This blog post explores the Catholic teaching on justification, emphasizing the roles of faith and grace in moral transformation. It clarifies the distinctions between different uses of justification and how faith acts as a preparatory disposition for receiving God's grace, ultimately leading to salvation.
In April of last year, I released a video titled "Justification: The Catholic View" on my second channel, Distinguo. In that video, I explained the Catholic teaching on justification, emphasizing its centrality in Catholic spirituality. However, I believe I overlooked a crucial aspect that is essential for understanding many scriptural texts regarding justification. This aspect is often ignored in contemporary discussions, which weakens the presentation of the Catholic view. Before delving into this distinction, let’s recap the Catholic teaching on justification to provide context and refresh our understanding.
The term "justification" refers to the action of making someone just, similar to how "sanctification" refers to making someone holy. When we discuss justification, we can mean three things:
In discussions with Protestants, the primary focus is often on the first use of the term: How does God justify the ungodly? The Catholic answer is straightforward: we are justified by the justice of God, which is a gift of grace given to us without any merits of our own. While we were still sinners, God offered us this transformative gift, allowing us to move from living according to the flesh to living according to the spirit.
Grace is the sharing in the justice of God that morally transforms us. It is not earned through works; rather, it creates us for good works. This understanding aligns with St. Paul’s teachings, particularly in Ephesians 2, where grace is depicted as a moral transformation. However, in my previous discussions, I often stopped at this point, focusing primarily on the justification of the impious and occasionally mentioning the justification of the pious.
A critical aspect that I previously overlooked is the act of faith. Many have heard about the virtue of faith, which flows from habitual grace or the acts of faith performed in a state of grace. Interestingly, scripture often presents justice as something that comes from faith. For instance, in Romans 3:22, St. Paul states, "This justice is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." This raises a question: How can justice come through faith if habitual grace, which is justice, causes faith?
To understand this apparent contradiction, we must consider the nature of change. When something transitions from one state to another, two conditions must be met:
For example, to ignite a wet log, it must first be dried before it can catch fire. In this analogy, grace serves two functions: it draws our faculties towards God to accept His gift and then provides the gift itself.
According to Catholic theology, the foundational preparation for justification is the act of faith. This act disposes us to receive the habitual grace of sanctifying grace. The Council of Trent describes faith as the beginning of man's salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, emphasizing that without faith, it is impossible to please God.
The act of faith can be seen as an instrument through which we receive God's justice. Romans 4:4-5 illustrates this: "To one who works, his wages are not imputed as a gift, but as his due, and to the one who does not work, but who believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is imputed as justice." Here, we see a parallel between the worker receiving wages and the believer receiving justice due to faith. However, there is a crucial distinction: wages are merited, while justice is a gratuitous gift.
The formula often used in Catholic teaching is that we are justified or saved by grace through faith. Each term has specific meanings:
St. Paul’s writings in Ephesians 2 further clarify this transformation. He describes how we were once dead in our sins but were made alive through grace. This transformation is a moral one, achieved by grace and received through faith. St. Paul emphasizes that this salvation is not of ourselves but a gift from God, not resulting from works, so that no one may boast.
The transformation resulting from justification leads to good works. We are made just so that we may act justly. St. Paul reiterates this in Titus 3, where he describes our former state of immorality and how God’s mercy saved us, not because of our works but through the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. This washing signifies an interior moral transformation, allowing us to be justified by grace and become heirs of eternal life.
In conclusion, the Catholic Church's teaching on justification is clearly articulated in sacred scripture. We are justified by grace through faith, where faith serves as the initial disposition for receiving God's grace. This grace constitutes our justice, ensuring that no one may boast about their own merits. The interplay between faith and grace is essential for understanding the Catholic perspective on justification and the moral transformation it entails.
