God is Gracious

This week, we’re focusing on the graciousness of God. While mercy and grace are related, they aren’t the same. Mercy is God not giving us the punishment we deserve, while grace is God giving us a gift we do not deserve. The truth is, we are all sinners in need of a savior. God’s mercy removes the punishment we’ve earned, and His grace gives us the gift of eternal life through belief in Jesus. We see this in the story of Jonah and the Ninevites. God extended mercy by withholding judgment from the Ninevites and then extended grace by granting them salvation when they repented. God does the same for us today—when we repent and turn to His Son, Jesus, for forgiveness, we receive both mercy and grace.Edited