catholic teaching on justification: part 2
communicating righteousness to us
tldr: Catholics teach that the righteousness of God actually changes our interior - it’s not just a change of status or identity allowing God to accept us.
As a reminder, in the last article I talked about the grace of the Holy Spirit and our cooperation with Him. This was expanded on to push against the notion that Catholicism teaches that we somehow save ourselves by our works. The chapter on justification in the Catholic Catechism - where I began last week - reads, “The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through Baptism. And man has the ability to cooperate, when moved by grace, he turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness.” - p. 1987, 1989
I covered grace in the last article.
I’ll cover “communicate righteousness” in this article.
I’ll cover baptism in the next article.
Before we talk about the word “communicate” let’s first talk about the word “righteousness.”
For the reformed theologian (and I’d argue most of protestantism), righteousness is understood in two basic ways:
A status or identity change; a legal declaration of “righteous” from God the Judge
To be righteous means to be “declared right with God” which requires complete innocence of all sin and it’s guilt, and complete and perfect obedience to the law.
This is what I’ve explained at lengths in previous articles: they teach that I’m seen by God as legally righteous due to my faith which hides me in Christ. It’s an identity / status change. The equation is like this: the Father is pleased in His Son // I am clothed in the righteousness of His Son by faith // The Father is pleased in me, eternally and fully since I now stand before Him covered in the perfect righteousness of Christ, innocent, accepted and loved forever.
A moral behavior or action.
Righteousness is obedience to God’s moral law. Doing the right thing is synonymous with doing righteousness. This obedience is done individually (i.e. personal piety) and societally (i.e. doing justice).
Reformed theology (and I’d say most of protestantism) links point #1 with Justification and point #2 with Sanctification.
For the Catholic, "righteousness” means something entirely different. It is not a legal declaration of a new identity where we are made right with God, nor is it just a moral behavior (though that is true). During our justification there is a real soul-level, interior change. They describe this as ontological righteousness. God doesn’t just “see me as righteous” because I’m clothed in a righteousness that’s not my own, rather, I actually become a partaker of God’s divine righteousness, i.e His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Catholicism teaches that during my justification, something about my inner being changes.
Think about it this way.
There is such thing as objective morality. It is objectively immoral, for example, to take something that does not belong to you. All societies throughout all generations understand that as wrong. And when that unrighteous (i.e. wrong) action is committed, there is another real property at play: you are objectively guilty. That guilt is not a social construct - though your action may have social consequences - but that guilt is a thing, and it weighs on you and negatively damages your soul, your gut, your conscious, your innermost being.
There are objective unrighteous actions and objective unrighteous moral properties, namely guilt.
The opposite is also true.
When you intentionally cooperate with grace, that is an objectively righteous act that has an objective moral property, which attaches itself to our innermost being, our soul, our self. It is the righteousness of Christ making us objectively righteous.1
Ok - clear enough? I’m still a newbie, so take it easy on me.
Is this righteousness imputed or communicated?
For the reformed Christian, you should know the answer by now. It is imputed to us. Impute means, “represent as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute.” As Martin Luther says, at our core we are still a dung hill, but righteousness is the snow which makes us seen as white, but the snow is not ours, it is Christ’s righteousness, attributed to us.
But, for the Catholic, righteousness is a real moral property which is communicated to us and changes us from the inside out (per the Catechism, above). The etymology of the word communicate means: “to impart; to give or transmit to another.” It is still the righteousness of Christ, but imparted to us, not imputed.
And this is what everyone believed before Luther.
In fact, true religion does not hinge on a 16th century understanding of justification by faith alone, but on the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His salvation offered to man. Christianity, as Saint Athanasius of Alexandria teaches (4th century), "God became man so that men might become like God." In his book On the Incarnation he understands Christian salvation to be the truth that through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, humanity is given the opportunity to be united with God. He terms this salvation as “theosis” or “divinization” which involves participation in the divine life. By being united with Christ, by grace, through faith, repentance and baptism, believers share in the very life of God. We share in that life through the imparting of His righteousness to our inner being.
This imparted gift of righteousness transforms persons - over time - making them more like God in holiness and virtue, reflecting God’s attributes in their lives, such as love, mercy, justice and compassion.
Righteousness is not imputed to us like a robe, only clothing us externally. It’s not like the Green Jacket you must wear to get into Augusta National. The righteousness of God is an ontological change. Our very inner being becomes righteous, by grace through faith, repentance and baptism.
The Catechism says…
Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit… Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life… Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us.
And this is how St. Augustine - and those fathers of the faith before him - understood justification…
According to Augustine, justification is about the inward transformation by the Holy Spirit. He follows the earlier tradition by emphasizing the effective nature of justification, saying, “For what else does the phrase ‘being justified’ signify than being made righteous – by Him, of course, who justifies the ungodly man, that he may become a godly one instead?”2
The Confusion…
This is where I get a bit more animated in my heart (that’s a kind way of saying it). There is such a clear misrepresentation of the Catholic position! And the authors and theologians are either completely uninformed and ignorant, or are continuing down their path of self-righteously misrepresenting the Catholic position to make themselves out to be the “right” ones.
A well-respected Reformed journal states the “righteousness division” this way: “How can a man be justified before God? There could never be a more important question to fallen and sinful man than this. What do the Scriptures teach about this most urgent of all topics? Two answers to this question have been asserted in the history of Christian theology. Some claim that we can make ourselves righteous by our works. Others assert that we are declared righteous by our faith. Justification is thus understood actively or passively.”3
Their article continues to go on, citing all the passages I wrote about over the past few weeks, that Christianity is about salvation by faith, and heretical-Catholicism is about salvation by works. If you still believe that is true, please go back and read my last few articles.
Catholicism does not teach that we “make ourselves righteous by our works.” God makes us righteous by grace. When we - in an act of faith - take God at His word, and we repent and get baptized (or we baptize our children), we are justified. Righteousness is given to us, just as God promised.
Let’s look at the main text that is often used to defend “imputed righteousness” and I’ll explain why “communicate righteousness” is a better conclusion.
1 ) Genesis 15:6
“And he (Abram) believed the Lord, and he (God) counted it to him as righteousness.”
The late Reformed hero of mine, R.C. Sproul states it this way,
“Perhaps more than any other single verse in the Old Testament, this passage explains how the unrighteous can hope to stand before a holy God…the patriarch believed and he was “counted” righteous. Despite Abram’s transgressions, the Lord saw him (legally speaking) as having fulfilled all the obligations placed upon him, and therefore faithful to His covenant. According to John Calvin’s commentary, those to whom God imputes righteousness are approved by Him as just persons, that is, persons who are in a right standing with Him.”4
This passage is used three times in the NT (James 2, Galatians 3, Romans 4) and is understood by reformed theologians to be the OT passage which most clearly articulates: justification = imputing Christ’s righteousness, by grace through faith alone. Here is a summary of their interpretation and application of this verse:
Prior to our saving faith, like Abram was here, we are all sinners and therefore unrighteous before God.
If, like Abram, we believe God and take Him at His promise, i.e. we place our faith in God, He will declare us righteous. This declaration has nothing to do with our good works, only faith.
This (belief in God) is the moment in Abram’s life - and ours - when we are declared righteous (i.e. justified). Our sins are forgiven and the righteousness of God is imputed fully to us.
But this is simply not what this text teaches, nor is it the point Paul makes when he references this passage. That is what I want you to understand. Often times a position is established and then texts are squeezed into a preconceived belief. That’s what happening here.
Let’s look at the text and you tell me…
Prior to this moment, Abram was already called and chosen/elected by grace (Gen. 12:1-3). By grace he is called to a life of faith, to go to a land he was to receive by inheritance. He cooperated with this grace, and his faith(fulness) is recognized as an example for all of us who are called to live lives of faith in Hebrews 11:8-16. Moving along in his story, the moment prior to this moment of “reckoning” righteousness, Abram has just saved his nephew Lot, and destroyed Sodom. The king of Sodom tries to make a deal with Abram, saying, “give me back the persons (Lot and others) and take all of our goods and materials.” But Abram wants Lot because he sees him as the heir of his house because God clearly isn’t providing a child of his own. God comes back on the scene and says, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And Abram believes (insert verse).
Jimmy Akin says, “The fact that God is rewarding Abraham for what he has done shows this isn’t a case of an unrighteous (in the sight of God) sinner coming to God and becoming justified by obtaining forgiveness and a legal imputed righteousness. It’s God rewarding a follower for faithful service. That means Abraham isn’t acquiring righteousness here for the first time. He is already righteous, as his actions have shown… Believing God when he tells you he will do something is a righteous act. Abraham did something actually righteous here.
In short, this text is not about the reformed / lutheran understanding of justification.
Abram was not an unrighteous man prior to this verse, but a righteous follower of God, already called and saved and being saved.
Abram does a righteous action (he believes) and is imparted the righteousness of God - which is the ontological moral property (as I explained above) given for his faith.
Nowhere in this text do we see forgiveness of sins and the full imputation of an alien righteousness that is not his own. This is not a story of a sinner becoming a converted and covered saint. This is not about a dung hill being covered in snow, but about a man having faith and being rewarded.
Check out my commentary on the Romans 4 and Galatians 3 passages below5
There are two other texts which I’ve commented on below, as well.6
Let me back away from the weeds and try to summarize:
Righteousness is a real thing which changes our being. It begins at our justification, which happens through faith, repentance and baptism.
It is imparted to us as we cooperate with grace.
This is what all of those prior to Luther understood the Scriptures to teach and is a better way of understanding the three passages reformed theologians often cite.
A year ago my Catholic friend and I were discussing righteousness. I was defending the reformed position, and he asked me, “But does God love you? Or you, in Jesus? Does He love you or does he just accept you because he really doesn’t see you, but Jesus?”
What do you think?
…
I leave us with this encouragement:
“13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Pe 1:13–19)
The above thought is derived from this essay: https://jimmyakin.com/righteousness-and-merit
https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/Justification#section4.3
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/justifying-faith-of-abraham
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/faith-and-righteousness#:~:text=“And%20he%20believed%20the%20Lord,we%20find%20in%20sacred%20Scripture.
When Paul references this text in Romans 4 he does so to prove his point that Abraham is not the father of the Jews (only) - understood as “the circumcised” - but the Gentiles also.
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised. (Ro 4:1–11)
Romans 4 teaches that salvation comes by faith and not through adherence to the law. Abraham was righteous by faith (Gen. 15) prior to circumcision (Gen. 17), which is a “work of the law.” See my article about faith vs. works of the law.
And this ^ ^ is Paul’s point in Galatians 3 as well…
“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Ga 3:1–9).
What is Paul doing? He’s using Abraham - and his righteous act of faith which was rewarded by an ontological change; God’s righteousness was reckoned to him - to teach the divisive and confused Jews in Galatia, that Abraham is the father of the Jews and Gentiles and all those who live by faith. He is imploring them to hear God’s promises and believe, and in doing so, you are a child of Abraham!
All that to say, many reformed theologians misunderstand Paul’s “works of the law” and they read “imputed righteousness of Jesus at a moment of saving faith” into these texts above, which then leads them to read that doctrine into the story of Abram. But the doctrine isn’t in the story of Abram and it’s not what Paul is teaching either.
Two other reformed texts often citied to teach imputed righteousness simply make more sense as imparted:
2 ) Philippians 3:4-11
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
3 ) Matthew 5:17-20
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus and Paul are saying the exact same thing. They are exposing the difference between the Old Covenant attainment of righteousness, which the scribes and Pharisees still abided by, namely, a righteousness which comes through adherence to the Law.
Why did they believe this? Well, after Moses tells Israel the greatest commandment (called the Shema) he reminds them to rehearse their story of salvation and obey God’s commandments. “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.” (Dt 6:24–25) This is the commandment which Jesus fulfilled - a perfect love of God the Father, but he did not abolish the law in doing so.
“Jesus inaugurates a new and climactic phase in salvation history. He introduces a New Covenant standard of righteousness that surpasses the real, but insufficient righteousness of the Old…”
Obtaining righteousness through adherence to the law was “God’s temporary arrangement for Israel. It drew them closer to God and separated them from the sins of the Gentiles. Eventually, Israel expected a day when God would write his Law on their hearts (Jer. 31:31-34)… this New Covenant brings the temporary and national phase to a close. The New Covenant has a new scope - it is outwardly wider than the one-nation of Israel, it is an international kingdom of God. And it is also inwardly deeper, penetrating the heart, reaching within to govern persons and private life by a standard of holiness.
These passages (Phil. 3 and Matt. 5) are not about being clothed in Christ, forgiven of all past, present and future sins, and being seen by God as perfect and complete. These passages are about Christians receiving a righteousness that is not our own - a new and better kind of righteousness - that does not come by works of the law, but by God the Spirit who inwardly changes the heart. This righteousness is perfect. The quality of Christ’s righteousness given to the Christian never changes, but the quantity does as we cooperate more or less with God’s grace. This righteousness puts all of Paul’s former righteousness to shame. This righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. Because it is Christ’s.