His love for man is an expression of His holy perfection, not His public evaluation of man's worthiness. In the Bible love gives birth to mercy and grace because the main creaturely object of God's love, man, has become a sinner and rebel against God. Thus, it is only after setting forth the sinfulness of Gentile and Jew that Paul speaks of God's mercy, love and grace. God is rich in mercy, willing to forgive any sinner who repents and believes in Him. God is gracious to sinful man, having set His love on us before the foundation of the world and determined to save His chosen from sin and make them His children.
Grace is love in action, saving man from sin.
Social Implications Historical assertions always involve complex issues that make them contestable, especially by people with different assumptions. Christianity has produced social institutions and cultures that have given far greater expression to mercy, love and grace than the cultures produced by other world religions. The consequences of Islam's lack of a doctrine of love or redemption are seen in its vision of the home. The Islamic doctrine of polygamy is based upon a specific revelation from Allah and cannot be brushed aside as unimportant. Christianity teaches the husband's exclusive devotion to his wife because of Christ's redemptive love.