Grace, in Christianity, describes those acts by which God forgives people for their sins, supports them spiritually, and sanctifies them—that is, makes them holy. God is said to be gracious because he acts freely, out of love and mercy, for the good of human beings. Christianity teaches that people need divine grace to be freed from sin and its effects and to live in a manner that pleases God. Christianity also teaches that God’s grace is a gift and is always undeserved.
Christians agree that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit bear the gift of grace. But they disagree about the precise nature and effects of grace and about how it is received. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that by grace, people participate in God’s spiritual life and have the virtues of faith, hope, and love infused (put) into their own lives. Eastern Orthodox Churches teach that grace is the communication of divine energy to believers. Both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that grace is channeled to the faithful through worship, especially the sacraments of the church; and through such acts as prayer and good works.
Protestants also emphasize the importance of divine grace. Lutherans, for example, believe that sinners are justified (cleared of blame) before God by grace alone. Calvinists stress the graciousness of God’s will in predestination—that is, the idea that God in his mercy eternally chooses those he wills to save. Protestants generally believe that hearing the Scriptures and taking part in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are important means by which grace is experienced and celebrated.
