God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Ascribed to God, grace is His voluntary, unrestrained, unmerited favor toward guilty sinners, granting them justification and life instead of the penalty of death, which they deserved.
Herman Bavinck
Bible – Greek OT (Septuagint/LXX) 1 Thessalonians Chapter 1:1-10.