What is grace?

Ephesians 2:4-9

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

New International Version (NIV)

The answer

Grace is God giving what we do not deserve — his merciful, costly love shown to sinners who could not earn it, most fully in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The heart of grace in Ephesians 2

The clearest statement in one breath is Ephesians 2:8-9: "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast." The salvation, the faith that receives it, and the whole gift — none of it originates in us. Grace is God moving toward the dead and making them alive.

Read the verses just before it and the picture sharpens:

• Mercy that meets the dead. "But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:4-5). Grace is not a reward for the living; it is resurrection for the dead.
• A love that goes first. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). Grace is love that acts before we are lovely.
• Kindness, not cold justice. "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." (Titus 3:4-5). Grace is God being gracious — inclined to favor — where strict justice would only condemn.
• A cost we did not pay. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7). Grace is free to us, but never cheap: it was purchased by the blood of Christ.
• A new birth, not a patch-up. "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3). Grace gives a new life rooted in Christ's risen life, not just a second chance on the old one.
• A character of God himself. "Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15). Grace is who God is — not a mood he slips into, but his name.

Two sides of the word, both biblical

• Grace as God's saving favor toward sinners (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11) — the heart of the gospel.
• Grace as the Spirit-given strength to live (Acts 4:33; 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for thee") — the same God who saved us also sustains us.

A short verse to carry

Ephesians 2:8 — salvation is the gift; pride has no place because the Giver did everything.

Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026

Grace is God giving what we do not deserve: his unmerited, costly favor poured out on spiritually dead sinners through Jesus Christ. Across Scripture, grace is not merely an abstract doctrine but the very character of God rescuing, justifying, and sustaining his people from beginning to end.

The Divine Character

Grace rooted in who God is

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalms 86:15 (NIV)

This verse anchors grace not in human performance but in the eternal, unchanging nature of the Lord himself.

In Psalm 86:15, David anchors his hope not in human merit or emotional resolve, but in the eternal, unchanging nature of the Lord himself: "You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Grace begins here. It is not an afterthought prompted by human distress, nor a reluctant concession; it is who God is from everlasting to everlasting. Long before David, God proclaimed his own name before Moses in Exodus 34:6, declaring Himself to be merciful, gracious, patient, and full of steadfast love. In Numbers 6:24-26, God instructed Aaron to bless Israel by making His gracious face shine upon them, proving that covenant communion stems entirely from His favorable gaze.

Because God's mercy is intrinsic to His being, His posture toward a fallen race remains radically compassionate. In Psalm 103:8, the Psalmist sings of this same enduring character, celebrating that God refuses to deal with us according to our transgressions. Centuries of rebellion could not exhaust this attribute. In Nehemiah 9:17, when recounting Israel's desert obstinacy, the Levites remembered God as ready to pardon, gracious, and slow to wrath. The prophets proclaim this identity to summons sinners home: Joel 2:13 urges a wandering nation to rend their hearts because God is gracious, merciful, and quick to relent from disaster. Even the reluctant prophet Jonah lamented this reality in Jonah 4:2, knowing God's heart was far too gracious to leave repentant Nineveh to destruction. Finally, Psalm 145:8-9 gathers creation together to praise this boundless compassion, celebrating that the Lord is good to all and His tender mercies cover all His works.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Exodus 34:6	God proclaims his name to Moses as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Psalms 86:15	David confesses that the Lord is full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Psalms 103:8	Scripture celebrates God's merciful and gracious character, noting he does not deal with us according to our sins.
Joel 2:13	The prophet calls people to repent because the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Jonah 4:2	Jonah acknowledges that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and ready to relent from calamity.
Numbers 6:24-26	The Aaronic blessing places God's gracious face and peace upon His covenant people.
Nehemiah 9:17	God is described as ready to pardon, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
Psalms 145:8-9	The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, good to all, with tender mercies over all His works.

The Free Gift

Resurrection life given to the dead

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

These verses state the gospel definition of salvation by grace through faith apart from any human works.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul delivers the charter of the gospel: "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." Grace is not a wage earned; it is resurrection life given freely to spiritual corpses. Paul opens Ephesians 2:4-5 by revealing that God, being rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ when we were dead in trespasses. Through this free deliverance, Ephesians 2:6-7 explains that God seated us in the heavenly realms so that the coming ages might forever display the immeasurable riches of His kindness. Because this work belongs wholly to God, Ephesians 2:10 concludes that believers are His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus to walk in good works He prepared beforehand.

This principle of unearned favor stretches across redemptive history. In Genesis 6:8, when the earth fell under judgment, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Paul establishes in Romans 3:24 that all who believe are justified freely by His grace through the redemption found in Christ Jesus. To suggest human merit plays any role destroys the very definition of the gift: Romans 4:4-5 teaches that while wages belong to the laborer as an obligation, righteousness is counted by faith alone, and Romans 11:6 insists that if salvation is by works, grace is no longer grace. Through Adam death entered, but Romans 5:15-17 declares the free gift in Jesus Christ abounds far beyond the trespass. As Romans 5:20-21 seals the promise, wherever sin multiplied, grace abounded all the more, reigning through righteousness into eternal life.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Ephesians 2:4-5	God, being rich in mercy and love, made dead sinners alive together with Christ by sheer grace.
Ephesians 2:6-7	Believers are seated in the heavenly places to display the exceeding riches of God's grace in the ages to come.
Ephesians 2:8-9	Salvation is received by grace through faith as God's gift, explicitly ruling out human boasting and works.
Ephesians 2:10	Believers are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand.
Romans 3:24	Sinners are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 11:6	Paul clarifies that grace cannot be mixed with human works, or grace ceases to be grace.
Genesis 6:8	Noah found grace and unmerited favor in the eyes of the Lord amidst a wicked world.
Romans 4:4-5	To the one who works, wages are debt, but faith is counted as righteousness by grace.
Romans 5:15-17	The free gift of grace in Jesus Christ abounds far beyond the trespass and death of Adam.
Romans 5:20-21	Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, reigning through righteousness to eternal life.

The Costly Price

Purchased by the blood of Christ

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

This verse reveals that God demonstrated his grace toward us while we were still helpless enemies and sinners.

The grace of God is free for sinners, but it cost the Son of God everything. In Romans 5:8, the Apostle points to the supreme demonstration of divine love: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Grace did not wait for humanity to seek reconciliation or reform its ways; as Romans 5:6-8 affirms, when we were completely helpless and ungodly, Christ died for the ungodly. This unmerited redemption was purchased through supreme sacrifice. Ephesians 1:7 confirms that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the lavish riches of His grace. Jesus did not merely proclaim favor from afar; John 1:14 records that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, radiant with divine glory and full of grace and truth.

From His infinite supply, believers receive endless sustenance. John 1:16-17 reveals that from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace, for while the law was delivered through Moses, grace and truth were accomplished in Jesus Christ. This transaction was radically sacrificial: 2 Corinthians 8:9 reminds the church that though Christ was eternally rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, taking on human infirmity so that through His poverty we might become spiritually wealthy. As Hebrews 2:9 states, Jesus suffered death so that by the grace of God He might taste death for every soul. This finished work became the cornerstone of the early church: in Acts 15:11 Peter proclaimed that Jew and Gentile alike are saved solely by the grace of the Lord Jesus, driving Paul in Acts 20:24 to count his life worthless except to preach this very gospel, while 1 Peter 1:3 praises the God who caused us to be born again through Christ's resurrection.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Romans 5:6-8	While humanity was weak and ungodly, Christ demonstrated God's love by dying for sinners.
Ephesians 1:7	Believers receive redemption and forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood according to the riches of grace.
John 1:14	The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
John 1:16-17	From Christ's fullness we receive grace upon grace, as grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:9	Though Christ was rich, for our sakes he became poor so that through his poverty we might become rich.
1 Peter 1:3	According to abundant mercy, God caused believers to be born again to a living hope through Christ's resurrection.
Acts 15:11	Believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are saved solely through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:24	Paul testifies that the primary ministry received from Jesus is preaching the gospel of the grace of God.
Hebrews 2:9	Jesus suffered death so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

The Transforming Power

Grace that renews and trains

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:4-5 (NIV)

This text shows that salvation springs solely from God's kindness and mercy rather than righteous deeds of our own.

True grace does not simply pardon past guilt; it completely transforms the believer's daily life. In Titus 3:4-5, Paul underscores the source of this new existence, showing that salvation rests solely on God's mercy rather than our righteousness: "When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy." This mercy operates through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. In Titus 3:6-7, this lavish pouring of the Spirit justifies the ungodly and makes them heirs of eternal life. Titus 2:11-12 explains that this same saving grace actively instructs believers to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, training them to live self-controlled, godly lives in this present age.

Grace is never a license to sin; it is the power that destroys sin's authority. Romans 6:1-2 refutes the notion of continuing in wrongdoing so that grace may abound, while Romans 6:14 promises that sin will have no dominion over believers because they are under grace rather than law. In Galatians 2:20-21, Paul asserts that the believer has been crucified with Christ, warning that attempting to establish righteousness by the law nullifies God's grace. Furthermore, this dynamic favor equips the church for practical mutual ministry. Romans 12:6 teaches that spiritual gifts are distributed according to the measure of grace given to each member, and 1 Peter 4:10 calls Christians to serve one another as faithful stewards of God's varied grace. Finally, when trials come, 1 Peter 5:10 offers the steadfast assurance that the God of all grace will personally restore, confirm, and strengthen His people forever.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Titus 2:11-12	The grace of God brings salvation and instructs believers to renounce ungodliness and live self-controlled, godly lives.
Titus 3:4-7	God saved us not by our works of righteousness, but by his mercy, washing of regeneration, and renewal in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 6:1-2	Paul refutes the notion of continuing in sin that grace may abound, asserting deadness to sin.
Romans 6:14	Sin will have no dominion over believers because they are not under law but under grace.
Galatians 2:20-21	Paul warns against nullifying the grace of God, noting that if righteousness came through the law, Christ died needlessly.
Romans 12:6	Spiritual gifts are distributed to members of Christ's body according to the measure of grace given.
1 Peter 4:10	Believers serve one another as faithful stewards of the manifold, multifaceted grace of God.
1 Peter 5:10	The God of all grace, after believers have suffered a while, will personally restore, confirm, and strengthen them.

The Daily Strength

Grace sufficient for every weakness

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Christ promises that his sustaining grace is entirely sufficient when human weakness is at its absolute limit.

When human endurance reaches its end, Christ answers with an unshakeable promise in 2 Corinthians 12:9: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Paul had begged three times for his thorn in the flesh to depart, yet the Lord offered something far better than an easy path: an inexhaustible supply of divine strength. God’s grace does not merely initiate salvation; it daily fuels and preserves the believer through every valley and trial. In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul rejoices in hardships, knowing that earthly weakness creates the very theater where Christ's power rests upon him.

This continuous empowerment was unmistakable from the church’s earliest days. In Acts 4:33, as the apostles testified to the risen Christ, great grace rested upon them all, producing supernatural boldness, unity, and generosity. Paul looked at his own tireless ministry and confessed in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that it was not his natural grit at work, but the grace of God laboring within him. Likewise, 2 Corinthians 9:8 assures the church that God is able to make all grace abound, giving his people all sufficiency in all things at all times for every good work.

Because this river of provision never runs dry, Scripture summons believers to draw upon it constantly. Hebrews 4:16 bids us approach the throne of grace with confidence, finding prompt mercy and timely help whenever trials strike. Timothy was charged in 2 Timothy 2:1 to be continually strengthened in this sovereign grace. Accessing it requires genuine humility, for as James 4:6 reminds us, God opposes the proud but bestows his greatest favor on the lowly. We are warned in Hebrews 12:15 never to forfeit this gift through bitterness, and instead commanded in 2 Peter 3:18 to continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Acts 4:33	The apostles gave witness to the resurrection with great power, and great grace was upon all the early church.
1 Corinthians 15:10	Paul attributes his apostolic labor to the grace of God that was active with him.
2 Corinthians 9:8	God is able to make all grace abound so that believers have sufficiency in all things for every good work.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10	The Lord assures Paul that his grace is sufficient, making power perfect in weakness.
Hebrews 4:16	Believers are urged to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in time of need.
2 Peter 3:18	Christians are commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:1	Timothy is commanded to be strong and continually empowered in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 12:15	A warning to see to it that no one fails to obtain or falls short of the grace of God.
James 4:6	God gives greater grace, opposing the proud but giving grace to the humble.

Because grace is entirely of God, human boasting is excluded and despair is broken. The Christian life begins, continues, and finishes by the unmerited favor of God in Jesus Christ.

44 passages, each cited once.

How the major Christian traditions read this

All major Christian traditions confess that grace is God's unmerited favor, mercy, and love toward undeserving sinners, initiated entirely by God and made possible solely through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5).

Catholic

We teach that grace is the gratuitous gift of God's life, infused into the soul by the Holy Spirit to heal us of sin and sanctify us. While entirely unearned, grace transforms the believer internally, conferring supernatural life primarily through the seven sacraments (Creed of Trent 4). Beginning in baptism, sanctifying grace makes us adopted children of God and partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Once justified, this infused grace enables the believer to cooperate freely with God in doing good works, which God graciously rewards with eternal life (Romans 2:6-7; James 2:24). Grace can be resisted and, if mortal sin is committed, lost, though it may be restored through the sacrament of penance.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Peter 1:4, Romans 2:6-7, James 2:24

Orthodox

In the Orthodox Church, grace is understood as the uncreated energies of God Himself, through which He communicates His presence, life, and love to humanity without compromising His transcendent essence. Grace is not a created substance or merely a legal declaration; it is communion with God. Through the sacraments and ascetic struggle, the Holy Spirit draws us into theosis—becoming partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Salvation is an ongoing synergy (synergeia) wherein God's sovereign grace initiates and empowers our salvation, yet honors human free will (Confession of Dositheus 3; 1 Corinthians 3:9). Grace penetrates the whole person, transfiguring our nature so we may grow endlessly in Christ's likeness.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:4, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Ephesians 2:8-9

Lutheran

We confess that grace is God's unconditional favor and mercy toward guilty sinners entirely on account of Christ alone, not a quality or power infused into the soul. Through the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments as means of grace, the Holy Spirit creates saving faith when and where He pleases (Augsburg Confession 5). Grace stands in sharp distinction to the Law: while the Law exposes our sin and condemnation, the Gospel freely gives the righteousness of Christ (Romans 3:20-24; Ephesians 2:8-9). We are declared righteous purely by faith without works. Although grace is resistible and can be rejected through unbelief, salvation remains from first to last the monergistic gift of God.

Scripture: Romans 3:20-24, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5

Reformed & Presbyterian

We hold that grace is God's sovereign, unmerited favor by which He redeems the elect from their state of total depravity and spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1-5). Grace is purely an unmerited gift; justification is a forensic declaration in which Christ's perfect righteousness is imputed to the believer through faith alone (Romans 4:4-5). Furthermore, God's saving grace is effectual and irresistible: when God calls His chosen ones by the Spirit, He unfailingly softens their hearts, granting them repentance and faith (John 6:37, 44). Those whom God brings into this state of grace can neither totally nor finally fall away from it, but will persevere to the end in holiness (Westminster Confession 18.1).

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-5, Romans 4:4-5, John 6:37, John 6:44

Anglican & Episcopal

We affirm that grace is God's merciful initiative in Christ, without which fallen humanity has neither the power nor the will to turn to God or do works pleasing in His sight (Thirty-Nine Articles 10). Grace precedes our choice ('preventing grace') so that we may have a good will, and continues to work with us when we have that will. Justification is received by faith alone on account of the merits of Christ, not our own deeds (Thirty-Nine Articles 13; Romans 5:1-2). Grace is conveyed through the Word and the sacraments as effectual signs of God's favor, renewing our lives to walk in good works while resting entirely in the unearned mercy of the Father.

Scripture: Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-10

Baptist

We believe grace is God's free, undeserved favor toward sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins, granting redemption wholly through the blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Baptist Confession of 1689 18.2; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is not mediated by rituals or priestly ceremonies, but is received personally through faith alone. God's grace convicts of sin, regenerates the heart, justifies the sinner before God, and preserves the believer unto eternal glory (Romans 8:29-30). Works contribute nothing to our acceptance before God, but are the necessary and grateful fruit of a life made new by sovereign grace.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:29-30

Methodist & Wesleyan

We confess that grace is God's unmerited love active in every phase of human salvation. Prevented by our fallen nature from seeking God on our own, 'prevenient grace' goes before, restoring enough free will in every human being that one may respond to the Gospel (Methodist Articles 8; Titus 2:11). When a sinner yields in faith, God provides justifying grace, pardoning sin and adopting us into His family (Romans 5:1). Grace does not stop at forgiveness; it sanctifies us inwardly through the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to grow in love until their hearts are perfected in love in this life (Methodist Articles 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Yet grace can be resisted and rejected.

Scripture: Titus 2:11, Romans 5:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Pentecostal & Charismatic

We teach that grace is God's unmerited lovingkindness that pardons sin through the cross of Jesus and empowers the believer for supernatural life and witness (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-12). Grace is experienced not only in justification and daily sanctification, but also dynamically through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which releases the gifts and power of the Spirit for ministry (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Grace is dynamic, providing both divine favor that cancels guilt and divine empowerment to overcome sin, work miracles, and live holy lives. This grace must be received and maintained by walking faithfully in the Spirit, and it can be resisted.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 2:11-12, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Non-denominational & Evangelical

We understand grace to be the unearned, unconditional favor of God toward helpless sinners, provided entirely through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is a gift: we cannot earn it, buy it, or work for it. When we place our trust in Jesus, God pardons our guilt, credits Christ's righteousness to our account, and gives us new life (Romans 3:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Grace is also the sustaining power of God that teaches us to say no to ungodliness and gives us strength for every trial (2 Corinthians 12:9; Titus 2:11-12). Our entire relationship with God rests on His unshakeable grace from start to finish.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Titus 2:11-12

Where they differ

The nature of grace

Catholic

Infused quality of divine life transforming the soul through sacraments.

Orthodox

Uncreated divine energy uniting humanity to God in theosis.

Lutheran

God's unmerited, relational favor forgiving sin through Christ alone.

Reformed & Presbyterian

God's unmerited favor imputing Christ's righteousness to the elect.

Anglican & Episcopal

God's unmerited mercy prompting and assisting the human will.

Baptist

God's unmerited favor pardoning sinners directly through Christ alone.

Methodist & Wesleyan

God's active love operating in prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying forms.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

God's saving favor and dynamic Holy Spirit power for service.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Unconditional pardon and daily sustaining power provided through Christ.

Scripture: Romans 3:24, 2 Peter 1:4, Ephesians 2:8

Whether saving grace can be resisted

Catholic

Grace can be freely resisted or lost through mortal sin.

Orthodox

Grace respects free will and requires human cooperation to save.

Lutheran

Grace can be resisted and rejected by human unbelief.

Reformed & Presbyterian

God's effectual grace in the elect is never finally resisted.

Anglican & Episcopal

Grace aids the will, which may resist or yield.

Baptist

Most hold saving grace effectually draws and secures the believer.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Prevenient grace is given to all but can be resisted.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Grace must be willingly received and can be resisted.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Views vary, though all agree faith is required to receive it.

Scripture: Acts 7:51, John 6:37, Romans 11:22

Primary means by which grace is conveyed

Catholic

Conferred instrumentally through the seven sacraments of the Church.

Orthodox

Imparted through church mysteries and synergistic life of prayer.

Lutheran

Offered exclusively through external Word and two Gospel Sacraments.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Applied internally by the Spirit through Word, prayer, and sacraments.

Anglican & Episcopal

Received through the preached Word and the two Gospel sacraments.

Baptist

Received directly through faith in the preached Gospel of Christ.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Received through faith and nurtured by various means of grace.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Received by faith through the Gospel and Spirit's direct power.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Received directly through personal faith in Jesus Christ's finished work.

Scripture: Romans 10:17, 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5

Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.

Scripture cited

• Ephesians 2:4-9
• 1 Peter 1:3
• Ephesians 1:7
• Psalms 86:15
• Romans 5:8