Bible Questions Answered: God's Grace And God's Mercy

Bible Questions Answered:
I get God's grace and his mercy, mixed up, how are they anything different?
Randolph, Freeport, Illinois

Bible Answers:

Grace: Hebrew-Chen (Khane): Kindness, favor. (All Greek/ Hebrew definitions: Abingdon/Strong)

Genesis 6:8 KJV
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Grace, given freely.

Psalm 84:11 KJV
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Grace: Greek-Charis (Khar-ece): Acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace, liberality.

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace, is the loving kindness, the Gift of God, to men.

Romans 11:6 NLT
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—His undeserved kindness in choosing them.
6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works.
For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Just as light is the antithesis of darkness/ so to grace is the antithesis of works.
If it is by works, then it is not by grace.
If it is by grace, then it is not by works.

Salvation is by grace, as it is the very “gift of God.”

Acts 15:11 KJV
"But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved..."

Romans 3:24 KJV
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 5:15 NLT
But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:11 KJV
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Titus 3:7 KJV
That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.


Mercy: Hebrew-Checed (Kheh-sed): Pity, kindness.

Psalm 86:15 KJV
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 78:38 KJV
But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.

Psalm 78:38 NLT
Yet He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all.

God's mercy, is without limit.

Psalm 103:11,17 KJV
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children;

Mercy: Greek-Eleos (El-eh-os): Compassion.

Luke 1:50 KJV
And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.

John 3:16 KJV
For God so loved the world (God's Mercy), that He gave (God's Grace) His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 9:16 KJV
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Titus 3:5 KJV
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;