What does it mean that salvation is by grace?

The doctrine of grace is fundamental to the Christian faith and signifies that salvation is an unmerited gift from God. Paul underscores this in Titus 3:7, where he states that we are justified by His grace, implying that we do not contribute anything to our salvation. The essence of grace is that it is God giving us what we do not deserve; we deserve eternal separation from Him due to our sins. However, because of His love and mercy, He provides grace through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, who bore our sins and imputed His righteousness to us. Our ability to have faith and be counted among the righteous stems from His grace alone. Grace, therefore, becomes the assurance that our standing before God is secure, solely based on what Christ has accomplished and not on our deeds.