What does the Bible say about divine mercy?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that divine mercy is God’s free and compassionate favor toward sinners, rescuing those who deserve judgment and renewing them by grace alone. Titus 3:5 declares that God saves us not because of righteous works, but according to his mercy through the washing and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Though sin earns death, Romans 6:23 promises eternal life as God’s gift in Christ. Jesus bore our sins in his body, as 1 Peter 2:24 teaches, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. This mercy never excuses evil, for God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13), but it draws those who seek him wholeheartedly (Jeremiah 29:13) to trust the Good Shepherd, who gives his sheep life.

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • Titus 3:5 9 votes

    not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

  • 1 Peter 2:24 7 votes

    He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

  • James 1:13 6 votes

    Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

  • Ephesians 2:8 5 votes

    for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

  • John 17:5 5 votes

    Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

  • Romans 6:23 4 votes

    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Genesis 2:7 3 votes

    Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

  • Jeremiah 29:13 3 votes

    You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.

  • John 10:1-42 3 votes

    “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them. Jesus therefore said to them again, “Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep’s door. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out and will find pasture. The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.” Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?” It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Therefore the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand. He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and he stayed there. Many came to him. They said, “John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true.” Many believed in him there.

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