Yes — grace is God's unmerited favor, while mercy is what God poured out at the cross and now offers to sinners who believe.
Les Feldick teaches that we deserve absolutely nothing, yet God provided a way back to Himself because of His mercy. At the cross, Christ took God's wrath and God also poured out His mercy, so we no longer have to cry for mercy but appropriate it by faith. Because mercy has already been poured out, God can now give grace — unmerited favor.
Ephesians 2:4-5 — Shows mercy and grace working together in salvation: God is rich in mercy, yet by grace He saves us.
Romans 3:23-24 — Declares that all have sinned and are justified freely by God's grace, not by human merit.
Titus 3:5 — States that salvation is according to God's mercy, not by works of righteousness.
Scripture puts grace and mercy side by side when it describes salvation. Paul writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Romans 3:23-24 adds, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Titus 3:5 makes clear that salvation is not by our merit: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
Les Feldick defines grace as “unmerited favor” — the attribute of God by which He pours out on the sons of Adam the opportunity for eternal life if they will believe. He teaches that mercy is what made this possible: even though we deserve absolutely nothing, God provided a way back to Himself because of His mercy. At the cross, when Christ took all the wrath of God, God also poured out His mercy.
Les Feldick says grace is “unmerited favor” (Clip1). He expands that definition: “Grace is that attribute of God whereby he in his love and mercy pours out on sons of Adam the opportunity for eternal life if they'll just believe” (Clip4). He uses Saul of Tarsus as the most perfect picture of grace — a religious zealot who hated the name of Jesus and persecuted believers, yet God saved him instead of destroying him. “Now, what do you call that? Grace” (Clip6).
Les stresses that we deserve absolutely nothing, and the reason God provided a way back to Himself is His mercy (Clip2). At the cross, Christ took the wrath of God for the sins of the world, and God also poured out His mercy (Clip2). Because that mercy has already been poured out, Les says we no longer need to cry “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Instead, we appropriate the already-poured-out mercy by faith (Clip7).
Les teaches that God poured out His mercy on Christ at the cross. Since that mercy has been poured out, God can now give grace — unmerited favor — though we do not deserve any of it (Clip1). The cross is the hinge: God's wrath was poured out on Christ, His mercy was poured out for sinners, and now grace is offered to all who believe (Clips1-2). Les calls the present era the age of grace, yet he is careful to say grace was already evident in the Garden, at the golden calf, and when Israel rejected the Messiah — God's grace is what kept Him from destroying them (Clip3).
Grace vs. Mercy: What's the Real Difference? (Bible Explained)
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Mercy Already Poured Out, Now Grace
Les says we no longer have to cry for mercy because God poured it out on Christ at the cross, and now God gives grace — unmerited favor.
Mercy Is Why God Provided a Way Back
We deserve nothing, yet God provided a way back because of His mercy; at the cross He poured out both wrath and mercy, and we appropriate that mercy by faith.
Grace and Mercy Before Paul
God's grace and mercy were already evident in the Garden, at the golden calf, and when Israel rejected the Messiah; His grace has forestalled destroying humanity.
Grace Defined and Paul as Its Picture
Grace is the attribute of God by which He offers eternal life to sons of Adam if they believe, and Saul of Tarsus is the most perfect picture of that grace.
Grace Takes Preeminence With Paul
From Paul's ministry onward the word 'grace' appears hundreds of times and takes preeminence, though few even today understand God's grace.
Saul of Tarsus Saved by Grace
God did not destroy the renegade Saul of Tarsus; He saved him. That is grace, and Paul became the epitome of grace.
Appropriating Mercy by Faith
Since God has already poured out all His mercy at the cross, we do not ask Him to be merciful again; we believe and appropriate that mercy by faith.
Ephesians 2:4-5: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This verse pairs mercy and grace, showing that God acts in mercy and saves by grace.
Romans 3:23-24: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
This emphasizes that justification is freely by grace, not by human merit.
Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
This shows that salvation is according to God's mercy, not our works.
Grace is God's unmerited favor; mercy is the compassion by which God withholds what we deserve. Les teaches that God poured out His mercy at the cross, so now we appropriate that mercy by faith and receive grace as unmerited favor.
Saul of Tarsus was a religious zealot who hated the name of Jesus and persecuted believers. Humanly, God would have been justified in destroying him, but instead He saved him — that is grace. Paul became the epitome of grace.
Les says that prayer is not appropriate today because God has already poured out His mercy at the cross. We do not ask Him to do it again; we believe and appropriate that mercy by faith.
Watch the Teaching: Grace vs. Mercy: What's the Real Difference? (Bible Explained)