Is grace infused or imputed?

Grace is infused.

The Protestant model of imputation of grace is self contradicting and illogical.  The imputed model:

1. It is so confused, it even contradicts other Protestant doctrines. 

According to Protestant doctrine, “grace is irresistible”. Yet, grace can seemingly do nothing for the sinner. The sinner can’t become truly righteous according to the grace given to Him by God. He must be covered over with the righteousness of Christ.

2. Makes God a liar. When God rules that someone is righteous, it becomes a “legal fiction”. God, who can see a man’s heart, does not rule according to what is truly in the man’s heart, but declares the unrighteous man to be righteous.

3. Makes God weak. God, who created the universe with a word, when He declares a man just, that man, according to this doctrine, does not become just.

The “infusion” model is precisely the opposite:

1. It does not contradict any Catholic doctrines but fits perfectly in the Catholic understanding of the Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence of God.

2. Confirms that God does not lie. When God judges a man righteous, it is because that man has BY FAITH become righteous by striving to keep God’s commandments and persevering in well doing.

3. It also shows forth the efficacy of the grace of God, which was freely given to the man and which brought about the man’s conversion.

4. Shows forth the power of God because justification is the work of God. In justification, it is God who, by the renewal of the Holy Spirit, washes and regenerates the faithful man’s soul.

I personally don’t see how anyone can believe the imputation model. 

Luther, the author of that doctrine, summarized it this way:

I said before that our righteousness is dung in the sight of God. Now if God chooses to adorn dung, he can do so (Luther’s Works, Vol. 34, page 184).

Really? God wants to adorn “dung”? I’ll stick with the Catholic Teaching, thank you very much.

Sincerely,

De Maria