Do We Inherit Salvation?

“I believe in…life everlasting.” – Taken from the conclusion of the Apostles Creed.

Catholicism is about spreading the Evangelium—the good news of the Gospel. Regardless of how it is understood, that good news cannot be divorced from salvation. What exactly is salvation, and what must we do, if anything, to obtain it?

In this paper, I will explore this question through the lens of a conversation depicted in Luke’s Gospel.

Is Salvation An Inheritance?

The eighteenth chapter of Luke records a conversation between a wealthy man and Christ. The conversation begins with a question: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” There are several elements of the question that are worth commenting on, but I will focus on the phrase inherit eternal life.

First, we must ask whether salvation is synonymous with eternal life. Prima facie, eternal life suggests a life that does not come to an end. Obviously, this phrase cannot be understood literally in relation to our physical existence. Moreover, it is evident from the use of the word inherit that eternal life is not something intrinsic to the subject. After all, inherit means to obtain a thing or quality from another, and one does not obtain what one already has. Nor should eternal life be considered synonymous with salvation.

The reason why this is so is that, strictly speaking, a thing can be said to be eternal if it has no temporal boundary. That is to say that a thing is eternal if it has no beginning and no end. In this sense, only God, as the necessary being, can be considered eternal.

So, what then does eternal life refer to? Eternal life, in a qualified sense as it is used by Catholicism, is “the state of endless happiness enjoyed by the just in heaven (Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30). It means not only everlasting duration but also fullness of life, which the believer possesses already here and now through participation in the life of God.” (Hardon, John. Catholic Dictionary. 2013).

Said differently, eternal life is a consequence or product of salvation.

What Is Salvation?

If eternal life in the presence of God is the end and highest good that human beings can obtain, and if salvation is the means by which it is received, then it is of great importance that we understand what salvation is and what it entails.

Within the context of the Bible, salvation refers to liberation from poverty and evil and the transition to freedom and security. In the Old Testament, this also included the protection of Israel from her enemies. However, in the New Testament, salvation is explicitly referred to as the liberation of humans from the effects of personal and original sin.

The Bible not only portrays various forms of sin, but also efforts by God to “rescue” mankind from the effects of that sin. These efforts are made clear in the parable of the vineyard owner. (Matthew 21:33-41). The parable tells of a landowner (God) who builds a vineyard (ancient Israel) and then leases it while he is away. Later, the landowner sends servants (prophets) to collect what is owed him. The tenants (ancient Israelites) reject, beat, and even kill the servants. Finally, the landowner sends his Son (Christ).

The central point of the parable, specifically, and of scripture in general, is that sin has made it impossible for humans to obtain eternal life in the presence of God. Making matters worse, human beings can not rectify the situation. We can not save ourselves. For an in-depth treatment of this subject, I recommend “Cur Deus Homo” (Why God Became Man) by Saint Anselm.

Grace And Effort

One of the most controversial and misunderstood aspects of Catholicism concerns soteriology. Specifically, there are two interrelated questions. Whether humans contribute anything to their salvation, and whether salvation can be lost.

Returning to the analogy of salvation as an inheritance, it appears that human beings contribute nothing to their own salvation (and consequently, eternal life). Such a position would be incorrect, however. Indeed, the conversation between the rich man and Christ, as depicted in Luke, makes this clear.

The fact that the man asks, “What must I do to obtain eternal life,” indicates that he realizes he has some responsibility vis-a-vis his salvation. Nor does Christ disabuse him of that view. Rather, Christ lists various things (such as keeping the commandments) that the man must do. It can be no surprise that Saint Paul urges the church at Philippi to “Work out their salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12).

Nevertheless, Catholicism does not assert that human beings are the efficient cause of their salvation. Instead, Catholicism teaches that the obtainment of eternal life requires that we cooperate with the actual efficient cause of salvation, God’s grace. Without question, God could have effected our salvation in a myriad of ways. The fact that He chose to do so in this manner is an indication that God respects our free will and He desires that we be involved in the process of our own salvation.

The cooperative process of salvation has implications for our eternal life. As stated above, eternal life is a state of endless happiness in God’s presence. Happiness can not be forced, but rather, it must be chosen. We make this choice with how we live our lives.

Conclusion

I will conclude this essay with a quote from Saint Alphonsus Liguori.

“Each one shall go, in another life, into that house which he himself has chosen. Faith teaches us that, in the next life, there are two habitations. . . .Choose, my soul, to which of the two thou wilt go. If thou desirest heaven, thou must walk in the way which leads to heaven; if thou shouldst walk in the way which leads to hell, thou wilt one day unhappily find thyself there.”