On Grace and Free Will

Perhaps you ask whether we ever read in the Sacred Scriptures of “grace for grace.” Well you possess the Gospel according to John, which is perfectly clear in its very great light. Here John the Baptist says of Christ: “Of His fullness have we all received, even grace for grace.” So that out of His fullness we have received, according to our humble measure, our particles of ability as it were for leading good lives— “according as God has dealt to every man his measure of faith;” because “every man has his proper gift of God; one after this manner, and another after that.” And this is grace.

But, over and above this, we shall also receive “grace for grace,” when we shall have awarded to us eternal life, of which the apostle said: “The grace of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” having just said that “the wages of sin is death.” Deservedly did he call it “wages,” because everlasting death is awarded as its proper due to diabolical service. Now, when it was in his power to say, and rightly to say: “But the wages of righteousness is eternal life,” he yet preferred to say: “The grace of God is eternal life;” in order that we may hence understand that God does not, for any merits of our own, but from His own divine compassion, prolong our existence to everlasting life.

Even as the Psalmist says to his soul, “Who crowns you with mercy and compassion.” Well, now, is not a crown given as the reward of good deeds? It is, however, only because He works good works in good men, of whom it is said, “It is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure,” that the Psalm has it, as just now quoted: “He crowns you with mercy and compassion,” since it is through His mercy that we perform the good deeds to which the crown is awarded.

It is not, however, to be for a moment supposed, because he said, “It is God that works in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure,” that free will is taken away. If this, indeed, had been his meaning, he would not have said just before, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” For when the command is given “to work,” their free will is addressed; and when it is added, “with fear and trembling,” they are warned against boasting of their good deeds as if they were their own, by attributing to themselves the performance of anything good.

It is pretty much as if the apostle had this question put to him: “Why did you use the phrase, 'with fear and trembling'?” And as if he answered the inquiry of his examiners by telling them, “For it is God which works in you.” Because if you fear and tremble, you do not boast of your good works— as if they were your own, since it is God who works within you.