sola gratia?

[photosynthesis]

I have a lot of Protestant friends, and they all know why Catholics don't believe in Sola Fide or Sola Scriptura, because we've discussed it a lot. However, I still don't know what sola gratia really is. I know it means "by grace alone," but are reformation ideas about grace and its role in salvation/justification different from Catholic teaching? What exactly does "grace alone" really mean?

[Jiggle Billy]

[quote name='photosynthesis' date='Sep 29 2005, 01:34 PM']I have a lot of Protestant friends, and they all know why Catholics don't believe in Sola Fide or Sola Scriptura, because we've discussed it a lot.  However, I still don't know what sola gratia really is.  I know it means "by grace alone," but are reformation ideas about grace and its role in salvation/justification different from Catholic teaching?  What exactly does "grace alone" really mean?
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I think it means that God is 100% responsible for the work of salvation. Even our faith and good works are gifts given by Him. Ephesians 2 sums it up pretty well:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

[desertwoman]

[quote name='Jiggle Billy' date='Sep 29 2005, 01:06 PM']I think it means that God is 100% responsible for the work of salvation.  Even our faith and good works are gifts given by Him.  Ephesians 2 sums it up pretty well:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.  For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
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You watch aqua team hunger force? Rockin!! I liked that episode with the dancing billy. :

[Jiggle Billy]

[quote name='desertwoman' date='Sep 29 2005, 02:12 PM']You watch aqua team hunger force?  Rockin!!  I liked that episode with the dancing billy.  :
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Everybody likes to jiggle!

[Brother Adam]

To an extent we agree on the doctrine of grace alone. The Catechism states that God is already at work in us before the evangelization stage, and without Him we would not even be able to respond in faith to His saving message. However, if you take grace alone to the extreme some Protestants do, and say that man does not have free will to reject God, then no, we would not agree.

[Jiggle Billy]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Sep 29 2005, 02:29 PM']To an extent we agree on the doctrine of grace alone. The Catechism states that God is already at work in us before the evangelization stage, and without Him we would not even be able to respond in faith to His saving message. However, if you take grace alone to the extreme some Protestants do, and say that man does not have free will to reject God, then no, we would not agree.
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Man has free will both before and after receiving God's grace. Before receiving it we always freely choose to reject God because we are corrupted by original sin. After receiving it we always freely accept His gifts because we were created in His image to give Him glory for ever. I don't mean to say that after receiving God's grace we never sin, but that we never completely and finally turn our backs on Him.

[jasJis]

Catholics have a more complex understanding. God offers us all the Grace of Salvation and also gives us Grace to accept that Grace. Catholics understand we [b]particpate[/b] with Grace.
Protestants see it as accepting Grace alone, our participation is seen as unneeded because that have the perspective that our participation adds to grace and they do not understand that our participation is possible only through Grace.

Sorry if I confuse, but it's plain as day in my mind.

[dspen2005]

[quote name='Jiggle Billy' date='Sep 29 2005, 02:06 PM']I think it means that God is 100% responsible for the work of salvation.  Even our faith and good works are gifts given by Him.  Ephesians 2 sums it up pretty well:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.  For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
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and where does Paul's admonishment, "work out your salvation" come in?

[Jiggle Billy]

[quote name='dspen2005' date='Sep 29 2005, 10:52 PM']and where does Paul's admonishment, "work out your salvation" come in?
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Working out your salvation is certainly a required part of the process. I simply acknowledge that I would be incapable of doing so without God's grace.

[Brother Adam]

check out CCC 2000 and 2024. It is important to understand what we are capable of meriting on our own (zilch) and what we can do through the grace of God and in union with Christ through our faith (we can cooperate with grace) to deny such falls into the heresy of double predestination and denies free will.

[Jiggle Billy]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Sep 30 2005, 12:45 PM']check out CCC 2000 and 2024. It is important to understand what we are capable of meriting on our own (zilch) and what we can do through the grace of God and in union with Christ through our faith (we can cooperate with grace) to deny such falls into the heresy of double predestination and denies free will. :)
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So we are in complete agreement, right?