Nature and Grace
According to my understanding of Henri De Lubac’s book, “Nature and Grace,” humans are part of the natural world, which means we are subject to its limitations and temptations. However, De Lubac highlights a crucial aspect of human existence: our capacity for transcendence through Jesus Christ. While we are rooted in the natural order, we long for something beyond ourselves, a yearning or calling to be one with the divine. This tension between our natural inclinations and our supernatural aspirations forms a key point of De Lubac’s book. He points out that while we are part of nature, we are also called to participate in the divine life, transcend our natural limitations, and aspire to be one with God.
In exploring nature and grace, De Lubac acknowledges grace’s presence within the world. Nevertheless, while God created the earth and called it good, man exists in a sinful world created from the original Fall. Because of sin, nature and grace operate in different places; on opposite sides, one exists in nature (created), and the other is the supernatural (grace). The result is that the grace of God must penetrate every aspect of human beings, accepted through our own free will, to cleanse us of our sinful ways. This is no mere generally graced world. This is salvation, the meaning of everything.
We cannot achieve the supernatural independently, so we see some output worthy of discussion. The first such consequence is humility. When we look at man’s elevation through grace, Fr. Teilhard De Chardin tells us correctly, “This is more than a simple union; it is a process of transformation during which all that human activity can do is prepare itself and accept, humbly.” 1 This allows us to believe in what is not born on this earth or universe, something not of this world; as God seeks to come to us, we can humbly welcome Him. Christianity’s very DNA is made of a nature of humility. It is our way of life. This allows us to recognize how incomplete we are as creatures. This welcomed humility also lets us realize we are dependent on God.
Another consequence of this supernatural act poured out for us is the constant presence of this “mystery.” Man is being saved by grace, which has no natural explanation. To quote De Lubac, “Christian faith can be, and history shows that it was indeed, the promoter of reason; but it is not a science or a revealed philosophy; such expressions are devoid of meaning.” 2 This means the mystery of grace belongs to a higher order. Early Christians realized the need to conceptualize in as precise a realization as possible so as not to lose the true scope of this gift. This was done to ensure the “mystery” was not hijacked by others who wanted it for their purposes. In this book, De Lubac says, “Our Fathers in the faith, the main authors of the great trinitarian and Christological definitions, were above all wary of sacrilegious curiosity.” 3 This meant that at all costs, we must protect the faith.
Our next recognized outcome is “transformation.” Revelation tells us, “Behold, I make all things new!” 4 Christianity itself is transformational. To experience Christ, we must be transformed through the sacraments. The Holy Spirit must come and consume our very being. This is the only way we can become new creatures and shed the skin we used to possess. We must be transformed into His image. Man cannot make the supernatural elevation to God. Only His divine love can bridge the abyss that exists between us. Since we have this yearning for God’s gifts deep inside us, we can claim with joy that God sent His son Jesus for our salvation, and as a result, the natural and supernatural have been combined. The sacraments achieve this combination to complete us despite our nature. This sanctifies us, allowing us to be one with God and our Christian community. The sacraments do matter.
De Lubac’s insights don’t stop there. He makes clear the difference between liberation and salvation. Salvation is clear enough as we do not argue about Christ’s death and resurrection; the matter gets murky when we discuss man’s liberation. This can mean many things depending on the context. Liberation can be fully human in its meaning as society sees it. For our purposes, we see man as liberated from sin through Jesus Christ. The Church’s proper role is as the messenger of this meaning of liberation and Christ’s salvation. To quote De Lubac, “This law applies to the entire human race as well as to each of its members; and this liberation is, In Christ our Redeemer, the work of God’s grace.” 5
The significance of the sacraments is clear within De Lubac’s framework. While we get this gift of grace, the sacraments serve as pivotal moments of encounter with God’s divinity, offering us meaningful avenues for experiencing and participating in the divine life. They are not merely symbolic gestures but critical signs through which God communicates His grace to us in a supernatural and transformative manner.
De Lubac’s insights help us understand the sacraments more deeply and appreciate their significance in light of the tension between nature(our state) and grace (God’s love). While the world is in chaos, the sacraments continue to be concrete in their ability to navigate the mystery of the divine life, offering us opportunities to encounter and participate in that grace in a profound and transformative way.
I want to end with a meaningful thought De Lubac offers at the end of the book: “Let us conclude that a Christianity which offers man something less than making him God is too modest…In the struggle for man in which we are engaged, such an answer is insufficient.” 6 We must never forget our place as sinners and these keywords from the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses and deliver us from evil…” 7 This is our Christian hope.