Salvation By Grace Alone

[po18guy]

If we could clear up the dispute between Protestants and Catholics that would be fine. My understanding of grace is that it is more the favor of God, not a substance.

Catholic Answers is the host. They are professionals, while nearly all of us are amateurs. What you mostly get from members are opinions, as this is a public crowd related mostly by Church affiliation.

The problem is that the Church and its Catechism rarely address these issues in the language that has been adopted or developed by the various Protestant/non-denominational communities. The same things have different names and different things may have the same name. Clear definitions are needed, i.e.

1. Define salvation
2. Define grace
3. Define alone

Frankly, many/most Catholics, myself included, rarely if ever ponder, let alone worry about subjects such as salvation or justification. We have repentance and the Sacraments, which provide the primary concern, that is, Justifying grace.

Fr. John Hardon, S. J. is considered to be the finest dogmatic theologian of the 20th century. The following are from his Modern Catholic Dictionary (there are other, more detailed sources):

B]SALVATION

. In biblical language the deliverance from straitened circumstances or oppression by some evil to a state of freedom and security. As sin is the greatest evil, salvation is mainly liberation from sin and its consequences. This can be deliverance by way of preservation, or by offering the means for being delivered, or by removing the oppressive evil or difficulty, or by rewarding the effort spent in co-operating with grace in order to be delivered. All four aspects of salvation are found in the Scriptures and are taught by the Church. (Etym. Latin salvare, to save.)

GRACE. In biblical language the condescension or benevolence (Greek charis) shown by God toward the human race; it is also the unmerited gift proceeding from this benevolent disposition. Grace, therefore, is a totally gratuitous gift on which man has absolutely no claim. Where on occasion the Scriptures speak of grace as pleasing charm or thanks for favors received, this is a derived and not primary use of the term.

As the Church has come to explain the meaning of grace, it refers to something more than the gifts of nature, such as creation or the blessings of bodily health. Grace is the supernatural gift that God, of his free benevolence, bestows on rational creatures for their eternal salvation. The gifts of grace are essentially supernatural. They surpass the being, powers, and claims of created nature, namely sanctifying grace, the infused virtues, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and actual grace. They are the indispensable means necessary to reach the beatific vision. In a secondary sense, grace also includes such blessings as the miraculous gifts of prophecy or healing, or the preternatural gifts of freedom from concupiscence.

The essence of grace, properly so called, is its gratuity, since no creature has a right to the beatific vision, and its finality or purpose is to lead one to eternal life. (Etym. Latin gratia, favor; a gift freely given.)

GRACE OF CHRIST. The supernatural life and blessings that God bestowed and continues to bestow on mankind in view of the merits of Christ’s Redemption. It goes beyond the grace of God because, in addition to raising man to the divine life, it also heals the wounds inflicted by sin.

GRACE OF GOD. The supernatural life conferred on the angels and our first parents in Paradise. It is grace because it was bestowed out of sheer love of God, leaving aside the question of the merits of Christ. The angels were not redeemed, and our first parents, before the Fall, were only negatively unworthy of the reception of grace.

GRACE OF SANCTIFICATION. The supernatural gift whose purpose is the personal sanctification of the one who receives it. It is called the grace that makes one pleasing (gratia gratum faciens) to God either by making the person holy (sanctifying grace), or by preparing him for sanctification, or by preserving and increasing his sanctification (actual grace).

ACTUAL GRACE. Temporary supernatural intervention by God to enlighten the mind or strengthen the will to perform supernatural actions that lead to heaven. Actual grace is therefore a transient divine assistance to enable man to obtain, retain, or grow in supernatural grace and the life of God.

EFFICACIOUS GRACE. The actual grace to which free consent is given by the will so that the grace produces its divinely intended effect. In the controversy between the Dominicans [led by Báñez (1528-1604)] and the Jesuits [led by Molina (1525-1600)] there was no agreement on what precisely causes an actual grace to become efficacious. In the Báñezian theory, the efficacy of such grace depends on the character of the grace itself; in the Molinist theory, it depends on the fact that it is given under circumstances that God foresees to be congruous with the dispositions of the person receiving the grace. In every Catholic theory, however, it is agreed that efficacious grace does not necessitate the will or destroy human freedom. (Etym. Latin efficax, powerful, effective, efficient, gratia, favor freely given.) See also ACTUAL GRACE, GRACE, HABITUAL GRACE, JUSTIFYING GRACE, SACRAMENTAL GRACE, SANCTIFYING GRACE, SUFFICIENT GRACE.

HABITUAL GRACE. Constant supernatural quality of the soul which sanctifies a person inherently and makes him or her just and pleasing to God. Also called sanctifying grace or justifying grace.

JUSTIFYING GRACE. The grace by which a person is restored to God’s friendship, either for the first time, as in baptism, or after baptism, as in the sacrament of penance.

(cont.)

 

[po18guy]

(cont.)

SACRAMENTAL GRACE. The grace conferred by the valid and fruitful reception of the sacraments. It may be one or more of several kinds: 1. sanctifying grace is communicated in baptism, penance and in anointing of the sick when needed; 2. sanctifying grace is always increased when a sacrament is received in the state of grace; 3. actual grace is given by all the sacraments, either actually at the time of reception or also by title as a person needs divine help; 4. the sacramental character is indelibly imprinted on the soul in baptism, confirmation, and the priesthood; and 5. a distinctive sacramental grace is imparted by each of the seven sacraments, corresponding to their respective purpose in the supernatural life of the soul.

SANCTIFYING GRACE. The supernatural state of being infused by God, which permanently inheres in the soul. It is a vital principle of the supernatural life, as the rational soul is the vital principle of a human being’s natural life. It is not a substance but a real quality that becomes part of the soul substance. Although commonly associated with the possession of the virtue of charity, sanctifying grace is yet distinct from this virtue. Charity, rather, belongs to the will, whereas sanctifying grace belongs to the whole soul, mind, will, and affections. It is called sanctifying grace because it makes holy those who possess the gift by giving them a participation in the divine life. It is zoē (life), which Christ taught that he has in common with the Father and which those who are in the state of grace share.

SUFFICIENT GRACE. Actual grace considered apart from the supernatural effect for which it was bestowed. It may therefore mean the grace that does not meet with adequate co-operation on the part of the human recipient, and then it is merely sufficient grace. It is enough to enable a person to perform a salutary act, but who freely declines to co-operate. Or it may simply mean the grace that gives one the power to accomplish a salutary action, as distinct from an efficacious grace, which secures that the salutary act is accomplished.

As is seen from a reading of these definitions, they are closely related, but apply to specific situations or conditions. Clearly, a Church which retains the Sacraments as instituted by Christ will have a more fully developed theology, and has had 2,000 years to ponder, discern and develop understanding of revealed truth regarding such as God’s grace. For my part, I thank you for spurring me to investigate for myself.

 

[PluniaZ]

Actual grace is divided into two types: prevenient grace (God operating, which we receive without cooperation) and subsequent grace (only received with our cooperation).

Habitual grace is also divided into prevenient and subsequent grace. The initial grace of justification is prevenient. But afterward, we can lose that state of grace (habitual grace) by an actual mortal sin of commission or omission. We cooperate with the state of grace by living a life of love, faith, and hope.

So, there are several grave doctrinal errors in your “cut to the chase” summary above.

James 3:1

It’s always good to follow Thomas Aquinas … unless we’re discussing the Immaculate Conception.

newadvent.org/summa/2111.htm#article3
ewtn.com/library/theology/grace4.htm

 

[pablope]

‘Sola Gratia’ was one of the Big Five Solas of the Reformation, and here you are agreeing with it.

How so?

Does sola gratia imply that salvation is already “in the bag”?

Does sola gratia imply an internal change in man vs just an external declaration?

 

[Tomyris]

How so?

Does sola gratia imply that salvation is already “in the bag”?

Does sola gratia imply an internal change in man vs just an external declaration?

Not necessarily, as far as I know.

 

[James248]

Not necessarily, as far as I know.

Well, how are we to know the true meaning of Sola Gratia then?

 

[James248]

No one says we shouldn’t think about working our way to Heaven, but our works mean something to God. Like the servants in the Parable of the Talents, we must account for the gifts God has given us.

The servant who was cast out did absolutely nothing with the money. The master didn’t let him get in to his service.

I meant “should think of.”

 

[po18guy]

Not necessarily, as far as I know.

From the Wiki on Sola Gratia:

“Sola gratia (Latin: by grace alone) is one of the Five solae propounded to summarise the Reformers’ basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation. Protestant reformers believed that this emphasis was in contradistinction to the teaching of the Catholic Church, though it had explicitly affirmed the doctrine of sola gratia in the year 529 at the Council of Orange, which condemned the Pelagian heresy.[1] As a response to this misunderstanding, Catholic doctrine was further clarified in the Council of Trent. This Council explained that salvation is made possible only by grace, and that the faith and works of men are secondary means that have their origins in and are sustained by grace.”

Once heels were dug in and the polemics began, misunderstandings were certain to follow. It was Luther’s distorted view of himself and all of mankind as detestable, vile creatures that mislead him to believe that it was all up to God via grace. Not so! Without grace, it cannot be done, but without human effort, the grace is made void.

Saint Paul writes that we are expected to build up the Church of Christ via the gifts (charisms) we are given by the Holy Spirit - witness Saint Stephen the Martyr in Acts 6. Otherwise, our Lord’s parable of the wise and foolish servants (i.e. Matthew 25, Luke 19) makes no sense at all. “Well done, good and faithful servant” does not imply solely the reception of grace, but both the reception of that grace and the employment of it, through human effort, in cooperation with God.

We are judged, on that day, not by how much grace we received, but rather by what we accomplished with the grace that was given to us. 1 talent, 5 talents and 10. Those talents did not trade themselves for an increase - those who received them freely from the master did that. The Lord expects an increase, by our efforts, for His sake.

Rather than pull Catholic doctrine toward Presbyterian, is it not better to move toward unity by examining and embracing the acceptable Catholic doctrine? I abandoned many beliefs when I entered the Catholic Church and have never looked back.

 

[Tomyris]

From the Wiki on Sola Gratia: Once heels were dug in and the polemics began, misunderstandings were certain to follow. It was Luther’s distorted view of himself and all of mankind as detestable, vile creatures that mislead him to believe that it was all up to God via grace. Not so! Without grace, it cannot be done, but without human effort, the grace is made void.

Saint Paul writes that we are expected to build up the Church of Christ via the gifts (charisms) we are given by the Holy Spirit - witness Saint Stephen the Martyr in Acts 6. Otherwise, our Lord’s parable of the wise and foolish servants (i.e. Matthew 25, Luke 19) makes no sense at all. “Well done, good and faithful servant” does not imply solely the reception of grace, but both the reception of that grace and the employment of it, through human effort, in cooperation with God.

We are judged, on that day, not by how much grace we received, but rather by what we accomplished with the grace that was given to us. 1 talent, 5 talents and 10. The Lord expects an increase, by our efforts, for His sake.

**Rather than pull Catholic doctrine toward Presbyterian, **is it not better to move toward unity by examining and embracing the acceptable Catholic doctrine? I abandoned many beliefs when I entered the Catholic Church and have never looked back.

If both Orange and Trent affirmed Salvation by Grace Alone, how is it possibly exclusively Presbyterian?

Both sides seemed to have affirmed Salvation by Grace Alone, while denying the other side was doing so.

 

[Tomyris]

(cont.)

As is seen from a reading of these definitions, they are closely related, but apply to specific situations or conditions. Clearly, a Church which retains the Sacraments as instituted by Christ will have a more fully developed theology, and has had 2,000 years to ponder, discern and develop understanding of revealed truth regarding such as God’s grace. F**or my part, I thank you for spurring me to investigate for myself. **

Likewise. I think the polemic on both sides tends to obscure what the other side is saying.

 

[po18guy]

If both Orange and Trent affirmed Salvation by Grace Alone, how is it possibly exclusively Presbyterian?

Both sides seemed to have affirmed Salvation by Grace Alone, while denying the other side was doing so.

This may stem from Luther’s insistence on “faith alone” which runs counter to scripture. I know the Presbyterian doctrine not at all, but suspect that it is more than simply leaving all up to God. In that case it sounds substantially correct. One other problem is that many denominations reject the Apostle’s or other creeds. That makes discussion much more difficult, as their core beliefs are much more difficult to determine with accuracy.

Love her or hate her, the Catholic Church puts it out there in black and white.

 

[Tomyris]

This may stem from Luther’s insistence on “faith alone” which runs counter to scripture. I know the Presbyterian doctrine not at all, but suspect that it is more than simply leaving all up to God. In that case it sounds substantially correct. One other problem is that many denominations reject the Apostle’s or other creeds. That makes discussion much more difficult, as their core beliefs are much more difficult to determine with accuracy.

Love her or hate her, the Catholic Church puts it out there in black and white.

Repeating the question,

In Catholic theology, are you willing to say that salvation is by grace alone, without adding any clauses whatsoever onto that?

For my part I am struggling with the idea that this is something Catholics will agree to. It is rather mind-blowing. Usually if a Protestant talks about salvation by faith, the Catholic will come up with ‘faith without works is dead’ in the next breath, and the Protestant typically says, of course, and then they try to figure out what just happened. The Catholic will think the Protestant wants to skate to heaven on a 1 second prayer, and the Protestant will think the Catholic can only work his way to heaven.

If there is actual agreement on the formulation of Salvation by Grace alone, then we can start looking at its components and look for agreement in them, as well as looking at the other Solas.

 

[MaryT777]

Repeating the question,

For my part I am struggling with the idea that this is something Catholics will agree to. It is rather mind-blowing. Usually if a Protestant talks about salvation by faith, the Catholic will come up with ‘faith without works is dead’ in the next breath, and the Protestant typically says, of course, and then they try to figure out what just happened. The Catholic will think the Protestant wants to skate to heaven on a 1 second prayer, and the Protestant will think the Catholic can only work his way to heaven.

If there is actual agreement on the formulation of Salvation by Grace alone, then we can start looking at its components and look for agreement in them, as well as looking at the other Solas.

Are you familiar with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification that was signed with the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church? There is some common understanding and some Methodist Churches signed off on it as well. It was a step towards agreement on Justification by grace through Faith.

I normally don’t quote Wiki but it does a balanced view of the issue.

**From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) is a document created, and agreed to, by the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue. It states that the churches now share “a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.”[1] To the parties involved, this essentially resolves the five hundred year old conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation. The World Methodist Council has also adopted the document. [2][3]
**

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Declaration_on_the_Doctrine_of_Justification

 

[Tomyris]

Are you familiar with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification that was signed with the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church? There is some common understanding and some Methodist Churches signed off on it as well. It was a step towards agreement on Justification by grace through Faith.

I normally don’t quote Wiki but it does a balanced view of the issue.

**From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) is a document created, and agreed to, by the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue. It states that the churches now share “a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.”[1] To the parties involved, this essentially resolves the five hundred year old conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation. The World Methodist Council has also adopted the document. [2][3]
**

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Declaration_on_the_Doctrine_of_Justification

I’ve read it. Thanks for bringing it up. I’ve also read outraged and angry responses from both Lutherans and Catholics about it. And that was with the Lutherans, who are closer to the Catholics than the Reformed are.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

, but without human effort, the grace is made void.

Is it that cut and dry though?

Our blessed Mother was full of grace, and the way it has been explained to me is that she couldn’t possibly sin as a result of all that grace.

 

[MaryT777]

I’ve read it. Thanks for bringing it up. I’ve also read outraged and angry responses from both Lutherans and Catholics about it. And that was with the Lutherans, who are closer to the Catholics than the Reformed are.

The Lutheran World Federation includes the liberal ELCA.(Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) They support women ordination, lax on an opinion of abortion, believe homosexuality is ok and I do believe now ordain active homosexuals. This is why some Catholics were outraged.

The ELCA is very Catholic friendly and commune Catholics in their Churches as well. They practice open Communion although most here know a Catholic is not to Commune in a non Catholic Church because of the different understanding of Communion and not unity of Faith.

It was the Confessional Lutherans (LCMS/WELS) that really had a fit over this and said the LWF sold out the Lutheran Faith and it was a terrible step back for Lutherans.

At the end of the day I think that there was dialogue over the issue was wonderful and hope dialogue continues regarding the issue to find some common ground.

Without dialogue between our leaders regarding these issues nothing can be accomplished.

I like reading your posts because you are calm and informative.

God bless,

Mary.

 

[po18guy]

Is it that cut and dry though?

Our blessed Mother was full of grace, and the way it has been explained to me is that she couldn’t possibly sin as a result of all that grace.

She retained free will, but willed not to sin. God does not force sanctity, just as He does not force us to love Him.

 

[po18guy]

Repeating the question,

For my part I am struggling with the idea that this is something Catholics will agree to. It is rather mind-blowing. Usually if a Protestant talks about salvation by faith, the Catholic will come up with ‘faith without works is dead’ in the next breath, and the Protestant typically says, of course, and then they try to figure out what just happened. The Catholic will think the Protestant wants to skate to heaven on a 1 second prayer, and the Protestant will think the Catholic can only work his way to heaven.

If there is actual agreement on the formulation of Salvation by Grace alone, then we can start looking at its components and look for agreement in them, as well as looking at the other Solas.

It is all contextual. It is all dependent. Huge “ifs” were give by our Lord. The fear is that man has watered Christ’s doctrine down, which leads to misunderstanding and abuse.

If you want a professional answer, from a trained theologian, best to call Dr. David Anders during his EWTN radio show Called to Communion. Presbyterian convert, so he well knows both sides.

 

[Billy_Buescher]

Since God wills and men to be saved, God give all sufficient grace to be saved.

And if all are saved by Grace alone.

That would be universal salvation.

But we know that all men are not saved.

That make be believe that we are not saved by grace alone, or God loves His elect more and gives them more grace, that his elect cannot refuse and are ultimately saved.

(Eph 4:7 KJV) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

 

[John_Martin]

You are all going after the Protestant definition of “saved” which is “going to heaven”.

Saved means instead being set apart into the special People of God, with a new birth by baptism into citizenship in the Kingdom established by God. This is why Peter said to the Christians “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh…”

“Saved” does not mean “going to heaven” - yet the “saved” have this hope, this confidence, “We are going to make it, and reach our inheritance and sit at table with Jesus in our homeland when our sojourn is complete; Let’s DO IT !!!” Why? Because the Holy Spirit shows us the road to sojourn on. We walk that road - our work. But God is at work in us both to will to be on that road, and to actually walk that road well.