Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection has reconciled humanity to the Father. This does not mean that every individual human is forthwith justified, for justification is wrought by the application to the soul of grace derived from the infinite merits of Jesus Christ.
So what is meant by this term “justification”? Justification is my transformation from a sinful, fallen human in a state of unrighteousness to an adopted child of God in a state of holiness. Justification is an action of God alone. I cannot earn justification. I cannot by my own abilities or powers achieve this state of holiness and righteousness. Justification comes to me through the Holy Spirit by the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By grace, the Holy Spirit justifies me, cleansing me from sin and communicating to me “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” and through Baptism (Rom 3:22). Through the power of the Spirit in Baptism, I take part in Christ’s Passion. I die to sin. I also participate in His Resurrection by being born to a new life. I become a member of His Body which is the Church (I Cor 12).
The first work of the Spirit is conversion, to turn me toward God and away from sin; accepting forgiveness and righteousness. Justification is not only the forgiveness and remission of sin, but it is also the sanctification and renewal of the soul. It detaches me from sin and purifies my heart of sin. It frees me from the enslavement to sin, and it heals me.
Justification has been won for me by the Passion of Christ. Conferred to me in Baptism, it conforms me to the righteousness of God, Jesus Christ, and offers me the gift of eternal life. But it entails cooperation between God’s grace and my free will. On my part, my justification is expressed by my assent of faith and in my cooperation of charity and love with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a cooperation that itself is itself accomplished only with God’s grace.
When God touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God's sight. (Council of Trent [1547]: DS 1525).
To repeat: Justification comes to me by the application of grace to my soul – grace arising from the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, won for us by His Death and Resurrection.
So what is grace? In general, grace (in Latin, gratia, in Greek, charis) is a supernatural gift of God to humans for their eternal salvation.To aid our understanding and discussion, we can speak of two general types of grace. Actual grace is a supernatural gift of God by which a person is able to perform salutary acts. Sanctifying grace is a supernatural gift of God establishing a more or less enduring state of holiness by which a person is rendered pleasing to God.
In the next post, we will look more closely at actual grace.
