Definitions

To start, we must understand the definitions of both words. According to Google, Mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”. On the other hand, Grace is “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.”

What is grace?

Grace is a concept found in many religions, but its basic definition is “unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” For example, Christians believe that God freely offers grace to all human beings, even though they do not deserve it. The concept of grace has also been found in Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

What is mercy?

The simplest definition of mercy is probably best given by the dictionary: “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” In other words, mercy is showing kindness to someone who doesn’t deserve it, especially when we have the power to make things go badly for that person.

A more detailed definition of mercy might be something like this: “Mercy is an act of compassion, kindness or forgiveness towards someone who could be treated with justice, which is usually understood as giving them what they deserve, whether it is good or bad.”

In this definition, there are three important ideas:

Compassion, kindness and forgiveness – these are attitudes or emotions that we have towards the other person. They are at the heart of what mercy is.
Someone who could be treated with justice – this suggests that mercy is not always deserved. If someone has done something wrong and they are given mercy instead of justice, then they are receiving something they don’t really deserve. In fact, they might even think they deserve to be punished!
Giving them what they deserve – this suggests that there is a difference between giving people what they deserve (justice) and giving them what they need (mercy). Oftentimes, people need mercy even though they don’t really deserve it.

So, in short, mercy is about compassion, forgiveness and kindness towards someone – even if they don’t really deserve it.

Differences

The two concepts of grace and mercy are often confused and used interchangeably. While there is some overlap, there are also important distinctions. Put simply, grace is receiving something we don’t deserve, while mercy is not receiving something we do deserve. To unpack that a bit, mercy is often connected with forgiveness.

Grace is unmerited favor

Grace is a concept found in many religions, but it is perhaps best known within the Christian tradition. Grace is usually defined as unmerited favor or love from God. In other words, it is a gift that we do not deserve and cannot earn.

The idea of grace is central to Christianity because it represents God’s unconditional love for us. It is also important because it reminds us that we are all sinners and that our salvation comes from God’s grace alone.

While the concept of grace is found in other religions, Christianity teaches that grace is unique because it comes from God himself. Grace is also unique because it offers us salvation from our sinfulness. For Christians, grace is both a free gift and an undeserved one.

Mercy is not getting what you deserve

The world tells us that we should get what we deserve. We are taught that if we work hard, we will be rewarded. If we are good people, things will go well for us. If we make mistakes, we will be punished. This is the way of the world, and it seems only fair.

But the truth is that mercy is not getting what you deserve. Mercy is getting something good that you do not deserve. When you receive mercy, it is a gift from God.

In the Bible, there are many examples of God’s mercy. In the book of Jonah, God shows mercy to the city of Nineveh even though they did not deserve it. In the book of Luke, Jesus shows mercy to a woman who was caught in adultery even though she deserved to be stoned to death. In the book of Romans, Paul talks about how God showed mercy to him even though he was a sinner.

If you have ever received mercy from God, then you know how good it feels. You also know how hard it is to show mercy to others when they do not deserve it. But that is what God calls us to do. He calls us to show mercy to others just as he has shown mercy to us.

Grace is getting what you don’t deserve

We often talk about grace as getting what we don’t deserve. And that is true. But it’s not the whole truth. Grace is also getting what we do deserve.

Let me explain.DESERVE

We deserve punishment. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The penalty for our sin is death (Romans 6:23). But because of God’s grace, we don’t get what we deserve. Instead, we get forgiveness and eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This is amazing grace! We don’t deserve it, but God gives it to us anyway.

Mercy is being spared from punishment

Mercy can be defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. In a legal sense, mercy is often distinguished from and may be contrasted with grace.

When an act of mercy is done in response to a plea for help, it is an act of compassion. An act of mercy may also show an act of kindness or goodwill, whether the recipient deserves it or not. The concept of mercy may also encompass forgiving someone even if they do not deserve to be forgiven.

Grace, on the other hand, is often seen as unmerited favor. It is often extended to those who have not earned it or who are otherwise undeserving. Whereas mercy may be deserved or undeserved, grace is always undeserved.

Applications

In our world today we often hear the word grace used very loosely. Many people think that grace and mercy are one and the same. However, there is a big difference between the two.

In our relationship with God

In our relationship with God, we often go through different seasons in our spiritual life. Just as there are different seasons of the year, there are also different seasons in our relationship with God. There are times when we feel close to God and times when we feel far from Him. There are times when we are walking in the light and times when we are walking in darkness.

There are also different applications for different seasons. In the winter, we need to be careful not to let our guard down because of the cold weather. In the summer, we need to be careful not to get too comfortable because of the warm weather. In every season, there are things that we need to be careful of so that we can maintain a healthy relationship with God.

In our relationships with others

In our relationships with others, we might notice that we have expectations or assumptions about how things “should” be. We might feel disappointed or even resentful when things don’t go the way we had hoped. If we can learn to turn our attention to what is actually happening in the present moment, rather than dwelling on past events or worrying about the future, we may find that our relationships are more fulfilling and enriching.