Grace & predestination

• How is Original sin linked to grace?

  • The corruption of OS means we are incapable of being good enough to deserve heaving through our own efforts
  • God, in his mercy, decides to save some people even though no one actually deserves it.
  • God grants grace to some 'elect' people - allows genuine persevering faith in Jesus
  • Augustine sees grace as what saves humans and allows entry into heaven
• What is predestination from St Paul, Romans 8?

  • The view that our fate in the afterlife is fixed and determined by God
  • Double predestination holds that some are predestined for heaven, while others are predestined for hell.
  • Augustine thought election followed logically as if we cannot get ourself into heaven the God has either predestined us for heaven, or he hasn't and our OS damns us to hell.
• Pelagius and critiques of predestination.

  • Predestination makes punishment unjust
  • Not ethical for all humanity to be blamed for the actions of Adam and Eve.
  • Only our having free will and thus being without coercion from OS makes sense of the prevalent biblical theme of Gods judgement and punishment
• Augustine : Punishment is just for sinful beings.

  • He is not arguing that God himself blamed all humanity for Adams sin, merely pointing out that it was a factual consequence of Adams sin
  • Its not Gods fault; Its Adams
  • Not unjust, since we are corrupted by OS and so if we go to hell it is well deserved.
• BUT it's not our fault we have original sin.

  • Still seems unfair
  • e.g Child with cancer - do they deserve it because they have OS
  • Seems to contradict the idea that God is omnibenevolent
• Augustine on the contradiction with omnibenevolence.

  • It would only seem a contradiction to those who have a modern interpretation of love.
  • He asserts that Gods reasons and justice are beyond human understanding
  • We should not try and use our limited minds to judge God.