So, what is God’s grace and why is understanding His grace and character (a.k.a. Who He is) important?
For the same reason, getting to know someone before marriage is important:
- To build trust and deepen the relationship
- And strengthen the decision to commit to that person
The more you truly know about God, the more informed a decision you can make—not just about whether He exists, but whether you want a relationship with Him.
Maybe you’ve had questions or even objections about God, like:
- “If God were loving, why would He allow evil?”
- “God seems too judgmental.”
- “If God frees us from sin, does sin even matter?”
Or maybe you’ve held common misconceptions such as:
- “God is love” = He never judges
- “God is everywhere” = anything can be God
- “Jesus was just a moral teacher.”
These are understandable if you don’t really know Who God is.
They’re book-cover judgments—ideas formed from a vague impression of God rather than actual understanding.
And I totally get it. Growing up, I wrestled with things about God that made no sense to me.
I wondered why a “powerful” God didn’t just fix the world.
But misunderstandings like that come from not knowing God and lacking in trust in Him.
Here’s the good news:
God is not a God of confusion. He wants you to understand Him, and He freely gives wisdom to those who genuinely seek Him.
But that’s the key. 🔑
“Genuinely seeking” means truly wanting to know Him, not just wanting answers.
There are a lot of people who think they believe in God, but don’t actually know Who they believe in.
It’s the difference between knowing your favorite celebrity exists and actually knowing them personally.
But when you take the time to get to know God, something shifts.
You understand Him more deeply, and your need to have ALL the answers becomes less urgent—because His grace and character become enough.
What Is God’s Grace?
Grace is different from mercy. The two are often confused, which is why it’s important to make the distinction:
- Mercy is sparing someone from what they do deserve.
- Grace is giving someone what they don’t deserve.
Both are beautiful but grace uniquely reveals God’s heart toward us.
God’s grace is shown most clearly in the loving sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins. Through Him, God extended love, forgiveness, and kindness we did not—and could not—earn.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”– Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
But His grace isn’t only seen in salvation.
It’s also in the everyday blessings we often take for granted: waking up each morning, having good health, experiencing family and community, and living in a world filled with beauty and order.
We often assume we deserve the good things in our lives, but Scripture teaches that every good gift is from God (James 1:17).
Grace reminds us that the blessings we receive aren’t earned—they’re given.
And like with any gift received, the right response is gratitude.
Grace Flows From God’s Character
In other words, His character is the foundation from which His grace is given.
These are just a few of the foundations of God’s character: (this list is only a drop in the bucket)
God is…Loving
God isn’t just loving—He is Love.
“God is love.”– 1 John 4:8 (NIV)
You may have heard that phrase before, but it’s often misunderstood among those who don’t truly know God.
Its assumed that if ‘God is Love’ then love itself can be God.
But this is false. Love exists only because God exists.
“We love because He first loved us”– 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
Love is at the core of Who God is, so everything He does—including His grace—flows from that love.
And because God is loving, He must also be…
Just
Sin still matters because grace doesn’t ignore justice—it fulfills it through Christ.
If God were “fair,” He would let us suffer the full consequences of our sins.
He would let us die and be forever separated from Him.
But God isn’t merely “fair”. He is Just.
Where fairness overlooks grace, Justice allows grace without excusing sin.
Justice is as loving as it is necessary.
And God’s Justice would be incomplete if He weren’t also…
Merciful
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”– Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV).
God’s Word says His mercies are, ‘renewed daily and never come to an end’.
Because He showers us with what we don’t deserve (His Grace) and He also withholds what we do deserve (judgment).
Mercy and grace go hand in hand with God. He extends one, and so also extends the other, but that is rarely the case with us.
We often choose between the two, and even more often, we choose to extend neither.
To the thief on the cross next to Jesus, we’d say, “No forgiveness; lock him away.”
But Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
To the woman caught in adultery, we’d say, “stone her.”
And He says, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone… go and sin no more” (John 8:1-11)
None of His attributes would stand if He weren’t also…
Faithful
God doesn’t change—He doesn’t need to because He is perfect.
What He promises, He keeps.
He is the only One we can ever truly rely on because He is the only One who cannot fail us.
Scripture repeatedly affirms that God’s love and faithfulness endure forever.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever…”– Psalm 136 (ESV)
“Your faithfulness endures to all generations…”– Psalm 119:90 (ESV)
This is Who God is.
Anything that contradicts this misunderstands Who He is.
We don’t just know God by His words but by His actions, and He has never been anything less than Loving, Just, Merciful, Faithful, and Gracious to us.
That is, as long as we look at the truth (and evidence) and not just how we feel. 😉
Reflection-
Take time to slow down and reflect on God’s character.
Allow Him to reveal Himself to you through His Word.
My recommendation:
Open the Bible and start in the Gospel of John
Jesus is God’s character personified and the Book of John paints one of the clearest portraits of Jesus’ identity, His love, and His mission.
This will give you a clear start to knowing God personally.
If you desire to take the next step, you may choose to yield your life to Him and put your faith in God today by saying this prayer:
“Lord, I humbly come before you seeking to know you and love you intimately. I declare Your Son, Jesus Christ, as my Lord and my Savior today and forever, amen.”
If you genuinely said this prayer and desire for Christ to come into your life as your Sovereign Lord and Gracious Savior, then I’m happy to say: Welcome to the family of God!
Prayer For Understanding
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are Holy, Righteous, and Divine! Thank You for Your perfect Love, Grace, and Mercy, which You give us freely and undeservedly.
Thank You for the ability to receive intimate knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of who You are. And I thank You for the loving relationship we are able to have with You.
I pray that all those who seek to know You come to find You and are forever changed by Your glory and majesty. I ask that You reveal the truth of Yourself to those who genuinely desire it.
And for those whose hearts are hardened towards You, I ask that You forgive them and You soften their hearts instead in Your timing and by Your grace.
In Jesus’ humble and holy name I pray,
Amen.
Beautiful blog Alyssa that will bless so many people including me. I’m so glad to see God working in your life and using you as a vessel to make a difference in others lives.