Choose a topic from Part 2A:
1. A man is justified by the remission or removalof the guilt of sin.
2. This removal or remission of sins is effected in man bythe in-pouring of supernatural grace.
3. God gives the grace which justifies; he also gives tofree will the grace to accept justification. God moves all thingsaccording to the nature he gave them in creating them; to man'snature he gave free will; hence, by grace he moves man's willto accept freely the justifying or sanctifying grace whichremoves the guilt of sin from the soul.
4. To move the will to accept grace, the mind or intellectis moved; for free will follows in its choice the ultimatepractical judgment of the intellect. Now, the intellect is heremoved by being turned to God by faith. Hence, a movement of faithis required for the justifying of a sinner.
5. Since free will cannot choose to turn to God unless italso chooses to turn away from sin, there are two will-actsrequired for justification: the repudiating of sin, and theembracing of God's justice.
6. Four things are required for the justification of asinner: (a) the infusion of grace; (b) the movement of the freewill towards God; (c) the movement of the free will to reject sin;(d) the remission of sins.
7. The justification of a sinner, which is the change fromthe state of sin to the state of grace, is not a gradual change butan instantaneous one. The effective factor in this change is theinfusion of grace, and this is an instantaneous act. Sometimes,indeed, the soul is gradually disposed, by successive influences,to receive justification. But the actual justification does notconsume time, or admit of successive degrees or steps.
8. In the actual justification of a sinner, all fourrequisites-grace, faith, hatred of sin, remission-concur in thesame instant. But in their own nature there is priority among theserequisites for justification. Thus considered, first comes theinfusion of grace; then, the will's movement towards God byfaith and love; then, the will's rejection of sin; finally, theremission of guilt.
9. The justifying of sinners by grace can be called thegreatest work of God. Not only is this work great in itself; it isgreat in the fact that it is done for those unworthy of it. Psalm144 says that God's tendermercies are over all his works.And the work of justifying a sinner is a work of most tendermercy.
10. Apart from wondrous and unusual manifestations, as in theconversion of St. Paul, the justifying of a sinner is not called amiracle. For a miracle, taken in its widest meaning as a wondrouswork divinely wrought, is always something outside the usual courseof God's proceeding with men. Now, justification regularlyproceeds by the same course: grace, faith, rejection of sin,remission.
"Lord, here burn, here cut, and dry up in me all that hinders me from going to You, that You may spare me in eternity."
St Louis Bertrand
* * *
"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens.
"
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
* * *
"There is nothing which gives greater security to our actions, or more effectually cuts the snares the devil lays for us, than to follow another person’s will, rather than our own, in doing good."
St Philip Neri
* * *