This week, at the end of a chapel service, we took turns sharing our favorite Bible verses. When it was my turn, I mentioned that although I have a lot of favorite verses, this week the one at the top of my list is Hebrews 4:16:

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This verse speaks of how we are able to approach God with confidence because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Christ, we have forgiveness of our sin. Through Christ, we are reconciled and restored to a right relationship with God. As a result, we are able to enter into the very presence of our holy and righteous Creator and obtain mercy and grace in our time of need. My sharing of this verse led to a discussion about the difference between mercy and grace. Although mercy and grace are very closely related, they are not exactly the same. Mercy has been described as “when we don’t get what we do deserve” and grace has been described as “when we do get what we don’t deserve.”

Both mercy and grace are found in Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God offers mercy, an escape from the penalty we rightly deserve for our sins. Through Christ, God also offers grace. God offers us the gift of eternal life in the hereafter and an abundant life in the here and now. Through a saving relationship with Christ, we can boldly and confidently approach our Heavenly Father and obtain mercy and grace in our time of need. We approach boldly, not because of who we are, but because of who Christ is for us. He is our Redeemer. He is our Savior. This week I pray that you will know and experience the riches of God’s grace and mercy.