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 Gods 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. Augustines
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. Augustines 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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