- Mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve.
- Grace is getting blessings we don’t deserve.
The Gospel beautifully combines God’s mercy and grace to us in Christ. First, He mercifully withholds from us the punishment we deserve, pouring His wrath full strength onto Jesus. Then God graciously and generously gives us “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
If the Good News stopped at mercy it would still be wonderful news – that in Christ we can be forgiven, released from the debt of sin. If you picture your sin debt as a negative deficit stretching down from zero to whatever miserable pile you have accumulated you can see God’s infinite mercy to not give us the wages we have earned for our sin (Rom. 6:23).
For our failures and mistakes, our rebellion and idolatry every one of us should be condemned to physical, spiritual and eternal death. This is the fate of all who remain outside of Christ. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him“ (John 3:36). If you refuse to cry out for mercy and come to Jesus to be forgiven then you will face God’s wrath alone. Your debt will remain your own and you will be condemned, forever, to pay it.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Eph. 2:4-5
Instead of condemning us for our sin God condemned our sin in the body of His Son (Rom. 8:3) so that in Christ we are assured, “There is now no condemnation” (Rom. 8:1). That is incredible mercy. But the Good News of Jesus does not stop at mercy – it goes immediately on into grace. God not only zeroes out your sin debt in Christ, He gives the believer infinite blessing in Christ.
“And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:6-7
If our sins were given a monetary cost we would all be millions, maybe billions of dollars in debt. In His mercy, God forgives that debt. Then in the same glorious instant God graciously gives the believer credit for the full righteousness of Christ. In Christ we are not only forgiven, we are JUSTIFIED – declared righteous. This is like being given a bank account stocked with limitless trillions of dollars, backed in the pure gold of Jesus’ own righteousness.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24
Apart from Jesus every person stands GUILTY before God – convicted of our failure to live up to His standards of holiness and love. But in Christ not only is our guilt removed (mercy) but we are promised GLORY (grace). Paul prays for this future glory:
“So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 1:12
And God promises us glory in Christ:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us… Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified..” Rom. 8:18,30 (NIV)
Here is the wonderful overflow of mercy into grace as guilt is forgiven and glory is promised!