Sanctifying Grace

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Phyllo

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Hi

A JW asked me for the meaning of sanctifying grace. I showed her the meaning from the Baltimore Catechism and she still had trouble understanding. Grace to me is a gift from God. Without his grace I would not be studying his word and would not have the desire to study. Sanctifying grace is what will get me to heaven(because of Jesus sacrifice)if I follow Gods ways. Do I have that right?

She thinks it is a force or maybe God’s spirit. How would I explain the difference between a gift and a force?

Jesus died for our sins and that is all there is to it for her. As long as she follows Jesus ways she will get there too.( for her it is a paradise on earth that she hopes for) Now I believe that it is by grace that we have the will to follow Jesus.She believes that it is a force of God.

I hope I have her question right.
Thanks
 
I would answer that, to some extent, it is a force of God (though most Catholics would never use that word), since sanctifying grace is God’s will that we should join him in eternity. We are free to accept or reject that grace, as we are with all God’s graces; however, the difference between sanctifying grace and other kinds of grace is that mortal sin actually prevents us from accepting sanctifying grace. By confessing our sins and being absolved, that impediment is removed and we, through the same act of confession, accept the gift of God that allows us to be with him in heaven.

On the matter of Jesus saving us without our consent: since God gave us free will, he would not deny us exercise of that gift, even if it meant that we reject him, as we do when we sin, especially with mortal sins. God does not force us to do anything, since that would be taking back his gift of free will. Our free will is a good thing, and the exercise of free will is a good thing; God would not do an evil act (removing free will from personal salvation) in order to achieve a greater good (all people in heaven). The idea that God would force man to do anything against his (man’s) will is flat out wrong. (Hence our objection to calling grace a force of God.)
 
Sanctifying grace is that grace which confers on our souls a new life, that is- a sharing in the life of God.
Our reconciliation with God, which the redemption of Christ has merited for us, finds its accomplishment in sanctifying grace. Through this most precious gift we participate in the divine life; we have the right to be called children of God.
This grace is the source of all our supernatural merits and bestows upon us the right of eternal
glory.

I feel it is a gift also.
 
Sanctifying grace is God’s divine life within us, a share in the divine life.
 
Thanks guys. You always come through.
I’ll see her next Friday and show her all the posts.👍
 
trekkie4christ said:
I would answer that, to some extent, it is a force of God (though most Catholics would never use that word), since sanctifying grace is God’s will that we should join him in eternity. We are free to accept or reject that grace, as we are with all God’s graces; however, the difference between sanctifying grace and other kinds of grace is that mortal sin actually prevents us from accepting sanctifying grace. By confessing our sins and being absolved, that impediment is removed and we, through the same act of confession, accept the gift of God that allows us to be with him in heaven.

On the matter of Jesus saving us without our consent: since God gave us free will, he would not deny us exercise of that gift, even if it meant that we reject him, as we do when we sin, especially with mortal sins. God does not force us to do anything, since that would be taking back his gift of free will. Our free will is a good thing, and the exercise of free will is a good thing; God would not do an evil act (removing free will from personal salvation) in order to achieve a greater good (all people in heaven). The idea that God would force man to do anything against his (man’s) will is flat out wrong. (Hence our objection to calling grace a force of God.)
Click to expand...
This sounds very good to me and understandable.

I’ll see her on again next Friday.

Thanks for the response.
 
Phyllo said:
Hi

A JW asked me for the meaning of sanctifying grace. I showed her the meaning from the Baltimore Catechism and she still had trouble understanding. Grace to me is a gift from God. Without his grace I would not be studying his word and would not have the desire to study. Sanctifying grace is what will get me to heaven(because of Jesus sacrifice)if I follow Gods ways. Do I have that right?

She thinks it is a force or maybe God’s spirit. How would I explain the difference between a gift and a force?

Jesus died for our sins and that is all there is to it for her. As long as she follows Jesus ways she will get there too.( for her it is a paradise on earth that she hopes for) Now I believe that it is by grace that we have the will to follow Jesus.She believes that it is a force of God.

I hope I have her question right.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Here is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it. I think it’s a great explanation.

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM

1999 The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is the sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism. It is in us the source of the work of sanctification:
Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.
2000 Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.
 
Nita said:
Here is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it. I think it’s a great explanation.

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Z.HTM

1999 The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is the sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism. It is in us the source of the work of sanctification:
Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.
2000 Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.
Click to expand...
This is good too. I don’t know if she read this or not. She does have a CCC.

I am going to let her read all these responses.
 
It might also be useful to describe sanctifying grace as a property of God’s character: God is being gracious to us in extending the possibility of being gradually transformed, rather than simply dismissing us as fallen and wicked.

Her reference to a force or spirit may be about the JW’s description of God’s Spirit as “a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to accomplish a variety of his purposes. To a certain extent, it can be likened to electricity” (watchtower.org/e/ti/article_07.htm). In their doctrine, the Spirit is not a person.
 
Phyllo said:
This is good too. I don’t know if she read this or not. She does have a CCC.

I am going to let her read all these responses.
Click to expand...
If you want the definition from the Modern Catholic Dictionary:

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.
 
Phyllo said:
Hi

A JW asked me for the meaning of sanctifying grace. I showed her the meaning from the Baltimore Catechism and she still had trouble understanding. Grace to me is a gift from God. Without his grace I would not be studying his word and would not have the desire to study. Sanctifying grace is what will get me to heaven(because of Jesus sacrifice)if I follow Gods ways. Do I have that right?

She thinks it is a force or maybe God’s spirit. How would I explain the difference between a gift and a force?

Jesus died for our sins and that is all there is to it for her. As long as she follows Jesus ways she will get there too.( for her it is a paradise on earth that she hopes for) Now I believe that it is by grace that we have the will to follow Jesus.She believes that it is a force of God.

I hope I have her question right.
Thanks
Click to expand...
In a sense, grace is the gift of God, Himself. In fact I believe Aquinas associated grace directly with the Holy Spirit and His indwelling. Communion with God is what our faith is all about after all and in any case there’s a direct and intimate link between God, love, grace, righteousness. holiness, truth, justice, etc. The loss of sanctifying grace is also characterized as the loss of original holiness and justice, all of which is impossible for man without union with God; He is our justice.
 
Mystophilus said:
It might also be useful to describe sanctifying grace as a property of God’s character: God is being gracious to us in extending the possibility of being gradually transformed, rather than simply dismissing us as fallen and wicked.

Her reference to a force or spirit may be about the JW’s description of God’s Spirit as “a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to accomplish a variety of his purposes. To a certain extent, it can be likened to electricity” (watchtower.org/e/ti/article_07.htm). In their doctrine, the Spirit is not a person.
Click to expand...
Yes, I am well aware of their changing doctrines. She at times has told me that the “lightening” reference might be a bad one. I was surprised to here her say that.

Thanks.
 
thistle said:
If you want the definition from the Modern Catholic Dictionary:

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.
Click to expand...
This is one book that I don’t seem to have in my Catholic Library.

I think that she believes that the soul is just our living mortal bodies. I wonder if she thinks that the JW"s have divine life here on earth. I’ll have to ask her. Thanks for the above.
 
fhansen said:
In a sense, grace is the gift of God, Himself. In fact I believe Aquinas associated grace directly with the Holy Spirit and His indwelling. Communion with God is what our faith is all about after all and in any case there’s a direct and intimate link between God, love, grace, righteousness. holiness, truth, justice, etc. The loss of sanctifying grace is also characterized as the loss of original holiness and justice, all of which is impossible for man without union with God; He is our justice.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I can’t wait for her to read all these wonderful responses.
 
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