19. According to St. Augustine, God does not need our cooperation to create us, but he DOES need our cooperation to do what?

A.    to justify us

B.      to punish us

 

THE ANSWER IS….A….God does NOT JUSTIFY US without our cooperation. Justification means being made spiritually alive, newly capable of receiving God’s sanctifying graces. God pours saving grace on our souls. We can accept the free gift, or block it. There are only two choices.

 

St. Augustine said:

“Who created you without your cooperation, will not save you without your cooperations.” (This quote is from St. Augustine’s Sermon 169, 13 and is included on p. 247 of Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott.)

Here is another translation of the same quote: “But he who made you without your consent does not justify you without your consent. He made you without your knowledge, but He does not justify you without you willing it.” (The Faith of the Early Fathers, Volume 3, p. 29, excerpt #1515, compiled by William A. Jurgens)

Here is the whole quote: “He was handed over for our offenses, and He rose again for our justification (19).” What does this mean, “for our justification”? So that He might justify us; so that He might make us just. You will be a work of God, not only because you are a man, but also because you are just. For it is better that you be just than that you be a man. If God made you a man, and you made yourself just, something you were doing would be better than what God did. But God made you without any cooperation on your part. For you did not lend your consent so that god could make you. How could you have consented, when you did not exist? But he who made you without your consent does not justify you without your consent. He made you without your knowledge, but He does not justify you without you willing it.” (St. Augustine’s Sermon 169, 13 as listed on p. 29 of The Faith of the Early Fathers)

www.thecatholicfaith.com/Teachings/predestination.htm (Predestination)

 

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