Глава VIII

In what sense is eternal life a grace? 19. This gives rise to a very important question, which, if the Lord gives it to us, must be resolved. After all, if eternal life is rewarded for good deeds 107 , and Scripture quite clearly says that God will reward everyone according to his deeds 108 - how can eternal life be [at the same time] grace, if grace is not rewarded for works, but is given freely, according to the words of the apostle himself: The reward of the one who works is not attributed to grace, but according to debt 109 . And in another place [the apostle] says: By the election of grace a remnant has been preserved, and he immediately adds: But if by grace, it is not of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace 110. So, how is eternal life a grace if it is acquired by works? Or does the apostle not call eternal life grace? On the contrary, he spoke about it in such a way that it is completely impossible to reject it, and here he requires not a subtle thinker, but an attentive listener. For when he said: The wages of sin is death, he immediately added: But the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord 111. 20. So, it seems to me that we will not be able to resolve this question in any way if we do not understand that our very good deeds, for which eternal life is rewarded, relate to the grace of God, which is why the Lord says in the Gospel: Without Me you can do nothing 112 . And the apostle himself, when he said: You have been saved by grace through faith, and this is not from you, but the gift of God, not from works, lest anyone become arrogant, 113 - of course, he saw that people can understand this as if good works are not necessary for those who believe, but faith alone is sufficient for them; and on the other hand, [he saw] that people can be exalted in good works, [believing] that their own strength is sufficient to accomplish these works: therefore he immediately adds: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance, that we should live in them. Why did he say this in support of the position that, as he says: We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works? So, in what sense does it say: Not from works, lest anyone become arrogant? But listen and understand what is said: not from works, because this is not from your works, which supposedly exist from you, but from those works for which God created you, that is, formed and created you. For this is what the apostle says: We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, not by the creature by which we were made men, but by the one about whom he speaks who, undoubtedly, was already a man 115: Create in me a pure heart, O God 116 by that [creation] of which the apostle also speaks: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away, and now the new has been made; but every [creation] is from God 117 . Therefore, we are created, that is, we are formed and created for good deeds, which we did not prepare for ourselves, but God prepared for us to live in them. And so, beloved brethren, if our good life is nothing other than God’s grace, then undoubtedly eternal life, which is rewarded for a good life [here], is also God’s grace; for it is also given freely, since the first is given freely to the one to whom it is given. But when the first [that is, life in goodness] is given to someone, then it is simply grace, and if the second [that is, eternal life] is given to him, then it, being his reward, is grace upon grace, as a reward for righteousness, and thus the undoubtedly true thing will be true - that God will reward everyone according to his deeds 118 . De gratia et libero arbitrio (CPL 352). Translation based on the publication: Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Accurante J.-P. Migne. Paris, 1845. T. 44, Col. 881–912. This refers to the psalmist David. – Approx. ed. 2 Cor 5:17–18. To the Synod. Transl.: So, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away, everything is new. Still from God. Matthew 16:27; Rom 2:6; Ps 61:13.