“. 2 Timothy 1:2
“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior“. Titus 1:4
Evidence of God’s favor
God’s favor is seen especially when He delivers one from his enemies or surrounding evils. Graciousness is one of the attributes of God that springs from His free and unmerited love towards His creatures. God’s grace appeared to all men through Christ and whoever receives Him is entitled to partake in His righteousness.
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Slaves to Righteousness What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” Romans 6:14, 15
The grace of God empowers the recipients to live above sin and not to live in sin. Anyone who carries the grace of God must have dominion over sin because grace delivers one from the power of the law; if not, you are abusing the grace of God. The ministry of God’s grace mainly confers upon us the power to live above sin, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. It enables us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world while looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Can your righteous works grant you access to the grace of God?
God’s grace manifests God’s kindness, His love through Christ our Savior, towards man. This doesn’t come from anyone’s works of righteousness, which he has done. It comes according to His mercy upon humankind, who responds to the call of salvation.
What happens when a person responds to the call of salvation?
When you respond, you become washed and renewed by the Holy Ghost. At that point, you become justified by His grace and made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Romans 5:14-21; 6:14, 15; Titus 2:11-13; 3:4-7).
Is God’s grace responsible for the salvation of sinners?
Therefore, the redemption of sinners from sin is wholly by God’s grace.
“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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them“. Ephesians 2:8, 9
No one can ever merit the grace of God by his righteousness.
What should one do to be accepted by God?
Before anyone can be accepted by God, he must humble himself and come to God, trusting in His unfailing mercy and love, who paid the price for the redemption of humankind. He must come counting on the finished work of Christ the Savior, standing upon His word and accepting the gift of His love and forgiveness.
“In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience“. Ephesians 2:2, 13
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord“. Romans 6:23
The source of grace expounded.
God the Father is the source of grace, while Christ is the price paid for grace through His shed blood and death on the cross of Calvary.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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“. Ephesians 2:4-9
Because of God’s great love for humankind, He quickened us together with Christ by His grace. He raised us to sit together with Christ in heavenly places. So, we are justified, not by our works but by His grace through redemption in Christ Jesus. This further shows that grace came from God, through Christ, for the remission of sins (Ephesians 2:4-9; John 3:16; Romans 5:7, 8; Ephesians 2:13-19; Romans 3:24, 25; 1 Peter 1:18, 19).
Therefore, your works of righteousness, the commandments you keep, or your church attendance do not earn you salvation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins. Even before the manifestation of God’s grace, man had fallen such that he could not help himself.