Grace
What grace is, and what it is not
What Grace Is
- 2 Nephi 25:23 — Despite all our efforts (“after all we can do”), it is ultimately by grace that we are saved. This underscores the belief that our actions alone are insufficient for salvation; grace is the enabling power that saves us after we have done our utmost.
- Ether 12:27 — We are given weaknesses that we may be humble. Yet grace is not only for salvation but also for personal growth and overcoming weaknesses. God’s grace strengthens us, turning our weaknesses into strengths as we humble ourselves and have faith in Him.
- Ephesians 2:8–9 — For by grace you have been saved through faith — not of your own doing. Thus grace is not earned or justly demanded — it is given but only to those who are penitent followers of Jesus Christ.
- Titus 2:11–12 — For grace brings salvation for all who renounce ungodliness, and live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life.
What Grace Is Not
- Alma 42:13, Jude 1:4 — Grace is not a license to sin — for redemption comes only upon the condition of repentance. The justice of God is not mocked, but will fall upon all who have not availed themselves of the atonement of Jesus Christ by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
- 2 Nephi 2:8 — Grace is not earned by works alone, but through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
- Moroni 7:41 — Grace is not automatic without faith and covenants.
- D&C 19:16–19 — Grace is not incomplete or insufficient. Rather, it is sufficient for all those who humble themselves and repent, or they must suffer having rejected the way of their salvation.
- James 2:14, 17 — Grace is not alone in the salvation of men.
- 2 Peter 3:18 — Grace is not limited to initial salvation, but rather is used throughout the process of salvation, redemption, and conversion.
Grace — Conclusion
The transformative power of God’s grace in our lives
Thus the concept of “Grace” is frequently misunderstood, leading to either an underestimation of its necessity or a misinterpretation of its nature. As shown through sacred texts, grace is the divine assistance granted to us by God, not as a direct consequence of our deeds but as a generous gift to those who follow Christ with a penitent heart and obey his commands.
Scriptures affirm that our efforts alone are inadequate for salvation. Grace is the pivotal force that saves, strengthens, and sanctifies us, turning our weaknesses into strengths and guiding us towards a godly life.
Conversely, as also shown in scripture, grace is decidedly not a license to sin, nor can it be earned through works alone. It is neither automatic nor incomplete, but a comprehensive, ongoing aid throughout our journey of salvation. It requires faith, repentance, and obedience to God’s commandments, highlighting the balance between divine mercy and justice. Understanding grace in its full biblical and Latter-day Saint doctrinal context dispels misconceptions, drawing us closer to the true essence of God’s love and the transformative power of His grace in our lives.
For it is by grace we are saved after all that we can do, for mercy does not rob justice, and justice does not rob mercy.
“32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. 33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.”