Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

God wants to give both mercy and grace to us. What exactly is mercy, and what is grace? Sometimes we use these words almost interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.

Mercy in the original language can be defined as compassion in action. Grace refers to a benefit or favor that is bestowed. If we think about these words and the difference between them, we could boil it down to this: Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve (punishment and death), while grace is God giving us what we do not deserve (favor and benefits).

God’s mercy is motivated by his compassion to save us from that which each and every one of us deserves, which is punishment now and throughout eternity. God’s grace gave us Someone to die in our place, bestowing upon us the freedom and blessing that comes from salvation in Jesus. Mercy desires to keep us from judgment, and grace does what we cannot do so mercy can be demonstrated.

Mercy and grace work together to provide salvation and everything that comes with it- deliverance from sin, death, and hell, plus healing, deliverance from addictions and strongholds, prosperity, peace, and every good thing we could want or need. Salvation provides total and complete wholeness in every part of our lives, and we have it thanks to the mercy and grace of God.

Today, God wants us to come to Him and expect to receive mercy to prevent us from getting the negative rewards of sin and of wrong decisions and actions, as well as grace to give us God’s divine empowerment to do whatever He has for us to do. The combination of mercy and grace makes us children of God and enables us to successfully live the Christian life.