Thomas Aquinas

Here the Apostle sets down the fourth benefit, namely that of being made gracious through the conferral of grace. Concerning this he does two things. First he touches on the conferral of this benefit; second he shows the manner and condition of the conferring, at the words "in whom we have redemption," etc. He says therefore first: I say that we have been predestined unto the adoption of sons, unto the praise of the glory of his grace, and I say the grace, in which he has made us gracious, etc. Concerning this it must be known that it is the same thing for something to be pleasing to someone and to be loved by him. For that is pleasing to me which I love. Since, then, God has loved us from eternity — for he chose us before the foundation of the world in charity, as has been said — how then did he make us gracious in time? And it must be said that those whom he loved in himself from eternity, he makes gracious in time insofar as they exist in their own natures; and indeed that which is from eternity was not made, whereas that which is in time is said to come to be. Hence here the Apostle says "he has made us gracious," that is, he has made us pleasing, so that we might be worthy of his love. 1 John 3: "Behold what manner of charity the Father has given us, that we should be called, and should be, the sons of God." Now it is customary to distinguish a twofold grace: namely, grace freely given, which is given without merits — Romans 11: "But if by grace, now it is not of works, otherwise grace is no more grace" — and grace which makes gracious, which makes us pleasing and acceptable to God, and it is of this that it is spoken here. It must be noted, moreover, that some are loved on account of another, and some on account of themselves. For when I love someone greatly, I love him, and whatever pertains to him; but we are loved by God, not on account of ourselves, but in him who is loved by the Father through himself. And therefore the Apostle adds "in the beloved Son," for whose sake, namely, he loves us, insofar as we are like him. For love is founded upon likeness. Hence it is said, Ecclesiasticus 13:19: "every animal loves its like." Now the Son, by his own nature, is like the Father, and therefore is loved principally and through himself, and therefore is loved by the Father naturally and in the most excellent way. We, however, are sons by adoption, insofar, that is, as we are conformed to his Son, and therefore we have a certain participation of the divine love. John 13:35: "the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand; he who believes in the Son has eternal life." Colossians 1:13: "he has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love."

Then, when he says "in whom we have redemption," etc., he sets down the manner of it. Concerning this he does two things. For first he proposes the manner on the part of Christ; second on the part of God, at the words "according to the riches of his grace," etc. On the part of Christ he sets down a twofold manner, for Christ made us gracious by two things. For there are two things in us which are opposed to the divine making-gracious, namely the stain of sin and the harm of punishment. And just as death is opposed to life, so sin is opposed to justice, so that by this, being removed far from the likeness of God, we would not be pleasing to God. But through Christ he has made us gracious. First indeed by the removal of punishment, and as to this he says that in Christ we have redemption, namely from the servitude of sin. 1 Peter 1:18: "you were not redeemed with corruptible things, gold or silver, from your vain manner of living handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood," etc. Apocalypse 5:9: "you have redeemed us to God in your blood." Second, we are said to be redeemed because, from the servitude in which we were held on account of sin, and which we could not fully satisfy for by ourselves, we have been freed through Christ, because by dying for us he satisfied God the Father, and thus the harm of guilt has been abolished. Hence he says "unto the remission of sins." John 1:29: "behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world." Luke, last chapter, 46: "it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name."

Now the manner on the part of God is set down when he says "according to the riches," etc., as if he were to say that God, in making us gracious, not only remitted the fault to us, but gave his own Son, who satisfied for us. And this was out of superabundant grace, by which he willed, through this, to preserve the honor of human nature, in that, as it were through justice, he willed to free men from the servitude of sin and death through the death of his own Son. And therefore he says "according to the riches of his grace," as if he were to say: this, that we have been redeemed and made gracious through the satisfaction of his Son, was out of abundant grace and mercy, inasmuch as mercy and compassion are bestowed upon the undeserving.

Now these things which have been said we have pursued according to the exposition of the Gloss, which exposition indeed seems forced, because the same thing is contained in the one as in the other. For it is the same thing to say "he chose us" and "he predestined us." And the same thing is said by what he says "that we should be holy and immaculate" as by what he says "unto the adoption of sons." On account of which it must be known that it is the custom of the Apostle that, when he speaks on some difficult matter, the things which immediately follow are an exposition of what was said before, and there is not there a mere repetition of words, but an exposition, and the Apostle keeps to this manner here. Hence, keeping the same weight of words, let us divide differently from the beginning, and let us say that this part, "blessed be God," etc., is divided first into three parts, because the Apostle first renders an act of thanksgiving, at "blessed be God," etc.; second he recounts the bestowal of all the benefits together, at "who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing," etc.; third he sets down an open expression of the divine benefits in particular, at "as he chose," etc. And this is divided into two parts, because first he expresses the benefits distinctly; second he expounds them, at "who has predestined us," etc. Now he sets forth the benefits: first as to election; second as to the things which follow, at "that we should be holy," etc. Now he expounds first concerning election. For there is a twofold election, namely of present righteousness, and of eternal predestination. Of the first, John 6:71: "did I not choose you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" And the Apostle does not intend this one here, because that election was not before the foundation of the world, and therefore he immediately makes clear which one he means, namely the second, that is, eternal predestination; on account of which he says "he has predestined us," etc. And because he says "in Christ," namely that we should be like and conformed to Christ, according as we are adopted into sons, therefore he adds "unto the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ." Now this, that he says "in charity," he expounds when he says "in whom we have redemption through his blood," as if he were to say: we have, etc. And this, that he says "and immaculate," he expounds when he says "unto the remission of sins." And this, that he says "in his sight," he expounds, saying, "unto the praise of the glory of his grace."