I think so often we don't recognize that there is a difference between grace and mercy. Until just a few years ago I had never thought that there was actually a contrast between these two characteristics. They are not synonymous, although they are often used together. And I believe once a person is able to show mercy they will be more inclined to move forward and show grace.
In my junior year of high school I had a Bible teacher who explained it in a way that I haven't been able to forget. He told us that the difference between grace and mercy is that mercy is not inflicting a deserved punishment, but grace goes beyond to further benefit the individual being shown mercy.
This might not be entirely clear, so I'll try to explain what I mean. If a person were to steal my car and I were to show them mercy I would not turn them into the police, and if I were to show them grace I would allow them to keep my car, and depending on the amount of grace I'm showing, I could even give them my house, possessions, finances, etc.
This is a topic I really love to explore. I go to a Christian college where each class has an identity given to them. My class, the class of 2019, is the Merciful class. And when I was coming into college, I didn't really recognize how significant the name of our class was. I hadn't thought about why I was in the merciful class. But I'm beginning to realize why I get to be a part of a class that holds this identity. I want to truly live into being a part of the merciful class, and I'm excited that our identity is centered around this quality displayed by our Father. However, I don't just want to show mercy, I want to show grace, just as my Father shows me both.
And although God is both merciful and gracious I think it's important to know why He is both.
It shows us so much of Jesus' heart and his purpose in saving us. Jesus didn't just show us mercy by telling us our sins could be forgiven, he showed us unconditional grace by giving up his own life for the sake of ours. He didn't just save us from the deserved punishment for our sins, he gave us a home and the chance to be with him forever through the sacrifice of his life. In taking our sins upon him on the cross, he showed us the grace that we will never be able to deserve.
Over the past few years I've sought out mercy and grace, and I've loved seeing both given to me in so many wonderful ways by my Savior. And it's because we are given these gifts that we are in turn we are able to give them to others.
