As I understand it, the grace by which we are justified may be lost, and is lost by every grievous sin. Moreover,
charity and grievous sin are mutually exclusive.
Nonetheless, the virtue of faith may remain behind as a true faith (
fides informis), even if it is not a living faith formed by charity (
fides formata). The virtue of faith is lost by the sin of unbelief.
Furthermore, the virtue of hope may remain behind as a true hope even without charity, not however without faith. Hope is lost by the sin of despair and by the sin of unbelief.
That’s why Catholic theology insists, as St. Paul does, that faith without love is nothing. One can have faith (
fides informis) and hope without charity. This is not a living faith. We must also keep His commands. With grievous sin necessarily comes the lack of charity and removes the grace of justification until one turns again in contrition of charity to Jesus Christ.
So, while it is true that the santifying grace of justification leaves an indelible mark on one’s soul, “faith without love is nothing.”
You asked:
If you’re not in a state of grace, but are a Christian, then are you more likely, or inclined to sin or fall into temptation than you would be if you were in a state of grace?
Yes. Without sanctity and charity, you are much more likely to sin.
If you died before making a good confession, you’d go to hell.
You may, but not necessarily, as the gift of contrition of charity remits all sin even before sacramental absolution.
If in your example the Christian hasn’t committed the sin of unbelief, I presume they would still have access to the
external graces of God. External grace is any benevolent deed of God for the salvation of men, which is external to man and which affects man in a moral way only. For, example, Christ’s teaching and example.
External graces disposed men for
internal grace.
One of the *internal graces *of God is called *actual grace. *The lack of sanctifying grace does not necessarily mean God will not provide actual grace to the sinner. In fact, I believe such is almost certain. What is not certain is the free-will response to God’s gifts.
Actual grace is God working in us, without us, to enlighten the intellect and strengthen the will, with the intention that the sinner fall in love with God once again. God does this through the virtue of penance and charity. These are gratuitous gifts, not based upon any merit of ours, but are present and active in our soul so long as we don’t reject this free gift.
God desires that the virtue of charity and penance be perfected within you. Yet, it may be less perfect within you or rejected altogether depending upon the barriers to receiving these gifts. For example, one may continue to willfully cling to grievous sin, even if only partially. Sin, at times, can be difficult to part with. So, although God infuses the gifts of charity and penance (repentance) in the soul of the sinner, it may be imperfect and subordinate to our love for sinful things, or such gifts may be rejected altogether. Yet, if one accepts these gifts only partially, even imperfect sorrow may lead to more perfect sorrow or a restoral of justification through the Sacrament of Penance.
Even if contrite of our sins primarly due to our love for God (perfect contrition), which itself remits all sins, we are still bound by the Church to confess our sins and receive sacramental absolution.
So, in that state, before you are forgiven of that sin, are you like in such a spiritual state that you are more likely to sin again?
If one rejects the external graces and internal grace described above, yes. If one does not place barriers toward receiving God’s gifts, such as the virtue of charity and penance, and you willingly allow them to be active within your soul, this disposes the sinner toward more perfect love and reduces the likelihood of sin.
