The Grace of God Smakprov

Grace and…

Throughout the Bible, you’ll find phrases like “truth and love” and “peace and hope.” They’re usually included as part of a greeting or benediction. We also find the words knowledge, truth, peace, and mercy paired up with the word grace in dozens of verses. There’s beauty and power when words work as a unit. We’ll take a look at three pairings—grace and truth, grace and peace, and grace and mercy. 

Grace and Truth 
John 1 begins unlike the other three gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The writer tells us that in the beginning was “the Word” and that this “Word” was not only with God, but He was God. And John 1:14 tells us that He became flesh and “made His dwelling among us,” and that He came from the Father, who is full of grace and truth. A few verses later we read that Moses brought the law, but it’s Jesus who ushered in grace and truth. Jesus is full of loving-kindness and favor, and also completely true, not containing anything deceitful. He is equal parts grace and truth. They work as a team—grace saves, and truth frees. It’s grace and truth, not one or the other. If the truth doesn’t transform us, then grace won’t be fully understood. The expression of grace and truth should guide us in how to live, and how we interact with others.

Grace and Peace
The phrase “grace and peace” is found over a dozen times in the New Testament. It’s usually found in the first chapter of a book and is used as a greeting. As we’ve learned, the grace of God gives unearned blessings to followers of Jesus. And through this grace, one of the blessings is the peace of God. This peace—or in Greek, eirene—is a restful state our soul is in because of our salvation through Christ. We can seek peace, but without the grace of God, we won’t find it. Until we are saved by grace and receive this unmerited gift, we can’t experience God’s peace. So, grace is first, followed closely by peace. This is amazing news for us! When we accept Jesus and are saved, the unexplainable, unending, and unquenchable peace of God is ours. 

Grace and Mercy 
Is there a difference between grace and mercy? Many people use these terms synonymously, and while they are closely related, they are different. Think of it this way: grace is when you get a good thing you don’t deserve. Mercy is when you don’t get a bad thing you do deserve. In God’s mercy, followers of Jesus won’t go to hell. And in His grace, we’re given heaven instead. The good news is that God is incredibly generous with distributing both!