"In the New Testament, religion is grace and ethics is gratitude"

Thomas Erskine’s statement, “In the New Testament, religion is grace and ethics is gratitude,” draws a profound connection between the core theological principles of Christianity and the ethical life that results from them. Grace, as proclaimed in the New Testament, refers to the unmerited favor of God toward humanity. It is not something that can be earned or deserved; rather, it is given freely through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Religion, then, according to Erskine, is not a system of merit or ritual by which individuals attain favor with God. Instead, religious life begins with and is sustained by the acceptance of divine grace.

Ethics, in this framework, is repositioned. Instead of being a self-derived set of moral rules followed in hopes of divine approval, ethical living becomes a response to grace already received. Gratitude becomes the essential posture of the believer. Every act of kindness, honesty, or self-sacrifice is not an attempt to tip the scales in one’s favor, but a thankful acknowledgment of what has already been done. The impulse behind Christian ethics is transformed; it is rooted in love and thanksgiving rather than fear or obligation.

The implications of Erskine’s observation change the way one approaches both faith and practice. It guards against legalism, the attempt to secure standing with God through rule-keeping, and points toward a dynamic relationship where the believer is motivated by thankfulness. Living out ethical values becomes a joyful response to being loved rather than a bargaining tool with the divine. The cycle is grace received, followed by gratitude expressed through ethical living, perpetually reinforcing the centrality of love in the Christian walk. This orientation redefines religion as a living relationship initiated by God’s generosity and sustained by a grateful human response that expresses itself in moral action.