Comments on: Saved By _______

By: Ales Rarus - A Rare Bird, A Strange Duck, One Funky Blog » Tempus Fugit

Ales Rarus - A Rare Bird, A Strange Duck, One Funky Blog » Tempus Fugit — Wed, 24 May 2006 14:47:43 +0000

[...] My exchange with Adrian Warnock regarding "the simple gospel" seems to be winding down, which opens up a "slot" for something else. On the other hand, I've been outlining an article I'd like to write on imitation of Christ, directly and by proxy through imitation of the saints. That leaves me little or no time to respond to Ed Heckman's well-constructed thoughts regarding Mary, the Catholic Church, and Scripture. [...]

By: Tom Smith

Tom Smith — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with your list, except I would point out one thing.

"Faith is a product of grace, which is given by God. We must be open to receiving that grace. If grace is irresistible, then we have imperfect free will."

I think we have imperfect free will anyway. One of the consequences of the Fall is a disordered will, one that is now ordered toward, and unnaturally attached to, sin (concupiscence). There were four people who had the perfect free will: the old Adam & Eve and the new Adam & Eve (Jesus & Mary).

I would say that grace is resistible anyway, because if it were otherwise, salvation would be completely arbitrary, taking no regard for merit.

By: Tom Smith

Tom Smith — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I was only trying to indicate that I think stating that, "if grace were irresistible, then we have imperfect free will" is a little misleading, because we do have imperfect free will, not that grace is irresistible.

Certainly our concupiscence, along with original sin one of the resuslts of the Fall, is strengthened by our sins in the here and now. I tend to think that sin paves the way to further sin by deforming our wills even further than the Fall did.

I'd say that a certain amount of grace is conducted ex opere operato, to use the Thomistic terms, and some ex opere operantis. To receive graces ex opere operato means to receive them regardless of one's disposition (barring a state of mortal sin while receiving the Eucharist, of course), sheerly by the work done; I think that each sacrament confers grace this way. Over and beyond the ex opere operato reception of grace is the ex opere operantis reception, whereby one receives extra graces based on one's proper disposition to the reception of the sacrament, and beyond the sheer action.

We must be careful that we don't believe we haven't received graces simply because we didn't get a "Jesus high." Graces are indetectible, I'd say. That's not to say you can't be deeply affected along with the sacrament; it's just that the feeling of inner peace (or whatever it may be) isn't a direct experience of the grace.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

You make a good point, but the kind of imperfect free will I referred to meant that we are to some degree God's puppets. You are right that our wills are impaired by sin. I suppose grace restores the balance, if only for a time. Your point only reinforces my statement that grace is not irresistible. Some might argue that grace is communicated inconditionally in the sacraments. While I think this is true in the once-only sacraments, it is not in the repeatable sacraments. For instance, if we take the Eucharist unworthily, we eat and drink condemnation upon ourselves. I find it somewhat ironic that we must be in a state of grace in order to receive certain further graces.