Concise Bible Dictionary:
The favor and graciousness shown by God to guilty man. It stands in contrast to law (John 1:17; Gal. 5:4); also to works and to desert or reward (Rom. 4:4; Rom. 11:6): “by grace ye are saved” (Eph. 2:5,8). The grace of God is vouchsafed to the saints all along the way: we find nearly all the Epistles commence and end with the invocation of grace on the churches: whereas when individuals are addressed MERCY is added (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; 2 John 1:3). The different aspects of grace and mercy have been thus set forth: “Grace refers more to the source and character of the sentiment; mercy to the state of the person who is its object. Grace may give me glory; mercy contemplates some need in me. Mercy is great in the greatness of the need; grace in the thought of the person exercising it.”
Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:
Transliteration:
euprepeia
Meaning:
from a compound of 2095 and 4241; good suitableness, i.e. gracefulness