Grace is one of the most talked about concepts in Christianity and one of the least deeply received. People nod at it in sermons, sing about it in worship, and then go home and spend the rest of the week living as though they are still on probation — as though the forgiveness is real but conditional, as though the grace extended was generous but probably has limits, as though God’s patience with their particular set of failures is running thinner than it is with everyone else’s. That is not a theological position — it is a feeling. And it is one of the most common and most costly feelings a believer can carry, because it keeps a person at arm’s length from the very thing that was meant to set them completely free.
That’s exactly what this collection of scriptures on grace is here to close the distance on. You’ll find the best Bible verses on grace freely given, grace that covers every failure and not just the respectable ones, grace that does not run out when you need it for the third or the thirtieth time, grace in the face of shame, grace as the foundation of salvation and the fuel of daily life, and the God whose grace has been described as sufficient for every weakness any person has ever brought before Him — including yours, including now, including the thing you are convinced has finally used it all up. Read them slowly. Let them do the work that all the self-improvement in the world was never designed to do. Grace was never something you earned. It was always something you were given — and these scriptures are the reminder that it has never once been taken back.
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The Definition Nobody Was Expecting — What Grace Actually Is
- “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)
- “It is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:9 (NIV)
- “Not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:9 (NIV)
- “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 (NIV)
- “The gift of God is eternal life.” — Romans 6:23 (NIV)
- “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (NIV)
- “While we were still sinners.” — Romans 5:8 (NIV)
- “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” — Titus 2:11 (NIV)
- “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 renewing by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:5 (NIV)
- “Not because of righteous things we had done.” — Titus 3:5 (NIV)
- “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” — Romans 11:6 (NIV)
- “Grace would no longer be grace.” — Romans 11:6 (NIV)
- “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:4–5 (NIV)
- “Even when we were dead in transgressions.” — Ephesians 2:5 (NIV)
- “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” — Romans 3:23–24 (NIV)
- “Justified freely by his grace.” — Romans 3:24 (NIV)
- “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” — Galatians 2:21 (NIV)
Before You Did Anything — How Early Grace Started
- “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.” — Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)
- “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” — Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
- “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” — Ephesians 1:5–6 (NIV)
- “To the praise of his glorious grace.” — Ephesians 1:6 (NIV)
- “He has freely given us in the One he loves.” — Ephesians 1:6 (NIV)
- “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
- “Who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
- “Before the beginning of time.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
- “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
- “He has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
- “For no word from God will ever fail.” — Luke 1:37 (NIV)
- “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” — Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
- “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” — Ephesians 1:11 (NIV)
- “Having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything.” — Ephesians 1:11 (NIV)
- “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” — Psalm 115:1 (NIV)
- “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.” — John 15:16 (NIV)
Lavished, Poured, and Overflowing — the Extravagance of How God Gives Grace
- “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” — John 1:16 (ESV)
- “Grace upon grace.” — John 1:16 (ESV)
- “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14 (NIV)
- “Full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14 (NIV)
- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” — Ephesians 1:7–8 (NIV)
- “The riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” — Ephesians 1:8 (NIV)
- “He lavished on us.” — Ephesians 1:8 (NIV)
- “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” — 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
- “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us.” — 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
- “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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.” — Ephesians 2:6–7 (NIV)
- “The incomparable riches of his grace.” — Ephesians 2:7 (NIV)
- “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” — Romans 5:20 (NIV)
- “Grace increased all the more.” — Romans 5:20 (NIV)
- “He gives us more grace.” — James 4:6 (NIV)
- “But he gives more grace.” — James 4:6 (ESV)
- “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
- “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Grace in the Old Testament — It Was Always There
- “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” — Genesis 6:8 (NIV)
- “Noah found favor.” — Genesis 6:8 (NIV)
- “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.'” — Exodus 33:17 (NIV)
- “I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” — Exodus 33:17 (NIV)
- “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.'” — Exodus 34:6–7 (NIV)
- “Compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” — Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
- “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” — Psalm 103:8 (NIV)
- “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” — Psalm 103:10 (NIV)
- “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:11–12 (NIV)
- “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
- “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)
- “New every morning.” — Lamentations 3:23 (ESV)
- “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” — Joel 2:13 (NIV)
- “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” — Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
- “The Lord longs to be gracious to you.” — Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
- “‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'” — Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)
- “As white as snow.” — Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)
When You Were at Your Worst — Grace That Arrived Right Then
- “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (NIV)
- “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:6 (NIV)
- “When we were still powerless.” — Romans 5:6 (NIV)
- “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” — Romans 5:10 (NIV)
- “While we were God’s enemies.” — Romans 5:10 (NIV)
- “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” — Ephesians 2:4–5 (NIV)
- “He made us alive.” — Ephesians 2:5 (NIV)
- “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
- “So that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
- “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1 (NIV)
- “No condemnation.” — Romans 8:1 (NIV)
- “The tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” — Luke 18:13–14 (NIV)
- “This man went home justified before God.” — Luke 18:14 (NIV)
- “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” — Luke 15:20 (NKJV)
- “His father saw him and had compassion, and ran.” — Luke 15:20 (NKJV)
- “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” — Luke 7:47 (NIV)
- “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” — Luke 5:32 (NIV)
Grace Is Not Weakness — What It Actually Produces
- “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” — 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
- “His grace to me was not without effect.” — 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
- “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” — 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
- “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” — Titus 2:11–12 (NIV)
- “It teaches us to say ‘No.'” — Titus 2:12 (NIV)
- “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
- “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” — Romans 5:1–2 (NIV)
- “This grace in which we now stand.” — Romans 5:2 (NIV)
- “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
- “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” — Philippians 2:13 (NIV)
- “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” — 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
- “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” — Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV)
- “Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” — Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)
- “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” — Colossians 4:6 (ESV)
- “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” — 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
- “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.” — 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
When You Keep Failing — Grace That Doesn’t Run Out
- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
- “He is faithful and just to forgive.” — 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
- “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” — Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)
- “I will remember their sins no more.” — Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)
- “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
- “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” — Isaiah 44:22 (NIV)
- “Swept away your offenses like a cloud.” — Isaiah 44:22 (NIV)
- “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” — Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)
- “For his own sake.” — Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)
- “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” — Matthew 18:21–22 (NIV)
- “Seventy-seven times.” — Matthew 18:22 (NIV)
- “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
- “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” — Psalm 51:12 (NIV)
- “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” — Psalm 103:10 (NIV)
- “He does not treat us as our sins deserve.” — Psalm 103:10 (NIV)
- “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” — Lamentations 3:21–22 (NIV)
- “We are not consumed.” — Lamentations 3:22 (NIV)
- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Grace in the Broken Places — the Verses for When You Are Not Okay
- “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” — 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
- “Will himself restore you.” — 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
- “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)
- “My grace is sufficient for you.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
- “My power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
- “When I am weak, then I am strong.” — 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)
- “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
- “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
- “But he said to me: ‘My grace is all you need.'” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NTE)
- “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
- “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV)
- “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” — Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
- “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” — Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)
- “Carries them close to his heart.” — Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)
- “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” — Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)
- “Underneath are the everlasting arms.” — Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)
- “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” — Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)
The Throne of Grace — How to Come and What to Find
- “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
- “With confidence.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
- “Mercy and grace in our time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
- “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” — Ephesians 2:18 (NIV)
- “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” — Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)
- “With freedom and confidence.” — Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)
- “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” — Matthew 7:7–8 (NIV)
- “The one who comes to me I will never drive away.” — John 6:37 (NIV)
- “I will never drive away.” — John 6:37 (NIV)
- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
- “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” — Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
- “How much more will your Father give.” — Matthew 7:11 (NIV)
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
- “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
- “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” — James 1:17 (NIV)
- “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” — Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
- “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” — Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
What Grace Made You — the New Identity Attached to the Gift
- “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'” — Romans 8:15 (NIV)
- “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” — 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
- “And that is what we are.” — 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
- “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” — 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
- “Called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” — 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
- “For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” — Galatians 3:26 (ESV)
- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1 (ESV)
- “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
- “Christ lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
- “Who loved me and gave himself for me.” — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
- “The old has gone, the new is here.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
- “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” — Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
- “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)
- “All God’s promises are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)
- “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” — Romans 8:37 (NIV)
The Last Word on Grace — the Benedictions That Began and Close the Bible
- “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” — John 1:14 (NIV)
- “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” — John 1:16 (ESV)
- “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17 (NIV)
- “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17 (NIV)
- “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:38–39 (NIV)
- “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy — to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” — Jude 1:24–25 (ESV)
- “May the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.” — 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)
- “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” — 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)
- “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:2 (NIV)
- “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 (NIV)
- “By his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:16 (NIV)
- “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24–26 (NIV)
- “Be gracious to you.” — Numbers 6:25 (NIV)
- “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” — Revelation 22:20 (NIV)
- “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” — Revelation 22:21 (NIV)
- “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” — Revelation 22:21 (NIV)