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Objection 1: It would seem that we were not reconciled to God
through Christ's Passion. For there is no need of reconciliation
between friends. But God always loved us, according to Wis.
11:25: "Thou lovest all the things that are, and hatest none of
the things which Thou hast made." Therefore Christ's Passion did
not reconcile us to God.
Objection 2: Further, the same thing cannot be cause and effect:
hence grace, which is the cause of meriting, does not come under
merit. But God's love is the cause of Christ's Passion,
according to Jn. 3:16: "God so loved the world, as to give
His only-begotten Son." It does not appear, then, that we were
reconciled to God through Christ's Passion, so that He began to
love us anew.
Objection 3: Further, Christ's Passion was completed by men
slaying Him; and thereby they offended God grievously. Therefore
Christ's Passion is rather the cause of wrath than of reconciliation
to God.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Rm. 5:10): "We are
reconciled to God by the death of His Son."
I answer that, Christ's Passion is in two ways the cause of our
reconciliation to God. In the first way, inasmuch as it takes away
sin by which men became God's enemies, according to Wis. 14:9:
"To God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike"; and Ps.
5:7: "Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity." In another
way, inasmuch as it is a most acceptable sacrifice to God. Now it is
the proper effect of sacrifice to appease God: just as man likewise
overlooks an offense committed against him on account of some pleasing
act of homage shown him. Hence it is written (1 Kgs.
26:19): "If the Lord stir thee up against me, let Him accept
of sacrifice." And in like fashion Christ's voluntary suffering was
such a good act that, because of its being found in human nature, God
was appeased for every offense of the human race with regard to those
who are made one with the crucified Christ in the aforesaid manner
(Article 1, ad 4).
Reply to Objection 1: God loves all men as to their nature, which
He Himself made; yet He hates them with respect to the crimes they
commit against Him, according to Ecclus. 12:3: "The Highest
hateth sinners."
Reply to Objection 2: Christ is not said to have reconciled us with
God, as if God had begun anew to love us, since it is written
(Jer. 31:3): "I have loved thee with an everlasting love";
but because the source of hatred was taken away by Christ's Passion,
both through sin being washed away and through compensation being made
in the shape of a more pleasing offering.
Reply to Objection 3: As Christ's slayers were men, so also was
the Christ slain. Now the charity of the suffering Christ surpassed
the wickedness of His slayers. Accordingly Christ's Passion
prevailed more in reconciling God to the whole human race than in
provoking Him to wrath.
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