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Spiritual Life

The Grace of God (Part II)

By January 20, 2025No Comments

Having defined what grace is (READ HERE), we now need to address in what manner this help from God called grace comes, which again we will address in both layman’s and theological terms.

 

In layman’s terms, grace does two things to help us in relationship with God. Firstly, grace forgives us our sins, so as to restore us in right relationship with God. Secondly, grace raises our rational powers of intellect and will so as to be able to know and love in a supernatural manner (which effectively means that we can now perform good works meritorious of eternal life, which we can’t do of our own natural capacities).

 

In theological terms, we read in 2 Peter 1:1-4: “Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained equal faith with us in the justice of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be accomplished in the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord: As all things of His Divine power which appertain to life and godliness, are given us, through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own proper glory and virtue. By whom he hath given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature: flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world.” This is a famous passage from the Apostle Peter that describes the activity of grace, how grace works, how it helps us, the key line being that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature. That is, grace “deifies”, or “divinizes”, us, making us like to God. What we mean by deification/divinization is that this supernatural gift from God actually makes us, as Peter writes, participants/partakers in the Divine Nature – we participate in, partake in, grace is giving a share in, the very Triune Life of God Itself. And that is how grace helps us, by giving us a share in the Divine Triune Life, which elevates us out of the purely natural, created order and into the supernatural order. And this is how grace helps us, by God actually drawing us into His very own life, elevating us beyond our purely natural life as creatures to actually share in His Divine Life.

 

With this in mind, this is where we get the line from many of the Fathers and Doctors, famously St. Athanasius, that “God became man so that man might become God”. Not that we literastically become God, we always remain the creature that we are. But rather that grace gives us such a supernatural vitality that we actually have the Divine life running within us, so to speak. So we become like God because we are sharing in the life of God. And such is the great help that God gives us for the spiritual life – by now sharing in the life of God, by grace, here on earth, so we can share in the life of God, by grace, for all of eternity!

Daniel Campbell

Daniel Campbell earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Preprofessional Studies in 2004 from the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he worked in medical research for five years in anticipation of entering medical school. However, God called him to a different life when he entered the Catholic Church and received the sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist in 2008. He then earned his Master's Degree in Systematic Theology at the Augustine Institute in 2012, focusing his studies on the works of St. Thomas Aquinas. Daniel joined the faculty of the Lay Division at Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in 2012 (sjvlaydivision.org). He taught the Denver Catholic Biblical School program for 8 years and was the creator and instructor of the "Art of Living: Mastering the Virtuous Life" and "Life in Christ: Prayer and Conversion" Enrichment Courses. He was given additional duties as the Coordinator of Curriculum Development for the Lay Division in 2017. He currently serves as Director of the Lay Division, as well as creator and instructor of the "Living like Saints" Enrichment Course. Daniel has also published four Audio Courses on the life of Saint Joseph, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas on law, and the grace of God (thewisdomofthesaints.com). Daniel and his wife and five children live in the Denver area.

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