Grace

Grace - an overused, under appreciated and misunderstood word.  Religious jargon to the atheist, dead rhetoric to the christian formalist, something unheard of in all other religions (who generally work on the basis of merit) but to those convinced of their personal demerit and desert of hell, something sweeter than life itself.  A trust in Christ not for pardon alone, but that His righteousness may be accredited to their own account on the day of judgment.  Free for them, at the price of Jesus' life on the cross - that whoever would trust in Him would attain His righteousness and be saved from divine judgment and eternal hell.  That line "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." carries so much more weight to it. There is more to grace than this. Reconciliation with God. A relationship with Him and enjoyment of Him forever.

Romans 4
 1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
       7 “ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
      And whose sins are covered;
       8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” 

Romans 10  
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[f] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Romans 3 
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all[h] who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.