For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

— John 1:17

6 For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

— Romans 5:6-8

4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!

— Ephesians 2:4-5

5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

6 This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior

–Titus 3:5-6

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Much like God’s justice, His mercy is multifaceted . Mercy gathers up God’s overwhelming love, compassion, and kindness and offers it to undeserving people. God committed His steadfast and unceasing love to His people Israel. He extends the same enduring love to all who put their trust in Jesus. The New Testament defines salvation in Christ as a gift of God’s grace. God’s mercy is the quality of His character that inclines His compassion toward sinners. By nature, God is merciful; He extends mercy effortlessly.

Believers, familiar with the gospel and living in a world dominated by sin, can fail to adequately celebrate the wonder of God’s mercy. God’s justice is deserved, but His mercy stuns the undeserving. Our great and merciful God saved avowed enemies, not promising prospects. Before salvation, we had no desire or capacity to respond to God. In mercy, God gave us His Son to save us, bringing us from death to life. The depth and breadth of God’s mercy is unfathomable! God’s justice demands what we deserve, while God’s grace gives us what we do not deserve. In mercy, God withholds the judgment we do deserve. Hallelujah! The amazing truth will echo eternally in heaven’s praise.