No! Grace and mercy are eternal attributes (divine qualities) of God. Before the creation, God possessed these divine attributes along with His omnipotence (Gen. 17:1; Ex. 6:3: Rev. 1:8), omnipresence (1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7-11; Jer. 23:23-24), and omniscience (Job 21:22; Ps. 139:17-18; Isa. 40:28). He is also holy (Lev. 11:44-45) and self-existing (Ex. 3:14). Since God is triune (3 persons in one), His love was expressed within the Trinity, and thus divine fellowship was eternal, all before the creation. So, who needed grace and mercy before creation? Not God. Therefore, because of His grace and mercy, God created man in His own image. Before he sinned, man experienced God’s general grace (having been created to rule in a habitable world). See Acts 17:24-28. After sin came, all men still experienced general grace (Matt. 5:45) and for believers in Christ, special (saving) grace (Eph. 2:8). Although sinful man deserves hell, God’s mercy temporarily withholds it from him but permanently from believers (Titus 3:5-7). Therefore, showing grace and mercy to man was God’s plan prior to the creation. This is profoundly expressed in Hebrews 10:5-9.
No doubt that God’s love was involved (John 3:16) but, unlike grace and mercy,
it was expressed only within the Trinity prior to the creation. Just think, if God had no grace and mercy at all, there would have been no creation, even though God had love. Wow! Thank God for creating us to give us His grace and mercy along with His love. Blessings!
PS- It’ll help to also read the scripture references. They may provide clarity.
Blessings!
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