Faith or Grace 1st?

[alms]

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

 

[Montie_Claunch]

alms:

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

This is just me, and I could be wrong, but, I think grace comes first as seen in infant Baptism, where one could safly place a wager that the infant dosn’t really beleive in Jesus all that much. Faith would come later.

That is me, and I am not sure if that is in line with the church or not. So wait for someone else to confirm or ostrocise me for the information I just gave.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Although one can pray for grace, it is not something we can earn. We are not entitled to it. It is God’s gift to us, and without it we are nothing.

One must have grace to believe.

 

[NotWorthy]

It depends:

So, for someone baptized validly as an infant is an infusion of habitual grace:
a) of sanctifying grace in the depths of the soul, and
b) of the virtues of faith, hope, charity, and many other virtues.

This means that the Holy Trinity is dwelling in the soul as in a temple (this occurs through the Sacrament by incorporation into Christ Himself). No actual graces (these help to move our wills to act) are given yet since the infant is not developed enough to be able to exercise his mind, memory or will. Later on when he is developed enough, internal actual graces to move the will to act are given (e.g., to pray) especially in conjunction with exterior graces (the example of one’s parents, reminders, such as holy pictures, direct catechesis, etc.).

For the unbaptized person who already has the capacity to think and decide, it is the reverse: first actual internal graces to believe, or pray, or act are given, in conjunction with external graces (like preaching the word, example of others, events that move us, religious symbols, etc.). If these actual graces are accepted, then God grants the grace to decide to believe and the person is baptized, receiving the habitual graces of 1) sanctifying grace bringing the Trinity into the Soul (thus removing all sin); 2) of the virtues (permanent powers) of Faith, Hope, Charity. The person is thus justified by Baptism because of number1 and given radical powers to be a Christian by number 2. Actual interior graces (passing helps) are also given, in conjunction with exterior helps to activate these powers given.

Notworthy

 

[vern_humphrey]

Actual grace and sanctifying grace are difficult ideas to grasp – but one must have actual grace to believe. Baptism confers sanctifying grace.

 

[Fidelis]

The Council of Trent, way back in the 1500’s reiterated the Church’s constant teaching that grace ALWAYS precedes faith. That is still Catholic teaching today. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

**1989 ** The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.

**1991 ** Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justice”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

**1993 ** Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom. On man’s part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent: “When God touches man’s heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God’s grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight.”

1996 Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

1998 This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature.

2001 The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace. This latter is needed to arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith, and in sanctification through charity. God brings to completion in us what he has begun, "since he who completes his work by cooperating with our will began by working so that we might will it:“Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us. It has gone before us so that we may be healed, and follows us so that once healed, we may be given life; it goes before us so that we may be called, and follows us so that we may be glorified; it goes before us so that we may live devoutly, and follows us so that we may always live with God: for without him we can do nothing.”

2002 God’s free initiative demands man’s free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the communion of love. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy. The promises of “eternal life” respond, beyond all hope, to this desire: “If at the end of your very good works . . ., you rested on the seventh day, it was to foretell by the voice of your book that at the end of our works, which are indeed “very good” since you have given them to us, we shall also rest in you on the sabbath of eternal life”

2017 The grace of the Holy Spirit confers upon us the righteousness of God. Uniting us by faith and Baptism to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, the Spirit makes us sharers in his life.

2018 Like conversion, justification has two aspects. Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, and so accepts forgiveness and righteousness from on high.

2019 Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification, and the renewal of the inner man.

2020 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who justifies us. It has for its goal the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life. It is the most excellent work of God’s mercy.

2021 Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted sons. It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life.

2022 The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes, prepares, and elicits the free response of man. Grace responds to the deepest yearnings of human freedom, calls freedom to cooperate with it, and perfects freedom.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

alms:

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

Eph2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God
grace comes first

 

[Liberian]

alms:

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

Grace comes first. Apart from the Bible quote that another respondent has already given, the Catechism mentions it in paragraphs 1989 and 2001.

• Liberian

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

alms:

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

Can you have faith in Christ from your own resources ? That is the implication, if grace is not first.​

Salvation is grace through and through, from first to last, all of it, in every respect. It is only by grace that we have faith, or hope, or love. Only by grace are we able to persevere in thes good things from one second to another. Only by grace is merit possible; all graces come to by grace alone. The least thing we do is the result of grace. We are quite simply nothingness, we are not, at all - unless God graciously brings us into being. God’s Love is nothing but grace - we have not one jot of a “right” to it: how can nothingness have rights ? If anything is good at all - that is, if it has any being at all, for being & good are convertible terms - it is because they are graces. Contingency is just another name for grace. Contingent beings are beings which are not necessary being; IOW, everything that is created, and that is therefore not God, Who is necessary to all created beings, but Who Himself needs nothing whatever ##

 

[havemercy]

Grace exists, and so, faith is possible.

 

[alms]

Wow…thanks for all the answers.

 

[BlestOne]

Ok to tally up the votes…I would say that was 8 for grace 1 for depends… I would say grace has it hands down

 

[alms]

BlestOne:

Ok to tally up the votes…I would say that was 8 for grace 1 for depends… I would say grace has it hands down

I agree. However, I think Fidelis and Catholic Dude’s posts pretty much sealed this thread.

 

[Ignatius]

alms:

Just wondering…

Does one need faith first to acquire grace or does God give grace first so that one can choose to accept the gift of faith?

Faith is a result of the free gift of Gods Grace.