288. Grace, Sin, and the Three Effects of Corruption

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Can Man Prepare Himself for Grace? #

• The core question concerns whether humans can prepare for grace without grace itself
• Two kinds of preparation must be distinguished: (1) preparation for doing well and enjoying God, and (2) preparation for receiving habitual grace itself
• Preparation for the first kind requires grace; preparation for the second requires only God’s gratuitous interior motion, not another habitual grace
• The infinite regress objection is resolved: God as first mover does not presuppose another motion, since God is the ultimate source of all causality

The Order of Movers and Ends #

• Thomas uses Aristotelian framework: the order of ends corresponds to the order of efficient causes
• God is the first mover and therefore must be the first end
• Just as a soldier’s will is converted to seeking victory through the motion of the army’s leader, so man’s will is converted to God through God’s motion
• Man cannot be the first mover of himself toward God; only God can move him as first cause

Free Will and Divine Motion #

• Conversion of man to God comes about through free will
• Yet free will cannot convert itself to God except by God converting it
• This is not a contradiction but reflects the proper ordering of causes: lower causes are moved by higher causes
• Man does what is in his power, but what is in his power is defined by being moved by God

The Three Effects of Sin (Article 7) #

• Stain: A corruption of the beauty of grace, making the soul deformed through loss of grace’s illumination
• Corruption of Natural Order: The will is no longer subject to God; this disorder extends throughout the entire nature
• Debt of Punishment: Man by mortally sinning merits eternal damnation; guilt is incurred against God the judge
• Each of these effects is irreparable by human nature alone

Why Only God Can Repair the Effects of Sin #

• The stain requires a new infusion of grace’s light; natural reason alone is insufficient
• The corruption of natural order requires God drawing the will to himself
• The debt of punishment can only be remitted by God, to whom the offense was committed and who is judge
• Both habitual grace (as gift) and God’s interior motion are required

Key Arguments #

Article 5: Preparation for Grace #

Objection: Scripture commands conversion (“Be converted to me, and I will convert to you”), suggesting man can prepare himself through free will without exterior grace

Resolution:

• When Scripture says man should convert, this refers to man’s act of free will
• This act does not presuppose habitual grace, but it does presuppose God’s motion moving the will
• Grace is given to those who ask and do what is in their power; what is “in their power” is precisely being moved by God to these acts

Article 6: The Infinite Regress Problem #

Objection: If man needs grace to prepare for grace, then he needs grace to prepare for that grace, leading to infinite regress

Resolution:

• The objection confuses two distinct things: habitual grace and God’s motion
• Habitual grace does require preparation; but this preparation does not require another habitual grace
• It requires only God’s gratuitous interior motion, which as first motion does not presuppose another motion
• God is the first mover; therefore no infinite regress occurs

Article 7: Rising from Sin #

Objection: Sin is like sickness, and man can naturally recover from sickness through the body’s remaining vital principle; therefore man can recover from sin through his natural powers

Resolution:

• To rise from sin is not merely to cease sinning; it is to repair three distinct damages
• Natural health can be recovered when nature remains integral; but sin corrupts nature so that it is no longer integral
• Corrupted nature cannot repair itself to natural good, much less to supernatural justice
• Only God can repair the stain through infusion of grace, the disorder through divine motion, and the guilt through divine judgment

Important Definitions #

• Stain (macula): The corruption of the soul’s beauty resulting from loss of grace’s illumination; the deformity that sin imposes
• Corruption of Natural Order (corruptio naturalis boni): Disorder in nature caused by the will not being subject to God, resulting in disordered appetite and reason
• Debt of Punishment (debitum poenae): The guilt incurred by mortal sin, which merits eternal damnation
• Preparation (praeparatio): Either (1) preparation for doing well and enjoying God, which requires grace, or (2) preparation for receiving habitual grace, which requires only God’s interior motion
• Rising from Sin (resurgentia a peccato): Repairing all three damages caused by sin; not merely ceasing the act of sin
• First Mover (primus motor): God, as the ultimate source of all motion and causality, who does not presuppose another motion
• Integral Nature (natura integra): Nature that has suffered no corruption and retains its proper ordering; capable of natural good without grace
• Corrupted Nature (natura corrupta): Nature damaged by sin so that it cannot fulfill even natural good without grace’s healing

Examples & Illustrations #

• The Eye and the Sun: Just as a man with eyes turned from the light of the sun prepares himself for receiving light by converting his eyes toward the sun, so man prepares for grace by turning toward God; the light itself comes from outside
• The Soldier and the General: A soldier’s will is moved to seeking victory through the motion of the army leader; similarly, man’s will is moved to God through God’s motion
• Water and Heat: Water cannot heat itself; it is heated by fire; similarly, man cannot move himself to good but must be moved by God
• The Stone Thrown Upward: A stone thrown upward returns to its natural motion (downward) of itself; similarly, when nature is integral, it can return to its natural state, but corrupted nature cannot
• A Dead Body: Just as a dead body cannot be revived except by newly receiving a soul, a soul corrupted by sin cannot be restored except by God newly pouring in grace
• The “Out of Order” Machine: When a machine is out of order, it no longer functions according to its nature; sin puts the soul out of order

Notable Quotes #

“Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5) - Establishes that all human action depends on God’s motion as first mover

“Convert me, and I will be converted” (Jeremiah 31:18) - Demonstrates that even the act of conversion requires God’s prior motion

“God who created us without us will not save us without us” (Augustine) - Shows that grace works with human free will, not against it; man must will conversion, but this willing itself requires God’s motion

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44) - Proves that conversion is impossible without God drawing the human will

“A disordered soul is a punishment to itself” (Augustine) - Explains how sin’s corruption produces interior torment; the soul suffers from its own disorder

“If there is given a law which can justify, then Christ died without cause” (Galatians) - Cited to prove the necessity of grace for justification; no human work can accomplish what grace accomplishes

Questions Addressed #

Q: Can man prepare himself for grace without grace? A: No. While man must use his free will to prepare, this preparation requires God’s gratuitous interior motion. The act of preparation is itself impossible without God moving the will toward good.

Q: Does preparing for grace lead to infinite regress? A: No. God’s motion as first mover does not presuppose another motion. Habitual grace requires preparation, but preparation does not require another habitual grace—only God’s interior motion, which is ultimate and non-derivative.

Q: Can man rise from sin by himself? A: No. Sin produces three irreparable damages: (1) stain of grace’s loss, (2) corruption of nature’s order, and (3) guilt meriting punishment. Each requires God’s action: infusion of grace, divine motion of the will, and divine absolution.

Q: Is natural recovery from sin like natural recovery from sickness? A: No. In sickness, nature remains integral and can naturally recover through its vital principle. In sin, nature itself is corrupted and disordered; it cannot recover even to its natural good, much less to supernatural justice.

Theological Method #

• Thomas demonstrates that the necessity of grace does not contradict human free will; both are required for conversion
• The distinction between habitual grace and divine motion prevents infinite regress while preserving God’s absolute causality
• The threefold analysis of sin’s effects shows that grace operates on multiple levels: as healing, as interior motion, and as absolution
• Scripture is integrated with Aristotelian philosophy to show that grace perfects nature without destroying it

Pedagogical Points #

• Berquist emphasizes careful distinction of terms and concepts to avoid apparent contradictions
• The use of proportionality arguments (end to mover, preparation to grace received) shows how Thomas reasons theologically
• The concrete examples (eye, soldier, water, stone) help students grasp abstract causal relationships
• The discussion of corruption in nature illustrates why medieval theology rejected Pelagianism: sin damages the human will itself, not merely external circumstances