Jesus Christ: The Savior, and Giver of Grace
There is a story of a 68-year-old man who died and stood before the gate of heaven. St. Peter told the man that he needed a total of 100 points to get inside. So He asked the man, “tell me what good works you did on earth?” The man said, “I’ve been married to the same woman for 40 years and I’ve never cheated on her” St Peter responded, “Great, that’s 3 points!” “Really? Only 3?” responded the man. He continued, “I went to Church every Sunday.” St Peter remarked, “Ok that’s 2 points.” Then the man added, “I helped volunteer on weekends at the soup kitchen .” “That’s another 3 points” responded St. Peter. At this, the man sighed and said, “Oh man, at this rate I can only get into heaven by the grace of God!” St Peter said, “That’s it! You got it, come right in!”
This parable illustrates the primacy of God’s love and grace for our salvation. In Part One, the bible showed us the Fall: disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden. The consequence of their disobedience was original sin, after which our human nature is wounded and fallen from its original holiness. As a result, all experience suffering, sin, and death. In Part Two, we will once again use our biblical lenses to see the Good News of God’s grace!
“For God so loved the world, that He sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is the summary of gospel. That despite the Fall of Adam and Eve, God did not abandon us to sin and eternal death. As St. Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) The lenses of scriptures help us see that are saved by the free-gift of God: God who sent His Son Jesus to redeem the world. God is always the first-responder in salvation history.
The Importance of the Sacraments and Sanctifying Grace
In the 4th century, a theologian named Pelagius promoted the idea that one’s salvation was acts based. His concept was called Pelagianism; the emphasis that all possessed the ability to reach heaven by their own personal choices. After much debate, the Church would rebuke Pelagianism. The Church would affirm what we saw in Scriptures; God’s saving wonders and grace makes it possible for us to attain salvation. The work of our redemption was accomplished through Christ’s cross and resurrection. As Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14: 6). Our works in and of themselves are not enough to reach heaven; we needed the salvific works and grace of Christ to reconcile us to God. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature” (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1998).
God is the giver of grace and eternal life. Since Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost, God gives us His grace particularly through and in the sacraments, most especially baptism. Christ said, “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). St Paul adds, “You were buried with Him [Christ] in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). Baptism is essential because it gives us a share God’s life. Jesus is the only Son of God by nature, but by baptism, we become adopted sons and daughters of God. We become co-heirs to eternal life. We can receive the sanctifying breath of God by receiving the sacraments. The sacraments are our concrete encounter with the Lord through which we are made holy as He is holy. As the Catechism states, “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: 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” (CCC no. 2000)
What a powerful statement! It reminds us that God wants us to share in His divine life! Like we saw in Part One on creation, God made us for friendship. Christ gave us the sacraments as visible and physical signs by which He dispenses His sanctifying grace to us on this earth. We cannot obtain it by our works. The sacraments help us deepen our friendship and life with God.
Summary and Conclusion
Our works alone are not sufficient to merit eternal salvation. We need Christ. As He mentioned, Christ has not left us orphans, but on Pentecost He sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper and guide. The Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Divine Life and Love, enters us through the sacraments. We receive sanctifying grace through them. The Catechism summarizes it magnificently:
“The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:
– enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
– giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
– allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.” CCC no. 1266